Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26
Habits of the Presidents
continued from Page one.)

Quincy Adams. who was uncomfort-
able when he attracted popular attention,
rose early in warm weather and bathed be-
fore sunrise in the Potomac, something
that probably no other president ever aid.
When he tremendously began the digging
for the Baltimore & Ohio railroad in 1925
the crowd cheered on seeing how well he
handled the spade.
Jackson, like Washington, had led a life
Of hardship and much physical activity,
but he was five years older than Washing
ton on coming TO the presidency and BY
that time a less active man. He showed
himself on foot in public at Washington
and gave an audaciOus enemy a chance to
tweak his nose. He also made the long
land journey from the capital to his home
in Tennessee, and it must nave been upon
one OF these trips that a foolish fellow at
Cumberland asked an impudent question
about the irregularity OF his marriage, to
which jackson responded with a sternly
repressive glance and the answer that his
questioner seemed 10 be a very bold man.
Jackson, however, was not one Of the spe-
cially active presidents.
Van Buren, was not an outdoor person or
a special lover Of physical exercise. though
he liked to get away TO his quiet Kinder
AoOh' NnNIN nc COAhu move dbDuA uIuls-
turbed by staring crowds. There is a
pleasant description OF him in old age long
after his retirement from the presidency as
walking the streets of New York with his
son John, small. quick, white haired and
clear eyed, with the activity of a much
younger man.
From Harrison to Pierce the presidents
were mostly oldish and not especially active
men. Tyler, like the other Virginians,
bred on a plantation. rode on horseback,
but he had long been occupied with indoor
activities.
Taylor entered upon the presidency at
S., soon after he had finished a hard cam
paign in Mexico. His life had been passed
at frontier army posts and in fighting the
Indians, and upon assuming the presidency
he had more things to learn about civil
government than any of his predecessors.
The change from camp to court was not
the best thing for a man OF his age. else
perhaps he would not nave yielded to bill
ious collie, six months after his inaugur-
alton.
Fillmore was fifteen years younger than
the man whom he succeeded, but too heavy
in body and too s~edentary by habit for
great physical activity. Pierce was young
and active, a gallant figure, his admirers
thought, who moved freely about Wash
ington and left the presidency SO well in
tcdy that he Travelled several years in
Europe. He was fond of the open air, and
it was while on a long drive in the White
mountains with Pierce that Nathaniel
Hawthorne in 1864 was seized with his fatal
ILLNESS.
Buchanan was not an active man Dhy
sically, though he liked to lounge about
his farm. Wheatlands, near Lancaster, Pa.
and enjoyed the uneonventional outdoor
life OF Bedford Springs.
Lincoln had been all his life a rider on
horseback, but was never sught but an
wkward cavalier. In spite of warnings
that his life was in danger he used TO walk
at midnight with a single companion from
the War department 10 the White House,
and he somtimes took exercise in the White
House grounds after. nightfalL
IL was this habit that led 10 an early
plan TO kidnap him, and a man who after
ward lived for years in New York told an
acquaintance in the confederate army that
he had lain several nights IN the ~shrubbery
Of the White House grounds hoping for an
opportunity 70 seize Lincoln unawsres. He
must have had accompices near at hand.
for only a giant could easily have over
come Lincoln even in his middle ffties.
In spite Of the fact that the assassination
Of Lincoln had made every one feel that
the president could not safely go about on
foot, Grant was sometimes seen walking
the streets OF Washington. An unfriendly
observer described him as a shabby and
sloucby looking man in an unbuttoned frock
coat waking along Pennsylvania avenue.
Grant life had been much Of the time
one OF physical hardship, but be was not a
very active man physically, He liked a
good horse and always had one at Wash
ington.
BY this time the actual office work OF
the presidency had become most exacting.
so that the man OF the White House had
almost 10 fight for physical existence.
Hayes, who gave personal attention "a
many details. was much disturbed by his
lack Of opportunity for outdoor exercise.
A Boston woman invited TO dinner al
the White House during his administration
found herself suddenly seized by the presi-
dent a few minutes before the dinner was
announced, rushed violently out OF a door,
tTotted through the conservatories, and
back again. She returned breathless and
Mrs. Hayes explained that the president
frequently took this method Of getting z
bit OF eNercise before dinner
Mr.. Cleyeland's increasing weight and
his intense application 20 the details OF his
office made It difficult for him 70 gel