New Britain herald., 1930-02-06
Devoted Yale Days to His Books Instead of Foot ball, But Helped One Team Win.

the NoOdbury high school His son was fifth from the top of his class. He strengthened up and addressed the family:
 "Mcdiocrity will never do for Will lam."
 In the White House 25 years agoY Theodore Roosevelt talked with his secretary of war; and urged him to accept the highest political honor Inc nation could offer, the prcsi- doncy. 'T. R. got this reply:
 Its good of you, Theodore, but Id rather be a judge
 Mcdiocrity never did do for Will ham Howard Taft.
 The dynamic Roosevelt. however. oNcrrulcd his friend "Will' and placed Taft in the presidency for one Of the most disastrous administra- tons of republican history.
 When it was over, he returned to ais first love, the law, and carried on, as chief justice of the United States, for eight and one-half years a complete reorganization of the courts policies
 Blundered In Politics
 Taft spent nearly a half-century in public life. His career is more varied and amazing than that of any other American. IL covers most of the oceans and continents, and touched with effect nearly every as pect of the complicated modern world. government industry, the humanities, in addition to the law and politics, He blundered only in politics.
 His family lines came direct from the Pilgrim fathers. Through his fathcr Judge Alphonso Taft, his an- cCstOrs 20 back to six New England generations 10 Robert Taft, who settled in Mendon, Mass, in 1860. On the side of his mother, Louise Torrey the line goes back unbroken 10 William Torrey, who settled in Massachusetts in 1G40.
 The Taft line is related with the long family descent of Edward Raw son. who was secretary of the Massachusetts Bay colony.
 As boy, he participated in urchin sang wars, the boys of Auburn Ridge, then on the outskirts of Gin "innati. warning with the gamins of Butcher Town' and Tailor Town on both sides. "Old Bill" as he was known to his chums, was famous as a wrestler, a good swimmer, and SNiltul at marbles
 His father, although stern, was q lh IL ancnt modiocrity made life hard for "Wilr' in the family circle as his brothers out of their fathers ncar- ing Would-c chant the remark to Will, in unison and in derision. The re- port when Will was fifth in scholar ship turned out to be an exception. He was first or second thereafter. Will was the third of five brothers, end they all went to Yale. He was graduated in 1878, at the age of 2l, %@ salutatorian, second in scholar ship among more than 100.
 The football boys hailed his more than 200 pounds with pleasure. but "Bill''-his nickname changed again tt Yale--stuck to his books. His only athletic exploit was acting as anchor man in a tug war between classes. Tafts team won.
 Was Reporter
 When he went back to Ohio, he nearly became newspaper man. He enrolled in the Cincinnati Law school and worked as legal reporter on the Times Star. owned by his brother, Charles r. Taft. He did well on the "courtS' and the "oppo- Sition' hired him. Nurat Halstead ;.2vo him 2 job on the Commercial- Gazette. His determination to be- come q lawyer caused him to quit "ttcr few months, and, after being admitted to tho bar hc'cntcrcd the law iirmr of his father, Taft and l%oyd, as a law clerk. He worked hard at law, and took some part in politics.
 The story is told that a scandal mongcring paper printed q scur- l'jlous attack on his father. Judge Taft and his friends laughed at it, but Will Taft lost his customary good hunor. He went to the office Of the owner, prize ring graduate and plug-ugly. Will beat him up. and made him promise to leave town.
 In year. Taft was appointed as sistant prosecuting attorney of Hamilton county, q position coveted by young lawyers just starting. He succeeded so well that bailiff said he wants to put every criminal into the pCnitentiary."
 President Arthur. seeking a way out of a factional fight in Ohio, ap- pointed young Taft collector of in tcrnal revenue. It involved hand ling of millions of dollars and paid the princely salary of $500 a year. Many men would have stopped right there, but Taft resigned after 10 months to go back to the law. It was the first of many rcsignations Then he was called back into pub lie service as assistant prosecutor. He foll in love with Helen Heron, heautiful daughter of President Hayes former law partner, and they were married in 1886. The families long had been close friends and the marriage was the climax of an en- sagement of several years. They spent several ,montts in Europe on q wedding journey, and returned 10 Cincinnati to take up a home life that continued serene and simple for fl years.
 Taft attained his ambition and thought himself settled for life the next year, when Governor Forakcr appointed him judge of the Gin cinnati superior court. He was 30.
 There came before him for de cison one of the labor cases in which he set one of the precedents for which labor unions repeatedly