Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-03-19


minutes, and most of them have finished
gossiping and reading the morning pa
pers. They are beginning to think OF
work.
Here he comes at last, swinging along
at a rapid gait and brisk step which tell
of a good nights rest and a keen inter-
est in the labors of the day. He bursts
into the private Office with a CHEEKY good
morning TO his youthful secretary, Fred
Carpenter. Carpenter has been with Taft
FOR the past nine years and knows him
like a book He could never qualify for
admission for the private secretary's UNI
ion. He is too fond of work. He has
been at the office this morning for nearly
two hours and has everything in readi-
ness for the attention of his chief
Letters Are Assorted.
Piled high on Mr.. Taft's rosewood desk
is a stack OF letters. They have been
culled out of a big mail sack by Mr.. Car
penter and Mr.. Foster, the assistant sec
rotary, also fond of work. Those not re-
quiring the attention of the president have
been sent to the various executive depart
ments, being more or less routine in
character.
With a speed acquired through long
service in responsible positions, the pres
ident runs through the pile. The letters
are nearly all begging ones. Old college
natl, the Philippines and elsewhere are
willing to accept such small favors as am
bassadorships, consulates and chief clerk
ships. A word or two regarding each let
ter is sufficient for Carpenter to under
stand exactly how to reply to them.
It is now past 10 o'clock, and Carpen-
ter gathers up the last handful of let
ters and moves off into his own Office. The
interchangeable shorthand system is in
Ia Carnantfr'S
notes on the various letters are easily
Transcribed by corps of expert letter
writer's in an adjoining office.
In the meantime, the ante-rooms have
filled to Overlooking with a mob of hand
shakers and Office hunters. Now comes
the toughest part of being president
Meeting office seekers and shaking hands
with well meaning curious sight-seers Is
about all Mr.. Taft has been able to do
since March 4th He has not had the
chance to settle down and be president.
In the Cabinet Room.
While the president and Carpenter have
been engaged with the mail, punches of
senator's and representatives have been
passing into the cabinet room. Here and
there is a sprinkling OF cabinet officers.
With the senators are a motley assert
ment of men who banker for postmaster
ships and better things. Others are bent
upon nothing more troublesome than
grasping the hand of the president and
wishing him well. Everything is quiet in
the room, and applicants for Office study
the brass plates tackled on the long ma
hogany table in the center of the room
which tell where the members of the
cabinet sit on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Suddenly the door flies open and the
big man comes in. He walks straight
to the first man he sees, wrinkles radiate
L. lfv.a
his cheeks as the famous Taft smile APP
pears and he extends a broad hand.
"Old man, am glad to see you," says
the president "Old man" is one of Mr..
Taft's favorite salutations. He is in
formal with his friends and never stifr
and ceremonious even with strangers.
The ''old man. in this instance was
congressman from the middle west who
probabaly expanded with pride that he
should have been spoken to first while
a couple of cabinet officers and three
portly senator's waited in the back
ground.
Il Just want to present my old friend
Judge Smith," said the representative.
He's a fellowtownsman OF mine from
Centerville."
whats the name?' asked the presi-
dent. meanwhile giving the stranger
cordial grip and looking him smilingly
in the eye.
Judge smith," repeated the repre-
sentative.
The president always wants to know the
name of the men presented to him. No
matter If a thousand are in line he in
sists on hearing distinctly the name of
each. He will stop the entire process
sion and have his aide or secretary re-
peat a name which has escaped him.
OF course. he doesn't remember them
IN he UfQitOr Tn
have the president call him Mr.. Brown
instead of Smith OF Jones, If his name
is Brown.
Condolences Exchanged.
The president is through with Judge
Smith. having spent about 10 seconds on
him. but filling that individual with
gratifying sense that the president would
recognize him If he were to meet him on
the streets Of Centerville. Next in. line
was a United States senator. He snug
gled up close to the president glanced
anxiously about and. dropping his voice,
murmured something confidential into
Mr.. Taft's ear.
(lote: There has been no whispering
of secrets in the white house for about
seven years. Mr.. Roosevelt didn't believe
I'm murmured, purling conversations. In
fact the things that got on the nerves
Of old-time statesmen as much as any
thing else was the refusal of President
Roosevelt to be drawn into a corner to
receive undertone requests for patronage
and other favors He had discon-
certing way of hurting out responses In
loud voice, which was most always en-
barassing for senator's who wanted their
affairs kept secreD.
President Taft and the senator ex-
change confidential whispers for couple
of minutes and then he shakes hands
with a group of seven persons, headed
by another congressman. Just before he
reaches the cabinet officer he strikes a
little man with a bald head-a stranger
TO the rest of the persons in the room.
He does not look important, but the
president is listening with patience to
long statement The little man keeps
talking at a rapid rate, and everybody
is beginning to believe that he cuts some
ice after all. The cabinet officer shifts
from one foot to the other plainly being
in a hurry to get away, but the little
man continues to talk with scarcely an
interruption from the president, who is
all attention and earnestness.
'I'H take the matter under considera-
tion," he says at last, land advise with
Mr.. - (meaning a cabinet off1cer).
want to talk It over with him before l
| am prepared to say what shall do"
Now you realize that this is not TO be
one man administrations one ring circus,
/ aS MANY nersons called the Roosevelt ad-