The San Francisco call., 1910-03-03

| TERRIFIC bump, the NOISE oL d
| n scuffle, jar that shook the White
House walls. and then-silence
The chauffeur who chaufs President
Taft's big automobile turned over in his
bed in the servants quarters, stretched
his arms. yawned, turned over on his
side and tried to go TO sleep again
Bumpety- bump, bump. bump, bump.
thumpety. thumpety. thump. thump.
thump! 1t sounded strangely like a
cookstove falling down the White
House stairs.
| The chauffeur rubbed the sleep out
TO the butler:
Say, you call this a free country?
ITS the land of liberty" replied the
butler, who always paused reverently
when passing the portrait of George
| Washington downstairs.
Well, it's pretty funny you never
can get wink of sleep in this house,
said the chauffeur. Il never saw a
| place like it. I wake up every morning
] thinking the worlds coming to an end"
| Have civil tongue in your head, .
said the butler, sharply. IT'S time you
were up, anyhow. If the president heard
you he'd hand you one over the ear.
And he could do it, too
| Bing! Bang, Bumpl The noise of a
falling body sounded through the White
| House corridors.
! Hear him. exclaimed the butler
with delight. He's at it now. Batting
| Doctor Barker all around the GYM
| nasium, I'll bet. My, but he's in fit con-
dition. I'll bet he could put it all over
| Jack Johnson
| I'll bet Jeffries could lick him." de-
| c1ared the chauffeur. defiantly. The
butler gazed at him with pity and left
! the room. He walked over to the
gymnasium and listened outside the
door.
| Come onr' he heard the president
! say. you're fighting like a weasel,
Doe. Get some life in you. That's the
way Come on now!''
| Biff, The president landed his right
on Doctor Barkers shoulder. The $50
pound doctor came back with a left on
| the presidents abdomen. The presi-
dent retaliated with a left hook to the
| jaw, They clinched for a minute and
the butler heard the doctor wildly ex-
| claim:
"For heavens sake, don't fall on me,
Mr.. President
| The president magnanir-ousIy resist
] ed the temptation. He realizes, as does
| the doctor who trains him, that this is
| the big element of danger in the morn
! ing exercise. If the president should
| lose his balance and his 800 pounds
| should go crashing down on the doe
tors meager $50, it would be a case for
the coroner.
Outside, as the president and Doctor
Barker broke in the clinch. the birds
were chirping in the early morning air.
Most of the Taft family and all the
| servants, excepting the butler and the
chauffeur, were still slumbering. Only
/ a few hours before, Uncle Joe" Cannon.
Major Mcdowell. Secretary Knox and
a few other statesmen had emerged
| from their little poker game in the
| Champlain TO enjoy the early morning e
air before getting the sleep that would
put them in trim for their legislative
labors
/ The president. however. had had his
sleep and arisen with the birds DR.
| Charles E. Barker. who combines the
qualities of physician and trainer. had
come to the White House and was al
ready in the gymnasium when the
president came in, wide awake and
active
Both were in their gymnasium togs.
| Wherever the president went his waist
| line seemed to precede him by a foot
and half. 1t gave him the appearance
of being aggressive in the middle and
reticent at the extremities.
The doctors plot was TO bring all
| the presidents muscles into play. They
tried the dumbbells for awhile, then the
| punching bag, the Indian clubs and
| finally the boxing gloves. They have
been working together to keep Mr..
| Taft's flesh down for some time now
| and have reduced bis weight from 500
| pounds to 299 $40 in less than three
months. There is every reason to be-