The Washington herald., 1914-01-04
And LAUGHS
MIXED BY TAFT
Brishtens HI. Class Work At
Yale University with
tests.
HIS EXAMS. ARE NO JOKE
Es-Preident Already Regarded q One
Of he Nest Popular Teachers
at the Insitufsa.

New Haven. Jan. 3-At the end Of hill
first three months as ''teacher'' forme,
President William Howard Taft find,
himself a: popular as any professor o,
instructor at Yale.
Prof. Taft's real teaching began with
the opening of the university last fall
As Kent professor of law he delivered q
course OF lectures last spring at the uni.
versity.- but they were open to the public
and there were no quiz sections. Real
classroom work Is on In earnest now
however. Sondays and Tuesday at 10:a
O'Clock Prof. Taft calls to order the
sixty-odd seniors and graduates who are
taking his course.
The secret OF Prof. Tafts popularity is
to be found in the respect that his wide
range of knowledge and experience In
spires and In the former President's 8
ready wit. II Is said that more Jokes are
told in his classroom than In any other
in the university. The jokes all have a
bearing on some phase of constitutional
law.
On Monday morning several weeks
ago the rain. which had fallen steadily
all Saturday and Sunday. still continued.
Prof. Taft arrived at Hendrie Hall. where
he holds his classes. with a huge UNI
brella- The outlook for a good-natured
classroom hour was dubious. Circum-
hindered.
Lands on FalterinS student.
THE first man to recite had failed to
study his lesson. but was not ready to
admit IL. The student. In endeavoring to
answer one OF Prof. Taft's questions.
fioundered about for some time In an
-
sound plausible. He was about to give
up when suddenly he noticed on open
book about five feet away. The student
became almost cross-eyed in his attempts
to read the print. Prof. Taft looked on
calmly for a time and then said: Cant
see quite so far. Ell?
Apparently you don't know the point
so I'll tell you." he continued ITS
about the constitutional privilege a man
has Of not testifying against himself
My father told me this one. man had
borrowed some money from a friend and
refused to give II up. There had been
no witnesses to the transaction. When
the lender sued the borrower took ad-
of his constitutional right of
not testifying against himself. with the
result that the lender was unable to re-
cover When they met on the street
some time later the lender ran up to the
borrower and shouted. I've got four wit
nesses anyway who know that leaned
you the money. God and i know It and
the devil and you know it,"
His Smile Contakious.
1t isn't always the wit alone in Prof.
.Tafts jokes that makes them go either.
The former Presidents contaE Eious smile
has as much to do with It as anything.
Students in his classes have come to know
when the time is ripe for an entertaining
story. The class is usually In the midst
OF discussion over some point when Mr..
Taft lowers his head and peers over his
glasses In way that Is very character
istic OF him. Then he slowly removes the
glasses. holding them on a level with his
mouth. Simultaneously with this OPERA
tion appears a broadening smile. II starts
in two dimpies In his cheeks and extends
over his broad face
Scarcely have the two dimples begun To
appear before the faces of the men in the
CLASS broaden In smiles of prospective ap-
and before the story is half
told every man in the room Ia shaking
with laughter. Prof. Taft laughs. too. and
sometimes SO hard that tears come to his
eyes. He gets out his handkerchief.
though, and goes on with the story TO
the end.
VI an tue iuh IN lHe classroom, none
II the students taking constitutional law
$ allowed to do any loafing. At the be-
thinning of the year many OF the students
hought perhaps constitutional law under
'rof. Taft might be a pipe" course A.
he first few recitations several men in
esponse to their names answered ..un-
repaired" For once Prof. Tafts smile
'anished wholly as he said:
You thought this business of studying |
he Constitution was going to be very
asy. Let me tell YOU that IL you don't |
tudy your lessons you'll regret 1t at the |
lme OF examinations. If You cram them
ou won't be saturated with the subject
,our knowledge will pass away the next
ay. Gentlemen. your professors and in
tructors are not half as severe on YOU as
our clients will be-" The smile appear red
gain as he added: Your clients viii be
1uch more unreasonable. They will OBJ
ect strenuously il you go out to lunch
nth the opposing counsel, even"
Students Must Work.
Prof. Taft is very exacting instruc-
'r. and although he is always willing
lend a hand where there is some
ifnculty, he sees TO II that his stu
ents do their work. Students may ask
II the questions they want to during
assroom recitations, but they must be
Die to pass the examinations.
The business of teaching constitutional
w is fully as interesting as being Pres
ent OF the United States, Prof. Taft
iys. He is so absorbingly Interested in
IS work that he often runs over the ,
lotted time for the recitation. Explain
g why he so often runs over the fifty
inutes, he said:
That reminds me. Whenever 1 come
'me from any gathering my wife asks
e, Did you have a nice timer and !
hen answer yes she adds, YOU must
i've been doing all the talking"