The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1909-11-11
A Near View of the President.

The editor of the Herald was a
guest. of the Florence Board of
Trade at the banquet given in
honor of President Taft Monday
night. The banquet was given in
the large auditorium of the Flor
encc High School and was attend
ed by 200 representative business
and professional men from the Pee
Dee section. The auditorium was
artiStically decorated and the Pres
ident sat at the head of the middle
table where it was easy for him
to sec and to be seen by the 200
guests. The Stars and Stripes
we're used for decorations and a
large portrait of the President was
suspended across the rostrum
where it was in full view of the
guests. Punch and salads were
served, followed by the famous
Pee Dee Pine Bark Fish Stew"
which is a most delicious and ap-
pctlzing dish consisting of Pee Dee
river perch, highly favored with
pepper and tomato sauce. The
President was served first and as
soon as the dish was placed in
front of him he began to partake
Of the food with evident relish.
The editor OF The Herald, in COM
pany with DR.. J. H. David, was
fortunate enough to be placed in
seat very near the President
where he had an opportunity to
observe the great man closely
without exceeding the rules of de-
corum and his personal observa-
lions of the head of the nation
might be of interest to the readers
of The Herald. The President is
a very large man. His weight is
325 pounds, but despite his
avoirdupois he handles hims elf
gracefully. He bears a striking
resemblance to Grover Cleveland.
His eyes are deep blue and when
he is talking to you he looks at
You ve-y intently. He appears to
be interested in everything said to
him and is what might be termed
and interesting listener. He
parts his hair squarely in the mid
die and is becoming slightly bald
on the top of his head. Sena-
tor Smith sat at his right, Gov.
Ansel sat at his left and Judge
Woods and Mr.. F. L. Wilcox oc-
cupied seats at the ends of the small
table at which he sat. He is not
A fluent speaker like his predeces-
sor, Theodore Roosevelt. He
stumblcs over his words, hesitates,
stares vacantly into space until the
word he wants comes to his mind
and then he shouts it out with a
show of vigor. When he smiles
he is charming but when he laughs
he is simply irresistible. He laughs
from the depths of his soul. 1t is
such good natured laugh that
you are compelled to laugh with
him. 1t is not a giggle nor a
chuckle; not big, coarse laugh
that can be heard block away,
but just quiet, good natured, soul
stirring laugh so full of sincerity
and good-fellowship that it simply
overwhelms you. His laugh is fa-
nous the world-ovcr. The Presi-
dent is not great man, but what
he lacks in greatness he makes up in
goodness. He is a pacifier-a lover
of peace-a happy medium between
the bold, aggressive, impetuous
Roosevelt and the mild-mannered,
uitra-conservative Mckinley. He
will hold the nation intact, but ma
ture has better fitted him to per-
form the Offices of king in a
happy and prosperous empire than
to execute the duties of president
in a republic torn asunder at in
tervalS by two strong political par
ties struggling for supremacy.