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AMERICAN   BOYS'  LIFE 

OP 

THEODORE    ROOSEVELT 


EDWARD    STRATEMEYER'S    BOOKS 
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Coi.ONKI,    IIOOSKVKI.T    AT    SaX    JvAX    HiLL 


AMERICAN  BOYS'  LIFE 


OF 


THEODORE    ROOSEVELT 


BY 


EDWARD    STRATEMEYER 

AUTHOR  OF   "AMERICAN   BOYS'   LIFE  OF  WILLLAM  MCKINLEY," 

"with    WASHINGTON     IN    THE     WEST,"     "OLD     GLORY 

SERIES,"     "PAN-AMERICAN     SERIES,"     "SHIP 

AND  SHORE  SERIES,"   ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED  FROM  PHOTOGRAPHS  AND    WITH 
FRONTISPIECE  BY  CHARLES  COREL  AND 


BOSTON 

LEE    AND    SHEPARD 

1904 


LIBRftinr  of  ooNflRF.ss 
TVrt)  OoBles  !?»rrtved 
JUL  30    1904 

/»     Cooyrlrtt  Entry 

CLASi     tt.XXo.  No. 


Published,  August,  1904. 


Copyright,  1904,  by  Lee  and  Shepabd. 


All  Rights  Reserved, 


American  Boys'  Life  of  Theodore  Roosevelt. 


X' 


Norixjooli  5««« 

J.  S.  Gushing  &  Co.  —  ISorwlck  &  Smith  Co. 

Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 

The  life  of  Theodore  Roosevelt  is  one  well 
worth  studying  by  any  American  boy  who 
wishes  to  make  something  of  himself  and  mount 
high  on  the  ladder  of  success. 

The  twenty-sixth  President  of  our  country 
is  a  fine  type  of  the  true  American  of  to-day, 
full  of  vim  and  vigor,  quick  to  comprehend, 
and  equally  quick  to  act,  not  afraid  to  defend 
his  opinions  against  all  comers  when  satisfied 
that  he  is  in  the  right,  independent,  and  yet 
not  lacking  in  fine  social  qualities,  physically 
and  morally  courageous,  and  with  a  faith  in 
himself  and  his  God  that  is  bound  to  make 
for  good  so  long  as  he  clings  to  it. 

Theodore  Roosevelt  comes  from  countless 
generations  of  fighting  stock,  both  in  this 
country  and  abroad.  And  yet  as  a  youth  the 
future  hero  of  San  Juan  Hill  was  a  delicate  lad, 
and  many  fears  were  entertained  that  he  might 
not  live  to  manhood.  But  life  in  the  open  air, 
with  judicious  athletic  exercise,  accomplished 
wonders,  and  he  became  strong  and  hardy  to 
an  astonishing  degree. 


VI  PREFACE 

The  boyhood  days  of  the  future  President 
were  spent  in  New  York  City  and  at  the  fam- 
ily's country  home,  Oyster  Bay,  Long  Island. 
From  there  he  went  to  Harvard  College,  from 
which  he  graduated  with  high  honors.  Still 
somewhat  delicate  in  health,  he  travelled  in 
Europe,  studied  for  a  short  time  at  Dresden, 
and  took  to  climbing  the  Alps  and  other  noted 
mountains. 

His  mind  had  gravitated  toward  literature, 
and  he  was  writing  a  naval  history  of  the  War 
of  1812  when  something  prompted  him  to  take 
up  politics,  and  almost  before  he  knew  it  he 
was  elected  a  New  York  State  assemblyman. 
He  served  in  this  capacity  for  three  terms,  and 
many  are  the  stories  told  of  how  he  fought 
against  corruption  first,  last,  and  all  the  time. 

The  death  of  his  first  wife  and  of  his  beloved 
mother  were  at  this  time  a  great  blow  to  him, 
and  leaving  his  one  little  daughter  with  rela- 
tives, he  struck  out  for  the  great  West,  where, 
in  the  Bad  Lands,  so  called,  he  located  as 
ranchman  and  hunter,  filling  in  his  spare  hours 
by  studying  and  by  writing  on  various  out- 
door subjects,  works  which  have  become  de- 
cidedly popular,  and  which  show  well  his  gifts 
as  an  author  and  as  an  observer  of  nature. 

While  still  in  great  part  a  successful  ranch- 
man, he  ran  for  mayor  of  New  York  and  was 
defeated.      He  now  devoted  himself  with  in- 


PREFACE  vii 

creased  energy  to  his  literary  labors  until,  soon 
after,  he  was  appointed  by  President  Harrison 
a  member  of  the  Civil  Service  Commission. 
He  served  on  this  commission  with  marked 
ability  for  six  years,  when  he  resigned  to  be- 
come police  commissioner  of  New  York  City. 

Theodore  Roosevelt's  work  as  a  police  com- 
missioner will  not  be  readily  forgotten.  The 
whole  tone  of  the  service  was  at  once  raised, 
and  for  the  first  time  in  many  years  the  me- 
tropolis had  "dry"  Sundays,  when  every  saloon 
in  the  city  was  tightly  closed.  This  strict 
compliance  with  the  law  made  him  some  ene- 
mies, but  to  these  he  paid  no  heed,  for  he  was 
doing  only  his  duty. 

When  William  McKinley  was  nominated  for 
the  Presidency  the  first  time,  Theodore  Roose- 
velt was  one  of  his  most  enthusiastic  supporters. 
Upon  the  election  of  McKinley,  John  D.  Long 
was  appointed  Secretary  of  the  Navy  and  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  became  the  First  Assistant  Sec- 
retary. Ever  since  writing  his  naval  history 
the  newly  appointed  assistant  had  made  a  close 
study  of  naval  matters,  and  now  he  applied 
himself  with  vigor  to  the  duties  of  his  office ; 
and  it  was  primarily  through  his  efforts  that 
when  the  war  with  Spain  came,  our  warships 
and  our  coast  defences  were  in  much  better 
condition  than  they  had  been  at  any  time 
previous  in  our  history. 


Vlll  PREFACE 

With  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  Theodore 
Roosevelt  resigned.  "My  duty  here  is  done," 
he  said.  "My  place  is  in  the  field."  And  with- 
out loss  of  time  he  and  his  intimate  friend,  Dr. 
Leonard  Wood,  began  the  organization  of  that 
body  of  troops  which  was  officially  designated 
as  the  First  United  States  Volunteer  Cavalry, 
but  which  speedily  became  known  everywhere 
as  the  Rough  Riders,  —  a  body  as  unique  as 
the  world  has  ever  seen,  being  made  up  of  men 
from  all  over  the  Union,  but  principally  from 
four  Territories,  and  including  hunters,  cow- 
boys, soldiers  of  fortune,  football  and  baseball 
champions,  college  graduates,  ex-policemen,  with 
American,  Irish,  Dutch,  German,  Mexican,  and 
Indian  blood  in  their  veins, — truly  a  remarkable 
collection,  but  every  man  and  officer  strong  and 
hardy,  full  of  courage,  a  good  horseman,  and  a 
fine  shot. 

From  the  very  start,  the  Rough  Riders  were 
anxious  to  get  into  the  fight,  and  the  oppor- 
tunity was  not  long  in  coming.  From  Flor- 
ida the  command  was  transported  to  Daiquiri, 
on  the  southern  coast  of  Cuba,  and  then  began 
the  advance  upon  the  city  of  Santiago,  which 
brought  on  the  engagement  at  La  Guasima, 
followed  by  the  thrilling  battle  of  San  Juan 
Hill,  in  which  the  Rough  Riders  distinguished 
themselves  in  a  manner  that  will  never  be  for- 
gotten.    In  the  very  thickest  of  this  fight  was 


PREFACE  ix 

Colonel  Roosevelt,  urging  his  men  forward  to 
victory,  regardless  of  the  shot  and  shell  falling 
upon  all  sides.  A  hero  truly,  and  such  heroes 
are  not  forgotten. 

Upon  the  close  of  the  war  Theodore  Roose- 
velt thought  to  retire  to  private  life,  but  this 
was  not  to  be.  Arriving  at  New  York,  he 
was  hailed  with  delight  by  thousands,  and  at 
the  next  election  was  made  governor  of  the 
Empire  State.  As  governor  he  made  friends 
in  both  of  the  leading  political  parties  by  his 
straightforwardness  and  his  sterling  honesty. 
Men  might  differ  with  him  politically,  but  they 
could  never  accuse  him  of  doing  that  which  he 
himself  did  not  firmly  believe  was  right. 

His  term  as  governor  had  not  yet  expired 
when  President  McKinley  was  nominated  for 
a  second  term.  Again  the  people  at  large 
clamored  for  Roosevelt,  and  against  his  ear- 
nest protestations  he  was  forced  to  accept  the 
nomination  for  the  Vice-Presidency.  He  was 
elected,  and  at  the  proper  time  took  his  seat 
as  presiding  officer  of  the  Senate. 

It  was  at  this  time  a  blow  fell  upon  our 
nation  from  which  we  have  scarcely  yet  recov- 
ered. President  McKinley  was  struck  down 
by  the  cowardly  hand  of  an  assassin.  The 
Vice-President  was  at  this  time  off  on  one  of 
his  favorite  outings,  but  with  all  possible  speed 
he  came  back  and  was  sworn  in  as  President. 


X  PREFACE 

It  was  a  great  responsibility,  and  many  feared 
that  great  changes  in  our  government  might 
result.  But  the  fears  proved  groundless. 
Young  as  he  was,  —  and  he  is  the  youngest 
of  all  of  our  Presidents,  —  he  took  upon  him- 
self the  duty  of  carrying  out  the  intentions 
of  his  predecessor,  and  proving  to  the  world 
once  again  that,  even  though  a  President  die, 
"the  government  at  Washington  still  lives." 

There  is  another  side  to  the  character  of  our 
President  which  must  not  be  overlooked.  He 
is  of  strong  religious  convictions  and  a  member 
of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church.  It  is  seldom 
that  he  is  given  to  preaching,  but  when  he 
does  his  words  have  a  sincerity  that  proves 
much  for  the  foundation  of  his  character.  He 
stands  for  what  is  honest  and  upright  in  politi- 
cal and  private  life,  and  although,  being  but 
human,  he  may  make  mistakes,  he  remains  a 
Chief  Magistrate  well  deserving  the  highest 
honors  our  nation  can  bestow. 

EDWARD  STRATEMEYER. 

