Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-24
A MATTER OF FAMILY.
Old Man Heron Thinks He's
Related to the TaftS.
SETS ABOUT TO PROVE IT
Not Looking for q Job, But Wants
to Be Satisfied.
FEW VISITORS AT BEVERLY
Senator Aldrich and Secretary Mac
veagh Among Those Who Are
Expected During the Week.
SETS ABOUT TO PROVE IT.
FEW VISITORS AT BEVERLY

Special Dispatch to The Star.
BEVERLY Mass, August cf.-Some
day this week old Nehemiah Heron is
going to put on his faded blue coat OF
the Grand Army and descend on the exec
utive Offices with the intention OF set
Ting once and for all question of gen.
ealogy that has troubled him over long.
Nehemiah-they call him "aliah' herea-
bouts sure that he Is related to Mrs.
Taft, and says, I'm going to prove
whether I am or not
Mrs. Taft's maiden name was Heron.
Ever since Nehemiah read that in the
newspapers he has been studying and
a studying over a chart longer than him.
self, which contains the results of ex-
haustive research made by a revered
aunt Of his. now dead. into the ancestry
Of her favorite nephew. Nehemiah Her
ron can sit down and run his finger
along that chart until he comes to the
branches Of the tree representing his
great-ereat-grandpa who came over
here from England. Beyond them, ne
has no record. He always begins his
There were FIVE brothers who came
over from England. One settled in Del
aware, one in Gloucester, and where tho
other three went the chart will tell.
What l want to find out is. who was
to show any one that chart Of mine until
have settled the question.
Just Wants to Be Satisfied.
This subject of his geneaiogy is the
hobby of his old age. Nehemiah is sew
advised him to drop all discussion OF 1t
he wants to be satisfied He doesn't
want anything from the Tafts, he ex-
- ~~J.c T. - - atv,l
and contentment which would come with
the knowledge that the Herrons OF Bev-
eriy and the Herrons OF Ohio either did
or did not spring from the same common
tree. II the identity Of Mrs. Taft's grand
father be such as to forever blast the
hopes he had builded on the genealogical
chart he will go back to his bel1-ringing
In the ancient Washington Congregational
Church, Of which he has been sexton
these forty-five years. disappointed. to be
sure. but finding grain of comfort On
the thought that, after all, his mother was
"a Stanwood. and the Stanwoods, sir;
were great people In Ipswich, Essex,
Northport and Gloucester"
Nehemiah HERON Is the oldest truant
officer in Massachusetts,. Many a citizen
now grown to a mans estate fled in boy
ish terror at the appearance OF the Int
tie man with wh!skers Of the Horace
Greeley pattern and a pair of sharp eyes
which missed nothing.
But 1t would seem that in after days
the boys grew to understand "Miah" Her
ron better from his own account. HE
rang the bell to announce the marriage
Of some Of the men to the girls of their
hearts desire with quite as much inn
partially as he pursued them along the
elm shaded roads Of Beverly when they
played hockey from school.
Il have seventy-ffye picturesI guess
you call them crayon pictures-the boys
made for me. just lovely" he will tell
you They show scenes OF my expert
ences-where l caught Them"
He's q Patriot, All Right.
"ariah" never saw actual service In the
civil war, but they made him associate
member in the local G. A. r. post in
recognition OF his love for tho nag. It
was not his fault that he didn't go to
war. He tried hard enough. He en-
listed seven times. but each time phys
ical disability kept him from experience
ing the clash of battle and the smell of
powder.
Except for the promised call Of Ne
hemiah Heron the executive Offices will
see few visitors this week. The two
most prominent figures In national af-
fairs who will journey out to the point
before Saturday are Senator Aldrich Of
Rhode Island and Secretary Macveagh
to sail for Europe, and this may be
his last opportunity OF seeing the Presi-
dent before the latter begins work on
his annual message to Congress.
Secretary CARPENTER entertained dele
cation from Dallas. Tex yesterday, that
was anxious that a change be arranged
in Mr.. Taft's fall speechmaking program
so that the Texas town might see more
Of him, and today Baton Rouge sent a
similar delegation that wanted to know
If the President would not consent to
spend three instead of two hours In the
capital of Louisiana.
AS things stand now the President will
make the trip to Baton Rouge from Mem
phis in slow boat The delegation hoped
he might be prevailed upon to take the
government vessel. Stranger. which would
arrive at the capital in from one hour to
an hour and a half earlier than the slow
boat. Mr.. Taft Is due at Baton Rouge
October %.
Mr.. Carpenter said he would take the
plea of Baton Rouge under advisement
and see what could be done In fulfill
ment of the plan.