Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-08-26
TAFT'S RIGHT.HAND MAN
The Ever Busy Secretary to the
President.
North shore Residents Soon VIII HIVE
the Pleasant but Difficult Tnsk Of
Making His Acquaintance
Difficult Because Tie II
Seldom mt Leisure.


North Shore people have tho rleasan,
put difhoult task Of making tho acquaint.
ance OF Fred W. Carpenter. secretary "a
the President, says the Washington cor-
respondent Of the Boston TRANSCRIPT. Ths
word "dificult' is used advsed,y. not
that Mr. Carpenter il anything but Rorial
and approachnble, but the secretary to thu
President Of the United states is one o.,
tne busiest men in the country lie I'm,
no HOLIDAYS while the prasiden, Is IN town
wherever that town may he-and If va
does not work tventv-four hours day
IT is only because he must slecp OCCASION.
ally. The Masonic division NJ egh. hour,
Tor labor, eight hours for refrcshment and
eight hours for sleep never was intend-
cd 10 apply IN secretaries TO the President
Y Dung, smooth-shaven, sort-spoken ana
courteous Mr.. Carpenter has fitted into
the life Of tho white House MS naturally
as If he were reared there Grant nado
his secretaries military officials. aud from
time immemoral. until the business era
of the past decade. they had been sele-.-
ed more or less for their social accorr-
plishments. Custom has changed IN that.
and now the secretarv 10 the President
must be as closely Identified with .he
policies and labors II hts chief az II h.
were filing tho office himself fIo IS the
one man TO whom the most confidential
business OF the administration ia intrust-
cd; and he must talk with everyone that
comes along ,e- not b. ees',ire. word or
look betray the administration unon II,
gravest or liFhtest secrets
In Washington tho office Of tho seore-
tary is beside that n tho President. som
/ arated only by small waiting room 20
which only tho eleot are admitted. and
opening into tho general waiting room
from which tho elect arc chosen. In Bev-
! erly the cfficr o. the secretary will be n
the board Of trade huudirc. some three
! quarters q mile from the Presidents
| cottage NJ Burgess Point Yot neither
! here nor thora should the President.
strictly speaking receive anyone without
/ an appointment previously made wv the
secretary. Exceptions exist IN Washing
ton. = COURSE Senator'S and representa-
I tVeS have tho right to enter the presl-
dental presence although they are often
! kept waiting by previous callers Cabinet
officers are men NJ highest privilege also.
! In the Roosevelt administration. heads ~
departments were accustomed to hohnob
WITH tho chief executive as freely as their
Supporters. but Taft has changed this. and
now the cabinet officer transscts the
business # his department. unless a bu-
reau chief might be sent FOR on SOME oues.
/ zion OF special information or advice
The general run Of callers are handled
exclusively by the secretary. and while
many or them are admitted by hin, 70 thu
private ortice OF the President. many
o'hers areNturred over to under-secretar-
les who can attend TO their wants tuat
xDan
most Invariably make their appointments
with the President through the secretary
Occasionally one skps by doorkeerer
Tom Stone, but not unless II is known
that his presence would he welcome
II requires the finest Judgment IN NEE,
and assert people according 10 their rarb
and deserts. This test Mr. Carpenter :.
standing admirably. Yet It ia only one Of
dozen delicate functions which he must
perform. OF the others. the public hear,
little and knows almost nothing.
TAFT'S TRIBUTE TO CARPENTER
President Taft's own opinion OF hi,
risht-hand man may best be told in hi,
+ own words, uttered during the campaign
of 1908. while the election was still nend
inS He is the best secretary that
man ever had and I got him by acct.
across
Pacific from Manila on a statement q
man named Dan Williams. who was
out there, that if secured him would
get the best secretary in the United
States. or tho Philippines or between the
two. lie has been with me for about
ten years He has not grown any older.
except In service He Is Just as good
to-day as then. or even better, because
ne understands better to control me and
| keep me straight"
Carpenter was then employed in law
: office In San Francisco. He was born in
! Minneapolis in 1872. and 1t was IN that
/ town that the President uttered the re-
markahle tribute just quoted. Carpenter
/ removed with his parents to California
| when ten years old, and his boyhood va.
{ spent on ranch in that State. Later he
returned TO Minneapolis and was gradual
ed from the university and passed the
| har examinations In both Minneapolis
/ and California, but had not had time 10
take up his profession when he was sum-
| moned to the Philippines. Mr.. TAFT was
then governor Of the Philippine islands,
and although Carpenter was engaged on
ly as n stenographer. he was quickly pro-
! noted Ia private secretary. and as such
| accompanied Mr. Taft TO the war depart
ment. II WAS while In the war once
that his talent FOR meeting and handling
people was first discovered, and confirm
ed the decision Of Mr. Taft TO retain ths
young man should the then secretary of
war ever reach the presidency.
Mr.. Carpenter is a bachelor and lives
| comfortably in apartments at the MARI
| borough In this city He recently bought
| n tract Of land at Chevy Chase with the
reported intention OF building. but prob
ably an offer to take the property off
his hands at an advance would ne seri-
ously considered He looks like STU
dent and his chief Hobby is books, OF
which he possesses fine library OF tho
rarest bindings, His passion for tho
beauties of life Is a strong characteristic
| and while driving with friends in the
| cool OF the afternoon, he will stop his
| carriage and. In his quiet, International
way, rave until darkness over the beau
ties of a sunset. He has more or less
delights 10 study nne buildings and resi-
dences with a professional eye.
NOT A LADIES MAN.
Although slight of build, Mr.. Carpen-
fairly compelled to drag him from his
desk In the evening. and often he returns
| to II and works till midnight william
Loeb. Jr.. secretary to Roosevelt. was
married man and kept house, but he
lived hardly n more quiet NE than his
| successor Loeb dined at home and Car