Evening star., 1933-02-26

Who" as he was not sure of the full
name Of one member of the cabinet.
scuttled about, but, not finding a
copy in the hotel, finally sent out
Jackson, my old White House messenger
of Roosevelt days, to purchase one at
the nearest bookshop. I learned later
that the Secretary who had to be looked
up was Franklin K. Lane.
At few minutes before o'clock the
President-elect and Mrs. Wilson went, in
a White House car, to call on the Presi-
dent and Mrs. Taft. have often tried
to imagine the feelings of those four
people during that visit! That evening
Mr.. John Wilson, cousin gave family
dinner at the hotel. Mr.. Wilson went
later to a Princeton smoker, and then
to bed"
and when arrived early at the hotel
there was a huge crowd in all the sur
rounding streets. The Vice President
elect and Mrs. Marshall were also stay
ing at the old Shoreham; SO about $50
the two Congressional Committees, with
the military and naval aides, accom-
panied Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Marshall to
the White House. The large, open car
riages for the President and the Vice
President were each drawn by four
horses.
After the departure of the party for
the White House Mrs. Wilson, her
daughters, Helen Bones, the members of
the immediate family and I, accom-
panied by several of the White House
aides, started to the Capitol. Mrs.
Wilson had told me to stay close by her
all day, and I gladly followed her in
structions. We were at once shown to
the executive gallery in the Senate
chamber, where the last hour of the
expiring Congress was passing.
Finally, the midday hour arrived and
the oficial party came onto the floor
of the Senate After the ceremonies
the President and his party drove up
Pennsylvania avenue to the White
House; but this time Mr. Wilson sat on
the right of the carriage and ex-Presi-
dent Taft on the left
In the meantime Mrs. Wilson, her
immediate family and I had been shown
to the waiting motors and driven by the
quickest route to the southwest gate of
the White House, arriving before the
President. The ladies were shown to
the second floor and shortly came down
to the state dining room to join the
President. Here luncheon was imme-
diately served.
THEN for the first time the full incom-
ing cabinet was assembled and met
the President, Mrs. Wilson and each
other. Mr.. Taft came in for a short
time before joining Mrs Taft at the
home of her sister, Mrs. Laughlin, to
take the train for Augusta.
1t was a happy, cheerful party, with,
fortunately, no power to read the fu-
ture! There were pleasures and honors
in store for many Of those present, but
also, and for the President especially,
terrible responsibilities, personal loss
and the final tragedy of his last year in
the White House. There also took place
that day one incident of special Signifi-
canoe because of its important conse-
quences and the tie it makes with the
new Democratic administration.
During the evening the Presidents
sister, Mrs. George Howe, was taken
suddenly i'll. The Army doctor, Col.
Rhoades, who had been Mr.. Taft's ply
sician, could not be located So DR..
Grayson of the Navy, who was then one
of the Junior aides and had been helpinp
with the ceremonies, was called in.
The goddess of chance had knocked
at DR.. Grayson's door that night. As
a result Of his treatment of Mrs. Howe