Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-26
The Presidents Mail,

eruption of White House mail bags
| that sometimes threaten to ovcrwtelm
one of even his sturdy physique. 1t
| is said that there are days when the
President receives not mere than one
hundred letters, bat it more often
equals several hundred or exceeds one
thousand. A fair average, day in and
day out, would perhaps be not more
shan two hundred, but in this Christ
mas season, the number is swelled
perhaps by those who see in the TO-
tuad form and features and kindly
expression of the President a likeness
10 his majesty, the King OF the Re-
glon where Doctor Cook didn't go.
Considered seriously. Of the hun
drcds of letters which are brought to
the White House. large number tt;
ceive tic personal attention Of Presi-'
dent Taft. He is said 10 be inclined
to give them more personal attention
than any Of lis predecessors, ana he
insists on the first look at all recon-
mcndationS for appointment, In hd~
clifton to this, assurance is given the
Jublic that every letter receives cS-
actly the attention it deserves.
"a pcrusal of the daily mail Of III"
President OF the United States offers i
LIBERAL education in itself. Senators
and sinners, editors and cthnologi6ts.
ministers and lnarkctncn, diplomats
and dipsomaniacs office holders and
Office seekers, athletes and atheists,
,..illlonaires and murdcrers, all at
some time or other, find the time
when they deem it necessary to ad~
dress themselves personally TO the
Chief Executive Of the nation" writes
the Washington correspondent OF thc
Boston Transcript, VINO goes on to
say: Pc its source ever SD humble.
10 scrap OF correspondence is ever
en,irely neglected. II it does uot call
for anything else. it calls for an ac-
Acknowledgement. from some White
House functionary, whether it be the
President in person or merely one of
his clerks
The daily routine Of the White
House mail matters is OF more than
passing interest. Three times - day a
special messenger brings the hitc
House mail to the executive officers,
It is received in thc basement, spread
out on a broad table and immediately
serted. Most OF the letters fall nat
urally into two piles, one for the
President, the other for Secretary
Norton. But then also, there is
large. mass of personal correspon-
,lcncc, that Of Mrs. Taft for instance
which is sent to her secretary, ana
that of the attaches of the office &c
casionally there is mail for some one
not at the Waite House, with the re-
quest that it be forwarded. Ihcrc
IVES 4 letter for example, not long ago
from IL man In a northwestern S!at"
who wanted to sell the President some
calves, Not satisfied with making
bid for White House patronage the en-
terprisilg Wcstcrrcr enclosed an
other note, designed for former Presl-
dent Roosevelt, with the request that
il be forwarded.
The first step to be taken after sort
ing is the opening of the mail. Inc
clerk who is put ut this task has hech
at it for more tnun ten years and he
carries more confidential correSpoh-
acnce in the back of his head than
in tho rpiInfrE. Ill the
letters contain enclosures, such as
stamps. pins, photographs, souvenirs
etc, these are properly accounted lor'
Each letter is stamped Ihc W ltc
House-Reccivcd." together with Tie
date. If the letter is on purely tecl-
meal subject. the receiving ctefh
marks it for the department to when
il should be- referred. such as II. u.
tossing il into the box with the othcr
pupcrs that are to 30 forward 10 thc
Post Office Department that day. But
| if there is anything personal III uie
letter, or anything III which the freS~
idept might be expected to take a pei :
scral interest, different disposition Is
made Of it. IT is handed over 10 an"
other clerk, who reads IT carcfu llE,
and then prepares Il summary ol ltS
contents OF these summaries II"
makes three carbon copies, "hicl! are
sent to Secretary Norton-one Tor me
President. one for Mr.. Norton and the
third fer Assistant Secretary l'atla'
A fourth remains OH the desk Of tile
clerk for purposes of record. On II Is
marked the disposition OF each letter
so that at any moment OF the daE ~
may be promptly produced if desired
While the President and i'is secr"-
tarv are wrestling with that part Oh
the daily mail which most concerns
and interests them the "corrcspoh-
dents in the stafiroom are buSSlnS
themselves with the remainder Oh t'''
daily grist. Each correspondeht-tii''
| is what they call the men who frame
REPLIES which the President or 'he
SECRETARY are called upon to SlSh-is
nrenaring the answers that are TO De
scpt ont before The day is over. IT Is
worth his while to get Things JuS.
right. for unless he is accurate pal's-
taking and neat. his letter Will be re-
turned or edited" either by the Pres
;dert or the secretary from ue''
oc,ocl< on until 1.30 the disposal OF the
mornings mail keeps all these tolle-
r,,c,- ION cpeCu, anu the