Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-04-11
HARDING'S
MAY BE CAN
ONE LUCKY u
Interesting. Stories Told b.
Keeper of Animals at
Executive Mansion.
Bv FREDERICK !. HAsKIN.

seized an early opportunity to call at
the Executive Mansion to interview this
important young member of the Harding
household
After following clews from the execu-
tive offices to the White House basement
and down the portrait-lined corridors in
search of the elusive Laddie Boy we
finally located the official keeper Of the
Presidents pets, Wilson Jackson.
Jackson smiled broadly at our mission
and led the way to an inner hal away
from the crowds of tourists doing tna
White House basement He opened a
door and called: "Heah, Laddie Boy"
and a black and tan Airedale galloped
out and fell upon us. After enthusiastic
greetings and an exchange Of compliments
the party Gained down somewhat. Lad
die Boy shook hands after insistent de-
mands from Jackson, who has already
taught him to come, lie down. and shake
ahnds on command. The White Hause
Aireda.e is only a year and a half old
and is very much of a puppy. On ac-
count of his youth and frequent Interrupt
lions as White House maids and clerks
passed and hailed aim, his valet did most
Of the talking.
'Yessuh," said Jackson, "this is the
first animal turned ovah to me since
AIistah Hardin came. He's a fine dog.
The man that gave him to Mistah Har-
din, back in Ohio, is goin' to SEN his
pedigree.
81 been tor there's an alligator comm.
I'm glad the dog got heah first.
"Yessuh, 1 reckon l will have charge
Of that alligator III have to keep him
in the fountain. I understan' 3nstah
Hardin s goin' to have a bull dog too,
but it hasn't come yet.
"Yessuh, I like dogs.-Heah, Laddie
Boy-cOme back heah. Everybody that
works round heah stops to talk to that
dog, and he is just so friendly he wand
ers off with them.
"Me? I been heah since President
Roosevelts time. Yessuh, had enough
experiences to fill a geography. I was
a Kid wOrkin' at the Census Bureau and
when they wanted a messenger at the
White House in a rush season I was sent
up. An then Mr.. and Mrs. Roosevelt
said they liked me, so they had me put
on the regular roll of White House en-
ployees.
MY title? I'm Special Messenger to
the First Lady in the Lam. Sometimes
I go shoppin' to get things in hurry
An I take messages. It's a diplomatic
kim of a Job.
But mostly the dogs II keep me buss~
now. I take Laddie Boy up to Presi-
dent Hardin's office every day and he
stays with the President a while, ana
then I go call the dog out. An Airedale
is mostly a one-man dog. and while
he's friendly with everybody, Mistah
Hardin is his mastah."
Jackson is more of an expert in han
ding dogs and horses than some of the
more unusual pets that have been given
the freedom of the White House grounds.
Jackson says he never was on intimate
terms with Pauline, the COW Of Taft's
regime. Nor did he have much to do
with Mr.. Wilson's flock Of sheep which
grazed so picturesqeuly on the White
House lawn.
But in Roosevelt's administration
Jackson was a busy man. Not only did
the executive mansion possess guinea
pigs, a pony. trick mice, a kangaroo rat,
and a collection of dogs, but Jackson was
expected to help look out for the Roose-
welt children as well. He played with
them, and sometimes accompanied them
when they rode, and he had some of the
care of the Icelandic pony, Algonquin.
Jackson tells the story, Wish you
may remember, how when Archie Roose-
welt was sick in bed with the measles, he
missed his pony so much that the serv-
ants decided to take Algonquin as a sESS.
prise up tc his room.
THAT pony wasn't much bigger than
big dog" says Jackson. 1--WE got him In
the elevator and elevated him upstairs
and took him into Mistah Archie's bed
room. The pony trOtted right ovah to
him and they had a fine time together.
Mistah Archie certainly did love that Al
gOnquin pony"
The Roosevelt children kept jackson on
the jump, but he enjoyed it. The pets
were very much a part of the household
and were accounted of considerable i'm
portance. They were constant topic of
family Conversation. When one died 1t
must be buried with formal pomp in a
reserved corner of the White House
grounds, and a disappearance was a
cause for commotion.
In one instance, a small black and tan
dog was lost. 1t boosted no noble pedI-
gree, but Quentin loved it devotedly, and
mourned its loss with increasing gloom
as the days went by and 1t was not
found. Finally, some one reported that
a dog answering the widely advertised
description was at the city pound.
Scarcely stopping for hats, Mrs. Roose-
welt and Quentin set off on foot for the
pound. The dog proved to be a stranger,
but Quentin held it and talked to it all
the time that Mrs. Roosevelt was con-
sulting with the official. She inquired
the fate of the dog that looked so much
like Quentin's, and when she was told
that it would be killed soon, as it had
not been claimed, she paid for it and
Quentin struggled home with it in his
arms.
Any one who lives in the spotlight
at the White House is a target for the
gifts of the Nation. The Roosevelt fam
ily's love for animals brought them a
more congloemrate collection than any
other President has ever been called upon
to accept with thanks. But not even the
Roosevelt with their fondness for pets,
could keep some of the gift animals ~
One man who heard that Mr.. RoosevJS
dog was whipped in fight sent huge,
vicious looking bulldog, and assured the
President that while he had this dog,
the White House honor would never
suffer at the hands of any mongrel out
sider Mr.. Roosevelt soon saw that the
bull pup could not be trusted to confine
his fighting to dogs, and that it lacked
Judgment. 1t could never be trusted to
distinguish between a Cabinet officer
and an office seeker. So the dog had to
GO but the Roosevelts found a home
for it.
Mr.. Roosevelt also received a zebra
and several tigers which he turned over
to the National Geological Park, to Jack
sons relief.
Il like animals on general principles
says Jackson, "but l prefers em tame"
He fell to thinking-we imagine about
the advent of the alligator.
"Mistah Hardin's goin' ridin'? Yes
sub. right away! Heah, Laddie Boy,
H. prnnidnnt rrrnntS ,rn,