The Washington times., 1908-08-25

! 1
mighty recently and watched the politi-
cal game as it is played. 70 be exact
and precise, things we lOatl to be. we
waited in the reception room of the suite
! occupied by Mr.. William Howard Taft
/ at the Homestead Hotel Virginia Hot
| Springs. for many many hours. and
were initiated into the way a Presi-
| dental candidate takes his recreation.
for we had understood that this was
Mr.. Taft's vacation time in which he
was preparing for the strenuous days
which are to follow.
| From across the han. in the room
wherein was stationed Fred w Car
penter, Mr.. Tafts secretary. came the
sound Of a busy typewriter and the fire.
quent tinkle Of the telephone bell Men
passed in and out OF this apartment,
and newspaper reporters haunted its
| portals A colored messenger, very i'm
portant and pompous. rushed about, oc-
Icasionally stopping 10 speak to some one
whom he knew. once we heard him tell
an acquaintance: I've been talking
politics to Mr.. Shonts: deed 1 has You
oughter heared meh."
Mr.. Shontsr exclaimed Dolly. And
then we Doth gazed after the tall man
with gray hair who was just disappear
ing within the door which led, by a cir
cuitous route. to Mr.. Taft
Begins TO Read Speech.
THAT settles us."I< said gloomiIy.
and began to read the only literature
which the room afforded. which happen
ed to be the Republican candidates
speech Of acceptance.
There were other persons waiting, and
one OF these whispered directly, There
goes Postmaster General Meyer" And,
sure enough, that distinguished gentle
man followed Mr. Shonts
If had known all the great ones OF
earth We're here, L shouldn't have
come" Dolly told me, and prepared for
a long, long wait.
The editor of a New York paper with
two companions came in and sat in one
corner OF The rOOm,' and began an ami
mated discussion as 10 what II costs 10
make automobiles A newspaper man
wandered by; seeing an empty table and
bottle of ink, ne promptly tegan a
long story to his paper about events.
Directly a very tall and very heavy
man, whose head was partially bald and
partially covered with red hair came
by with a companion and took in the
situation through the crack of the door
That IS Burr Mcintosh" whispered
the newspaper man. He's the official
Photographic, and has taken some
splendid photographs of Taft since hel
has been down here"
Mr. Mcintosh went into Mr.. Carpen-l
ter's room and spoke 10 that keeper or
the port. Then he wandered out again,
absent-mindedly and a tall, slender and
rather distinguished looking gentleman
with a heavy mustache went into the
room opposite. and, sitting down at a
table within sight OF the door, began 20
write. The newspaper man made rusE
for him.
Mr.. Pinchot Busy.
"Ohl Mr.. Pinchot I wanted 10 ask
you he commenced and the remain
der was lost to us.
who's sIr. Pinchot2' asked Dolly.
He is The gentleman who is preserv-
ing our forests Tor US, l told her. IF
it were not for his efforts, there
wouldn't be a tree left in this country
by this time"
"WeH, he must have been rather
pleased with what he saw coming down
on the Chesapeake and Ohio, II ne IS
fond OF woods" returned my friend
Time passed The distinguished editor
ana his companions went from automo-
biles 20 corn "On the noOT, ana car
toons without turning a hair. The
newspaper man finished his story, and L
heard him mutter something about see
ing NOrys."
A tan, gaunt negro, dressed very ele-l
gautly in a fTOck-cOat suit ana carry
ing a silk hat. entered and. drawing out
a pair Of gOld-bOWed spectacles, began
diligently to Fead-MT. Tatts speech OF
acceptance. he wore on the Iapel ot
his coat. ostentatiously displayed, q
Taft button and the lapel Of his vest
was ornamented in like fashion, We dls-
covered. when a movement ne pade
brushed his coat aside.
The cOlOred messenger, percelNlhs u
him an acquaintance, apparently came
in and acCuSted MIN.
SAY he said, did you ever cead
the speech that Bryant made at coop
an Union some time ago-I don Flghuy
remember the yeah, but, anyway II
was about the cOlOred people.
Gaunt Negro Silent.
The gaunt coIored man said he re-
membered. but refused to pursue the
conversation Apparently he had some
thing on his mind which kept him from
enjoying light conversation,
DO you suppose it is Booker Wash
ington?" Dolly whispered TO me.
NO: Booker is rotund. I think"
whispered back.
A mountain shower came up suddenly
and the rain descended in sheets, II
passed and the sun came out again,
but the shadows were greatly length
ened.
1T must be a conference Of state, in
deed" said Dolly, wearicdly, referring
to the conference Of big guns across the
way.
Two newspaper men near by whis-
pered that the subject of the cOnversa-
ton was the financing of the campaign
and that 1t was indeed important.
After a long, long time there was the
hubbub of departing visitors from the
other side of Ehe hall, and directly a
group of men emerged from that apart
ment and went away, and Mr- CaTpen-
ter came in and told the editor and ms
friends they might go iH.
Dolly and I were very much inter
ested in Mr. Carpenter Dolly went so
far as TO say that ne would out-LamOnt
Lamont and Out-Loeb Loeb II he ever
had the opportunity He IS a pale
young man Of medium height. with an
exceedingly quiet and undemOnstrative