May  2,  1904. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 


PAGE 


Birthplace  and  Ancestry  of  Theodore  Roosevelt  — 
His  Father's  Philanthropy  —  City  and  Country 
Home  —  Days  at  School  —  Religious  Training  .         1 

CHAPTER  n 

Nicknamed  Teddy  —  Goes  to  Harvard  College  — 
Member  of  Many  Clubs — Death  of  Mr.  Roose- 
velt —  Anecdotes  of  College  Life         ...      11 

CHAPTER  m 

Marries  Miss  Alice  Lee  —  Travels  in  Europe  —  Bold 
Mountain  Climbing  —  Elected  to  the  Assembly 

—  Personal  Encounter  with  the  Enemy      .         .       20 

CHAPTER  IV 

Theodore  Roosevelt  and  Governor  Cleveland  — 
Good  Work  as  an  Assemblyman  —  Some  Meas- 
ures pushed  through  —  Birth  of  Alice  Roosevelt 

—  Death  of  Mr.  Roosevelt's  Mother    ...      30 

CHAPTER  V 

Theodore  Roosevelt  as  a  Ranchman  and  Hunter  in 
the  Bad  Lands  —  Bringing  down  his  First  Buf- 
falo—  Rattlesnakes  and  a  Wild  Goose        .        .      39 


Xll  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  YJ 

PACE 

Grouse  and  Other  Small  Game  —  The  Scotchman 
and  the  Skunk  —  Caugiit  in  a  Hailstorm  on  the 
Prairie  —  Bringing  down  Black-tail  Deer   .         .      49 

CHAPTER  Vn 

Runs  for  Mayor  of  New  York  City  —  IVIarriage  to 
Edith  Kermit  Carew  —  Hunting  in  the  Bighorn 
Mountains  — A  Wild  Chase  after  Three  Elk      .      63 

CHAPTER   VHI 

Bringing  down  a  Grizzly  Bear  —  Back  to  New  York 

—  Appointed  a  Civil  Service  Commissioner  — 
The  Work  of  the  Commission     ....      74 

CHAPTER  IX 

A  Trip  to  the  Shoshone  Mountains  —  Caught  in  a 
Driving  Snowstorm — ^Back  to  Work  —  Resig- 
nation as  Civil  Service  Commissioner         .        .      85 

CHAPTER  X 

Appointed  Police  Commissioner  of  New  York  City 

—  Corruptness  of  the  Department  —  Strenuous 
Endeavors  to  make  INIatters  Better  —  A  "Dry" 
Sunday  —  Enforcing  the  Tenement  House  Law 

and  Other  Measures 94 

CHAPTER  XI 

Appointed  First  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy  — 
The  Condition  of  Affairs  in  Cuba — Preparing 
for  War  —  Theodore  Roosevelt's  Resolve    .        .     104 


CONTENTS  xm 


CHAPTER   XII 


PAGE 


Destruction  of  the  3faine  —  Dewey's  Victory  — 
Theodore  Roosevelt  becomes  a  Soldier  —  Organ- 
izing the  Rough  Riders  —  Various  Men  in  the 
Command 112 

CHAPTER  XIII 

In  Camp  at  Tampa  —  To  Port  Tampa  in  Coal  Cars 

—  Theodore  Roosevelt's  Quick  Move  to  obtain 
a  Transport  —  The  Wait  in  the  Harbor  —  Off 

for  Cuba  at  Last 122 

CHAPTER   XIV 

Life  on  the  Transport  —  The  Landing  at  Daiquiri 

—  The  March  to  Siboney  —  The  Trail  through 

the  Jungle —  The  Skirmish  at  La  Guasima        •     132 

CHAPTER   XV 

Along  the  Jungle  Trail  —  Fording  the  River  — 
Opening  of  the  Battle  of  San  Juan  HiU  — 
Bravery  of  the  Rough  Riders  —  Personal  Expe- 
riences of  Theodore  Roosevelt  during  the  Battle     142 

CHAPTER  XVI 

Results  of  the  Fight  —  Life  in  the  Trenches  —  The 
Spanish  Fleet  in  Santiago  Harbor  —  Another 
Great  Naval  Victory  —  The  Rough  Riders  and 
the  Spanish  Guerillas 154 

CHAPTER  XVn 

Devotion  of  the  Rough  Riders  to  Theodore  Roose- 
velt —  His  Kindness  to  his  Men  —  Last  of  the 
Fighting  —  The  Truce  and  Treaty  of  Peace       .     163 


XIV  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XVIir 

PAGE 

Last  Days  iu  Cuba — The  Departure  for  Home  — 
Arrival  at  JMontauk  —  Caring  for  the  Sick  and 
Wounded  —  Presentation  to  Theodore  Roosevelt 
by  his  Men  —  Mustering  out  of  the  Rough 
Riders 171 

CHAPTER  XIX 

Nominated  for  Governor  of  New  York  —  A  Rough 
Rider  Way  of  Cami^aigning  —  Elected  Governor 

—  Important   Work   at   Albany  —  The    Home- 
stead at  Oyster  Bay  —  Chopping  down  a  Tree 

for  Exercise 183 

CHAPTER  XX 

Great  Reception  to  Admiral  Dewey  —  Governor 
Roosevelt's  Increased  Popularity  —  Last  Annual 
Message  as  Governor  —  Visit  to  Chicago  —  Re- 
markable Speech  on  the  Strenuous  Life      .        .     193 

CHAPTER  XXI 

The  Convention  at  Philadelphia  —  Theodore  Roose- 
velt seconds  the  Nomination  of  William  McKin- 
ley  —  Becomes  Candidate  for  the  Vice-Presidency 

—  Remarkable  Tours  through  Many  States        .     203 

CHAPTER  XXII 

Elected  Vice-President  of  the  United  States  —  Pre- 
sides over  the  Senate  —  Tax  upon  Theodore 
Roosevelt's  Strength  —  Starts  on  Another  Grand 
Hunting  Tour 214 


# 


CONTENTS  XV 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


PAGE 


The  Roosevelt  Family  in  the  Adirondacks  —  The 
Pan-American  Exposition  at  Buffalo  —  Shooting 
of  President  McKinley — The  Vice-President's 
Visit  — Death  of  the  President   .        .        .        .223 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

Theodore  Roosevelt's  Tramp  np  Mount  Marcy  — 
A  Message  of  Importance  —  Wild  Midnight 
Ride  through  the  Mountains — On  the  Special 
Trains  from  North  Creek  to  Buffalo  .        .        .233 


CHAPTER   XXV 

Takes  the  Oath  as  President  —  The  New  Chief 
Magistrate  at  the  Funeral  of  President  McKin- 
ley—  At  the  White  House  —  How  the  First 
Real  Working  Day  was  Spent     ....    241 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

Continuing  the  Work  begun  by  President  McKinley 
—  The  Panama  Canal  Agitation  —  Visit  of 
Prince  Henry  of  Prussia  —  The  President  at  the 
Charleston  Exposition 251 

CHAPTER  XXVII 

Destruction  at  St.  Pierre  —  American  Aid  —  The 
Great  Coal  Strike  —  President  Roosevelt  ends 
the  Difficulty  —  Tour  through  New  England  — 
The  Trolley  Accident  in  the  Berkshires  —  A 
Providential  Escape  from  Death  ,         .        .    260 


XVI  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

PAGE 

New  Offices  at  the  White  House  —  Sends  a  Wireless 
Message  to  King  Edward  of  England  —  End 
of  the  Trouble  in  Venezuela  —  The  Canadian 
Boundary  Dispute  —  Beginning  of  a  Trip  to  the 
West  — In  Yellowstone  Park       .        .        .        .269 

CHAPTER  XXIX 

Dedication  of  the  Fair  Buildings  at  St.  Louis  — 
Continuation  of  the  Trip  to  San  Francisco  — 
Up  in  the  Far  Northwest  —  Back  in  Washington 

—  The  Post-office  Scandals  —  The  New  Republic 
of  Panama  —  A  Canal  at  Last  —  Proclamation 
regarding  the  War  between  Japan  and  Russia 

—  Opening  of  the  Great  Fair      ....    277 

CHAPTER   XXX 

Personal  Characteristics  of  Theodore  Roosevelt — 
The  President's  Family — Life  at  the  White 
House  —  Our  Country  and  its  Future         .        .    289 


APPENDIX 

A.  Brief  Extracts  from  Famous  Addresses  deliv- 

ered by  Theodore  Roosevelt        .         .         .     297 

B.  List  of  Theodore  Roosevelt's  AVritings      .         .     300 

C.  Chronology  of  the  l^ife  of  Theodore  Roosevelt 

from  1858  to  1904 302 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Colonel  Roosevelt  at  San  Juan  Hill    Frontispiece 

FACING   PAGB 

Theodore  Roosevelt's  Birthplace   ...  2 
House  in  which  Theodore  Roosevelt  roomed 

WHILE  AT  Harvard 14 

Theodore  Roosevelt  at  Graduation,  1880     .  20- 

Miss  Alice  Lee  Roosevelt 36 

Edith  Kermit  Roosevelt 66 

Theodore  Roosevelt  as  a  Rough  Rider         .  118 

Colonel  Roosevelt  at  Montauk  Point    .        .  176 

The  Roosevelt  Homestead  at  Oyster  Bay    .  192 

Theodore  Roosevelt 202 

President     McKinley     and     Vice-President 

Roosevelt 216 

President  Roosevelt  at  his  Desk  .  .  .  252 
The  White  House,  showing  New  Offices  .  270 
President  Roosevelt  and  Cabinet,  1903  .  276 
President  Roosevelt  speaking  at  the  Unveil- 
ing OF  the  Statue  of  General  Sherman  284 
President  Roosevelt  and  his  Family  .  .  292 
xvii 


AMERICAN    BOYS'    LIFE    OF 
THEODORE    ROOSEVELT 


o>Kc 


CHAPTER   I 

Birthplace  and  Ancestry  of  Theodore  Roosevelt 
—  His  Father's  Philanthropy — City  and  Coun- 
try Home  —  Days  at  School  —  Religious  Train- 
ing 

''  Our  country  calls  not  for  the  life  of 
ease,  but  for  the  life  of  strenuous  endeavor. 
The  twentieth  century  looms  before  us  big 
with  the  fate  of  many  nations.  If  we 
stand  idly  by,  if  we  seek  merely  swollen, 
slothful  ease  and  ignoble  peace,  if  we  shrink 
from  the  hard  contests  where  men  must 
win  at  hazard  of  their  lives  and  at  the  risk 
of  all  they  hold  dear,  then  the  bolder  and 
stronger  peojDles  will  pass  us  by  and  will 
win  for  themselves  the  domination  of  the 
world.  Let  us  therefore  boldly  face  the 
life  of  strife,  resolute  to  do  our  duty  well 


2  iMERICAN  BOYS    LIFE  OF 

and  manfully ;  resolute  to  npliold  right- 
eousness by  deed  and  by  word  ;  resolute  to 
be  both  honest  and  brave,  to  serve  high 
ideals,  yet  to  use  practical  methods.  Above 
all,  let  us  not  shrink  from  strife,  moral 
or  physical,  within  or  without  the  nation, 
provided  that  we  are  certain  that  the  strife 
is  justified ;  for  it  is  only  through  strife, 
through  hard  and  dangerous  endeavor,  that 
we  shall  ultimately  win  the  goal  of  true 
national  greatness." 

