Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09

I'm, yes we were hazed to some extent in
- my dav at Yale" remarked President
Taft, replying to question.
The President seemed to be relieved that
he was not asked about politics, legislation,
offices, or the hundred and one things that
make life a.burden to the chief executive.
1--WE couldn't sit on the fence during the
first year." continued the President. 1--WE
couldn't carry canes unless we had won the
cane rush. That was for the first two terms.
During the third term we could carry canes,
and even wear high hats. freshman who
felt able and bucked up enough would carry
a cane That would cause a rush, and if the
freshmen won they carried their canes. 1t
they lost, they had to wait for the third term.
"Wrestling was a great sport in those days.
And there was where | was success" The
President leaned back and laughed over the
recollection II weighed a hundred and
ninety pounds when | was sixteen, he con-
tinued, 3and was as strong as | was large.
was the wrestler for the freshman class the
first year. They settled as many class dis
putes as possible by wrestling, and was put
forward for my class. The sophomores made
use of me in the second year. Every time
the classes met in any kind of contest or dis
pute there was a wrestling match, and had
to go in
The recollections amused the President:
He was willing to continue "reminiscences OF
his college days; but a gaunt Congressman
came ambling into the room, and | knew
that the powers who had granted me this
brief interview, and the President short
respite from official cares, had decided that
he had been off duty long enough for one
day, and that he must 60 back to the tread
mill.
| CITING in his office one day after visit
- to Kentucky, Speaker Champ Clark be-
came reminiscent when the name of Proctor
Knott of that State was mentioned, and
began:
1.-THE first lawsuit / ever saw or heard was
tried bv Proctor Knott. It was a little town
| in Kentucky, a temperance town; but a
fellow named Perkins ran a drugstore and
sold Log Cabin Bitters, which was famous,
but contained the worst whisky ever known.
Perkins was shot in the shin at Shiloh"
/ | do not know what that last remark had
to do with the story; but the Speaker omlts
no interesting details. He continued:
"A fellow named Tom Peters got full of
those bitters and went after Perkins with a
bowie knife Perkins shot him with one
barreled pistol which had been made by a
blacksmith. They had trial, and | ran
away from school to see it.
"Proctor Knott sent down to Springfield
and got mealbag full of lawbooks-hrst [
| had ever seen.
| sDuring the trial an old doctor about
three-fourths full of whisky was called to tes-
tify as to whether Peters would get well.
The doctor said he would, that he'd get as
fat as butter ball, that he'd die in three
wears; but before he died he'd turn green,
| because he had been shot through the liver.
| 1t was the first time ever knew that man
had liver.
Al watched that fellow like a hawk. He
| did get as fat as a butter ball. He started
| for California, and died in the Rockies in just
about three years Whether he turned green
or not, | never knew"
| TEFFERSONIAN simplicity, of which SO
) much is said, received quite jar at one
| of the recent White House receptions One
| of the guests, who was not in the best of
health, felt so faint and i'll after the ordeal of
standing for an hour in a dense throng before
she could pass along the receiving line of the
presidential party, that the Senator who ac-
companied her took her "behind the line
and found a chair for her. The woman, who
was from distant city, had never attended
White House reception before, and did not
know that the etiquette of foreign courts
was being grated on official society in Wash
ington. The Senator, telling her to sit there