The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-06
PRESIDENT TAFT
 AS HEAVYWEIGHT He Enjoys Sport of Boxing
 and Wrestling THE HOUSEFLY MUST GO Treasury officials FrOwn on Excessive Use of Intoxicants by Employees.
 Washington's Reception to
 Mrs. Stonewall Jackson
THE HOUSEFLY MUST GO
By RALPH M. wHITEsIDE.

the gloves. and 1t will probably be news to many that there is hardly a day he is in Washington that he does not have a round of boxing, wrestling and such like violent exercise.
 He does not do this because he likes it particularly. but he has found it is good for his health and helps keep him in shape for the work of the day.
 Dr. Charles E. Barker Is MT. Taft's s sparring partner, and their set-tos are held the first thing in the morning, gen. erally before the rest of the Taft family have arisen. It Is no secret that the President would find it utterly impossi- ble to weigh in even at the heavyheight limit. while pr. Barker, in condition, will barely tip the scales at the light weight. so when they shape up for the bout they compare as would Battling Nelson and Ed Dunkhorst, the Human Freight Car. Nevertheless they have what some years ago would have been called bully time.
 Dr. Barker took charge of MT Tafts S body in 1905. Then his patient was the Secretary of War, and a patient in the strictest sense of the word. Now 1t is different, and the doctors patient is the nations president, and the nation is en- titled to know how he is taking care of his charge.
 The training takes place every day now. and big room on the third floor of the White House is the gymna- sium. It Is equipped as most gymna- a,,I cfn nf h. bells, Indian clubs, weight lifts, boxing gloves, striking bags and other parapher- nalia of the training quarters are there.
 Dr. Barker says: 'I go to his house every morning and I give him exercises that bring all of the muscles of his body Into use and start a good flow of perspi- ration When I first began to exercise with the President the exercises were prudentiy moderate, and considerable time was spent in resting. They began after he had his sleep of eight hours. My object in working with him was to bring all of the muscles of his body into play, as I have said-particularly those of the abdomen and chest. As the days went by we worked harder and spent less time catching our breath.
 At the time l thought 1t right l en- gagged the President in boxing. We do not box furiously nor fast We do not try to hurt each other and, while there has been nothing said, there is a tacit agree ment between us not to go for the face. It might be possible to land on each others faces, but such blows as we ad- minister would do damage that will not be noticeable on other parts of the body. It would not look nice for the President to preside in the White House with a black eye, would it?''
 The housefy must go. The American Civic association has said It. Further than this, the civic association declares that the fly Is the ''most dangerous ami nal in the world,' that he Is a spreader desirable citizen The association has be- gun campaign for the extermination of the musca domestica and hopes to enlist the aid of the government.
 While the whole country is absorbed in the high cost of living and the causes thereof, senators point with pride to the fact that the prices of eatables in the Senate restaurant are at standstill and do not show the effect of increased prices. The prices listed on the bill of fare have not changed for 20 years. A piece of pie and a glass of milk cost just the same as they did 20 years ago.
 Excessive use of intoxicating liquors by government employees is being frowned on by the officials of the treasury depart men. Orders were issued there yester- day to Collector Loeb in New York to dismiss from the service four persons on that account They include clerk, an elevator conductor and two watchman. Their names were not made public.
 If there had been any doubt as to how the memory of the famous Confederate soldier, Stonewall Jackson, stands in Washington, it would have been dissi- pated by the reception of the widow of the great soldier on her recent visit to this city, when she was the guest of Mrs. l.. z. Letter.
 No guest of the city has in recent years received such signal attention. and in- deed her sojourn Is not only a delightful episode of the winter, but marks the change which is apparent in the national mind. The wounds caused by the civil war seem to have healed most effect ually when the widow of a Confederate hero receives as much attention from a republican president as she could possi- bly have expected from democratic one. President and Mrs. Taft over whelmed her with the cordiality of their reception She was the guest at the great banquet prepared for the Judiciary but al which many governors and scores Of oth- CT distinguished visitors were asked, and no one present was shown more delicate attention and more fattering homage. From the numberless societies which have charge of the widows and orphan. of the southern cause Mrs. Jackson nat 'urally could have anticipated much at tention, and she received 1t beyond thu limit of her endurance.
 Scarred veterans who had carried thu sandard of the south bowed before thu widow of their chieftain and wept lik | infants. Even the young men were ar l fected and the reunion, though full o | joy for Mrs. Jackson, was unutterabl. sad The women of the Congressiona club, and especially those from southerl states, asked permission to entertain her but so great were tho demands upon he strength that toward the end of he visit she was compelled 10 give up all so cial pleasures except that of seeing a occasional old friend in Mrs. Letter
 home.
 The names of Lee and Jackson are in fdissoluhly linked. It is, therefore, mee that l should here record the death o one of the famous Virginia family, Nils Julia Lee. one of the oldest and bes known residents of Washington
 Miss Lee was also well known in Si Louis, where she was born, nearly years ago.
 Her father. Richard bland Lee II, va stationed at Jefferson parracXs al LII fine of her birth and was a member 0 inc first winter exploring party of tn Rockies in 1883.
 At the outbreak of the civil war he wa 1 .tationed at Fort McHenry, Baltimore