New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-06-24
fAF s LIFE
AND HIS WORK,
Record Of Republican Party's
Nominee For the Presidency.
AN INDEFATIGABLE WORKER.

Has Been Called "the Busiest Man In
a Busy government Many
Important Offices Genial and Opt
mistic, but Fighter When Neces-
sary-His Personal Popularity.
To the American public the personal
ity of William Howard Taft, the nomi-
nee of the Republican party for presi-
dent of the United States, has become
in the last few years almost as familiar
as that Of the man he aspires to sue
coed in the highest Office in their gift.
His life during those few years has
been an important part of the history
of the nation. says the New York
Times. If the events of his life before
| that time are less well known, every
body has heard at least that he is a
Yale man; that he has been practic-
ing attorney, United States court
Judge and dean of law school and
had many appointive Offices before he
was thirty-two years old.
The research work Of Mrs. Louisa NJ
Taft, mother of the present secretary
of war, makes it easy to trace in Amer
lea the families that produced William
/ Howard Taft. Mrs. Taft died on Dec.
Z, 1907 She was Miss Torrey, and
! her history covers the genealogy of
both the Torrey and Taft families in
New England.
The first Taft mentioned in her his
tory was Robert Taft, housewright,
who settled in Mention, Mass, in 1863.
He had five sons, one of whom mar
ried Elizabeth Emerson, the grand
daughter of the first minister of Men
ton Joseph Tafts second son was Peter
Taft, born in 1715. He married Rhoda
Rawson, the great t-granddau ghter
Of Edward Rawson, secretary OF the
Massachusetts, Bay Colony from 1850
to 1856. He died in 1908.
The third son of Peter Taft was
Aaron, whose third son, again Peter,
married Sylvia Howard in 1910. This
Peter Taft, after holding several judge
ships in Massachusetts, moved to Gin.
cinnati. O., In 1S41. He died in 1867,
leaving one son, Alphonso, father OF
the present secretary Of war.
Alphonso Taft was a graduate OF
Yale, as have been so many Tafts. He
became Yale tutor, lawyer and Unit
ed States Judge. secretary of war and
attorney general William Howard
Taft's mother was Miss Louise Torrey
of Millbury, Mass, who was the second
wife of Judge Alphonso Taft. The sec
rotary has three living brothers, all OF
whom are loyal graduates of Yale.
The Taft home was Mt Auburn, {
suburb of Cincinnati William was edu
Gated in the city schools, preparing fol
college at the Woodward high school OF
Cincinnati. In his boyhood he was
noted for his gigantic strength, his
earnestness, his good natured laughte,
and what was and still is called his
"hoss sense He was no bookworm
then. He loved outdoor life.
He entered Yale in 1874, at the age
of sixteen, being graduated later with
the famous class Of '7S. His school
mates were disappointed because he
+ would not use his great strength il
athletic contests, but he was popular
nevertheless, and his remarkable en-
ergy enabled him to win second place
in the scholarship contest upon gradu
alton in class of 129. He was the
salutatorian and class orator. He hat
already begun to win places.
The twenty-year-old Taft, big and
strong, but not portly then, returned tt
his home and entered the law depart
ment Of Cincinnati college, graduating
two years later. Before he had reach
ed his twentieth birthday he had as {
reporter during vacation times helped
a young man to become prosecuting at
torney of the city. After his gradua
ton from the law school he was ad
mitted to the bar and was made ar
assistant to the prosecutor he ha6
helped.
In those days he was hail fellow vel
met with everybody, the politicians
with the rest. He had his fathers rep
utation to help him along, but he full
filed expectations. He did not disap
point his admirers. By the time be
was twenty-three years old he was fal
enough along in politics to be made
collector of internal revenue at a sal
airy Of $4,000. He quit this job be
cause he didn't like it. 1t was good
only for the money in it. He went
back to the study Of law and married
his sweetheart while his practice was
paying him probably S1OO a month.
4 Less than two years after he resign
ed his collectorship be was appointed
. assistant county solicitor for Hamilton
b county, still holding to some of his
{ private practice, however. He was
then taking an important part in local
politics with an eye to civic reforms
He was following then somewhat the
same lines that Mr., Roosevelt was fol.
lowing in New York. but he stayed
rather closer to the political machine
In March, 1887. before he was thirty
years old, William H Taft was ap
pointed judge Of the superior court OF
1@,41 L,