The Oregon daily journal., June 21, 1908, Page 32, Image 32

:I x,. . . . 1 ........ .... , " " 1 V1 -. - .
ft ' if rv;:v'! ' : . ' Iff . r?i 'l-V , ' , . H
i Cj.''---;- I r--, s-W - K V " .r.. . --
i i it i V'V J.;fVI I , -v tut "V t i i ' '(si-
1 1 ' ,
On Horseback, on Foot
and.at GolEHe Gan Set
a jL-iyeiy race
? : : :
y'T'HEN one thinks of Secretary
Tv,f , J-rL. J
kr, -ri v. """ vriMf. w.
SQCtate him with ideas of out-
'door activities. . ,
A His qualities, of statesmanship, his ca-,
facity for hard work, his unfailing good ;
nature and genial, xvinning personality are
widely known even. in other' lands. , But
of the -merely physical manvell, one is - -
apt to remember the "too solid" ; flesh that, ;
with far less need; seemed to worry Ham-
TV Aii ti'x wio notu looming
W7 HS!rA- SeSretlarTT.?.f ' w" Governor flesh.- He handles his 300 pounds almost ' as
VV ' lat- of , 1116 -.IllPPe' nd was easily as if he were a f ootbaU player in good
Y Y, ' out ,m bat sizzling part of Uncle trim.'
-V,, Sam's i. big ' domain endeavoring "to l' ' -' As he makes his way over the Hurray-Bay -straighten
certain and sundry kinks and tangles ( . links, on the shores of the St. Lawrence, he
in America Snewnd unfamihar colonial pol- f walks with a quick, powerful stride and laughs
icy, he kept himself in good spirits and his lit- and chats as he moves along, always in good
tie Igprrote caddies in a, perspiration, on .the ? humor and evident enjoyment - - '
golf hnks. 'iy?i Morning after morning,: with the regular-
.. Eight miles around, twice, a day, between ity, of a mail carrier: Mr'. Taft works his way
dictating j correspondence, going , over ; reports over the J green uplands ' of , the eighteen-hole
'and holding conferences with , his associates, course at -fumy Bay. ,
eemtf XmZ pleasanrpastime with him. There the air is clear , and bracing, "blow-
'"v .P--WW--toof . ing in off the St. Lawrence and down from the
but not to the extent he would lutehe is usu- mountains at the back. Health and happiness
ally too busy for f nsive recreation. But seem to hover over, the peaceful little French
men he hieshunself to his summer home at . Canadian village in the valley just as they ap
Murray Bay, Canada, it is alwaya with delight- pear to invigorate the' big man who courses
ful anticipation of harry hours on the links. over the golf, links ', - .
.S?Cr"-Taft-i9 6CCa 3e doesn't - - "So invigorating ia the air you simply
THE OREGON SUNDAY
so large, other than physically, in , the na
tirm't svst 'Invst ziutAnnr Itf nAth th.t ar
.dor of the summer maid, and his activity is
, . . , .. y.
. remarkable for a man of hts avoirdupois,
. ' vo oAani rxw f ro, som?:
U:r, L-.,-. J 17,:' f
V V r ' I , 7T . - :
0ffai t0lt are sPfnt uPon the w
home on horseback: is an energetic pedes-
. . - , r . ... .
trum, cmaunasnc jisnerman, ana can-
even, flay a game of tenmsalihough thts v
""nor m'": wn.pamcuiar
force. ; 4 . ' j
"You know mf brother Bill gets a lot
of fun out of life" remarked' Henry Taf tt
the New York member of the family, re
cently. And no one but his intimates knows
how much genuine, boyish fun the ponder-
ous-lookmg candidate for President derives
from his outdoor diversions.
i cannot Joaf ; you just have to go out and Jake
" JOURNAV - PORTLAND. ; SUNDAY, ' COINING, . JUNE 21, ! J903
- .
exercise," Mr.; Taf t has been quoted -as sayings
You feel that tou. must-no out and banar the ;
11.1. t t n . i i . ... ...
"Then, when yott ha ve, taken so much exAgiTe himself ;up to the alluring pastime of his
ercise. you sleep weU'at nighv and ;when; you boyhood. ' P- - . : -
Zr'STSS
oext day. . Exercise is a great tning,eren -
with a twinkle in the eye-in a poUtical cam-
P?;' - . "7 ' -"'t1 -:';V v- r -
. . Mr.'Taft often playsolf rwiths staunch ,
v friend. Justice John M. Harlan, of the United;.
States Supreme: Court. On the -links these t
' Shuins are much like grown-up Jboya-Justiea
juarian comesses'to vo.
yqars. They, keep up ,
a running foe of jests and banter. At each
thrust and each joke there as hearty laughter, r
NOTED MEN AT PLAY.
N , K.J' ' - - ' 1 . i
; . Some one told recently of seeing these two
distitguished men "at play,',Taft; with massive
frame clad, in a . plain: gray outing - suit ; .Har
lan, towering, rugged as. an English squire, and
wearing a'' scarlet coat,,. golf cap and heavy
shoes, of the kind known as brogani. " '
Judge Harlan slightly -ahead. He felt by no
means confident of victory, however. rYou can-
not; tell About these martial personages he re- ;
marked with ' mbek ' solemnity. - 'They .have - a "
1 grim, dogged aggressiveness tnat - wins , tmngs
on the homestretch.' XT '
"There were four more holes )to play. .In
less than half anhourthe justice's words were
appreciated.. Mr.. Taft had -won , the game in
the homestretch rand ' the two distinguished
lawyers parted company with a hearty hand
shake and ' a promise to ; meet . again on the
'morrow." 7 .y.-i & 7 :7;7..;
Later : that day,-still f buoyant ' and eager,
Mr. Taft went out,. with an old Frenchman as
his companion, and whipped the streams in the
locality for trout. He returned, after a hard
. day's exercise, with his ever-bappy- laugh,
"Ah," be said, his great frame shaking play-
: fully; "this is the only way to live."
