The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-08-07
Who is Closest Man to Pres
ident Taft
PRES TAFT in ACTION
Where the Moving Picture Men Fea
Down--How Press-agent Is
Flourishing at the Ma
tional Capital,

Washington, Aug. 7.--Who is the clos
est man to President Taftg Senate
Jonathan Bourne Of Oregon So erie,
the presidents chauffeur; 50 answers I'll,
presidents caddyi 50 reply the secret
service guards, the military aides, ant
the newspaper men assigned to I'll,
White House,
No one venturing 70 deny the state
ment, it may be accepted as gospel; but
why is Bourne closeg An, that's The
question Just now aeitating the breasts
Of great many worthy persons
Why Is Bournef Is il because he took
off his coat, and his waistcoat, and his
outer shirt, and his under shirt during
the campaign and worked like the mis-.
chief to land Taft in the presidential
chairy Well hardly. Bourne kicked
like an Oregon steer against the very
name of Taft. He staked his reputation,
spent his money and moved all his
friends to tears in the frantic effort to
throw 7. Roosevelt back into the White
House against r. Roosevet's will
1t therefore cannot be because the pres
ident owes Jonathan any prediction
debts. Can it be because Bourne is an
old college ehum of Mr.. Taft'sl Well,
hardly once more, for Bourne attended
brief course al Harvard while w. II.
TAFT enlisted under the blue banner Of
Yale. Perhaps it is because while the
president rides along in an auto with
Bourne, or plays golf with him. be i'm.
bihes from his lips much wisdom Of
statecraft and many straight pointers on
how to steer the ship Of state Wrong
for the third time No rule Of rhyme
or reason applies to Bourne of Oregon
As near as they can figure things
out Mr.. Taft's friends think Bourne has
attached himself to the presidential coat
tails simply because he likes to bask in
the sunlight IIe is at the White House
six days out Of seven If the president
goes gofng Bourne Is pounding the lit
tie rubber ball at his heels II the presi.
dent goes riding, Bourne Is BY his side
in the auto II the president has
dinner, Bourne is almost sure to be at
the table Il the president tells an an.
ecdote IN almost any company. az home,
on the wing in winter or summer. day
or night, Bonrne's responsive laugh Is
sure there to be heard at the tail Of
the yarn.
But what is Bourne afterW they ask
what is his game z"
He's after nothing he has no game
IL the truthful answer. He Is the one
gameless senators the one axless senator
Strange as st may sem, Bourne has never
yet taken up a single matter OF business
with President Taft at a golf game. on
the road, or at any other moment Of rec.
ration He talks about everything else
on earth but business Probably this Is
one reason why the president likes To
have him around When he Is with
Bourne he can forget that he is presf
dent Of the United States with several
thousand Jobs at bis disposal and can
act and feel Just like any other healthy
American citizen who Is diverting him
self by rubbing up against nature.
President Taft says that the only time
he remembers Bourne having taken up
any business matter with him was seg
eral months ago while the ways and
means committee was trying to whip the
tariff bin into shape Did he take UP
the case with him on the golf links
Bourne did not. He called upon Score
tary Carpenter and very gravely made
an appointment to see the president ct
1880 the next morning He was at the
Office building punctually on the hour,
waited his turn to get into the presi
dents den. and then walked ia and eere
monionsly laid before Mr.. Taft the dire
distress that was threatened the hop
raisers of the Pacific coast If the tariff
on hops was reduced from 20 per cent.
to 10 per cent,
After making his argument for his
constituents. Bourne handed the pfesi-
dent a petition from the hop growers
emhodying their request wished the
president a. very good morning, and
bowed himself out When he met the
president at the golf game that same
afternoon he said not d word about hops
and neither did the executive
Bourne Is q bachelor, thin. smooth
faced and wrinlSed Is a lawyer by pro
fession, millionaire BY heredity and
through good investments, and is heav
ily Interested in lumber ia his native
state and cotton mills IN Massachusetts.
tie lives at Stoneleigh court, the swell
est apartment house Ill Washington. and
Dis chiefly famed for giving away the
most cigars Of any man in Congress.
His cigars are both the longest and the
shortest known to the trade Sometimes
he will met you and fish out a smoke
that looks like a fence rail Meet him
in ten minutes perhaps, and he'll hand
you cigar that is about the size ef h