The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-05
GO0D-BY SMILE
AND HANDSHAKE
Taft, Loved In Defeat. Says Fare.
well to Country'a
Capital
MANY EYES TEAR-DIMMED
Private Citizen at Last, He Is=on
His Way for Vacation
In Dixie
lBy Aasooiated Yyasna

washington. March A.--%VYufarn
Howard Taft, pnblio servnnt since nsn
was twenty-one, said farewell 20 pzxo.
Ito lie to-day ana became a oftizon
or the republic that he has served
over the seas ana throughout ehs wo41d
Tor 90 many years. that he has almost
forgotten whom he enlisted,
Ills good-bY was a emilia. A hanfes
shake for the members OF his Cabsnaaa
a courtly how TO tho woman xrtondus
who braved tho Inauguration afsoous.
. ao to BID him and Mira. Taft Rad-
speed In the Union Station: q waya
or the hand and another apaiia for Tim,
people who stood In tho train shed and
wa'ohed hlo train pun g1owIy out toI
the South.
Last Glimpse OF CITY,
mo iast that Washington sa<a Oh
tho twenty-aeventh President was aha
dim outline OF a big smiling nkurn
IN a hrook coat with hair a Little
awry. standing on the rear platform
OF private car as II was svslIowed
IN the curling smoke OF the tunnel
,hat leads under tho city to Dixie. HIS
last glimpse OF the oity. where FONT
years ago he became chief exeoutiyoI
ana to-day q private citizen hy thd
peoples will. was when he looked fron,
the platform OF his car across tina
broad Potomac to where the Washing
Ton monument lifted it's gray pointed
peak TO tho gray sky.
Tomorrow he expects to ha IN
georgia to rest and play as the guest
OF me city OF Augusta for three weeks.
On March ~ he plans to go North
again to New Haven to settle down
under the elms OF Yale to the neaoe
and quiet life as professors OF law. Ha
"
ne tod friends. but only with thank
iuiness that he had been given the
opportunity to serve
absorbed as 1t was In tho inausura,
ton pageant Washington did not FORE
get tho man, the retiring President.
t =, he was hurried In one or
the White House cars from the back
OF the White House down through tho
mall and over back streets, hundreds
OF those on the Sidewalks who recog-
nized him. cheered him Justify. He was
forced to break through the line ors
march In front of the Capitol to get
TO tho Union Station. and the rnassed
thousands forgot tho parade for a mo-
meLi to pay their last tribute of ap-S
plause.
Many Tenr-Dimmed Eyes.
At the station most OF tho members
or the Taft Cabinet and their wives
and several close friends OF Mrs TAFT
were waiting. Miss Helen wept gentIv
as tho farewells were said, and thu
eyes Of some OF the others We're far
from dry li
With all the ceremony that has att
tended his departure on other ooca-
sions the roped-wide passageway
across the broad ooncourse, the SCORES
OF station police the secret service
MN and his former aide, Major Thomas
l. Rhoades, with his spurs clicking on
the stone Mr.. Taft marched through
cheering throns to his train.
He stood for a few minutes bv the
side OF his car shook hands once moro
with his friends and then steppod
aboard
Il am now retiring to a pedestrian
lffe." he said
This had been a busy day for NM
Taft Although he was up unit,
o'clock this morning, no slept only
Tour hours. and was at his study desk
again to wind up the business of his
administration. Flo worked only a
few minutes before breakfast. untiI
Mr. Wilson started from his hotel to
tho White House. He spent an hour
In the Presidents room In the Senate
side OF the Capitol signing bills, yeto-
ing others and in between times TALK
ing with Mr.. Wilson and with Senators
and Representatives who paid thefs
last call.
At the White House luncheon the
President chatted for ten minutes with
Mr.. Wilson. Heleft by the south door,
and his last view OF the mansion cana
as his automobile shot down through
the mall.