Evening star., 1924-02-04
REMAINED in SECLUSION
HERE NEARLY FOUR YEARS
Few Except Close Personal Friends
Admitted, But Ex-President Accom-
plished Much During Illness.

When Woodrow Wilson left the
Capitol on March 1921, leaving
there the newly-e elected President
Harding to take the oath of office. he
and Mrs. Wilson were driven quietly
to their new. home, 2340 S street
northwest. And there he lived until
his death, an outstanding world fig
ure, though an invalid.
Thousands of citizens had gathered
in front Of the new home to give him
welcome. Long after Mr.. and Mrs
Wilson had passed within the portals
the crowd fingered on, being aug
mented by fresh arrivals. Late in
the afternoon a committee of citi-
zens visited Mr.. and Mrs. Wilson to
convey to them the well wishes of
the gathering outside.
And thereafter, throughout the
former Presidents comparative Sc
clusion. periodically throngs gather
ed outside his residence to do him,
honor-throngs SO large and so
warmly his friends and supporters
as to give the lie to report that
Woodrow Wilson had lost his former
grip on the affections of the Amer
lean peple. On Armistice day and on
his birthdays and on other occasions
these pilgrimages were made. And
Mr.. Wilson always expressed his
pleasure, either through a message,
or, when he felt stronger, in person
Home Colonial Type.
The new home to which the former
President moved, while not on lines
of the White House. was still
handsome and spacious house; of CO.
lonial brick and Indiana limestone.
1t stands well away from the street
on a level with the grounds which
cover large part Of the block. The
colonial feature is preserved through
out in the large rooms and spacious
entrance halls. The house was pur-
chased for $150,000 and was the for
mer residence of Henry p. Fairbanks.
AS the years passed, the former
President gained in health.
He still was regarded as an invalid,
but was able to do considerable work,
both in connection with a law prac-
tice he established in association with
Bainbridge Colby, former Secretary
of State, and in writing. He attend
times assumed rather formidable pro-
portions. He was punctilious in
acknowledging letters from persons
who showed an interest in his well
fare and a loyalty to his ideals.
At times, Mr.. Wilson wrote letters
that showed he had lost none of his
old vtgor of expression. When ap-
pealed to for his opinion on candi-
dates for Office, he sometimes criticiz-
ed severely members of his own party
who had opposed his policies. Among
those whom he SO opposed were
Senator Reed of Missouri, Senator
Shields of Tennessee. and most re-
Gently, Senator Walsh of Massachu-
setts.
Life Was Secluded.
in a measure was secluded. Except
to close personal friends he was
virtually inaccessible at his residence.
Many of his old political supporters
sought his counsel on important
public matters. particularly was this
true of democratic senators.
He aimed to live by the "eight-hour
day." which he had advocated to
Congress at the time of the pas
sage of the Adamson law He. al
hours for recreation and eight hours
for sleep. and kept to that schedule
fairly well. He rose early, at I
am. He was able to shave and bathe
thenic exercises prescribed by his
physicians. He breakfasted in Mrs.
wilson's boudoir. Nor did he neg
lect the morning newspapers. Half
came the mornings work in the
library. The old desk, chair and table
Mr.. Wilson used in his study at
Princeton were there, and also his
thousands of books. Occasionally Mr..
Wilson visited his law office. in a
building on F. street between 18th
and 14th, formerly occupied by the
United States Shipping Board. More
recently, however, his partnership
with cambridge Colby was dissolved
Rode Nearly Every Day.
Mr.. Wilson took a ride in his motor
car nearly every afternoon, always
ACCOMPANIED by Mrs. Wilson. When
he first left the White House his
attendants practically had TO lift him
into the machine, but when he grew
stronger he was able to get in and
out With comparatively little as
sistance.
His car was an old White House
machine which had been sent back
to the manufacturer and which Mr..
Wilson purchased. He had it paint
ed black, with orange trimmings
Princeton colors. AS rule. in his
drives he stuck to old routes and
many persons in the country round