Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-28

CHouSH Will yOuT Eald&y, 10 i've COHioAt-
bench for life That IL the easy PROPOSE
ton.
"On the other hand we need you In the
wrecked physicallyrbyI tie diseases incident
to- that climate. YOU INDY die at your post.
You have the opportunity of being the
savior of the little brown men, advancing
damned by the public for your work You
may administer affairs with great success
and still have to feel the sting of ingrati-
tude You will haye to resign your circuit
judgeship. The chance Of going upon the
Supreme Court bench may never again
Which will you aceept?5'
who ' have seen ssB 3 nfE Ia Taft take hard
knocks at Yale and tackle the most UNI
promising propositions could have answered
for him. as he did for himself i go to the
Philippines us
A Loyal Yale Man.
Judge Taft is not man of fads or fam
cies, except one. He is an intense, enthusi-
astic, loyal, uncompromising Yale man. If
you want to see his steel gray eyes snap
and fash, Just reflect upon the glory or
prestige of Odd En- All the honors and
achievements Of his life since graduating
in 1878 are nothing to him compared with
his triumphs in his four college years Away
out in the Philippines 1t has been no I'M
usual thing to hear his voice raised In the
songs Of Yalensia, just as he used to sing
when sitting on the college fence with MS
classmates about him.
There are a hundred or more of Judge
Taft's old classmates, men prominent IN
business, church and politics throughout
the country, who would take Off their coats
at any time to fight for him. A quarter Of
a century has not lessened their loyalty,
and their devotion illustrates the esteem
he commanded in Yale from the time he en-
tered until graduation.
Young Taft went into Yale from Andover
with a choice lot of boys, who formed
clique that ruled their old class and to a
great extent the whole college. or TINS
party the athletic Taft was fac1le pr1nceps
Formed by nature for victories in the ath-
letic field, Taft denied his inclination ana
entered the sphere of mental achievements
He rowed, played foot ball and pracdced IN
the gymnasium only enough to Keep MS
body in trim. He was not so devoted to
his books however, that he failed to re-
spond when his class was in rush, row
or contest of any kind. He was always IN
the fore front of the fray.
His father, Alphonso Taft, Secretary Of
War and Attorney General under Grant
and in the diplomatic service under Arthur,
was Yale graduate, and he wanted his
son to take high honOrS from his alma
mater Bill did not disappoint his parent
He graduated second in class of 100 and
was salutatorian and class orator.
Taft VS.. Bowen.
''I'll never be content until 1 throw Bill
Taft again. laughingly said Herbert w.
Bowen, minister to Venezuela, one evening
while in Washington conducting negotia-
tons for the settlement of the Venezuelan
imbroglio. Mr.. Bowen was a member of
the same class with Taft at Yale. They
were the two biggest fellows in the college
and a friendly rivalry existed between them
as to strength and ability to wrestle.
Bowen was little taller, but Taft was
the heavier of the two. They were pretty
evenly matched in wrestling.
up to our last year 1t was about a
stand-off between u.s. said Minister Bowen
but 1 think 1 had just shade the better
of him. In the last week of the commence
ment of 1878 we had two or three rounds,
and Taft threw me. I will never be salts
fled until have another go at him"
Mr. Bowen's wish may be gratified. When
Judge Taft gets settled as Secretary of War
and Minister Bowen comes to Washington
on a leave of absence there is nothing to
prevent their having an oldfashoned wres-
Ting bout. President Roosevelt can take
them up to his gymnasium in the attic of
the White House and act as umpire while
the pair have it out on the mat used by the
President in his wrestling exercises. 1t
would be safe money to bet on Bowen
Taft has laid on flesh of recent years and
now tips the beam at 80.
CHEEKY and Bright.
In all the positions he has held Judge
Taft has never changed In his manner.
His characteristics have remained the
same, and when he reaches Washington as
Secretary of War the thousands who know
him predict that his laugh will be just as
loud, his hand shake as hearty, his good
humor as infectious as they were in col
lege, in court circles or away off in the
Philippines. He will throw himself back
in his chair and enjoy a good story with
as much zest as he ever did. Taft is not
much Of a story teller himself, but he is
at all times bubbling over with good hui
NOR; so that while his narratives may not
always be pointed and witty. they are
bound to create laugh by the very force
of his good humor. He likes to chaff those
who are disposed to put on official airs and
dignity His associates the Philippine
commission have frequently been the OBJ
ject of his jokes and he has the faculty of
injecting those about him with his own
manners and good spirits
II was not month with Judge Taft un-
til 1 was shaking hands with every one I
met and greeting them with a laugh" said
Rutherford Corbin, son of Major General
Corbin, who was Gov Taft's secretary for
some two years in the Philippines. II
never saw any one who could SO thoroughly
dominate everybody about him and satu-
rate them, as it were, with his own geni
atty"