The Washington herald., 1908-08-17

DemOcrat-Was Teacher Before
His Migration TO Iowa.
Louis Vespasian Taft. a third cousin
OF the Presidential candidate. was placed
on the pension list OF the Typographical
Union Saturday. He viii draw 81 a week
until his death
Louis '. Taft, VINO in many ways re-
sembles Charles P. Taft. the millionaire
brother OF the candidate. was born in
Worcester. Mass. October > 1S32- His
father. Titus Vespasian Taft. was a sec
ond cousin Of William Howard Taft
Louis was educated in the best schools
Of Worcester. and was afrerward grad
uated from an old Massachusetts college.
he left Immediately after his gradua-
ton for New York City. where he be-
came principal in one Of the public
schools. He stayed in New York until
his twenty-ffth birthday. when his father
wrote and asked him 10 come home and
learn The printers trade Young LOUIS
Immediately went Ecme-
Family Goes 10 Iowa.
His family moved West. stopping at Chi
caeo and purchasing prairie schooner.
IN which they joUrneyed 10 Iowa and set
tied down Many weeks Of hardship
were spent OF the Uav- The elder TAFT
Senator Saunders. and young Louis Taft
laid out Mount Pleasant. Iowa in the
southeastern part Of The State
Among the pioneers who came 20 Mount
Pleasant was a New England newspaper
man. VINO. with logs and clay. erected a
building and installed hand printing
press and several cases Of old type
After riding over the country within a
radius Of twenty miles 10 get subscribers,
and securing about 2oo. he started a week
Iy newspaper Louis Taft went 10 work
with the paper as an apprentice type
setter. He worked IN this Office many
years The paper increased in size. with
added subscribers and advertising, and
then Young Taft was put on the street as
I reporter He work at that a couple Of
years
IN lSs1. he received an 0ner from a
I large sem.weesIy paper in Fort Madi-
Z son. Iowa He went there as reporter
/ but only worked al that about a month,
when he was promoted 10 editor-in-c1ief-
He Attains Name
/ Unlike his distinguishes cousin. he IS
a Democrat. and his editorials IN the
I Fort Madison seml~eekly soon gained
/ him distinction During LLncoln's second
campaign for President. Louis Taft took
/ Up the pen for Mcclellan and did great
work FOR his candidate. He remained
/ l- Fort Madison until 1855. when he went
/ 70 Salem. IL. the home Of William Jen-
I ri-zs Bryau's father
About this time the elder Bryan was
I working for an election 10 judgesh.r
1 in Illinois lIr Taft was introduced tC
Z him and they became warm friends AZ
E ter Air- Bryan made known his ambi-
Z tiCn % b-coue a judge, Mr- Taft wen'
20 work with a VIII. he started a news
paper called the Free Press. and thr0ug1
It's news and editorial columns. es-
+ p0usad the cause Of the father Of the
present Democratic Presidential candi-
date Mr. Bryan was elected by one Of
the largest uatorities ever given Judi
. ciaI candidate
shortly after this. NI-- Taft was de-
+ featad for the State legislature
/ While in Iowa. his friendship for his
: fathers friend Senator Saunders. ripeueL
{ into almost br0therly affection despite
the great dif=s5--e IL their ages This
friendship lasted until the death Of Sen
/ ator Saunders.
I met Sterling P. Rounds. who conducted
Z a printers supply house in Chicago
. These men became fast friends. and whe1
] Chester A Arthur succeeded PresiGel
I Garfield at the lat+ers death IN ISL
Mr.. Rounds was appointed Public Printer
. Ar Taft had been instrumental in th'
appointment Of AIr. Rounds. and wheI
the latter took I'd the work OF Public
] Printer he did not forget his friend bacl
/ IN Illinois
Comes TO Washington.
after 1Ir. Rounds had been Pubic
Printer a short while, he wrote I.
Mr.. Taft and asked him 20 accept a posi-
ton IN the big printery. This M Tai
declined until ISIS. when he failed in hi
/ Illinois newspaper work. He came on {,
] Washington and became utility man a
the prirtery. He worked at the case. a!
a proofreader. and foreman. and often
! at the request Of M Rounds, he oferes
many good suggestions as TO the admin
istrative work Mr.. Taft remained a
the printery until about three years ago.
Among NIr. Tafts many and Hfelori
friends none was warmer or dearer q
him than Gov. Gear. of Iowa. who after
I ward became a United States Senate
/ from that state, and Frank HattOn. Wit
for a few years was editor Of the Wash
inEton Post
NIr Taft has been a member OF tn
] iTypograp pEicaI Union tor forty-five years
FIe- viii be seveuty-siN years old in OC
tober. and is still spry and active H
goes daily for long walks into the coun
Try. claiming 10 set more benefit from
This exercise than he does from the foO'
he eats. He is splendidly educated. an'
co1verses upon any subject in a va.
that impraSSes his hearers with the
idea that he has studied and read ex
tensively He has written several article
on spaper life in the West during III
early '7Cs which have been read all owe
the country
Would Vote for Bryan.
M Taft said that were he able .
travel the distance between Washington
ard Salem. d.. he would go home an
vote for Mr.. Bryan. He added that Will
he would Ike TO aid his cousin. his low
for the party was stronger than famil.
ties.
Several years ago he carried on
y correspondence with his cousin. Charlie
P. TAFT. who is furnishing the sinews o