These  words,  taken  from  President  Roose- 
velt's remarkable  speech  on  "  The  Strenuous 
Life,"  show  well  the  character  of  the  man, 
his  lofty  ideals,  his  sterling  courage,  his 
absolute  honestj^,  and  unwavering  patriot- 
ism. He  is  a  typical  American  in  the  best 
sense  of  the  word,  and  his  life  is  worthy  of 
careful  study.  From  it  American  boys  of 
to-day,  and  in  generations  to  come,  may  gain 
lessons  that  will  do  them  much  good. 

Theodore  Roosevelt,  the  twenty-sixth 
President  of  our  country,  was  born  in  New 
York  City,  October  27,  1858.  The  place 
of  his  birth  was  the  old  family  mansion  at 
28  East  Twentieth  Street,  in  a  neighbor- 
hood which,  at  that  time,  was  the  abode  of 


Theodore  Roosevelt's  Birthplace.  28  E.   SOth  Street, 
New  York  City. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  3 

wealth  and  culture.  The  building  is  one 
of  a  row,  of  a  type  to  be  seen  in  hundreds 
of  other  places,  of  brick  and  stone,  four 
stories  and  a  basement  high,  the  upper  floor 
being  an  attic.  A  heavy  railing  runs  from 
in  front  of  the  basement  up  the  broad  front 
steps  to  the  doorway.  Inside,  the  rooms 
are  large  and  comfortably  arranged,  and 
there  was,  in  those  days,  quite  a  nice  garden 
in  the  rear. 

It  can  truthfully  be  said  that  Theodore 
Roosevelt  comes  from  a  race  of  soldiers  and 
statesmen,  and  that  Dutch,  Scotch,  French, 
and  Irish  blood  flows  in  his  veins.  This 
being  so,  it  is  no  wonder  that,  when  the 
Spanish-American  War  broke  out,  he  closed 
his  desk  as  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
saying,  "  My  duty  here  is  done ;  my  place 
is  in  the  field,"  and  went  forth  to  win  glory 
on  the  battle-field  of  San  Juan  Hill. 

Five  generations  of  Roosevelts  lived  in 
or  near  New  York  previous  to  the  birth  of 
Theodore  Roosevelt,  the  father  of  the  Presi- 
dent, in  1831.  Nearh^  all  were  well-to-do, 
and  many  served  the  city  and  the  state  as 
aldermen  and  members  of  the  legislature. 
During  the  Revolution  they  followed  under 


4  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

Washington's  banner,  and  their  purses  were 
wide  open  to  further  the  cause  of  inde- 
pendence. 

Theodore  Roosevelt  the  elder  was  a  mer- 
chant and  banker;  a  man  broad  in  his  views 
and  filled  with  the  spirit  of  genuine  philan- 
thropy. He  founded  one  of  the  hospitals  of 
the  city  and  was  at  one  time  chairman  of 
the  State  Board  of  Charities.  A  story  is 
told  of  him  which  is  probably  true.  One 
day  Charles  Loring  Brace  came  to  him  for 
financial  assistance  in  establishing  homes 
for  the  little  waifs  of  the  city. 

"  I  will  see  what  I  can  do,"  said  Mr. 
Roosevelt.  "  But  you  know  that  just  at 
present  I  am  busy  with  other  charitable 
works." 

"I  know  that,"  said  Mr.  Brace.  "But 
what  I  ask  for  is  very  much  needed.  The 
waifs  and  poor,  homeless  newsboys  have  no 
shelter." 

The  next  day,  v/hen  returning  from  the 
establishment  in  which  he  was  a  partner, 
Mr.  Roosevelt  came  upon  a  newsboy  sitting 
on  a  doorstep,  crying  bitterly. 

"What  is  the  matter,  my  little  man?" 
he  asked. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  5 

^'  I  lost  me  money ;  it  dropped  down  into 
de  sewer  hole !  "  sobbed  the  ragged  urchin. 
"  Every  cent  of  it  is  gone." 

Mr.  Roosevelt  questioned  the  lad  and 
found  out  that  the  boy  had  no  home  and 
that  his  only  relative  w^as  a  longshoreman 
who  was  hardly  ever  sober.  He  gave  the 
lad  some  money  to  replace  the  amount  lost, 
and  the  next  day  sent  word  to  Mr.  Brace 
that  he  would  do  all  he  possibly  could 
toward  establishing  the  waifs'  shelters  that 
were  so  much  needed.  The  Newsboys' 
Lodging  House  of  New  York  City  is  one 
of  the  results  of  Mr.  Roosevelt's  practical 
charities.  He  also  did  much  to  give  crim- 
inals a  helping  hand  when  they  came  from 
prison,  stating  that  that  was  the  one  time 
in  their  lives  when  they  most  needed  help, 
for  fear  they  might  slip  back  into  their 
previous  bad  habits. 

In  1853  Theodore  Roosevelt  the  elder 
married  Miss  Martha  Bullock,  of  Roswell, 
Cobb  County,  Georgia.  Miss  Bullock  was 
the  daughter  of  Major  James  S.  Bullock 
and  a  direct  descendant  of  Archibald  Bul- 
lock, the  first  governor  of  Georgia.  It  will 
thus  be  seen  that  the  future  President  had 


6  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

both  Northern  and  Southern  blood  in  his 
make-up,  and  it  may  be  added  here  that 
during  the  terrible  Civil  War  his  relatives 
were  to  be  found  both  in  the  Union  and  the 
Confederate  ranks.  Mrs.  Roosevelt  was  a 
strong  Southern  sympathizer,  and  when  a 
certain  gathering,  during  the  Civil  War, 
was  in  progress  at  the  Roosevelt  city  home, 
she  insisted  upon  displaying  a  Confederate 
flag  at  one  of  the  windows. 

"  I  am  afraid  it  will  make  trouble,"  said 
Mr.  Roosevelt ;  and  he  was  right.  Soon  a 
mob  began  to  gather  in  the  street,  clamor- 
ing that  the  flag  be  taken  down. 

"I  shall  not  take  it  down,"  said  Mrs. 
Roosevelt,  bravely.  "  The  room  is  mine, 
and  the  flag  is  mine.  I  love  it,  and  nobody 
shall  touch  it.  Explain  to  the  crowd  that 
I  am  a  Southern  woman  and  that  I  love 
my  country." 

There  being  no  help  for  it,  Mr.  Roosevelt 
went  to  the  front  door  and  explained  mat- 
ters as  best  he  could.  A  few  in  the  crowd 
grumbled,  but  when  Mrs.  Roosevelt  came  to 
the  window  and  looked  down  on  the  gather- 
ing, one  after  another  the  men  went  away, 
and  she  and  her  flag  remained  unmolested. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  7 

Theodore  Roosevelt,  the  future  President, 
was  one  of  a  family  of  four.  He  had  a 
brother  Elliott  and  two  sisters.  His  brother 
was  several  years  younger  than  himself,  but 
much  more  robust,  and  would  probably  have 
lived  many  years  and  have  distinguished 
himself,  had  he  not  met  death  in  a  railroad 
accident  while  still  a  young  man. 

In  the  years  when  Theodore  Koosevelt 
was  a  boy,  New  York  City  was  not  what  it 
is  to-day.  The  neighborhood  in  which  he 
lived  was,  as  I  have  already  mentioned,  a 
fashionable  one,  and  the  same  may  be  said 
of  many  other  spots  near  to  Union  Square, 
where  tall  business  blocks  were  yet  unknown. 
The  boys  and  girls  loved  to  play  in  the  little 
park  and  on  the  avenue,  and  here  it  was 
that  the  rather  delicate  schoolboy  grew  to 
know  Edith  Carew,  who  lived  in  Fourteenth 
Street  and  who  was  his  school  companion. 
Little  did  they  dream  in  those  days,  as  they 
played  together,  that  one  day  he  would  be 
President  and  she  his  loving  wife,  the  mis- 
tress of  the  White  House. 

Mr.  Roosevelt  was  a  firm  believer  in  pub- 
lic institutions,  and  he  did  not  hesitate  to 
send  his  children  to  the  public  schools,  espe- 


8  AMERICAN  boys'  LIFE  OF 

cially  liis  boys,  that  they  might  come  in 
direct  personal  contact  with  the  great  out- 
side world.  So  to  a  near-by  institution  of 
learning  Theodore  and  Elliott  trudged  day 
after  day,  with  their  school-books  under  their 
arms,  just  as  thousands  of  other  school- 
boys are  doing  to-day.  But  in  those  days 
tliere  were  few  experiments  being  tried  in 
the  schools,  and  manual  training  and  the 
like  were  unknown.  The  boys  w^ere  well 
grounded  in  reading,  writing,  and  arith- 
metic, as  well  as  spelling,  history,  and 
geography,  and  there  was  great  excitement 
when  a  "  spelling-bee  "  was  in  progress,  to 
see  who  could  spell  the  rest  of  the  class  or 
the  gathering  down. 

It  is  said  upon  good  authority  that  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  was  a  model  scholar  from 
the  start.  He  loved  to  read  Cooper's 
"  Leatherstocking  Tales,"  and  works  of 
travel,  and  j^referred  books  above  anything 
else.  But  when  he  found  that  constant 
studying  was  ruining  his  constitution,  he 
determined  to  build  himself  up  physically 
as  well  as  mentally. 

In  the  summer  time  the  family  often 
went  to  the  old  Roosevelt  "  out  of  town  " 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  9 

mansion  on  Long  Island.  This  was  called 
"  Tranquillity,"  a  fine  large  place  near 
Oyster  Bay,  set  in  a  grove  of  beautiful  trees. 
The  journey  to  "  Tranquillity  "  was  in  those 
days  a  tedious  one,  but  the  Roosevelt  chil- 
dren did  not  mind  it,  and  once  at  the  old 
place  they  were  certain  of  a  good  time  so 
long  as  their  vacation  lasted.  Here  it  was 
that  Theodore  Roosevelt  learned  to  ride  on 
horseback  and  how  to  handle  a  gun.  And 
here,  too,  the  boys  would  go  boating,  fishing, 
and  bathing,  to  their  hearts'  content. 

