Evening star., 1912-03-04
ASKS TAFT TO PLAY
Young Golf Editor Thinks He
Can Beat President.
IS A '1WESTERN LIVE WIRE"
offered Roosevelt Two-Fifty a Page
for a Story if Good Enough
to Print.
S A "WESTERN LIVE WIRE"

a HNe wire. aged fourteen years, VINO
| offered Col Roosevelt $3.50 a page for
story on golf for The Young American
Golfer" walked into the White House
today and asked the President IL he
didn't want to chase a ball over the
Chevy Chase links for about eighteen
holes. After that the live wire dropped
into The Star office to tell about it,
He is William Winer Clerk Griffin of
Wheaton. H., who conducts his twelve
page golf magazine with the assistance
OF John and Alexis Griffin, aged twelve
and ten, respectively. Together these
three write. set type, run the press and
drive the $50 circulation I'm a wagon to
the post office at Wheaton every month.
While William is away east on a trip to
gather few ads, John and Alexis are
getting the forms ready for the press
back in Wheaton.
My name is Griffin" he said as he
strolled into The Star office And have
arranged with the President to play a
game of golf''
Then he started to tell about it:
Il asked him If he didn't want to go
round the Chevy Chase links with me.
He said he was rather busy just now and
did not believe he could made date.
was out there yesterday l told
him.
How was it-muddy?' he asked.
Then | told him it was right sloppy.
and he said: Well, if it's sloppy for you,
just think what it would be for me-
May Play in Chicago.
"Of course every one knows the Presi-
dent is a fine golfer, and told him that
he must play a game with me. He said
he thought he could when he went out to
Chicago. I'm going to get him to play
me eighteen holes on the Midlothian
course"
When he got down to his magazine
project William said he had received
a subscription from person whom he
persisted in calling Teddy Roosevelt.
Yes, l met him up there in New
York. OF course his name draws big.
so l asked him If he wouldn't write
me a one-page story about golf. l Of
fered to pay him il the stuff was
really good. but he didn't seem to think
he knew enough about the game"
William said his space rates were
two dollars and a half page for real
ly good stuff.
did you ask President Taft to write
you story?"
Taft "Not Much on Writing"
"No. to tell you the truth, 1 forgot
about it. Besides. he isn't much of a
writer. Teddy is a good writer. but
President Taft doesn't go in for that
sort Of thing"
The young editor did not have a copy
of The Young American Golfer with him
at The Star Office, but promised to send
one. He said he had been publishing
it for eighteen months. His proudest
moment was when 1t became necessary
to discard the market basket with which
the ninety-eight copies used to be toted
| to the post office.
I'VE have $500 circulation now and we
| use wagon to mail them, and they're
all entered at the Wheaton post Office as
| regular magazine matter at 1 cent a
pound"
He got the idea of running a paper
about two years ago. explaining, as he
said it, that he came of a newspaper
family, an uncle, John G. Griffin being
editor of the first Sunday paper in
Spokane. Wash Previous to Uncle John,
| histories as the president of the second
Continental Congress. ran print shop
and a small newspaper in those old days.
So William says he comes by his mag
azine talent honestly.
1OO-Year Subscription in Advance.
when 1 first had the idea j. T. Talbot,
who is vice president of the National City
Bank of New York, was out in my town.
dHu tc lOIu Iic uc WOulU give me a SUD-
scription for hundred years. That was
$50. and that started the magazine.
taught the two little fellows, John and
Alexis. to set type. and after that every
thing was easy. Now when l go away on
business trips they can run the shop
William has original views on the COM
ing campaign. He believes that Col
Roosevelt has split the republican party,
and that Bryan can grab the nomination
any old time in the democratic camp. He
also says that Clark and Harmon would
make fine pair, Harmon to run as Vice
President, and then next time to let Har-
mon be President and Champ Clark switch
to the second position. However he would
rather see a golf-playing President in the
chair any time.
William is going to stay around Wash
ingtOn for few more days, and after
that he is going to call on Lyman Alb
bott and COL Roosevelt. He says he be-
lieves either OF them might have some in
f1uence in getting him an advertisement
from the Outlook