The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-08-27
DUTY OF SECRETARY CARPEN
TER AT BEVERLY, MASS.
Keeps the People From Bothering the
President; Does Not Allow Mr.
Taft to Make Any Engagements;
How Did One Slip By; Mild-Man-
nered Man, But When His Jaws
Set, That's Enough.

SnOre. STANDING between the president
and the thousands of people who
would picnic upon the lawn of the
Taft cottage at Burgess Point, Mr.
Carpenter has successfully withstood
the onslaughts of everything from a
republican club or a suburban press
association to the diplomatic repre-.
sentative of foreign power.
Around Beverly tired mothers and
nurses no longer tell bad children that
the Salem witches will get them if
they do not behave. They have adopt
ed more modern goblin and say;
MIR. Carpenter will eat you if you are
not good
How about the Ping Pong associa-
ton, Mr.. Carpenter?" asked re-
porter. will the president receive
them?'
"He will not" said Mr.. Carpenter
firmly.
well, they will have the senators
after you next" observed the report
er by way of encouragement.
Then ] will talk with the senators
HtAls WI. Val ptnlcI. IlC 10
not a large man and his manners are
always those of gentleman, but
when his lower jaw sets firmly and he
says, The president is making no
engagements whatever. He cannot see
you," it is good time to be pleasant
and look up the next train out of
Beverly. That is the end of it, and
no amount of persuasion will change
the decision of the private secretary.
Made Up the Trip Schedule.
Mr. Carpenter made up the schedule
of the presidents western trip. He
knows that it is the limit of en-
durance for a man even so strong as
Mr.. Taft. So he decided that the
president should have vacation from
his arrival in Beverly until mis- depart
ure for Chicago, where the trouble
begins. He has so far been success
full, but it has cost many dissapoint
ments.
But Mr.. Carpenter is getting about
as much of a vacation as dog with
tin can tried to his tail Ennis
saries of organizations from all over
New England are making his life a
burden, but not one has yet succeed.
ed in getting the drawbridge which
Mr.. Carpenter has raised at the en-
trance to the Taft cottage lowered
for his passage.
One morning this week there was
great hustle in the executive offices
and the card of a member of the dip
lomatic corps was laid upon Mr.. Car
penter's desk. His mission was to
arrange an appointment with the presi,
dent for the minister. Half an hour
of pleading with the private secre-
tary obtained the concession that if
another trial at the state department
did not result in the adjustment of
the matter the president might con-
slider seeing the minister. The at
tache left Beverly with a new inter.
probation of the word vacation"
If Mr.. Taft did not like the way
Mr.. Carpenter is administering his
engagements he would change it. But
it is not changed yet, nor is it likely
to be. President Taft knows that he
needs vacation as well as Mr.. Car
penter does, and he has set about get
ting it.
He DID Not Look Fierce.
Some of the stalwart New Eng
landers scented victory when they saw
for the first time the mild hammered
secretary He does not look fierce, and
his smile is a happy, companionable
sort of greeting But those who
have pressed too far have found that
Mr.. Carpenter knows his business and
does it, and that trying to push by
him transforms him into about as un
compromising an individual as polar
bear on an August day. You may be
able to coax if you start right, 'iui
if you try to run over him it is al
over for the day
just one engagement got past Mr.
Carpenter before the president came
derstand how it happened. On Sep
TENDER the president will cross tt
Marbehead and witness the last OF
the races for the German Emperor
cup, which he will present to the win
ner. The cup is now held by tine
Eastern Yacht club, which will con
duct the races off Marblehead.
The races are for yachts of the
sender class and nineteen have en-
tered for the preliminary trials, which
begin next Monday. The internationa
German American match will be start
ed on August 30. The races were be
gun three years ago and the German
yachtsmen have sent three boats tt
attempt to take the cup home again
Why Was Beverly Selected?
just why Beverly was selected as {
summer home by the president is al
unanswered question. Two possible rea
sons push to the front. One is tina
it is about as quiet point as coul(
be found within easy communication
of large city, and the other that i
was chosen because of the fact ina
many of the Washington friends o
the president and his family spent
the summer here.
Some of Cnose who recommended
Beverly from actual experience ar
,,I,