Mr.  Theodore  Roosevelt  the  elder  was  a 
member  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church, 
and  the  religious  teaching  of  his  children 
was  not  neglected.  At  an  early  age  the 
future  President  became  a  member  of  that 
denomination  and  has  remained  a  member 
ever  since.  The  church  was  on  the  East 
Side,  and  had  high-backed  pews,  and  here 
were  delivered  sermons  that  were  as  long 
as  they  were  full  of  strength  and  wisdom. 
That  these  sermons  had  their  full  effect  upon 
the  futiu-e  President  is  shown  by  his  addresses 
delivered  before  the  Youno;  Men's  Christian 
Association  of  New  York  City  and  a  church 
community  of  the  West,  years  later.    In  ad- 


10  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

dressing  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion Mr.  Roosevelt,  who  was  then  governor 
of  the  State,  said  :  — 

"  The  vice  of  envy  is  not  only  dangerous, 
but  also  a  mean  vice,  for  it  is  always  a 
confession  of  inferiority.  It  may  provoke 
conduct  which  will  be  fruitful  of  wrong  to 
others ;  and  it  must  cause  misery  to  the 
man  who  feels  it.  It  will  not  be  any  the 
less  fruitful  of  wrong  and  misery  if,  as  is 
often  the  case  with  evil  motives,  it  adopts 
some  high-sounding  alias.  The  truth  is,  gen- 
tlemen, that  each  one  of  us  has  in  him  certain 
passions  and  instincts  which,  if  they  gain 
the  upper  hand  in  his  soul,  would  mean  that 
the  wild  beast  had  come  uppermost  in  him. 
Envy,  malice,  and  hatred  are  such  passions, 
and  they  are  just  as  bad  if  directed  against 
a  class  or  group  of  men  as  if  directed  against 
an  individual." 

Golden  words,  well  worth  remembering. 
A  person  who  believes  in  them  with  all  his 
heart  cannot  go  far  wrong  in  his  actions, 
no  matter  what  his  station  in  life. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  11 


CHAPTER  II 

Nicknamed  Teddy  —  Goes  to  Harvard  College  — 
Member  of  Many  Clubs  —  Death  of  Mr.  Roose- 
velt—  Anecdotes  of  College  Life 

The  instincts  of  the  hunter  must  have 
been  born  in  Theodore  Roosevelt.  His  first 
gun  was  given  to  him  when  he  was  ten 
years  of  age,  and  for  the  time  being  his 
books  and  his  studies  were  forgotten,  and 
he  devoted  his  whole  time  and  attention  to 
shooting  at  a  target  set  up  in  the  garden  of 
the  country  home  and  in  going  out  with  the 
older  folks  after  such  small  game  as  were 
to  be  found  in  that  vicinity. 

The  horses  on  the  place  were  his  pets, 
and  he  knew  the  peculiarities  of  each  as 
well  as  did  the  man  who  cared  for  them. 
Riding  and  driving  came  to  him  as  naturally 
as  breathing,  and  the  fact  that  a  steed  was 
mettlesome  did  not  daunt  him. 

"My  father  often  drove  four-in-hand," 
he  has  said.  "  I  liked  very  much  to  go 
with  him,  and  I  liked  to  drive,  too." 


12  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

Theodore  Roosevelt's  schoolboy  days  were 
not  far  out  of  the  ordinary.  He  studied 
hard,  and  if  he  failed  in  a  lesson  he  did  his 
best  to  make  it  up  the  next  time.  It  is 
well  said  that  there  is  no  royal  road  to 
learning,  and  even  a  future  President  must 
study  just  as  hard  as  his  classmates  if  he 
wants  to  keep  up  with  them.  Sometimes 
he  was  absent  from  school  on  account  of 
sickness,  and  then  it  was  a  sharp  struggle 
to  keep  from  dropping  behind. 

"In  those  days  nobody  expected  Teddy 
Roosevelt  to  amount  to  a  great  deal,"  some 
one  has  said.  "  He  was  thin,  pale,  and  deli- 
cate, and  suffered  with  his  eyes.  But  he 
pulled  through,  and  when  he  took  to 
athletics,  it  was  wonderful  how  he  got 
stronger." 

By  his  intimate  companions,  and  indeed 
by  nearly  everybody  who  knew  him,  he  was 
called  Teddy,  and  this  nickname  clung  to 
him  when  he  went  forth  into  the  great 
world  to  become  a  governor  and  a  president. 
How  the  nickname  came  first  into  use  is 
not  known. 

Since  those  schoolboy  days  Mr.  Roosevelt 
has  been  asked  this  question  :  — 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  13 

"  What  did  you  expect  to  be,  or  dream 
of  being,  when  you  were  a  boy  ?" 

"  I  do  not  recollect  that  I  dreamed  at  all 
or  planned  at  all,"  was  the  answer.  "  I 
simply  obeyed  the  injunction,  ^  Whatever 
thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  that  with  all 
thy  might,'  and  so  I  took  up  what  came 
along  as  it  came." 

In  1876,  while  the  great  Centennial 
Exhibition  was  being  held  at  Philadelphia 
in  commemoration  of  one  hundred  years  of 
national  liberty,  Theodore  Roosevelt  took  up 
his  residence  at  Cambridge,  Massachusetts, 
and  became  a  student  at  Harvard  College. 
During  the  previous  year  his  health  had 
been  poor  indeed,  but  now  he  had  taken 
hold  of  himself  in  earnest. 

"  I  determined  to  be  strong  and  well,  and 
did  everything  to  make  myself  so,"  he  has 
said.  "By  the  time  I  entered  Harvard  I 
was  able  to  take  part  in  whatever  sports  I 
liked." 

As  perhaps  some  of  my  readers  know. 
Harvard  College  (now  termed  a  University) 
is  the  oldest  and  largest  institution  of  learn- 
ing in  the  United  States.  It  was  founded 
in  1636,  and  among  its  graduates  numbered 


14  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

John  Quincy  Adams,  sixth  President  of  our 
country.  The  college  proper  is  located  in 
Cambridge,  but  some  of  the  attached  schools 
are  in  Boston. 

Theodore  Roosevelt  was  rich  enough  to 
have  lived  in  elegant  style  while  at  Harvard, 
but  he  preferred  unostentatious  quarters, 
and  took  two  rooms  in  the  home  of  Benj. 
H.  Richardson,  at  what  was  then  No.  16 
and  is  now  No.  88  Winthrop  Street.  The 
residence  is  a  neat  and  comfortable  one, 
standing  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Win- 
throp and  Holyoke  streets. 

The  young  student  had  two  rooms  on  the 
second  floor,  —  one  of  good  size,  used  for  a 
study,  and  a  small  bedroom.  In  the  whole 
four  years  he  was  at  the  college  he  occupied 
these  rooms,  and  he  spent  a  great  deal  of 
time  in  fixing  them  up  to  suit  his  own 
peculiar  taste.  On  the  walls  were  all  sorts 
of  pictures  and  photographs,  along  with 
foils  and  boxing-gloves,  and  the  horns  of 
wild  animals.  On  a  shelf  rested  some  birds 
which  he  had  himself  stuffed,  and  books 
were  everywhere. 

"It  was  a  regular  den,  and  typical  of 
Roosevelt  to  the  last  degree,"  a  student  of 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  15 

those  times  has  said.  "  He  had  his  gun 
there  and  his  fishing  rod,  and  often  spoke  of 
using  them.  He  was  noted  for  trying  to 
get  at  the  bottom  of  things,  and  I  remem- 
ber him  well  on  one  occasion  when  I  found 
him  with  a  stuffed  bird  in  one  hand  and  a 
natural  history  in  the  other,  trying  to 
decide  if  the  description  in  the  volume 
covered  the  specimen  before  him."  When 
Roosevelt  graduated  from  college,  he  was 
one  of  a  very  few  that  took  honors,  and  the 
subject  of  his  essay  was  natural  history. 
How  his  love  of  natural  history  continued 
will  be  shown  later  when  we  see  him  as  a 
ranchman  and  hunter  of  the  West. 

Theodore  Roosevelt  had  decided  to  make 
the  most  of  himself,  and  while  at  Harvard 
scarcely  a  moment  was  wasted.  If  he  was 
not  studying,  he  was  in  the  gymnasium  or  on 
the  field,  doing  w^hat  he  could  to  make  him- 
self strong.  He  was  a  firm  believer  in  the 
saying  that  a  sound  body  makes  a  sound 
mind,  and  he  speedily  became  a  good  boxer, 
wrestler,  jumper,  and  runner.  He  wrestled 
a  great  deal,  and  of  this  sport  says :  — 

"  I  enjoyed  it  immensely  and  never  in- 
jured myself.     I  think  I  was  a  good  deal  of 


16  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

a  wrestler,  and  though  I  never  won  a  cham- 
pionship, yet  more  than  once  I  won  my 
trial  heats  and  got  into  the  final  rounds." 

At  running  he  was  equally  good.  "  I 
remember  once  we  had  a  stiff  run  out  into 
the  country,"  said  a  fellow-student.  "  Roose- 
velt was  behind  at  the  start,  but  when  all 
of  the  others  got  played  out  he  forged 
ahead,  and  in  the  end  he  beat  us  by  several 
minutes.  But  he  never  bragged  about  it. 
You  see,  it  wasn't  his  style." 

With  all  his  other  sports,  and  his  study- 
ing, the  young  collegian  did  not  give  up  his 
love  for  driving.  He  had  a  good  horse  and 
a  fancy  cart,  —  one  of  the  elevated  sort  with 
large  wheels,  —  and  in  this  turnout  he  was 
seen  many  a  day,  driving  wherever  it  pleased 
him  to  go.  Sometimes  he  would  get  on  the 
road  with  other  students,  and  then  there  was 
bound  to  be  more  or  less  racing. 

With  a  strong  love  for  natural  history 
it  was  not  surprising  that  he  joined  the 
Natural  History  Club  of  the  college,  and 
of  this  he  was  one  of  the  most  active  mem- 
bers. He  also  joined  the  Athletic  Associa- 
tion, of  which  he  was  a  steward,  and  the 
Art  Club,  the  Rifle  Corps,  the  0.  K.  Society, 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  17 

and  the  Finance  Club.  In  his  senior  year 
he  became  a  member  of  the  Porcelhan  Club, 
the  Hasty  Pudding,  and  the  Alpha  Delta 
Phi  Club,  and  also  one  of  the  editors  of 
a  college  paper  called  the  Advocate.  On 
Sundays  he  taught  a  class  of  boys,  first  in  a 
mission  school,  and  then  in  a  Congregational 
Sunday  school.  It  was  a  life  full  of  plan- 
ning, full  of  study,  and  full  of  work,  and  it 
suited  Theodore  Roosevelt  to  the  last  degree. 

As  he  grew  older  his  love  of  natural  history 
was  supplemented  by  a  love  for  the  history 
of  nations,  and  particularly  by  a  love  of  the 
history  of  his  own  country.  The  war  of 
1812  interested  him  intensely,  and  before 
he  graduated  he  laid  plans  for  writing  a 
history  of  this  war,  which  should  go  into  all 
the  details  of  the  memorable  naval  conflicts. 

