New-York tribune., 1910-08-20
Mr.. TAFT SEES RELATIVES.
president Visits Homes and
Haunts of His Ancestors.
NAMES HIS FIFTH COUSIN
politics Forgotten in Automobile
Tour as Guest of Gov
ernor Draper.

rseveriy Mass, Aug. 1e-Forsettinr for
.,e moment the troubles and worries of
-.,tics and politicians, President Taft
.,eut the greater part Of the day in the
,ou,es and haunts of his ancestors The
resident rummased into his own family
,,s,orv snd met scores of relatives Some
,,sre 50 remote as hardly TO be counted.
~. they were all Tafts OF Tcrreys. snd
.he most distinguished member of the fam
gv seemed glad 10 be able 10 shake the
hands OF all. There were long Tafts and
.sort Tafts- big Tsfts and little Tafts.
,,,,des. hrunettes and red haired
~Te had all sorts IL the family" laughed
ne President.
" was over a Mendon and Cxbridge ana
- the vicinity of those towns where the
-set. settled in 1870. Robert Taft. a house
-.rrr. vas the first of the Tafts to come
,ve- from England Then. in direct line
=, descent the generations lead down to
.-e President as follows: Joseph TAFT.
rete- Taft Aaron Taft. Peter Rawson
-s4- Alphonso Taft and William Howard
Taft. The President son, Robert is the
eighth generation
n the genealogical analysis which the
fsv brought forth il was discovered that
.--ouer an ancient strain the President is
,elate6 10 Senator Nelson W Aldrich. of
Pho6e Island: that Secretary Charles DYER
Norton IS also related to the Senator from
Rhode Island. and that the President is
related 70 Governor Draper of Nsssachu-
sets
Start Made in the Rain.
:; was IS the guest OF Governor Draper
that the President made his pilgrimage to-
fsv. He spent last night at the Governors
home tn Hcpedale and started in a drilling
rain on the ancestral trip this morning On
the way to Menden Mr.. Taft stopped for
er hour 70 INSPECT the big cotton machinery
manufacturing plant At Hopedale and the
-no6e1 tenement houses which surround It
The men in the factory gave three cheers
SIS the President entered and departed.
Through Nendon and Jxbridge the Presi-
dent had Marcus NJ. Aldrich, also a de-
scen6ant of George Aidrich, the first of the
family in this country. a guide Mr. Aid
-j~r had the histories Of all the families of
nc community az his finger tips. and he
beo- the President busy with stories Of their
ooInes In -he past.
rTas while the President stood inspect
tns the tablet erected at Founders Park in
Nsndon that the most interesting episode Of
The dav took place. No ore in the town
seemed 70 know Mr Taft vas coming, but
MS presence soon was noiSed abroad. and
rsfts came from all directions. Mrs. Char
ence Taft vas one Of the first 10 arrive, and
ube7 she met the President she told him
--oudlv thar she was the mother OF the
Youngest Taft IN the vicinity. q son two
weeks old She also explained that he had
-ot vet been given q name and il was sug-
cested that The President should select one
He agreed ~ once. and the yoUngster.
svakened from = sound sleep, was borne
70 the scene.
Mr.. Taft Names Fifth Cousin.
= name him Robert" said the President
and hope he grows up TO be a great COM
Ger, to his mother and father
The bahy is said TO be a fifth cousin OF
the President.
The name of the original Robert Taft is
o-z-sve6 ~, The monument as one OF the
sa,,,5e-z of the place. commonly known as
she old Mother Town Robert brought six
stsl1art sons with him from England They
f-;,. . bridge across the Blackstone River
g-5 s.--1,4l5 down on ff7e big farm which was
given -hsrn by the grateful community
F-o-, A7andon Park the President went
- the old buryirg ground and saw the
5nc5enf headpieces which mark the graves
cf large number of his ancestors linen
he visited the OLD white church where they
-orshirped and the spot where koeer'
Tsf, b-,il- his home in 1890 All marks
of .bo 1,o-7sa are gone and the lot that
s,,--o,,-,da5 i; is now an orchard. The
.-.si6e-- a-a = big red apple from one Of
;ae trees.
Tho nexr spot Of interest was the iittie
lone of Miss Sarah Taft a dehsntlui
shite-hsired woman, who was conpleteie
isken hv surprise when the fresiosi't
hg auto stopped In front Of her door al"
BE- snd rho Governor OF the common
realth afEhted. Miss Taft vas not eA-
pactinc visitors. and. living quite aIoiie'
sbe kent her distinguished guests waiune
with many apologies until sne cou''
change her frock. Then she eXtenoeo +"
-,os- f-,rri-atla welcome Miss Tafts
lone ie directly. Oh the old Boston-New
York hfghwav. and in 1879 George Wash
ir-ron spent the night in the house me
1oon. with a fine old four-poster oeo aiio
CID mahogany furniture, was SHOWN 10 ''ie
President An old engraving OF the hrst
President still adorns the wall
Many times during the course OF MS
travels the Presidents car was suopPeo
q epable him "a meet some ad"i
Members of the Taft family
After luncheon at Governor Draper
ZONE the President returned 10 heFHiS
by automobile. reaching his cottage slioi'
II before s o'clock this evening
Governor Draper accompanied ii-iii "
tsr as Boston. Twice during the 1oui H''
Mr. Taft had TO ahght while ms car &c
driven on planks across deep ueiie'
Ehe-e -,.,-;- v-se under way on the state