The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-11-23
IN
THE LIFE Of
PRES. NJ 'K|NLEY
TOLD AT CORNERSTONE LAYING
OF MEMORIAL BY JAMES II.
HoYT, AN INTIMATE FRIEND OF
THE MARTYRED PRESIDENT.

! NlltS, ", NOH. Su.-l "O lHClutHIS,
not generally known, were recited by
William Mckinley, were recited by
James II. Hoyt, of Cleveland, who
was an intimate friend of the mar
| tyred president, at the laying today
of the cornerstone of the National
Mckinley Birthplace Memorial here.
Mr.. Hoyt reviewed the great achieve
ments of the Mckinley administration
and then, to illustrate the intensely
human side of the president, he told
the following stories of McKinley's
career:
AT the time of the Boxer Rebel
lion, when the diplomatic represent
atives of other nations were in dan
ger, and military forces were being
sent by all the leading countries to
suppress the rebellion and rescue
their diplomatists, and our own
troops were in transit under COM
mand of General Chaffee, Mckinley
was taking a needed rest at his home
in Canton, o. The long distance
telephone was situated between two
windows running to the floor of the
room. Under one Of them, and pro-
jecting from the foundation Of the
house, was a faucet to which his
gardener was in the habit of connect
t.. ;ah 30 h
lawn. One morning, the president
was called to the long distance tele'
phone by his two great secretaries,
Hay and Root. A message had been
received from the Car of all the
Russas and the Emperor of Germany,
requesting that the president of the
United States should place the Amer
lean soldiers under the command of
Count Waldersee, the German gen.
eral, in order to insure harmony of
action on the part of the allied ar
mics. 1t was a momentous dispatch,
and serious results might depend
upon its proper and intelligent an
swer.
There was some paving going on
in the street opposite the house, and
as the day was warm. the workmen
became thirsty. so one of their num-
Der was sent for water. He naturally
thought and thought only of going
to the house of the president, as he
was sure of considerate and generous
treatment there. SO while the
chief executive of this nation was
consulting with his secretaries con-
cerning this important matter over
the telephone, John walked up, hung
his pail on the faucet and turned on
the water The water running into
the pail made a great deal of noise
and disturbed the president, the win
dows being open. He asked his
secretaries to wait moment, and
then leaning forward and looking out
of the window, said:
John, that water running in the
pail makes a very disturbing noise,
and am busy talking over the long
distance telephone. Please turn it
off for few moments
"'All right, Major replied John,
and turning off the water, he filled
his pipe and lighted it, and then,
sitting down with his back to the
house, listened to the conversation
which the president was carrying on.
Here was the ruler of a hundred |
millions of people engaged in the |
transaction of most important and |
serious public business, and there
was common laborer, intruding |
himself into the transaction; but Nc
Kinley was not impatient, nor did he |
resent, as almost any other man
would. this interference. He die |
tated to his secretaries over the |
telephone that famous and Mckinley |
esQue' reply. consenting that the |
American troops should be placed |
under the command of the German
general on the condition that this |
government at any time reserved
the right to revoke the permission,
provided the policy of the army so
commanded ran in any way counter
to the ideas of the United States.
An admirable reply, the wisdom of
which was quickly approved by the
public when they learned of it. Hav-
ing dictated this important dispatch,
the president hung up the receiver,
but he did not forget John.
John he said. I am through
now. and you can turn or the water
again
John did so. and then leaning on
the window sill, said:
Major, because all the laboring
men in Canton called him by that
familiar title) Major, hope you
are going TO settle that Chinese
question all right. amt your