The sun., 1908-06-21
HANDCAR In PRESIDENTS WAY
HIS TRAIN, GOING TO OYSTER
BAY, STOPS WITH A JERK.
1t Came Near Smashing the Section Crews
Vehicie-LoDs wait at Long Island City
for Kermit and Archie--Secretary Taft
Is Going to Sycamore Hill This Month.

summer capital, as Oyster Bay may still
call itself for this one last season, was at the
railroad station this afternoon When ths
Presidents special came in, and Mr.. Roose-
welt got the warmest greeting that has
been accorded him in years. Flags hung
from every window and bits OF bunting
decorated every store front. Perhaps the
fact that 1t was Saturday afternoon con-
tributed something to the unusual turnout.
but there seemed to be more than the ordi-
nary curiosity to see the President and shake
his hand.
President Roosevelt was out OF his car
and in the midst of the crowd before the
, train stopped. Men, women and children
rushed forward to shake his hand and
kept the Secret Service men busy forming
the line and guarding against repeaters
The President had q word and smile for
everybody and some extra expression Of
delight over any new young citizen who
had arrived since last year.
Tho impromptu reception lasted for ten
minutes, and then the President jumped
into bis carriage and drove OF to Sycamore
Hill, where, II report may be believed, he
is to play the hermit, receiving few visitors
and those only by special appointment
through Secretary Loeb.
The Presidents party left Washington at
9a5 this morning on a special train. In the
party were Mrs. Roosevelt, Miss Ethel and
Quentin Roosevelt, Secretary OF State
Root, Postmaster-Genersl Meyer, William
Loeb, Jr., the Presidents secretary; Assist
ant Secretary Rudolph Foster, who re-
places Assistant Secretary Latta at the sum-
mer executive Offices; Secret Service Agents
James Sloan, Jr., and Joseph Murphy, the
Presidents personal guards, and the usual
complement of clerks, telegraph operators
and messengers, who are kept busy even in
quiet summer at the executive offices over
Moores grocery store on Main street.
The run to Jersey City was made without
incident. The usual crowd in the Penn
sylvania station gave the usual cheer as
President Roosevelt walked down the plat
form to the wharf, where the tug Lancaster
was waiting to carry him to Long Island
City. Secretary Root and Postmaster
General Meyer left the President at Jersey
City, Secretary Root going to Hamilton
College. at Clinton, N. Y, and Mr.. Meyer to
his summer home In Massachusetts,.
The tug Lancaster has carried the Presi4
dent on 80 many trips to Long Island City
is on board when they see her headed up
the East River. Every captain who made
the guess or came near enough to 1t to sec
the man in the slouoh hat on the Lancaster's
upper deck had some extra steam on hand
for the whistle. and President Roosevelt
was kept busy answering the safutes.
There was big Saturday afternoon
crowd waiting at the Long Island Rail-
road station. and everybody got chance
for close look as the President, surrounded
by policemen and his Secret Service guards,
walked directly through the waiting
room instead Of going through the side
alley as on former trips. There was con-
siderable cheering, to which the President
responded by raising his hat and smiling
The Presidents party were slowed away
on the special train at the Long Island
Railroad station before O'Clock. Secre-
tary Loeb gave the word to 60 ahead and
the train had started when it was discovered
that Kermit and Archie, the Presidents
second and third sons, who were expected
down from Groton School, at Groton, Mass,
were not on board the train and it had to
back up and wait.
1t was after 4 o'clock when the hoys
arrived, but the delay was not without
Its uses, for In the interval delayed bottle
Of milk caught up with William Loeb,
the secretary's young son, who Is one of
the original Taft boomers and who, when
asked who would be the next President,
announced without hesitation, BILLY Taft"
United States District Attorney William
s. Youngs. who was MIR. Roosevelt's private
secretary when he was Governor, joined
the party at Long Island City and rode
down to Oyster Bay for a chat with the
President.
The run to Oyster Bay was interrupted
between Roslyn and Sea Cliff by section
gang. Section gangs are no respecters of
persons, and this particular one hoisted a
handcar onto the single track road just
ahead Of the special. The handcar was
hidden by a curve and there might have
been bad smash had not the block signal
thrown out its warning arm In time for the
engineer to slam on the air brakes.
No one knew for moment what had
happened. and 1t was a very white faced
trainman that ran back with the red flag,
but the President never budged and prob
ably doesn't know yet how near his train
came to crushing that handoar. When the
railroad men found out what was holding
the special there was some language
and the track was cleared in jiffy There
were no further Interruptions until Mr..
Roosevelt was landed among his townsmen.
Secretary Loeb announced this evening
that the President intended to free him.
self from the cares Of Office as much as
possible during the summer The word
has gone out again to write IT," and visitors.
official or other. will have to "show" Secre-
tary Loeb before they get up to Sycamore
Hill. But the wise ones when told of quiet
summer say: "Just wait until the cam
paign gets hot"
Secretary Taft will make call on the
President before he quits his Office on June
80 to talk over War Department affairs and
perhaps to get some advice on campaigning
methods from one who knows.
Secretary Loeb has deserted Oyster Bay
proper except during working hours at the
executive office. Ee is living at the Sea-
wanhaka Yacht Club on Centre Island.
The island is really peninsula and the