It  was  while  in  his  third  year  at  Harvard 
that  Theodore  Roosevelt  suffered  the  first 
heavy  affliction  of  his  life.  On  February  9, 
1878,  his  father  died.  It  was  a  cruel  blow 
to  the  family,  and  one  from  which  the 
faithful  wife  scarcely  recovered.  The  son 
at  Harvard  felt  his  loss  greatly,  and  it  was 
some  time  before  he  felt  able  to  resume  his 
studies.     The  elder   Roosevelt's  work  as  a 


18  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

philanthropist  was  well  known,  and  many 
gathered  at  his  bier  to  do  him  honor,  while 
the  public  journals  were  filled  with  eulogies 
of  the  man.  The  poor  mourned  bitterly 
that  he  was  gone,  and  even  the  newsboys 
were  filled  with  regret  over  his  taking  away. 
In  speaking  of  his  parent,  President  Roose- 
velt once  said :  "  I  can  remember  seeing 
him  going  down  Broadway,  staid  and  re- 
spectable business  man  that  he  was,  with  a 
poor  sick  kitten  in  his  coat  pocket,  which 
he  had  picked  up  in  the  street."  Such  a 
man  could  not  but  have  a  heart  overflowing 
with  goodness. 

While  at  college  Theodore  Roosevelt  often 
showed  that  self-reliance  for  which  he  has 
since  become  famous.  To  every  study  that 
he  took  up  he  applied  himself  closely,  and  if 
he  was  not  at  the  head  of  the  class,  he  was 
by  no  means  near  the  foot.  When  he  was 
sure  of  a  thing,  no  amount  of  argument 
could  convince  him  that  he  was  wrong,  and 
he  did  not  hesitate  at  times  to  enter  into  a 
discussion  even  with  some  of  the  professors 
over  him. 

Although  a  close  student,  and  also  a  good 
all-round   athlete,  Theodore   Roosevelt  did 


THEOBOBE  ROOSEVELT  19 

not  forget  his  social  opportunities.  Boston 
was  but  a  short  distance  from  his  rooms  in 
Cambridge,  and  thither  he  often  went  to 
visit  the  people  he  had  met  or  to  whom  he 
had  letters  of  introduction.  He  was  always 
welcome,  for  his  manner  was  a  winning  one, 
and  he  usually  had  something  to  tell  that 
was  of  interest  —  something  of  what  he  had 
seen  or  done,  of  the  next  foot-ball  or  base-ball 
game,  of  the  coming  boat  races,  of  his  driving 
or  exploring,  or  of  how  he  had  added  a  new 
stuffed  bnd  to  his  collection,  or  a  new  lizard, 
and  of  how  a  far-away  friend  had  sent  him  a 
big  turtle  as  a  souvenir  of  an  ocean  trip  in 
the  South  Seas.  There  is  a  story  that  this 
big  turtle  got  loose  one  night  and  alarmed 
the  entire  household  by  crawling  through 
the  hallway,  looking  for  a  pond  or  mud-hole 
in  which  to  wallow.  At  first  the  turtle  was 
mistaken  for  a  burglar,  but  he  soon  revealed 
himself  by  his  angry  snapping,  and  it  was 
hard  work  making  him  a  prisoner  once 
more. 


20  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 


CHAPTER  III 

Marries  Miss  Alice  Lee — Travels  in  Europe  — 
Bold  Mountain-climbing  —  Studying  Law  in 
New  York — Elected  to  the  Assembly  —  Per- 
sonal  Encounter  with  the  Enemy 

It  was  a  proud  and  happy  day  for  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  when,  in  the  summer  of  1880, 
he  was  graduated  from  Harvard.  He  took 
scholarly  as  well  as  social  honors,  and  came 
forth  a  Phi  Beta  Kappa  man.  His  fellow- 
students  wished  him  well,  and  his  family 
greeted  him  most  affectionately. 

Yet  with  it  all  there  was  just  a  bit  of  mel- 
ancholy in  this  breaking  away  from  a  place 
that  had  been  as  a  second  home  to  him  for 
four  long  years.  The  students  were  scatter- 
ing to  the  four  points  of  the  compass,  and  he 
might  never  see  some  of  them  again.  But 
others  were  there  whom  he  was  to  meet 
later,  and  who  were  destined  to  march 
under  him  up  the  bullet-swept  slopes  of  San 
Juan  in  far-away  Cuba.  But  at  that  time 
there  was  no  thought  of  war  and  carnage. 


Theodore  Roosevelt  at  Graduation,  1880. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  21 

only  good-fellowship,  with  addresses  and 
orations,  music,  flying  flags,  and  huge  bon- 
fires and  fireworks  at  night.  Happy  college 
days  were  they,  never  to  be  forgotten. 

While  a  student  at  Harvard,  Theodore 
Roosevelt  had  become  intimately  acquainted 
with  Miss  Alice  Lee,  of  Boston,  a  beautiful 
girl  who  was  a  member  of  an  aristocratic 
family  of  that  city.  The  young  college 
student  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  the  home 
of  the  Lees,  and  on  September  23, 1880,  the 
two  were  married. 

It  had  been  decided  that  Theodore  Roose- 
velt should  travel  in  Europe  after  graduat- 
ing. His  father  had  left  the  family  well 
provided  for,  so  there  was  no  rush  to  get 
into  something  whereby  a  living  might  be 
earned.  Yet  Theodore  Roosevelt  had  long 
since  determined  not  to  be  an  idler.  He 
would  travel  and  improve  his  mind,  and 
then  settle  down  to  that  for  which  he 
seemed  best  fitted. 

To  Europe  then  he  went,  accompanied  by 
his  bride,  to  study  a  little  and  to  visit  the 
art  galleries  and  museums,  the  palaces  of 
kings  and  queens,  and  tlie  many  great  cities 
of  that  continent.      He  travelled  through 


22  AMERICAN  boys"   LIFE  OF 

Italy,  Switzerland,  Germany,  France,  and 
the  British  Isles,  taking  note  of  everything 
he  saw  and  coinj^aring  it  with  what  he  had 
seen  in  his  own  country.  When  in  lower 
Europe,  the  spirit  of  adventure  seized  him, 
and  he  climbed  those  lofty  mountains  of 
the  Alps,  the  Jungfrau  and  the  Matterhorn, 
and  for  those  deeds  of  daring  was  made  a 
member  of  the  Alpine  Club  of  London.  It 
may  be  mentioned  here  that  climbing  the 
mountains  mentioned  is  a  very  difficult 
feat,  and  that  more  than  one  traveller  has 
lost  his  life  in  such  attempts.  The  peaks 
are  covered  with  snow  and  ice;  the  path 
from  one  cliff  to  the  next  is  narrow  and 
uncertain,  and  a  fall  into  some  dark  and 
fearful  hollow  usually  means  death.  But 
the  danger  only  urged  Theodore  Roosevelt 
on,  and  added  zest  to  the  undertaking. 

He  w^as  intensely  interested  in  all  he  saw, 
both  in  Europe  proper  and  in  the  British 
Isles,  but  wTote  that  he  was  glad  to  get 
back  home  again,  among  his  own  people. 
To  hini  there  was  no  country  like  America, 
the  land  of  Golden  Ojjportunlty,  as  one  of 
our  most  noted  writers  has  called  it.  In 
Europe  there  was  more  or   less  a  lack  of 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  23 

personal  liberty ;  here  a  man  could  try  to 
make  what  he  pleased  of  himself,  be  it 
cobbler  or  President. 

The  young  college  graduate  had  an  uncle 
in  New  York,  named  Robert  B.  Roosevelt, 
who  was  a  well-known  lawyer.  On  his 
return  to  this  coimtry  Theodore  Roosevelt 
entered  his  uncle's  office,  and  likewise  took 
up  the  study  of  law  at  Columbia  University, 
attending  the  lectures  given  by  Professor 
Dwight.  Here  again  his  search  after  what 
he  termed  ''bottom  facts"  came  to  light, 
and  he  is  well  remembered  as  a  member  of 
the  law  class  because  of  the  way  he  fre- 
quently asked  questions  and  called  for 
explanations  —  accepting  nothing  as  a  fact 
until  it  was  perfectly  clear  in  his  own 
mind.  The  interruptions  did  not  always 
suit  the  professor  or  the  other  students, 
yet  they  were  often  the  means  of  clearing 
up  a  point  that  was  hazy  to  many  others 
who  had  not  the  courage  to  thrust  forth 
their  inquiries  as  did  Theodore  Roosevelt. 

"  He  wants  to  know  it  all,"  said  one 
student,  in  disgust. 

"  Well,  never  mind ;  I  wish  I  knew  it 
all,"  answered  another.     "  I  guess  he  knows 


24  AMEBIC  AN  BOYS'  LIFE  OF 

what  he  is  doing."  And  in  this  he  was  right ; 
Theodore  Roosevelt  knew  exactly  what  he 
was  trying  to  accomplish. 

The  young  man  was  now  twenty-three 
years  of  age,  broad-shouldered,  and  in  much 
better  health  than  ever  before.  He  had  not 
abandoned  his  athletic  training,  and  would 
often  run  out  to  the  old  home  at  03'ster 
Bay  for  a  tramp  into  the  woods  or  on  a 
hunting  tour. 

While  still  studying  law,  Theodore  Roose- 
velt entered  politics  by  taking  an  active 
part  in  a  Republican  primary.  He  lived 
in  the  twenty-third  assembly  district  of  the 
state.  The  district  included  a  great  num- 
ber of  rich  and  influential  citizens,  and  on 
that  account  was  called  the  "Diamond 
Back  District." 

"Let  us  put  up  young  Roosevelt  for 
Assembly,"  said  one  of  the  pouticians. 
"  He's  a  clever  fellow." 

"  That  may  be,"  said  another.  "  But  I 
don't  know  that  we  can  manage  him.  He 
seems  a  fellow  who  wants  his  own  way." 

"Yes,  he'll  want  his  own  way,  but  I 
reckon  that  way  wdll  be  the  right  way," 
put  in  a  third  speaker. 


THEODOBE  ROOSEVELT  25 

No  sooner  had  Theodore  Roosevelt's 
name  been  mentioned  as  a  possible  can- 
didate than  there  was  a  storm  of  oppo- 
sition from  some  politicians  who  had  in 
the  past  ruled  the  district  with  a  rod  of 
iron.  It  was  a  Republican  district,  so  that 
the  contest  for  the  place  was  entirely  in 
the  primary. 

"  If  he  is  nominated  and  elected,  our 
power  will  be  gone,"  they  told  themselves ; 
and  set  to  work  without  delay  to  throw 
the  nomination  into  the  hands  of  somebody 
else. 

Theodore  Roosevelt  suspected  what  was 
going  on,  but  he  said  nothing  to  those  who 
opposed  him.  With  his  friends  he  was 
very  frank,  and  told  them  that  if  he 
was  nominated  he  would  do  his  Ijest  to 
win  the  election  and  serve  them  honestly 
in  the  I-^islature. 

