The evening times., 1901-05-17
MRS. M'KINLEY AS a TRAVELLER.
She Has stood the Hardships Of
Many Long and Tedious Trips

the American Government. Il has often
been remarked by Dr. Rixey, the White
House physician, that Mrs Mckinney
was possessed of wonderful capacity for
one so fran TO undergo the intense strain
incident to ten days or three weeks
tour with the President, during which
she was subject to almost the same at
tention as the President himself and went
through practically the identical pro
gramIne as to dinners. evening entertain
ments. and luncheons. Dr. Rixey is ma
val officer and became the White House
physician about three years ago Since
that time he has never failed to accom-
pany the President and Mrs. Mckinley
on every journey from Washington He
remained at Canton with the President
during the latter-s vacation last summer
and while the President is here invariably
calls at the White House every day and
often twice day.
Mrs. Mckinley has invariably insisted
on accompanying the President upon all
his trips and he has been equally unwill-
| ing that she should remain in Washing
! ton while he was absent. There have
/ been few instances when he has left Mrs
/ Mckinley in the city while he has been
away from the time he first came to
! Congress. Never has he been absent from
! her more than a day or two, and then
! he has been in communication with her
/ over the Ioug-distance phone and by tele-
/ graph.
/ Her first long tour with the President
/ was made two years ago last December,
/ when, with the Cabinet and distinguish
/ ed party, including Generals Lawton,
/ Shafter, and Wheeler, the President made
/ an extensive trip through the Southern
States, spending two days in Atlanta, two
{ -,
| Georgia. and the CaroIfnas in the timer
/ ary- Previously she had made several
! short trips of a day or two. but in the
South she Travelled almost constantly two
I weeks Attacks which she could not an
/ ticipate were frequent, and during that
I journey Mrs Gage who now lies III here.
/ was always by her side at luncheons and
/ parties given by ladies in her honor. She
! was seized with one of these attacks in
/ the Capital City Club at Atlanta and suf-
( feTed another at Savannah, hut recovered
( quickly and apparently with no after ef-
/ fects- Before that the President had
/ made trip to Nashville when Mrs Nc
/ ktnley also accompanied him.
! Less than two years ago she was with
/ him on 4 two weeks trip to the Middle
I West and Northwest, during which she
/ Travelled almost continuously. On all
/ these trips Mrs. Mckinley insisted on
/ sharing the attention shown the Presi-
! dent, and her energy, ambition, and ca
/ pacity for standing the fatigue of travel
/ have often astonished her es5ctor and
/ members of the Cabinet She has fire.
quently arisen early with the President
/ to meet some delegation, driven around
/ town in the morning. attended q luncheon,
/ then dinner, and often q reception. but
/ she did this against the advice often OF
/ DIT. Rixey, who could not understand
/ how she stood the strain.
/ Perhaps no President has Travelled so
much while in the White House as Mr..
/ Mckinley His trips to and from Canton
! have been frequent, while ne has often
/ been in other sections of the country on
special trips of several days each Meth
! er the President nor Mrs. Mckinley mind
/ I'd in the least trips to attend q launch
/ and a dinner and to be back the same
/ day, although hours were spent IN travel
/ alone
/ She has frequently come from Canton to
| stay here a few days and then returned
I with the President. Never has he left her
/ in Canton while he was IN Washington
/ except on one occasion, and then for only
/ two days
1 As mistress Of the White House Mrs
! Mckinley has been Jealous to assist the
! President in all the social affairs. and in
/ carrying out the winter programme she
/ has often taxed hep strength to the limit,
/ Last winter, owing to the abandonment
/ Of the social calendar on account of the
Presidents attack OF grip. she escaped
/ the ordeals which ara involved in receiv-
/ ing thousands OF persons at the evening
! receptions given IN honor of the Diplomat
! ic Corps. Congress. the judiciary and thu
/ army and navy None Of these receptions
was held last winter, and socially the
/ White House was quieter than at any
7 time since Mrs HarrisOn's death, which
resulted in the mansion being closed all
one winter 10 social entertainments
{ Mrs NICK EUleE has been the only WOTn-
! an Of the White House who sat while she
/ received On the right of the President
/ vas small EiIded chair Of Louis Ky style
( IN which she was seated She usually
! bowed TO all who passed. AT some OF the
! great evening receptions az least coo per
/ sons would be greeted by the President
! and Mrs Mckinley To every guest the
/ President would give warm shake Of
/ the hand.
Mrs Harrison was the first wife Of a
/ President 10 establish a rule Of bowling to
/ those calling instead of extending the
/ hand This was the result OF the terrible
/ strain imposed on a woman by shaking
hands with several hundred. and perhaps
4 thousands, Of persons IN one evening
/ especially when the grasp OF some large
| hands would be sufficient to cause pain
/ 10 q man Of strong muscle Mrs. MCkIn-
ley could not endure the fatigue of re
! ceiving except when seated. and diplo-
mats and others woald always sympa-
! thize with her and pass without undertak-
! ing TO extend their hand
AS for Mrs. Cleveland, she was Of too
/ vigorous a. nature to avoid shaking hands
| with White House guests and would stand
at the great public receptions until the
| last visitor in line had passed before she
would surrender her place next to the
President
| Mrs Mckinley, owing to her feeble
health, has never taken part in the gale
ties of Washington outside Of the Cab
met dinners. and has seldom been seen
except when driving with the President
| She never walked except in the private
| grounds with the President The last
| time she was seen here by q large number
| of persons was on Easter Monday, when,
| with the President by her side. she ap-
| Peared at one Of the rear windows of the
White House to watch the thousands of
! children rolling Easter eggs on the green
| turf while the Marine Band played lively
| airs. The music of this band at the
| spring and summer concerts was a source
of especial delight to Mrs. Mckinley, and
often she would have the leader play
some piece over a second time. Straus
Blue Danube Waltz was her faVOTite.
and the band invariably played it at the
afternoon concerts.
Owing to her feeble strength Mrs. Nc
Kinley seldom went to church with the
President, although communicant of the
same -denonination-the Methodist
Intuition.
CFrom the Cleveland Plain Dealer.)