The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-21
STORIES ABOUT TAFT
Icago Evening post.


 When placed in charge of the work on the Panama Canal, as Secretary of War, Taft received a delegation of striking shovel engineers. They want ed more money. As always, Secretary Taft was willing to look into their case. but that wasn't what they wantaJ.
 agree to give us this raise" said the shovelers' representatives. truculently.
 Secretay Taft's syes began to gleam bit as he hBked at them.
 Do I understand you rightly, gem tlemen." he asked. Do you mean to say that you want that raise before I have decided. and that If you don't get 1t you'll striker"
 Yes, he had understood them just right, they said. with a swagger.
 Then, gentlemen" said he, will you kindly step over to that table in the corner and write out your resigna- tions?''
 That put a diffMent face upon 1t. They didn't want to resign. Come to think of it calmly. they didn't want, to strike until he had Investigated their claims. He sent them back to their work. investigated their case. heard statements from the other employees of the canal and in the end refused to grant their demands unless at such times as all the other classes of labor should have proportionate increase.
 And so well satisfied were they by this time that their demands had, in fact, been unfair. that they made no further trouble.
 Last summer Secretary Taft was with his brothers their summer home at Murray Bay, in Canada. In some manner the board sidewalks wrich connect the different summer cottages caught fire, and 1t was plain to be see nthat if the flames were not extinguished the cottages would go up in smoke.
 Secretary Taft told the nearest man, an old Frenchman, to get a crowbar and take up the sidewalk. In his ex- citement the Frenchman simply potter ed around and did no good, Mir. Taft quietly pushed him aside.
 He seized that wooden sidewalk. spiked ~down two cross bars, and w'kth one mighty heave tore 1t loose from it's supports. Another heave and the sidewalk was thrown to one side. Mir Taft told the Frenchmsn to gather 1t up and put 1t away. But the old man just walked admiringly after his hero. and whenever he could get one to stand and listen he'd declare:
 By gar. dat Taf, he strong as one bull moose"
 When President Mckinley was sim ply at his wits'end to get a big man. really big man--to head his newly made Philippine Commission, he called Judge Day in consultation. He told of his troubles, of the men he had can vassed and found wanting. And then he ended with:
 Help me out. Day. I must have a big. broad man: and he must be strong, faithful and honest"
 Well, why don't you appoint him2 you know him." said Day. That de- scription fits Bill Taft to hair"
 And when Mckinley thought 1t over he thought so. too. But Taft didn't want the job.
 I'm not the man you want" said he. Why. I have never believed that the Philippines should be retained"
 But President Mckinley prevailed upon him to accept, for as MT. McKin ley's illustrious successor said to MT. Taft later on:
 ''He deligh& in responsibilities.'
 one day Justice Harlan. of the Su- preme Court. who lives near the Sec- retary at his summer home in Can ada. was twitting the big man on his health.
 T saw the doctor going over to your place yesterday. Taft" drawled the old Kentuckian.
 Yes" answered the Secretary. You see. I had a stomach ache. and I had a doctor to see about 1t"
 stomach acheT' roared the Justice. Had to have the doctor to cure IIt- tie stomach ache2"
 Taft unbottoned his coat. The act- ion was significant.
 When I have stomach ache" he said in his most serious tone. you cannot. you must not. call 1t little stomach ache"
 James P. Pigott, of New Haven, and Taft were freshmen toegther at Yale They had Just formed a friendship. and one night were walking up Elm Street In those days a freshman had only the bare right of existence con- ceded him by the sophomores. Ger" tainly he had no right to walk on the clean sidewalks while there was mud in the streets.
 As Pigott and Taft strolled beneath the elms a gang of half-a-dozen sophs rushed them. Under the sophs' rule Taft and Pigott were due for a duck ing in the mud. Pigott. who was featherweight. stood aside. Taft said softly:
 But do not care to go out in the mud"
 When they got through charging. William H. Taft was slowly walking up Elm Street. arm in arm with James P. Pigott. Out in the cold mud stood the half dozen sophs. As long as Taft remained at college he had the free dom of the sidewalks. The whole sophomore class would have hollered for beip before they would have tried to fuss with him again.
 A lawyer of record in one of the most important railroad cases ever tried in Western court forgot to file an amended petition on the last day of grace The court had the power to ex- tend the time limit. but some courts won't do that. The lawyer rushed into Judge Taft's court one day, never hav- ing seen the Judge.
 That's him coming now" said the clerk as a clear whistle sounded down the corridor. and before the harassed lawyer strode Big Bill" Taft. The moment he heard the lawyers name.
 Now. I'm glad you've come" said he, T was afraid you were going to let that case go by default. Let me have the papers.
 And they were filed. The lawyer, who had faced what amounted to profess slonal ruin by his negligence, went out with tears in hIs eyes, saying over and over:
 What a man he is! What a man he is!"
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 Master's Joke. Chicago Record Herald.