His  open-hearted ness  won  him  many 
friends,  and  when  the  primary  was  held, 
those  who  had  opposed  him  were  chagrined 
to  see  him  win  the  nomination  with  votes 
to  spare.  Some  at  once  predicted  that  he 
would  not  be  elected. 

"  Those  who  opposed  him  at  the  primary 


26  AMERICAN  BOYS    LIFE  OF 

will  not  vote  for  him,"  they  said.  "  They 
would  rather  help  the  Democrats." 

But  this  prediction  proved  false.  At  the 
election  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  elected 
with  a  good  majority.  It  was  his  first 
battle  in  the  political  arena,  and  if  he  felt 
proud  over  it,  who  can  blame  him  ? 

The  State  Capitol  of  New  York  is,  as  my 
young  readers  must  know,  at  Albany,  on 
the  Upper  Hudson,  and  hither  the  young 
assemblyman  journeyed.  The  assembly- 
men poured  in  from  all  over  the  state, 
and  were  made  up  of  all  sorts  and  con- 
ditions of  men,  including  bankers,  farmers, 
merchants,  contractors,  liquor  dealers,  and 
even  prize-fighters.  Many  of  these  men 
were  thoroughly  honest,  but  there  were 
others  who  were  there  for  gain  only,  and 
who  cared  little  for  the  passing  of  just 
laws. 

The  party  to  which  Theodore  Roosevelt 
belonged  was  in  the  minority,  so  that  the 
young  assemblyman  found  he  would  have 
to  struggle  hard  if  he  expected  to  be  heard 
at  all.  But  the  thoughts  of  such  a  struggle 
only  put  him  on  his  mettle,  and  he  plunged 
in  with  a  vigor  that  astonished  his  oppo- 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  27 

nents  and  caused  great  delight  to  his 
friends. 

"  He  is  fearless,"  said  one  who  had  voted 
for  him.  "  He  will  make  things  warm 
for  those  who  don't  want  to  act  on  the 
square."  And  he  certainly  did  make  it 
warm,  until  a  certain  class  grew  to  fear 
and  hate  him  to  such  a  degree  that  they 
plotted  to  do  him  bodily  harm. 

"  He  has  got  to  learn  that  he  must  mind 
his  own  business,"  was  the  way  one  of 
these  corruptionists  reasoned. 

"  But  what  can  we  do  ? "  asked  another. 
"  He's  as  sharp  on  the  floor  of  the  Assembly 
as  a  steel  trap." 

"  We'll  get  Stubby  to  brush  up  against 
him,"  said  a  third. 

Stubby  was  a  bar-room  loafer  who  had 
been  at  one  time  something  of  a  pugilist. 
He  was  a  thoroughly  unprincipled  fellow, 
and  it  was  known  that  he  would  do  almost 
anything  for  money. 

"  Sure,  I'll  fix  him,"  said  Stubby.  "  You 
just  leave  him  to  me  and  see  how  I  polish 
him  off." 

The  corruptionists  and  their  tool  met  at 
the  Delavan  House,  an  old-fashioned  hotel  at 


z^' 


28  AMERICAN  BOY.S    LIFE  OF 

which  pohticians  in  and  around  the  capital 
were  wont  to  congregate,  and  waited  for  the 
young  assemblyman.  Roosevelt  was  not 
long  in  putting  in  an  appearance  and  was 
soon  in  deep  discussion  with  some  friends. 

"  Watch  him,  Stubby,"  said  one  of  the 
young  assemblyman's  enemies.  "  Don't  let 
him  get  away  from  you  to-night." 

"  I  have  me  eye  on  him,"  answered 
Stubby. 

Roosevelt  was  on  the  way  to  the  buffet  of 
the  hotel  when  the  crowd,  with  Stubby  in 
front,  pushed  against  him  rudely.  The 
young  assemblyman  stepped  back  and  viewed 
those  before  him  fearlessly. 

"  Say,  what  do  yer  mean,  running  into  me 
that  way  ? "  demanded  Stubby,  insolently. 

As  he  spoke  he  aimed  a  savage  blow  at 
Theodore  Roosevelt.  But  the  young  as- 
semblyman had  not  forgotten  how  to  box, 
and  he  dodged  with  an  agility  that  was 
astonishing. 

"  This  fellow  needs  to  be  taught  a  lesson," 
Theodore  Roosevelt  told  himself,  and  then 
and  there  he  proceeded  to  administer  the 
lesson  in  a  manner  that  Stubby  never  for- 
got.    He  went  down  flat  on  his  back,  and 


THEOBOBE  ROOSEVELT  29 

when  he  got  up,  he  went  down  again,  with  a 
bleeding  nose  and  one  eye  all  but  closed. 
Seeing  this,  several  leaped  in  to  his  assistance, 
but  it  was  an  ill-fated  move,  for  Roosevelt 
turned  on  them  also,  and  down  they  went, 
too ;  and  then  the  encounter  came  to  an  end, 
with  Theodore  Roosevelt  the  victor. 

"  And  that  wasn't  the  end  of  it,"  said  one, 
who  witnessed  the  affair.  "After  it  was 
over  young  Roosevelt  was  as  smiling  as 
ever.  He  walked  straight  over  to  some  of 
his  enemies  who  had  been  watching  the 
mix-up  from  a  distance  and  told  them  very 
plainly  that  he  knew  how  the  attack  had 
originated,  and  he  was  much  obliged  to  them, 
for  he  hadn't  enjoyed  himself  so  much  for  a 
year.  Phew  !  but  weren't  those  fellows  mad ! 
And  wasn't  Stubby  mad  when  he  learned 
that  they  had  set  him  against  one  of  the 
best  boxers  Harvard  ever  turned  out  ?  But 
after  that  you  can  make  sure  they  treated 
Roosevelt  with  respect  and  gave  him  a  wide 
berth." 


30  AMERICAN  BOYS'    LIFE  OF 


CHAPTER   IV 

Theodore  Roosevelt  and  Governor  Cleveland — 
Good  Work  as  an  Assemblyman —  Some  Measures 

PUSHED    through — BiRTH    OF    AlICE   RoOSEVELT  — 

Death  of  Mr.  Roosevelt's  Mother 

The  career  of  an  assemblyman  is  not 
generally  an  interesting  one,  but  Mr.  Roose- 
velt managed  to  extract  not  a  little  pleasure 
and  also  some  profit  from  it.  The  experi- 
ence was  just  what  he  needed  to  fit  himself 
for  the  larger  positions  he  was,  later  on,  to 
occupy. 

One  happening  is  of  peculiar  interest  to 
note.  While  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  a 
member  of  the  Assembly,  Grover  Cleveland 
became  governor  of  the  state.  Mr.  Cleve- 
land was  a  Democrat,  while  Mr.  Roosevelt 
was  a  Republican,  yet  the  two  future  Presi- 
dents of  the  United  States  became  warm 
friends,  —  a  friendship  that  has  endured  to 
the  present  day. 

It  is  said  that  the  friendship  started  in 
rather  a  peculiar   manner.     There  was  at 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  31 

the  time  a  measure  before  the  Assembly  to 
reduce  the  fare  of  the  elevated  roads  in 
New  York  City  from  ten  cents  to  five  cents. 
After  a  great  deal  of  talking,  the  bill  passed 
the  Assembly  and  then  the  Senate,  and  went 
to  the  governor  for  his  signature.  Much 
to  the  sm^prise  of  the  general  public  Gov- 
ernor Cleveland  vetoed  the  bill,  stating  that 
when  the  capitalists  had  built  the  elevated 
roads  they  had  understood  that  the  fare  was 
to  be  ten  cents,  and  that  it  was  not  right  to 
deprive  them  of  their  profits.  At  once 
those  who  wanted  the  measure  to  become 
a  law  decided  to  pass  it  over  the  governor's 
head.  When  this  attempt  was  made,  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  got  up  boldly  and  said  he 
could  not  again  vote  for  the  bill  —  that  he 
was  satisfied  that  Governor  Cleveland's 
view  of  the  matter  was  correct. 

"  These  people  would  not  have  put  their 
money  in  the  elevated  railroads  had  they 
not  been  assured  that  the  fare  was  to  be  ten 
cents,"  said  he.  "  We  are  under  obligation 
to  them,  and  we  must  keep  our  promises." 
And  so  the  bill  fell  through.  It  was  not 
in  itself  right  that  the  fare  should  be  ten 
cents,  and  it  has  long  since  been  reduced  to 


32  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

five  cents,  but  it  shows  that  Theodore  Roose- 
velt was  bound  to  do  wliat  was  right  and 
just,  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  own 
conscience,  and  this  won  for  him  many 
friends,  even  among  those  who  had  opposed 
him  politically. 

In  a  work  of  this  kind,  intended  mainly 
for  the  use  of  young  people,  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  do  more  than  glance  at  the  work 
which  Theodore  Roosevelt  accomplished 
while  a  member  of  the  New  York  Assembly. 

He  made  a  close  study  of  the  various 
political  offices  of  New  York  County  and 
discovered  that  many  office-holders  were 
drawing  large  sums  of  money  in  the  shape 
of  fees  for  which  they  were  doing  hardly 
any  work.  This  he  considered  unfair,  and 
by  dint  of  hard  labor  helped  to  pass  a  law 
placing  such  offices  on  the  salary  list,  mak- 
ing a  saving  to  the  county  of  probably  half 
a  million  dollars  a  year. 

One  of  the  best  things  done  by  Theodore 
Roosevelt  at  that  time  ^vas  the  support 
given  b}^  him  to  a  civil  service  law  for  the 
state.  Up  to  that  time  office-holding  was 
largely  in  the  hands  of  the  party  which 
happened  to  be  in  power. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  33 

"  This  is  all  wrong,"  said  the  young  assem- 
blyman. "A  clerk  or  anybody  else  doing 
his  duty  faithfully  should  not  be  thrown 
out  as  soon  as  there  is  a  political  change." 
The  new  law  was  passed,  and  this  was  the 
beginning  of  what  is  commonly  called  the 
merit  system,  whereby  a  large  number  of 
those  who  work  for  the  state  are  judged 
solely  by  their  capabilities  and  not  by  their 
political  beliefs.  This  system  has  since  been 
extended  to  other  states  and  also  to  office- 
holding  under  the  national  government. 

Another  important  measure  pushed 
through  the  Assembly  by  Theodore  Roose- 
velt was  what  was  known  as  the  Edson 
Charter  for  New  York  City,  giving  to  the 
mayor  certain  rights  which  in  the  past  had 
rested  in  the  board  of  aldermen.  This 
measure  was  defeated  during  Roosevelt's 
second  term  of  office,  but  in  1884  he 
pressed  it  with  such  force  that  it  overcame 
all  opposition  and  became  a  law.  Many 
have  considered  this  victory  his  very  best 
work. 

