Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-10-11

One of the days to which Brattleboro
will look back with pride was Monday
of this week, the occasion of the visit
to this town of William Howard Taft,
President of the United States 1t was
a notable event in the history of the town,
and about 5000 persons assembled at Is
land park to see and hear the distinguish
ed visitor. From the time when it~was
announced that the President would come
until the time of his arrival a company
of men and women were busy making
preparations for the visit, and the Pres
ident and his party, which included Mrs.
Taft, were much pleased with their re-
ception. 1t is perhaps unnecessary to
say that those who assembled at Island
park were very much delighted with the
appearance of the President. OF fine
physique and large stature, he appeared
ia, 4be in perfect health, and the stress
of business and political life had made
no burrows upon his countenance. His
face was aglow with apparent happiness,
and the coming election seemed farthest
from his thoughts.
While President Taft spoke only 10
minutes, his utterances and his appear
ance had a magnetic influence over the
people and left upon them an indelibe
conviction that he was a man of noble
attributes and great strength of char
acter. He was given enthusiastic APP
plause at frequent intervals and the
crowd arose and cheered before and af-
ter his speech. Persons of all shades of
political conviction Joined in express
sions of satisfaction and in compliment
tary remarks concerning him.
President Taft was not on a political
or speech-making tour but was a
vacation trip by automobile to the White
mountains and his brief address was
entirely devoid of politics. In fact he
did not intend 1t to be considered as an
address, but an expression of greeting
to the people in the county where his
ancestors lived. He was particularly in
terested to visit this county and the
site of his ancestral home in West
Townshend, and in response to urgent
requests he spoke briefly in Whining
ton, Brattleboro, Newfane and Towns
bend. Enthusiasm was everywhere
ma infested, and the cordial goodwill be-
tween the President and people was
reciprocal
In the party were President and Mrs
Taft, Miss babel Boardman and Maj
Thomas l.. Rhoades, military aid, be-
sides one of the President secretaries,
secret service agents and newspaper
men. The principal members of the
party spent Sunday at the home of
United States Senator w. Murray Crane
in Dalton, Mass, and left there Monday
morning for the Vermont trip, coming
= here by way of North Adams and Will
Fnington.
Attorney Clarke c. Fits, chairman of
n local committee of arrangements,
- to North Adams Monday morning
with Adjt. Gen. Lee S. Tillotson of st.
Albans and Frank c. Williams of New
port, Chairman of the Republican state
committee, and accompanied the party
to Wilmilgto Gov. Allen NJ. Fletcher
of Cavendiih, George l.. Durham of the
local committee of arrangements and
Maj. F. w. Childs motored to Whining
ton and returned with the party.
Leaving North Adams at 11.30 they
went by way Of Readsboro mountain to
Wilmington, arriving at 1926. The
town was decorated handsomely and the
children in large numbers were dressed
in white The President stopped in front
of the Childs tavern and spoke about
five minutes to crowd of 500 or more
and after being presented sweet peas
they started for Brattleboro. The trip
OF 20 miles was covered in As minutes
ana on. their arrival here the party
Went to the home of Col. ]. Gray Estey
10 dine
fThe interior of Col. Estey's home was
DECORATED in a simple but effective way
The reception and drawing rooms were
decorated with quantities of white crys-
ahthemums and the library with pink
d::ahlias. The dining room presented a