Evening star., 1946-07-28
Capital Sidelights
Bu viii p. Kennedy.

Recently, This Week magazine, sup
plement to The Sunday Star and other
newspapers, printed the statement that
Teddy Roosevelt was the first Presi-
dent to ride in motor car On Sum
day, July 81, the same magazine
printed the supplementary information
that: When William Mckinley was shot
by Czolgosz in 1901 he was carried to
the hospital in an electric automobile
ambulance" thus quoting a correspond
ent. Leo Pascal, collector OF automo-
biliana To add a little more authori-
tative information on the subject: Mrs.
Elizabeth Jaffray. who for 17@a years,
from Taft to Coolidge, was housekeeper
at the White House, in her Secrets OF
the White House" published in 1925,
saws that on the eve of Inauguration day,
March 4, 1909. Mrs. Taft called for me
in the new White House brougham-
which incidentally was the first motor
car ever to be used at the White
House" Mrs Taft. also, she recalls was
the first wife of President to ride with
her husband from the inaugural cere-
mony to the White House. This Gus
tom has been followed ever since"
Irwin Hood 1ke) Hoover, Washington
born son of a grocer, who first went to
the White House. May 6, 1891, to install
the first electric lights for the Benjamin
Harrisons and who stayed on for AZ
years serving as chief usher from TAFT
to F. D. Roosevelt, testifles in his
"reminiscences that: The first automo-
biles were used by President Taft. He
had a limousine and touring car for his
own use and landaulet for Mrs. Taft.
These were bought outright. The Will
sons continued on with the same ar
rangement during the eight years OF
their incumbency. When the Hardings
came there was one more Limousine
added to the list and car provided Tor
the secretary to the President. This
srraneement continued through the
Coolidge time, but with the coming OF
the Hoovers further additions were made
until the garage housed the following
Three cars for the three secretaries to
the President, four limousines for family
use. touring car for the secret service
men. Mrs. Hoover's three cars IA landau
let for a town car and two others. one
open and one closed, for her own private
use) one personal car that the Hoovers
brought with them and two baggage
wagons
An old Virginia history discloses that
as early as 1868 laws were passed for
the regulation of internal affairs of the
Colony. In each county were to be built
houses for educating poor children in
the knowledge of spinning, weaving and
other useful occupations At the same
time more than century before the
promulgation of our yaunted -four
freedoms. including freedom of speech
it was recognized that some tongues re-
quired control and it was decided that
women causing scandalous suits" were
to be "ducked" 1t was decreed that "a
pillory, pair of stocks, whipping post
and a ducking pool" should be set up
"neere the court house in every coun-
w. llC QuShlllS otoCl Woo q RoAC "AeAl
a seat on one end so balanced on a
pivot, near some convenient pond OF
stream. that the offender, placed on the
seat, might be. once, twice or thrice
dipped down and "ducked" for her Of
fense. This dire punishment was not
for the mere harmless circulation Of in.
teresting personal gossip, but fol
bra bling women who often slander ano
scandalize their neighbors, for which
their poore husbands are often brought
into chargeable and vexatious suits ane
cast in great damages" Such were te
be punished by ducking.'
Sarah Harvey Porter, NJ A., mem
ber of the Columbia, Historical Society
has preserved for readers of this day 9
record of how Anne Newport Royal
narrowly escaped an official ducking ir
| the Potomac. Her life span stretched
from George III to the political rise ol
| Abraham Lincoln. She was a pioneer
| woman journalist. In 1929 she was ar.
rested, tried and convicted in Washing
ton on the charge of being a common
scold-a charge then obsolete even II
| the remotest parts Of Europe.