By  those  who  knew  him  at  this  time  he 
is  described  as  having  ahnost  a  boyish  fig- 
ure, frank  face,  clear,  penetrating  eyes,  and 


34  xMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

a  smile  of  good-natured  friendship  and  dry 
humor.  When  he  talked  it  was  with  an 
earnestness  that  could  not  be  mistaken.  By 
those  who  were  especially  bitter  against 
him  he  was  sometimes  called  a  dude  and  a 
silk  stocking,  but  to  these  insinuations  he 
paid  no  attention,  and  after  the  encounter 
at  the  Delavan  House  his  opponents  were 
decidedly  more  careful  as  to  how  they 
addressed  him. 

"  Take  him  all  the  way  through  he  was 
generally  even  tempered,"  one  has  said  who 
met  him  at  that  time.  "  But  occasionally 
there  was  a  flash  from  his  eye  that  made 
his  opponent  draw  back  in  quick  order.  He 
would  stand  a  good  deal,  but  there  were 
some  things  he  wouldn't  take,  and  they 
knew  it.  One  thing  is  certain,  after  he  was 
in  the  Assembly  for  a  few  months  every- 
body knew  perfectly  that  to  come  to  him 
with  any  bill  that  was  the  least  bit  shady 
was  a  waste  of  time  and  effort.  Roosevelt 
wouldn't  stand  for  it  a  minute." 

In  those  days  Theodore  Roosevelt  did 
not  give  up  his  habits  of  athletic  exercise, 
and  nearly  every  day  he  could  be  seen 
taking  long  walks  in   the  country  around 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  35 

Albany.  In  the  meantime  his  "  Naval 
War  of  1812  "  was  well  under  way,  but  he 
could  spare  only  a  few  hours  occasionally 
to  complete  his  manuscript. 

His  married  life  had  thus  far  been  a 
happy  one,  and  its  joy  was  greatly  increased 
by  the  birth  of  his  daughter  Alice.  As 
will  be  seen  later,  Mr.  Roosevelt  is  what  is 
called  a  family  man,  and  he  took  great 
comfort  in  this  new  addition  to  his  little 
household.  But  his  happiness  was  short- 
lived, for  in  1884,  when  the  daughter  was 
but  a  baby,  the  beloved  wife  died,  and  the 
little  one  had  to  be  given  over  to  the  care 
of  the  grandparents  in  Boston.  Not  many 
months  later  Mr.  Roosevelt's  mother  died 
also,  heaping  additional  sorrow  upon  his 
head. 

With  the  conclusion  of  his  third  term  in 
the  Assembly  Theodore  Roosevelt's  work  as 
a  member  of  that  body  came  to  an  end.  If 
he  had  made  some  enemies,  he  had  made 
more  friends,  and  he  was  known  as  an  ardent 
supporter  of  reform  in  all  branches  of  poli- 
tics. In  recognition  of  his  ability  he  was 
chosen  as  a  delegate-at-large  to  the  Re- 
publican  convention    brought   together  to 


36  AMEBIC  AN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

nominate  a  candidate  to  succeed  President 
Arthur. 

At  that  time  James  G.  Blaine  from  Maine 
had  served  many  years  in  the  United  States 
Senate,  and  it  was  thought  that  he  would 
surely  be  both  nominated  and  elected.  But 
many  were  opposed  to  Blaine,  thinking  he 
would  not  support  such  reform  measures 
as  they  wished  to  see  advanced,  and  among 
this  number  was  Theodore  Roosevelt. 

"  We  must  nominate  Mr.  Edmunds,"  said 
the  young  delegate-at-large,  and  did  his  best 
for  the  gentleman  in  question. 

"It  cannot  be  done,"  said  another  delegate. 

The  convention  met  at  Exposition  Hall 
in  Chicago,  and  Mr.  Roosevelt  was  placed 
on  the  Committee  on  Resolutions.  It  was 
a  stormy  convention,  and  ballot  after  ballot 
had  to  be  taken  before  a  nomination  could 
be  secured.  Blaine  led  from  the  start,  with 
Senator  Edmunds  a  fairly  close  second. 

"  If  Blaine  is  nominated,  he  will  be  de- 
feated," said  more  than  one. 

At  last  came  the  deciding  vote,  and 
James  G.  Blaine  was  put  up  at  the  head  of 
the  ticket,  with  John  A.  Logan  for  Vice- 
President. 


LA-Xu^-c^     «Zcx- 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  37 

At  once  Blaine  clubs  were  organized  all 
over  the  country,  and  the  Repul)lican  party 
did  all  in  its  power  to  elect  its  candidate. 
He  was  called  the  Plumed  Knight,  and 
many  political  clubs  wore  plumes  in  his  honor 
when  on  parade.  In  the  meantime  the 
Democrats  had  nominated  Grover  Cleveland. 

The  fight  was  exceedingly  bitter  up  to 
the  very  evening  of  election  day.  When  the 
votes  were  counted,  it  was  found  that  Blaine 
had  been  defeated  by  a  large  majority,  and 
that  Grover  Cleveland,  Roosevelt's  old  friend, 
had  won  the  highest  gift  in  the  hands  of 
the  nation. 

His  work  at  the  convention  in  Chicago 
was  Theodore  Roosevelt's  first  entrance  into 
national  affairs,  and  his  speeches  on  that 
occasion  will  not  be  readily  forgotten.  It 
was  here  that  he  came  into  contact  with 
William  McKinley,  with  whom,  sixteen 
years  later,  he  was  to  run  on  the  same 
ticket.  The  records  of  that  convention 
show  that  on  one  occasion  McKinley  spoke 
directly  after  Roosevelt.  Thus  were  these 
two  drawn  together  at  that  early  day  with- 
out knowing  or  dreaming  that  one  was  to 
succeed  the  other  to  the  Presidency. 


38  AMERICAN  BOYS"   LIFE  OF 

But  though  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  dis- 
appouited  over  the  nomination  made  at 
Chicago,  he  did  not  desert  his  party.  In- 
stead he  did  all  he  could  to  lead  them  to 
victory,  until  the  death  of  his  mother 
caused  him  to  withdraw  temporarily  from 
public  affairs. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  39 


CHAPTER   V 

Theodore  Roosevelt  as  a  Ranchman  and  Hunter 
IN  THE  Bad  Lands  —  Bringing  down  His  First 
Buffalo  —  Rattlesnakes,  and  a  Wild  Goose 

Theodoke  Roosevelt  had  now  pub- 
lished his  "  Naval  History  of  the  War  of 
1812,"  and  it  had  created  a  decidedly  favor- 
able opinion  among  those  critics  who  were 
best  able  to  judge  of  the  production.  It  is 
an  authoritative  work,  and  is  to-day  in  the 
library  of  nearly  every  American  warship 
afloat,  as  well  as  in  numerous  government 
libraries  in  this  coimtry,  as  at  Washington, 
West  Point,  and  Annapolis,  and  also  in  lead- 
ing libraries  of  England. 

Being  out  of  politics  the  young  author 
thought  of  taking  up  his  pen  once  more. 
But  he  was  restless  by  nature,  and  the  loss 
of  his  wife  and  his  mother  still  weighed 
heavily  upon  him.  So  he  took  himself  to 
the  West,  to  where  the  Little  Missouri 
River  flows  in  winding  form  through  what 
are  called  the  Bad  Lands  of  North  Dakota. 


40  AMERICAN  boys'  LIFE  OF 

Here,  on  the  edge  of  the  cattle  country, 
Theodore  Roosevelt  had  become  possessed  of 
two  ranches,  one  called  the  Elkhorn  and  the 
other  Chimney  Butte.  Both  were  located 
by  the  river,  which  during  the  dry  season 
was  hardly  of  any  depth  at  all,  but  which 
during  the  heavy  rains,  or  dm-ing  the  spring 
freshets,  became  a  roaring  torrent. 

At  one  of  these  ranches  Theodore  Roose- 
velt settled  down  for  the  time  being,  to 
rough  it  in  hunting  and  raising  cattle. 
When  the  weather  would  not  permit  of  his 
going  abroad,  or  when  the  mood  of  the 
author  seized  him,  he  wrote.  As  a  result  of 
these  experiences  he  has  given  us  a  delight- 
ful work  called  "  The  Hunting  Trips  of  a 
Ranchman,"  first  published  in  1885,  giving 
his  adventures  among  the  cattle  and  while 
on  the  hunt,  sometimes  alone  and  some- 
times in  company  with  the  rude  but  honest 
cow  punchers  and  plainsmen  who  surrounded 
him. 

Mr.  Roosevelt  has  described  the  ranch  at 
which  he  lived  for  tlie  greater  part  of  his 
time  as  a  long,  low,  story-high  house  of 
hewn  logs,  clean  and  neat,  and  with  many 
rooms.    It  faced  the  river,  and  in  front  was 


THEODOBE  ROOSEVELT  41 

a  long,  low  veranda,  where  one  might  idle 
on  a  clear,  warm  day  to  his  heart's  content. 
Inside,  the  main  room  contained  a  shelf  full 
of  the  owner's  favorite  outdoor  books  and 
the  walls  half-a-dozen  pet  pictures.  Rifles 
and  shot-guns  stood  handy  in  corners,  and  on 
pegs  and  deer  horns  hung  overcoats  of  wolf 
or  coon  skin  and  gloves  of  otter  or  beaver. 

That  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  a  close 
observer  of  all  that  occurred  around  him  is 
proved  by  his  writings.  With  great  minute- 
ness he  has  described  his  life  at  the  ranch 
home  and  while  in  the  saddle,  both  in 
winter  and  summer,  telling  of  his  experi- 
ences while  rounding  up  cattle  and  while 
bringing  down  waterfowl  and  larger  game 
of  various  kinds.  He  likewise  describes  the 
trained  hunters  he  has  met  at  different 
seasons  of  the  year,  and  tells  of  what  they 
have  done  or  were  trying  to  do. 

At  this  time  his  favorite  horse  was  a  steed 
called  Manitou.  But  when  on  a  round-up 
of  cattle,  many  ponies  were  taken  along,  so 
that  a  fresh  mount  could  be  had  at  any 
time.  It  was  a  breezy,  free  life,  and  to  it 
our  President  undoubtedly  owes  the  rugged 
constitution  that  he  possesses  to-day. 


42  AMERICAN  boys"   LIFE  OF 

His  observations  led  him  to  make  many  in- 
vestisjations  concerning-  the  smaller  wild  ani- 
mals  near  his  ranches  and  the  larger  beasts 
to  be  found  farther  off.  The  tales  which 
were  told  to  him  by  other  ranchmen  and 
hunters  he  always  took  "with  a  grain  of 
salt,"  and  he  soon  reached  the  conclusion 
that  many  of  the  so-styled  mighty  hunters 
were  only  such  in  name,  and  had  brought 
down  quantities  of  game  only  in  years  gone 
by  when  such  game  was  plentiful  and  could 
be  laid  low  without  much  trouble.  Once 
when  a  man  told  him  he  had  brought  down 
a  certain  beast  at  four  hundred  yards,  Roose- 
A^elt  measured  the  distance  and  found  it  to 
be  less  than  half  that. 

