Weekly journal-miner., 1909-10-20
PRESIDENTS JOURNEY
 LONGEST IN HISTORY

I
 traveller in the worldi That he is
 the champion globe trotter among
 presidents must be admitted, and of
 an admittedly globe trotting people
 he is the greatest traveller. The pres.
 ent transcontinental tour of the presi-
 dent is interesting when contrasted
 with the travels of his predecessors
 in office. The trip of something more
 than 13,0OO miles ranks about equal
 with the tour of Theodore 3oosevelt
 in 1903. But as a traveller and a
 globe trOtter President Taft ranks
 far ahead of ex-President Roosevelt.
 The present trip is but a bagatelle
 in the grand mileage total which
 represents President Taft's peregrina- tiOns over the face of the earth.
 Would it seem a rash statement to say that President Taft has travelled distance equal almost to the dis tance which lies between the earth and the mooni Would it seem like an exagPeration to state that he might have made eight "graDd tours' around the world and be started on ninth, according to the miles he has traveled2 Still, these statements are correct and truthful and the proof lies in a detail of President Taft s journeys.
 Has Made Distance to Moon.
 First, for the trip to the moon sim ile. The mean distance between the earth and the silvery planet is 23S,s4 miles, but at times of the year the distance is much less. Then the moon approaches the earth within 221,- 800 miles. No matter what Presi- dent Taft reputation as a traveller may be previous to 1900, the itin- erary of his journeys since the be- ginning of the new century will serve to bear out the previous state ments.
 According to figures compiled as to President Taft's journeys from May 24, 1900, when he became gov ernor general of the Philippine Isl ands. until November 10, 1909, when the present tour will be completed, he will have travelled a grand total of 221,954 miles. In 1900 and 1901, he covered 24,75O miles in journeys between the United States and the Philippines and in his official travels. In 1902 he travelled a total of 23,145 miles; in 1903, only 5000 miles; in 1904, 1l,724 miles; in 1905, 33,65O miles; in 1906, 14,O55 miles; in 1907, 3s,O5O miles; in 1908, 47,27O miles; in 1909, before his inauguration, 6,95O miles. and since then l,34O miles; coming transcontinental tour, 13,OOO miles. Goes Nearly Mine Times About Earth.
 The same grand total of 22O,OOO miles would take President Taft near ly nine times around the earth, its circumference being counted at 2O,- coo miles.
 The present presidential tour is modelled closely on the tours taken by Presidents Mckinley and ROOse- welt. Before President Mckinley, President Harrison gained somewhat of a reputation as a traveller, but his journeys would sink into insig- nifcance compared with the trans continental tours of his successors.
 Mckinley took the first of these transeontinental journeys, as they 1 are understood in recent years, al though it is not to be forgotten that | Harrison made a swing around a na- tional wide circle. The Mckinley | journey was of gorgeous proportions as planned and, in part, executed. He travelled in a special train of nine ears, leaving Washington at 1O.3O a. m. on Monday, April 29, 1901.
 Illness Cut McKinley's Trip.
 He proceeded through the south, into Texas and the southwest terri | tories. participated in a magnificent ! flower festival at Redlands, Cal, in early May, and was in the midst of a splendid five day program in San Francisco, when Mrs. Mckinley fell | i'll. The schedule, which was to have extended into the northwest and | would have occupied the distinguished | traveller till June 15, was abandoned | there. The party dishanded, and the president, Mrs. Mckinley, and five cabiret members returned directly to WashinqtOn. The original arrange ments called for 1O,5S1 miles of travel by a special train.
 Roosevelt followed his predecessors s example of "touring the Pacific coast" He. too, travelled by spe- cial train, covering 13,955 miles be- tween 9O5 a. m., April l, 1903, and