The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-09-06
PRESIDENTS GUARD
TO BLAZE THE WAY
Lincoln w. Wheeler, Worlds
Champion Pacemaker, to
Go Ahead of Party.
By JAMES HAY. Il.

BEVERLY. Mass, Sept 6.-Bare an
nouncement Of the fact that Lucien "
Wheeler. a Secret Service operative, has
Just left Beverly 20 travel as advance
agent OF the President on his tour OF
the West and South, does not disclose
the beautiful possibilities OF Wheeler 5
Job.
Most everybody knows that DR.. J.. J.
Richardson, the throat specialist from
Washington. Is expected 10 see that
the President doesn't wear his throat
out talking, and remembers that Capt
Archibald w. Butt. the military aide
has given his guarantee that Mr.. Taft
will adhere 70 The diet prescribed by
his physical instructor. DR.. Baker.
John Hays Hammond viii accompany
the President on the trip as a guest. and
the members of the Cabinet viii also
travel with the party from time TO
time.
DR.. Richardson, Captain Butt, and
Mr.. Hammond. however, will be right
along with the Presidential party, sail
ing over the country in style while
Wheeler is out ahead acting as scout
For the next two months he must
keep ten days ahead of the Presidents
train, arranging in every town the exact
details of every program made up for
the Presidential visit Bis orders, re-
euoed 20 the vernacular' read about like
this:
wheeIer's instruction.
IF there are too many social func-
tons laid out. kill some of them. Allow
time for the train to get away as
scheduled. Everything must so Off on
the dot Everybody must know what
20 do from the time the train rolls in
until it rolls out. Get busy and stay
busy
wheeler, better known 10 his friends
rs Jack, is possessed Of much pull
chritude and suavity- That's why he is
on this Job. lie needs all the diplomacy
ne can get hold of. He travels with a
bottle 81 OF on his hip, and when he
comes to troubled waters. he begins TO
use the oil He is velvet-foOted and
tender as a woman. He keeps on hand
choice supplies Of persuasion, hot air
and bunk. Occasionally, when condi-
tons demand heroic treatment. he pulls
chloroform on his victims.
All Of which Is as II should be. For
instance. he viii strike town whSS~
Mrs. Blues social set demands as much
of the Presidents time as is aHOtted
10 Mrs Green's equally social set. But
the President has only twenty minutes
IN the place. One set must go down
IN the dust OF defeat. One social func-
ton must be blotted off the program.
Wheeler is the official blOtter Time
after time he win have TO persuade
people there is a dinner too much or
speech too often. and he will have to
do IL in a manner to convince every
body that everybody is honOred and no
body sighted
Makes Peace With All.
In-or1er to accomplish all this. ne pats
the men on the shoulders and drags out
new smiles and metaphors for the wo-
men. Wheeler is a genius as a wheed
Ter. sud he is the real gabby thing
when the rival sets back him up in
the corner. He talks to them in acros-
tics and double-crostlcs. He Is a peren-
NAL greenhouse, from which spring all
ths posies Of highly decorated and fur
beloved speech. he is an unfailing hot
house from which come the tropical
Eplendors of stern commands disguised
as humble entreaties His mind works
softly as salve, and every morning he
lissee the blarney stone.
When he reaches Portland, Ore. he
will find the city torn In two, not 10
say rent asunder. by the Indignation Of
Senator Bourne's opponents, because
Bourne IS a personal friend Of the Pres
ident. and will entertain him instead of
leaving him TO the hospitality of the
city. Already there have come TO Bev-
erly rumors of other towns IN similar
plight
All the leading citizens" want 10
lead the show when Taft is around. All
the social queens want 70 do nothing
but the queen stunt when the President
is there. II this were In earlier ages,
there would be tearing OF wOmen's hair
and brusing OF masculine noses. It is
terrible thing FOR the advance agent
10 tumble of a train into a town so
curt ND BY disputes over programs that
business is practically at a standstin-
But Wheeling Wheeler is equal 70
hot air. a little bunk, q pleasing smile.
and he rides away with miracles &C
complished. Here a society queen re-
wells in her abnegatfon and there a lead
ing citizen snilingly mounts the cross
Of obscurity. All OF which r. due 20 the
pulchrttude. persuasion and impressive
ness Of the advance agent.
Rearranges Programs
or course. the majority Of the towns
offer no such obstacles, but there are
many where programs have to be ar
ranged. and functions have to be cut
out. and in all such matters diplomacy
must be used and the gentle hint and
the kind suggestion are necessary.
Wheeler has qualified for the work by
long experience Acting for the state
Department, he went from coast 10
coast with Grand Duke Boris OF Rus
STA, when that dsnitary visited the
United States Those were paImy days
and the going was good. wherever the
party lit, the circumJacent territory
thought II had been visited by an aurora
borealis instead OF a mere Boris. All
the lights were burning. the bands were
playing and the little birds were twit-
tsring all the night.
Again he guarded the Siamese prince
and Prince Henry. Of Prussia when
those royal personages disported them
selves on American soil He went to
Panama with Taft last winter He has
Travelled across this continent six times
And he went 20 two universities those
being the places where he learned all
ne knows about the figures Of speech
and the respondent language
de was at one time in charge or all
the work being done by the Secret Ser
vice IN I'VE Western states I'm coHnec-
ton with the land fraud cases
Thus II IS manifest that I.uciep w
Wheeler has had training to fit him for
queIling riots and silencing screar ms
when objection IS made TO his arrange
ments I'm every town for receiving en-
pertaining and seeing the President. He
will have a strenuous life for the next
two months. But there Is the saving
grace OF his hot air and his bunk ANY
man who has those commodities corner
ed can get a lot of fun out OF any trim
70 any place. And the President will
FoGD the benefit Of it all.
1870