The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-08-20
TAFT VISITS HOME
OF HIS ANCESTORS
One Member of the Family
Kept a Tavern in 1776.
RELATED TO SENATOR ALDRIUH
Secretary Norton and Gov. Draper
Also Find Some Family Relation
ship TO the President-Red-haIr
Youth Claims KinshiP-Taft Names
n Baby while on the Visit.

Beverly. Mass. Aug. 19.-President Taft
went back 10 the home OF his ancestors
to-day. Robert Taft. the first Of the
family 10 settle in America, did most of
his travelling by foot, hut the President
motored around on his visiting trip TO the
other Tafts in one Of the White House
cars.
Gov Draper. Of Massachusetts; Secre-
tary Norton, and Capt. Butt went with
him from the governors home, near
Hopedale, where they had been over
night guests. In addition to finding lots
Of big and little Tafts and talking with
them, the President learned from Mercus
Aldrich, a resident of Mendon. where
Robert TAFT, the first, settled. that he
and the Senator Of Rhode Island are
related
Secretary Norton discovered that he
was kin with the President through
Roger Williams. and Gov. Draper. not
20 be left out in the union got the his
torian TO show that he was a distant
connection of the President and Senator
Aldrich both These ties were figured
out through George NJ Aldrich, who set
tied near Mendon in 1l6S, The Tafts and
Aldriches and the rest intermarried
Meets Fifty Tafts.
The President met probably fifty Tafts.
One was only two weeks old. and another
boasted Of more than seventy years. The
baby was named by the President He
called It Robert. after his eldest son
The baby belonged to Clarence Taft. of
Mendon. a twentieth cousin Of the Presi-
dent
IT'S a boy. I suppose" said the Presi-
dent 10 the mother. when she carried the
baby out 10 where he was standing. shak-
ing hands with relatives "Then I'll
name it Robert. I hope he will be a
comfort to his mother"
When a red-haired Taft Of ten years
came up to be introduced. the President
remarked: Well, we've got some red
headed ones in the family"
Near Uxbridge the President stopped at
an inn which s. Taft used to run for the
travellers back in 1776 They showed him
a sign with S. Tafts name. the year 177G.
and an American eagle depicted on il
= in faded characters. Miss Sarah Taft.
who lives there now. showed the Presi-
dent the room where Gen. George Wash
ingtOn slept. There was the usual four
posted bed with a canopy. which hadn't
been disturbed since Washington's time.
Tells Ghost story.
Miss Sarah Taft told the President the
ghost" story, which had in 1t a whole
series Of ghosts. all passing by the tav-
ern in a funeral procession. Several of
her ancestors saw the funeral cortege
one day, B'Ft on Investigation could not
fIfd that any one in the neighborhood
had died. They decided It was a ghost
procession.
AS the Presidents ancestry was traced
to-day, Robert came first Of those IN
America. and then followed Joseph,
Peter. Aaron. Peter, Rosson, and Al
phonzo. Robert Tafts home was built
in 1850. He had six tall sons. who help
ed him build a bridge across an adjacent
stream. and the townspeople thereupon
gave them a big farm. Before his trip
to his ancestraY home the President In
spected the mills at Hopedale. The en-
ployes cheered him vociferously He got
back TO Beverly without incident at 6
o'clock tonight