The Red Cloud chief., 1922-04-27
have LIGHT SIDE
Highly Placed Americans Gifted
With Sense of Humor.
First Chief Executives Said to Have
Seldom Relaxed Their Dignity, but
1t Is Different Today.

American humor as well as Ameri-
tan disposition to take none o seri-
ously on light occasions the most
highly placed government officials was
well illustrated at the White House
the other day when baseball league
magnates called on the President. II
used TO be pretty good catcher" said
AIR. Harding, In chatting of younger
days with Jacob Rupert, formerly
a Democratic member of congress and
now president of the New York Ameri-
can League club. I'm sorry" said
Colonel RUPERT" but we're fixed for
catchers. Did you ever play the out
deld?"
Either In Europe or In Asia, ex-
changes Of this sort, ut least before
the war, would have been regarded as
quite bad form" if not highly pre-
'sumptuous.
American Presidents Of late have
been well equipped with Il sense of
humor. Earlier ones lacked It, says
q writer in the Louisville Courier
Journal. Neither Washington nor
Jefferson nor Especially Adams,
father and son, nor Andrew Jackson
vas notably gifted with what has
since become known the earth round as
'the American sense of humor." '"The
Rather OF His Country could, and
sometimes did, relax. once, il Is re-
corded, he rolled over and over on
the lawn at Mount Vernon In laugh.
ing at Something that highly amused
him. Usually, however, Washington
vas stern, unbending--a manner be-
frting the imperial man, the UNI
blemished gentleman that he was.
Jackson on his death-bcd, when asked
was there 10 something he vas sorry
for, answered in the Affirmative, add
ing that he was sorry" he had not
hung one of his political enemies.
Lincoln's humor Is too well known
to require illustration. liberties he
took with others. Others seldom took
liberties with him. Though often
the target for his own jest, he rarely
was for jests Of others. Grant vas
likewise, though Grant had Il rare
of humOr, as often is the case
with silent and apparently stolid
men. Characteristic OF this humor of
Grants is his thrust at his friend,
Roscoe Conkllug, concerning The price
of u horse bought by Grant. Isn't he
o. beauty? 2" exclaimed Grant to Conk-
ling. "llow much did you give for
him." asked Conkling. "Six hundred
dollars" said Grant. II bought him OF
n butcher ON the avenue well, Mr..
President" said Conkling, 81 don't
think he's worth the money! That's
what the butcher thought, senator
said Grant.
Grover Cleveland knew how to take
a Joke ahd how To crack one. Some
Of his best jokes were uncOnsciously
humorous. While once praising Il GER
tain New York newspaper that had
ardentiy supported him, he vas asked
by "A ~ its editors what feature of
the paper pleased him most. 81 like it
all" said Mr.. Cleveland, and especial
ly this last column over here on the
editorial page'-a column that was
made up OF Jokes scissored from
0taar newspapers. When Iii Hung
Chang, on his visit to America, was re-
ceiyed ut the White House he was
introduced 10 Mrs. Cleveland, at that
time a rarely beautiful bride, How
many wives have yOu?' queried the
Chinese v]lceroy OF President Cleye.
nud. "One," said the President
The ylceroy chuckled. Drawing
near and nudgins Mr., Cleveland ami
ably with n gold-headed ivory stick
Ii Hung Chang said: "Oh, | know
you have only one-here. But how
many have you-in the proyinces?'
one OF Mr.. Cleveland's hiographer,
says that few jests were relished SC
keenly by Mr.. Cleveland as was this
one. 1t revealed TO him China more
~illuminatingly than did all else that
Hiceroy Ii had to say to him.
The American sense of humor Is the
bridge that enables the American PEG,
pie to cross over dry-shod the Ked
sea that separates them from their
PresIdents-thc bridge that enable,
their Presidents to cross oven the Red
sea that separates chief magistrates 0,
the nation from the people,