The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-03
the Taft humor and good nature are
deeper than q mere smile.
Senator Bourne's Green Vest

the Iaft humOr ana good nature are
deeper than a mere smile.
Senator Bourne's Green Vest.
When Mr.. Taft and Senator Bourne Of
Oregon were at Hot Springs Va, to-
gether last summer they formed the
habit of playing twosome nearly every
day, and with great regularity Bourne
would appear on the links with a green
vest as the prominent feature of his
costume. 1t was not always the same
vest. Far from It, He had vests of any
old green shade imaginable, and he was
proud of all of them. No one would
have dared to make a sighting remark
about even the least respondent of that
galaxy of greennesses. But one day,
when Bourne appeared at the first tee
a little late, Taft called out:
Hello, Old Green Vest'
Bourne thought that an unusually good
joke. But 1t is hardly safe TO say that
he would have thought 1t amusing coming
from anybody else. Taft has a gift of
"guying' people good-naturedly, so that
they rather enjoy the experience. And
after he had christened Bourne "Old
Green Vest" the senator himself found
great pleasure and many jokes in his
own rainment OF greensh hue.
As might be expected when one knows
how good-natured he is, the President Is
one of the most approachable men in
public life. He makes all his callers feel
perfectly at home from the first moment
they enter the room. His smile begins it,,
and he completes it by saying something
pleasant An old country woman from
Maryland who went to the White House
one day and shook hands with him, said ::
THAT mans just like home folks
And in its way the description a
tribute.
Mr.. Taft is devoted to golf, and he
knows a lot of stories and jokes about
the game When he was at Hot Springs,
Va, he played the course one morning
with gentleman who, for the purposes
of this story, was named Jones. While It
was pretty good golf to make the eight
cen holes there in 49, Mr.. Jones fooled
through 1t In about 10. Two or three
days later, as Taft was starting out. Mr..
Jones came up to the club house. threw
his bag Of sticks to the old negro who
looked after them, and remarked casualty:
Got around in 50 today"
After Jones had gone, Taft turned to
the old negro and asked;
"What do you think of that, uncle?"
'Weh-ell" said the darby, "ef he done
1t. he wuz by hissse'f when he done it.
The President tells this story in irimta-
BILE fashion and thinks 1t one of the best
he ever heard as an illustration of how
some men who want to make record
for their play can 90 30 III tneN count
by their own remarkable and inaccurate
systems.
HES RegIah to His Meals"
When he was in Augusta Ca. last
winter he heard remark from an old
negro woman which he never will forget.
He laughs at it to this day. He was al
q barbecue in the country. Is miles out
of Augusta, and the negro population,
which had never laid eyes on a man
elected to the presidency. was much in
evidence. hanging on gates and fences
and staring with great interest. A lady
who was a friend OF the man giving the
barbecue asked the old negro. who had
been staring at Mr.. Taft for 10 minutes
uninterruptedly.
.What do yon think of him. auntie?'
"FIe looks mighty fine replied auntie
oau' I specs he's reg'lah to his meals"
Unlike many story-tellers, the Pres
tdent does not like to do all the talking.
and he welcomes with avidlty any one
who has a new Joke. He likes to tell and
he likes to hear. And those who see the
pctures of the Taft smile" should know
that the brain and heart behind 1t are
laughing as enjoyably as the smile indi-
oates. All Of which is blessing for him.
for IL must be a great burden to a man
without a sense of humor to be President
of the United States.
RI