The National tribune., 1910-12-29


"get-rich quick" schemes he pointed
to q pile of letters lying upon his desk
the other day, numbering 200 or 800
and said: '"ThN IL a pitiabls slgnt
Most of these letters ara sad commen-
taries on the misplaced confidence
which men and women, many of then,
poor. have placed In their fellow-men
Of these get-rich-quick concerns" Many
Of tho letters, he said, contained stool,
certificates and bonds which were worth
no more than the paper they were
printed on He satd that his Depart
ment was hot-foot on the trail of these
concerns, and he hopes to bring them
to the ground. Postmaster General
Hitchcock declared that thousands of
such letters are received annually. II
really looks as tho. after all. human ma
ture is extremely gullible. and that you
can fool the people good deal of the
time, when year after year these
wretched concerns, promising tremen-
dous returns on money invested, are
able to reap n golden harvest from reo-
pie with few dollars to invest.
.
Charley Taft came home for the
Christmas holidays, and things about
the White House have been humming
ever since. Charley is a great rum
mager. and while going thru the. attic
of the Executive Offices the other Cay
he came across a model of an aero
plane which had been sent to the Pres
ident. AS it was perfect in every detail
with the trivial exception of an engine,
he at once concluded that he would get
one. And then, I bet" said Charley
Taft, II can make the thing fly if |
get good start" Capt. Butt wanted
to know where he was going to get the
start. but he replied: From the roof
of the White House" Among other
stunts he concluded to run the Nyhite
House telephone, which he did for an
hour. While he was at the key some
body asked If they could speak to the
President. Sure" he replied; "Pu get
Pop for you right Off" causing amuse-
ment and CONSERVATION at the other
end of the line. Master Charles Taft is
plumb full of snap and co. and he bids
fair to be as brainy as the rest of the
Taft children.
A very funny thing happened up in
Oregon the other day, in which Gov
Benson came near being Judge and
jury, plaintiff and defendant. Former
Gov. Chamherlin had been elected to
the United States Senate. Gov Benson
acted in the dual capacity of Governor
and Secretary of State, his former posi-
tion. He has just been re-elected Sec
election was quite a document It
showed that he had been elected over
his opponent by a handsome majority,
as duly counted by himself as Secretary
of State, in the presence Of himself as
Governor, as provided by law. 1t show
ed, further, that the certificate was Is
sued to himself by himself and signed
by himself as Governor. and that sigma
ture, attested by another signature,
signed by himself as Secretary of State.
Truly, his opponent had no chance at
all. .,t..-r
= President Taft receivedsas a Christ.
mas present fromsway, up in Idaho what
are supposed to be the largest potatoes
that were grown In the United States
this year. They came from the Com
mercial Club. Twin FaHs. Idaho, as
a Christmas gift. Forty 7eight Cover
nors of States also. received a Christ
mas gift of the same character. which.
by the way. is q very aUfetizing and
manner of advertising the
glories of ones State. Fn
Two letter carriers of the Washington
force. David G. Mckenzie Rand Edward
+. Boucher. whosfive' in the mort heast
and not very far~apart, feel that they
have received remarkable Christmas
presents, in approval Of which each ap-
Deared upon the streets with = big box
Of cigars. They are!tbe best affTiende.
and the fact that one receired "a Christ
mas present of bov twins and the other
girl twins is what is making them smile
all over.rp
DR.. Jeremiah Main. aged "a years,
died Dec. 9 at Laredo. Tex Dr. Main
was born in England. and vas Surgeon
on the flagship Constitution at the time
Comm odore Perry, in command of the
1898. DIR. Main pra eticed medicine
along the Mexican border for almost 40
years.
Baroness HcngcIniullcr's Faux Pas.
The little Austro-H Hungary incident
occasioned by the too frank admission
Of Baroness HengelmuIIer that Wash
ington is slow is going to make more
trouble than anybody guessed. The
Baroness is thoroly imbped with tho
ideas OF home ard society
life. and. having money to burn. is quite
able to carry out her very radical views
the cliff dwel!ers--the old old society
Of Washington, into which Earoness
and her cult have never
been able to penetrate-do not take
Kindly to the continental customs. They
are given to teas and dinners early
lanceS and take their pleasures modcr-
lteIy, rather cheapiY, and really and
truly enjoy life. They never think Of
lighting the candle at more than one
end, and they look upon official society
In Washington as rather mushroomy
and upon the diplomatic society "a
more or less fast" Iii very truth, the
cliff dwelIers do not approve of the
foreign set at all, and you do not find
heir debutantes mixing very much with
he young women of the foreign en-
bassies and legations. This beng the
has made Ii somewhat diff
fcult for Baroness Iengelmuller toI
graft onto our solid If slow society peo-
Pile her foreign ideas of entertaining,
much to her disgust. She would like
to have breakfasts and lunches, teas,
dinners and supDers with golf, tennis
and dancing thrown in between to fill
up all the hours of the Sabbath day.
The Rooseyelts accepted all but the
Sunday golf and tennis, and themselves
quite q good deal on Sun
day. The Tafts. on the other hand. are
good, old-fashioncd lovers of the Sab
bath day, and cling to the old-faShiOned
idea that one day in seven was meant
for rest and not for recreation. They
go to church in the morning and usual
y dine alone in the evening, excepting
just one or two personal, friends who
are picked up on the way home from
church or who drop in to see the PresI-
dent or Mrs. Taft in hurried visit to
the city. You never hear of the Tafts
giving an official dinnerTo Sunday, and
you probably never will. The Baroness
and her newly made Baron husband
would like to have been known as the