Evening star., 1909-07-13
SUMMER BACH" TAFT
Not SO Badly Off Keeping
House Alone in Capital. =
DAY WITH THE PRESIDENT
Loneliness Relieved by Men Friends
at His Table.
EVENING PASSED AUTO RIDING
Golf in the Afternoon, After Busy
Morning Hours, Helps Him to
Keep Up Heart.
DAY WITH THE PRESIDENT
EVENING PASSED AUTO RIDING

President Taft, the summer bachelor
OF the White House, is sharing the fate
OF many other government officials and
Washington residents whose families have
gone away I, mountains or seashore
The President is taking the situation
philosophcalIy, does not seem greatly to
mind the hot weather and is reading daily
with great delight letters from Beverly
which tell of the rapid improvement in
Mrs. Taft's health
Living bachelor fashion at the White
House is not fraught with the same dis
comforts that beset the mere man who
has his home "closed uron him" when his
wife goes away and is compelled to seek
food and lodgings as best he may.
The President and Mrs. Taft divided the
White House help" when the occupaney
of the Beverly cottage was begun. So the
President is well taken care OF and do
mestic affairs at the White House run on
much the same.
Mary, the Cook, Not Gone.
The President. however. allowed Mrs.
Taft to take the first cook to Beverly.
while he makes himself content with the
second cook" The second cook is a leg
acy from the Roosevelt administration, a
negro girl named Mary, who halls from
old Virginia, and whose sway over the
White House kitchens is complete.
Mary has few peers s cook in any
matter gastronomic, but, as is to be
supposed, she is at her best when frying
chickens and making hoecakes. The Pres
ldent is entertaining many luncheon and
dinner guests during his bachelor days,
and the second cook is providing menus
which few imported chefs could hope to
equal.
The President has happily solved the
problem Of disposing of the long evenings
by taking long automobile rides about
the city and suburbs. He usually starts
out on these trips about 9:3U O'Clock, re-
turning to the White House at IL o clock
or afterward. Capt. Archibald Butt. the
Presidents aid, is always his companion
on these journeys and usually the Presi-
dent telephones an invitation TO some cab
met officer, senator or representative and
stops at the latter's house or club to pick
him up.
Auto Rides in Evening.
The evening rides often extend out into
the beautiful Rock Creek Park, which
stretches for miles along the little water
way whose name il bears. At other times
Mr.. Taft has his chauffeur drive about the
city or on the Potomac Park driveways
which skirt the river back of the White
House and Monument grounds.
Arising at about o'clock the Presi-
dent devotes nearly an hour with dumb
bells, pulley weights and other forms of
exercise prescribed for him. He break
fasts slowly and usually alone. although
during the past day or two he has had a
guest from among the tariff conferees.
During his morning meal and for half
an hour or SO afIerward the President
reads the newspapers. Between $50 and
10 o'clock he begins his busy day in the
executive offices. At 80 comes luncheon
at the White House, always with some
invited guest for company.
The afternoon is devoted 10 golf. for the
President hopes to play every afternoon
that he remains in Washington. Dinner
always finds guests assembled and usual
ly il is an informal and delightful meal.
which begins a LITTLE after I O'Clock and
continues for an hour and a half.