Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-11-30
The President on
a Forenoon Stroll
New York Times.)

HicHI VI TIC SdlllOl. IoOHle WTlCe real
letters. Some keep diaries. At least
one man from Kansas keeps u diary,
and the red letter day on which he !
saw the President, not as anybody else
might see him. on n platform or re-
viewing stand or riding by in an au-
tomobile. Better than any of those
ways, this diary keeper saw the Pres
ident taking an unusual walk alone
to make call.
1t was on recent Sunday forenoon
and day of perfect weather and that
first Fall GOODNESS that puts vigor into
the system and suggests Il light over
coat. The President had on light
overcoat and his step was full of Wig
or, two facts that were duly noted in
the diary. Pennsylvania Avenue in
front of the White House was almost
deserted, SO the walk was begun with
out the formation of crowd to trail
along in the rear But the Kansas
man happened to be passing, one of
three or four persons who saw the
President and crossed the avenue and
walked through Lafayette Park at a
respectful distance behind the two Sc
cret service men.
No man ever seemed. so completely
detached from bodyguard, and if
this were not an age of printed pho
tographs the Sunday morning stroll
would have been complete success
IS an incog outing AS it was, every
body going in the opposite direction
recognized the President and saluted,
but only the original small group fol-
lowed on for the walk.
what do you call that White
House gate the President came out
of, the one next to the War Depart
ment building" asked one of the
group, who proved to be the man
from Kansas. of another trailer. az
am keeping diary and want every
detail accurate. mail it home every
night to my family out in Kansas to
read. This is the first time I've ever
seen the President"
"rhat was the west gate" replied
the new acquaintance, and the diary
keeper shortened his step so as to
get the fact down legibly, without
too much jogging.
The President walked straight out
Sixteenth Street for six blocks. He
| looked out for himself in getting safe
ly across Scott Circle, just like the
ordinary citizen with 4 due regard
for safety first The Secret Service
men did not mar the pleasure of the
stroll by going ahead to hold up the
automobiles that were swinging
around the circle, and the drivers
were too intent upon taking tie curve
to notice the President particularly.
Half a square beyond the Circle
Mr.. Wilson stopped Mt Sixteenth
Street House. went up the steps alone
| and rang the bell, which was not an
| swered until after a delay of min
ute or more. 1t seemed altogether too
long TO the Kansas man for the Pres
dcnt of the United States to have to
wait, as he confided to his Washing
ton friend and voluntary guide when
they sat down on some steps opposite
to see what would happen noxt. The
diary keeper took advantage of the
| halt to write down the things he had
noticed up to that moment, with the
help of his companion.
"What was that big house with the
Hong extension and high iron fence
on the opposite from the President
as we came along? l noticed the
President looking over at it,"
"That was the Russian Embassy"
"Oh, really. 1t didn't seem to wor-
ry him any to b. reminded of Russia.
| noticed it was about there that he
gave the dried leaves along the side.
walk good clip with his cane."
eyes, | saw that. too. You want to
put it down. for it shows that q man
is feeling fit when &c thinks of the
fun of hearing the rustic of n stick
through dried leaves. 1t wasn't a golf
s.roke-just normal boys slash with
stick. bet four dollars the Pres
dent wished he could kick his way
through those leaves. 1t is r:ore fun
than using stick end tic thing to
do on morning like this"
"All right-dried leaves, cane, crisp
weather, he feels like boy in the
woods-now I'll lnow what that
means when I write this all out for
the family. What else did you notice
that l didn't?"
"Well. you spoke yourself of the
'elay in opening that front door after
The President RING the bell. I'd put
hat down 1t shows h. isn't nervous
or irriti.b : from overwor,;. He rang
only once, and then stood there, per-
fectly serene. looking up at the sky
and thinning about something. If II |