The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-05

know of the existence of the letter until
 years later. when he was honored by
 teing made military aide to President
 Taft. Captain Butt was brought 70
 Washington and made depot quarter master. The office had never been hlied
 by an officer of lower rank than a lieu
 tenant-colonel AZ compliment was paid
 to him when, at the beginning of the last
 Cuban revolution, those in authority at
 the war department decided that he be sent in advance of the army to prepare for the landing of our troops in Cuba.
 President Roosevelt saw magazine ar ticle written by Captain Butt, Both Sides of the Shield.' and immediately be- ban making inquiries as to the identity Of the author. He expressed pleasure to find that he was an army officer. Cap tain Butt was then and there summoned to Washington to serve as military aid to Mir. Roosevelt. The President discov-
 cred that Captain Butts family and that
 of his own mother mad been intimate
 friends in Georgia. It proved happy
 selection, because there was no stunt the
 colonel proposed which the army man
 could not do. He played tennis with the
 President, climbed preciplces, swan riv-
 CTS and all that sort Of thing. Captain
 Butt was a survivor Of tile memorable tide to Warrenton, Va, and return.
 President Roosevelt became irritated be-
 cause army and navy officers claimed
 that he was infiicting hardship by fore ing them to submit to an endurance test.
 This was to show their fitness for ser vice. In a blizzard, MT. Roosevelt, ac- companied by Captain Butt and pr. Rixey, covered a distance of 106 miles in 14 hours and 40 minutes. The last 30 miles was made in a binding sleet storm at night. Only two relays of horses were used.
 Quite another kind of record was es- tablished only last week by Captain Butt
 Part of his duties at the White House is to present the guests to the President It Is often a test to the nerves and re-
 oures tact and quick thinking. At the reception given to the members of the supreme court and the Judiciary by the
 PresidenN Captain Butt presented 1275 persons in exactly one hour It is said to be Mauretania speed mark Captain Butt and James Sloan, Jr, Of the secret service, the Presidents all ways-present protector, have probably been photographed more than any two men in the country. They have been with both MT. Taft and Colonel Roose- welt. Sometimes 50 cameras have been
 snapped at the party in five minutes Captain Butt always precedes the Presi- dent and in a quiet way does much to put hosts at their ease and keep things
 going smoothly. He accompanies Mr.
 Taft on all trips and is the handy man
 ready to meet most every emergency
 An old darky at the White House said | "Cap'n Butt is de haughtiest to rich folks and incest to our folks of any man lr
 de world This is borne out by the way his. old employees follow him. Swarms of them trailed the Georgian from the Phil ippines to Cuba and then back to the Limited States. He is probably more sought for positions by colored laboreis than any man in the army An old cot ton-top came shambling into the office in Havana one day and. of course, want ed work. 'I simply haven't a thing, . said Butt. The applicant departed. much
 downcast. A fNw minutes later there was Q knock on the door. He was back q
 second time and asked permission to
 speak another word. T jes wanted to