'An enthusiastic fisherman is Mr. Taft,' and,
he deliehts in the sport that trout streams f
"nish. - Those who have been with him on such
expeditions have wondered at his agility and ex-.
by hia enthusiasm. ,
pertness, just as they generally become infected
. ' ' ' " "" "
... One can imagine what a pleasure it must be
to. this -man of great tasks, and many responsi-
.l - .M.v: 'a- a J x " -i . t m
presents a nne appearance in the saddle, as nas
been remarked more than' once as he-has-re-
iewej maneuvers of troops at Fort Meyer, "Va,
w eompany.with General Bell, chief of staff.
t Many overly stout army officers have been
?gToaninginr spirit and '..shuddering, in. flesh re-
cently over orders requiring them to take prac-
tide rides ; such as - might fall ; to their lot in
.. actual service. Mr. Taft i able at any time to
set them an example. in saddle endurance.' -
When Mr. Taft goes riding he wears a costume'-
even more wonderful - than., that . of his
; chief, but he has escaped, so far, having had
A Washington writer once stated that the
enectacle of his immense lees athwart a heroic.
ally- resigned horse is . really ; more worthy of
preservation than the black slouch hat and com-
bination ' of statesman's coat and riding breeches
which distinguish the President.- . .h ,
One day, when the subject of tiding was be-
ing discussed by a party: of newspaper men xn
the presence
of Secretary Taft, - a - reporter
asked:
"Mr.4 Secretary, how mueJ do you weigh
, "I won't tell you," boomed back the secre
. taryfs jovial voice.. ;"But, you know, when some- '
body asked Speaker Thomas B. Keed that qUea- .
tion, he. replied that no true gentleman,' would '
weigh more than 200 pounds. . I hare amended -that
to 300 pounds." , - - ' ' ' '
"You expect to see his horse sag in the mid- t
. die when' Taf t mounts for a ; gallop - into the
country or across the river to Fort Meyer," re
marked an observant Washingtonian lately," r -"But
nothing of the sort happens. The
f horse may wince a little, and probably groans in
spirit as his master's substantial form settles in
thasaddle; but that is all.
; ' "The- secretary' sits . as erect as an arrow
and gallops" away like a West Point graduate,
accompanied by his slender, lath-like companion.
Brigadier General Edwards, . And he rides as if
he were thoroughly enjoying it, too."
, , Whe Mr. Taf i was jGovernot o tjHa Phil-
a bi,-patient-looking mala. Onea som on
ked hini .why "he chose k . mule,; when '
. fOthera of the party rode horses.
"WeU,'. the jolly GoTeraor is quoted m ts
i eponding, "when a ' horse , sees me eomisg, he
i looks mt . my" 8&) pounds and files a peremptory;
j protest with his commanding officer; A mule
i doesn't' kick usually, till 'after Pre been aboard
'It is related that,' while on one of his in
specting trips in the Philippines,. Mr. Taf t was
riding a -mule as usual.. After a very hard rids
one morning, the , party t was . about to .ait down
, to an excellent lunch, prepared by, the officials
at a certain Tillage.'
.:LJ!hmUl! iy
fcJS9
.
v.. t Um." ri T
- ' t 1' Li v. if.
am eoing to see that my. mule has his lunch, all
. right.! He has 'had some hard work this morn
' ing. and I propose to see him 6n a fair way to
being filled up before -I take my turn."-- '. '.i
The pedestrianism. of Mr. Taf t is a. source
of much jesting on the part of , his intimates,
not because he does little walking,' but because '
he is fond of it and seeks opportunities for such
i exercise whenever possible. " - "
ERECT, AND STURDY
He walks erectly and sturdily, as little both-
ered, apparently,' as if he were a high school girl
in a.svmnasium. - Ana it is nis deiicht to in
veigle a friend into a jaunt into the suburbs or
fields. - ; '- .'.v 7' - ''r
Persons who have" seen Mr.- Taft walking
from the War. Department to the-White House
have commented-upon-his springy step. . While
not as famous as ' President Boosevelt as a
cross-country pedestrian, - he - is capable ; of sur
prising those who know, little of his energy and
powers ' of endurance.' 7 ' '
- They , are 7 such 7- as .remain', long . with the
ardent lover of outdoor life.
- . Some time ago Mr.- Taft underwent a course
of treatment to reduce his weight, and was much
gratified when his waist line came down to fifty
inches' and' his pounds almost down' to 250. ' In
about six months he had pulled hia weight down
from 328 pounds. . . . ,
- t While in training his diet was . limited to
food containing no starchy matter, and he was
permitted to eat only small quantities -of meat.
He took a special course in exercising and mas
sage under an expert, and was overjoyed when
able to escape from the domination of that per
sistent and uncomfortable individual.?. ;
' This will be a busy summer, undoubtedly;
with Mr. Taft, but bf is) Jn better physical con-;:
dition to enjoy 'thea'many pleasures of vacation'
time such vacation as ho will take than for '
number of years; '
1