The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-04-21
.TAFTAT THE CAME
President Watches Boston
TrOunCe Washington.
WONDERS IF HE'S A ''HOODOO"
Mr.. Taft and Vice President Sher-
man Munich Peanuts From the
Same Bag-Both Root
For Home Team.
WONDERS IF HE'S A "HOODOO''

Washington, April 90. - President
Taft went out to the baseball game
here, saw Washington walloped by a
score of 8 to by the Boston Ameri-
can leaguers, was initiated into the
mysteries Of the "spit ball." shared a
five cent bag of peanuts with Vice
President Sherman, who sat in the
box next to him, wished hard for
Washington to win and said sadly
that he hoped he wasn't "hoodoo."
No one in Washington could recall
just when it was that a president Of
the United States last attended a ball
game in this city. With all Of his
love for outdoor life and sports, Mr..
Roosevelt did not 60 within the ball
grounds during his seven years st the
White House.
President Taft arrived at the game
at the beginning Of the second inning.
Boston was at bat, two men were ont
and no runs had been scored.
The game was interrupted by the
cheering, which spread In a great
wave from the grand stand to the
farthermost corners of the wide reach
ing bleachers, as the crowd quickly
recognised the president and saw him
great the vice president. The latter,
dyed In the wool fan" had gone di-
rectly to the grounds from the senate
chamber.
Mr.. Sherman kept a detailed score
of the game, supplying the president
with such statistical information as
he asked for every now and then and
caused some one in the party to re-
mark that If he ever lost the job of
vice president he might get place on
Ban Johnson's scoring staff.
The presidents arrival and the brief
interruption Of play had the effect of
giving Dolly Gray, Washington
pitching recruit from the minor
leagues, a bad case Of stage fright
Before the last Bostonian was out in
the inning two runs had been scored
While the president still looked on
hopefully in the fourth, the Washing
ton players got so ratified they couldn't
pick up the ball after stopping it, and
Boston got away with four more tai
lies. 1t was then that the president
said he hoped he wasn't "hoOdoo."
President Tom G. Noyes of the
Washington baseball team, who sat
with the president during the last four
innings, when the locals played much
better ball, assured Mr.. Taft that
"hoodoo" or not he would always be
welcome. The president was disap-
pointed that Washington failed to
win, but said he enjoyed the game
and hoped to get out to the park fire.
quently.
AS the president is to reside near
Boston during the summer, he was
glad that Boston was the team to win
so long as Washington had to lose.
The president was the center Of all
interest up to the sixth inning, when
Washington got the bases full with
nobody out. Then the ruling passion
put the chief magistrate temporarily
in eclipse and the faithful rooters
yelled their heads off for Delehanty to
"Hit 'er outg' and for Charley Street
to "Biff 1t in the eyer Two runs re-
suited from the combination Of bats
and cheers.
Mr.. Taft was as interested as all the
rest. He knows baseball thoroughly
and is up on all the finer points of the
game. The president was accompa-
MED to the park by Captain Archibald
w. Butt, his military aid, and two Sc
cret service men.
Earlier in the afternoon Mr.. Taft
had ridden horseback with Captain
Butt for more than an hour on the
speedway. The day was warm and
ideal for the national game. 1t fur
ther had the effect Of putting tempta-
tion In the presidents way when Vice
President Sherman said:
with weather snch as this, Mr
President, we ought to play golf twice
a week instead of once"
"There h something in what you
say, JIM" replied the president.
In the box with Vice President Sher
man were Representatives Vreeland
and Bennett of New York and former
Senator Hemenway Of Indiana. Rep
reSentative Payne Of New York, author
Of the Payne tarin bill; Senator vii
liam Alden Smith Of Michigan and O
host of other congressman and Of
ncials were in the grand stand.
The president occupied box 6. in the
front row along the first base line
There Is no screen protection there
but the president paid no heed to the
foul balls, one of which crashed into
the box next to him.