Semi-weekly herald., 1913-05-22
WILSON AND FAMILY
ARE LIKE COMMON PEOPLE

"HSIiiNDioN, ~. u, May 2l.-
The conviction is growing on folks at
the national capital that the Wilson
family which recently moved into the
house at 1000 Pennsylvania avenue,
northwest, are pretty good sort. Mr..
wilson may be president, Mrs. Will
son may be the first lady of the land,
and the Misses Wilson may be social
favorites-but taken individually and
as whole the Wilson family is as
tonishingly like any other real United
States family.
In the first place the Wilson fam
lily is very home folksy" Since
March A, when the family moved in,
President Wilson has been at his own
freside almost every night that he
hasn't been to the theater with Mrs.
Wilson or zone of the girls" Mrs.
Wilson has done some entertaining in
quiet way. She has given several
little musicals and has had several
small garden parties on the spacious
White house lawn. The Misses vii.
son have been "doing the social end
for the family, and Miss Jessie Will
son has continued her hobby of so.
cisiogical work and investigation
Mrs. Wilson has done the unusua
several times. She visited the slun
district of Washington one day to Sc,
how "the other half" lives in the ma
tional capital and she has spent sew
eral afternoons sight seeing in tn,
government departments and build
ings. On these occasions less thar
half dozen persons knew who sh,
was. She shares her husbands stronf
dislike for display.
The Wilson family has not yet def
nitely selected church home simpl,
because of the crowds of curious Wis
itors and residents who would be sur,
to crowds pews and aisles for /,
glimpse of the president and his fam
lily at worship None of the Whit,
house attaches have known until tn,
last minute on Sunday where the Pres
ident and Mrs. Wilson would attent
services. Moreover the churches tha
the president has attended have beel
the small ,inconspicuous Presbyterian
churches far from their own neigh
borhood.
But it is when the president take
his exercise that the Jeffersonian sim
plicity comes out strongest Whel
Taft was in the White house an aft
ernoon stroll partook of the nature O
ceremonial First came the presi
dent walking slowly and sedately a.
became one of his portliness On eithe
side of the president were Secretar,
liilles and Major Rhodes, chief mill
tary aide Like as not Rhodes wa
diked out in full dress uniform. Be
hind these three and forming rea
rank were three solemn faced secre
service men plodding along slowly ar,
thinking Of the days when Roos .vel
was president and there WAS rea
strenuosity in their jobs.
When President Wilson goes walk
inr he generally slips oat the bac
door much to the worry of the seere
service guards. He Sc dom take, hi
military aide with him. 1,l presiden
re. tntly las acquired the J'rmy
Sloan habit. Sloan is one of the se
erct snJvice men and there ,s NJ ethe
like Jimmy" II Sloan mas any enc
niles-which is doubtful-thty woul
admit to their closest friends tha
they like Sloan. 1t was frs: sigh
friendship between Sloan and Presi
dent Wilson, and when the latte
walks about the capital nowadayl
Jimmy Sloan is with him and tn
two are chatting away and lsughin
like two college boys out on lxrl
There are always other secret servic
men bringing up the rear but you
never know they were members q
the presidential walking party.
The president walks with swiae
ing "get-there" sort Of gait. He q
ways carries can and he smiles boy
ishly over things that interest hin
He prefers to walk through tn
streets rather than in the many beat
tifu public parks Of Washington.
The president made m insffsctui
effort to abolish the custom Of ha,
ing khaki uniformed metor-cycl
policeman trail along behind Il
White house automobile whom hA TAX