"You  couldn't  fool  him  on  much,"  said 
one  of  the  persons  who  met  him  about  that 
time.  "  He  would  take  precious  little  for 
granted.  He  wanted  to  know  the  how  of 
everything,  and  he  wasn't  satisfied  until  he 
did  know." 

Regarding  his  own  powers  as  a  hunter 
at  that  time,  Mr.  Roosevelt  is  very  modest. 
He  says  his  eyesight  was  rather  poor,  and 
his  hand  not  over  steady,  so  that  "  drawing 
a  bead  "  on  anything  was  not  easy.     Yet  he 


TIIEODOBE  ROOSEVELT  43 

went  into  the  sport  with  much  enthusiasm, 
and  if  at  times  he  came  back  at  nightfall 
empty-handed,  he  did  not  complain,  and 
he  was  almost  certain  to  have  something 
interesting  to  tell  of  what  he  had  seen. 

Theodore  Roosevelt  had  been  in  this  ter- 
ritory before,  although  not  to  remain  any 
great  length  of  time.  Once  he  had  come 
out  to  hunt  buffalo,  no  easy  thing  to  do, 
since  this  game  was  growing  scarcer  every 
day.  He  had  a  guide  named  Ferris,  who 
was  not  particularly  struck  with  the  appear- 
ance of  the  pale  young  man,  plainly  dressed, 
whom  he  met  at  the  railroad  station. 

"  I  sized  him  up  as  not  being  able  to 
endure  a  long  trip  after  a  buffalo,"  said  the 
guide,  in  speaking  afterward  of  the  meeting. 
"He  was  well  mounted,  but  he  looked  as  if  he 
might  play  out  before  the  sun  went  down." 

But  in  this  the  guide  was  mistaken. 
Roosevelt  proved  that  he  could  ride  as  well 
as  anybody.  The  first  night  out  found  the 
hunters  about  thirty  miles  from  any  settle- 
ment. They  went  into  camp  on  the  open 
prairie,  tethermg  their  horses  with  ropes 
fastened  to  their  saddles,  which  they  used 
as  pillows. 


44  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

All  went  well  for  an  hour  or  two,  ^\ilen  the 
improvised  pillow  was  jerked  from  beneath 
Theodore  Roosevelt's  head,  and  he  heard 
his  horse  bounding  away  in  the  distance. 

"  Wolves  ! "  cried  the  guide.  "  They  have 
frightened  our  horses  !  " 

So  it  proved;  and  the  hunters  lost  no 
time  in  reaching  for  their  firearms.  But 
the  wolves  kept  their  distance,  and  soon 
Theodore  Roosevelt  was  rimning;  after  the 
horses,  which,  after  a  good  deal  of  trou- 
ble, he  secured  and  brought  back.  After 
that  the  guide  no  longer  looked  on  him  as  a 
"tenderfoot." 

"A  tenderfoot,"  said  he,  "would  have 
been  scared  to  death.  But  Teddy  Roosevelt 
was  as  cool  as  a  cucumber  through  it  all  — 
as  if  the  happening  wasn't  in  the  least  out 
of  the  ordinary." 

For  several  days  the  hunters  remained  on 
the  prairie  looking  for  buffalo,  but  without 
success.  They  were  on  the  point  of  turning 
back  when  the  guide  noticed  that  the  horses 
were  growing  uneasy. 

"  Some  big  game  at  hand,"  he  announced. 
"  Come  on  to  yonder  washout  and  see  if  I  am 
not  right." 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  45 

With  great  caution  the  himters  advanced 
to  the  washout  the  guide  had  mentioned. 
Dismounting,  they  crept  forward  in  the 
shelter  of  the  brushwood,  and  there,  true 
enough,  resting  at  his  ease  was  a  great  buf- 
falo bull. 

"  Hit  him  where  the  patch  of  red  shows  on 
his  side,"  whispered  the  guide,  and  Roose- 
velt nodded  to  show  that  he  understood. 
With  care  and  coolness  he  took  aim  and 
fired,  and  the  buffalo  bull  leaped  up  and 
staggered  forward  with  the  blood  streaming 
from  his  mouth  and  nose. 

"Shall  I  give  him  another?"  was  the 
question  asked,  but  before  it  could  be  an- 
swered the  buffalo  bull  gave  a  plimge  and 
fell  dead. 

Rattlesnakes  are  rather  unpleasant  reptiles 
to  deal  with,  and  Theodore  Roosevelt  has 
shown  his  bravery  by  the  way  in  which  he 
speaks  of  them  in  his  accounts  of  outdoor 
life.  He  says  to  a  man  wearing  alligator 
boots  there  is  little  danger,  for  the  fang  of 
the  reptile  cannot  go  through  the  leather, 
and  the  snake  rarely  strikes  as  high  as  one's 
knee.  But  he  had  at  least  one  experience 
with  a  rattlesnake  not  readily  forgotten. 


46  AMEBIC  AN  BOYS'  LIFE  OF 

He  was  out  on  a  hunt  for  antelope. 
The  sage-brush  in  which  he  was  conceahng 
himself  was  so  low  that  he  had  to  crawl 
along  flat  on  his  breast,  pushing  himself  for- 
ward with  hands  and  feet  as  best  he  could. 

He  was  almost  on  the  antelope  when  he 
heard  a  warning  whirr  close  at  his  side,  and 
glancing  hastily  in  that  direction,  saw  the 
reptile  but  a  few  feet  away,  coiled  up  and 
ready  to  attack. 

It  was  a  thrilling  and  critical  moment, 
and  had  the  young  hunter  leaped  up  he 
might  have  been  dangerously  if  not  fatally 
struck.  But  by  instinct  he  backed  away 
silently  and  moved  off  in  another  direction 
through  the  brush.  The  rattlesnake  did 
not  follow,  although  it  kept  its  piercing 
eyes  on  the  hunter  as  long  as  possible.  After 
the  antelope  stalk  was  over,  Roosevelt  came 
back  to  the  spot,  made  a  careful  search,  and, 
watching  his  chance,  fired  on  the  rattle- 
snake, killing  it  instantly. 

In  those  days  Theodore  Roosevelt  met 
Colonel  William  Cody,  commonly  known  as 
"  Buffalo  Bill,"  and  many  other  celebrated 
characters  of  the  West.  He  never  grew 
tired   of   listening  to  the  stories  these  old 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  47 

trappers,  hunters,  scouts,  and  plainsmen  had 
to  tell,  and  some  of  these  stories  he  afterward 
put  into  print,  and  they  have  made  excellent 
reading. 

Dm'ing  many  of  his  hunting  expeditions 
at  that  time  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  accom- 
panied by  his  foreman,  a  good  shot  and 
all-round  ranchman  named  Merrifield.  Mer- 
rifield  had  been  in  the  West  but  five  years, 
but  the  life  fitted  him  exactly,  and  in  him 
Roosevelt  the  ranchman  and  hunter  found 
a  companion  exactly  to  his  liking, -fearless 
and  self-reliant  to  the  last  degree. 

As  perhaps  most  of  my  young  readers 
know,  wild  geese  are  generally  brought 
down  with  a  shot-gun,  but  in  the  Bad  Lands 
it  was  not  unusual  to  bring  them  down  with 
a  rifle,  provided  the  hunter  was  quick  and 
accurate  enough  in  his  aim.  One  morning, 
just  before  dawn,  Theodore  Roosevelt  was 
riding  along  the  edge  of  a  creek  when  he 
heard  a  cackling  that  he  knew  must  come 
from  some  geese,  and  he  determined  if  possi- 
ble to  lay  one  low. 

It  was  easy  work  to  dismount  and  crawl 
to  the  edge  of  the  creek.  But  a  fog  lay  over 
the  water,  and  he  could  see  the  geese  but  in- 


48  AMERICAN  boys'    LIFE  OF 

distinctly.  Leaving  the  creek  bank,  lie  ran 
silently  to  where  the  watercourse  made  a 
turn  and  then  crawled  forward  in  the  brush. 
Soon  the  fog  lifted  once  more,  and  he  saw 
the  geese  resting  on  the  water  close  to  the 
bend.  He  fired  quickly  and  brought  down 
the  largest  of  the  flock,  while  the  others  lost 
no  time  in  disappearing.  It  was  a  good  fat 
goose  and  made  excellent  eating. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  49 


CHAPTER   VI 

Grouse  and  Other  Small  Game  —  The  Scotchman 
AND  the  Skunk  —  Caught  in  a  Hailstorm  on 
the  Prairie  —  Bringing  down  Black-tail  Deer 

It  cannot  be  said  that  Theodore  Roose- 
velt's venture  as  a  ranchman  was  a  very 
successful  one,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  he  ex- 
pected to  make  much  money  out  of  it.  He 
lost  nothing  in  a  financial  way,  and  there  is 
no  doubt  but  that  the  experience  was  of 
great  benefit  to  him.  In  this  semi-wilder- 
ness he  met  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men, 
and  grew  to  know  them  thoroughly.  In  the 
past  his  dealings  had  been  almost  entirely 
with  people  of  large  cities  and  towns,  and 
with  men  of  learning  and  large  business 
affairs;  here  he  fell  in  with  the  wildest 
kind  of  cowboys  and  frontiersmen.  Some 
he  soon  found  were  not  fit  to  be  associated 
with,  but  the  majority  proved  as  honest  and 
hard-working  fellows  as  could  be  met  with 
anywhere.  Many  of  these  loved  the  yoimg 
"boss"   from   the   start,    and  when,  years 


50  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

later,  the  war  with  Spam  broke  out,  and 
there  was  a  call  to  arms,  not  a  few  of  them 
insisted  upon  joining  the  Rough  Riders  just 
to  be  near  Theodore  Roosevelt  once  more. 

Around  the  ranches  owned  by  Theodore 
Roosevelt  there  were  more  or  less  grouse  of 
the  sharp-tailed  variety.  As  this  sort  of 
game  made  excellent  eating,  ranchmen  and 
regular  hunters  did  not  hesitate  to  bring 
them  down  at  every  opportunity. 

One  afternoon  Theodore  Roosevelt  left  his 
ranch  to  visit  the  shack  of  one  of  his  herders, 
about  thirty-five  miles  down  the  river.  It 
was  a  cold,  clear  day,  and  he  was  finely 
mounted  on  a  well-trained  pony.  He  writes 
that  he  was  after  grouse,  hoping  to  get  quite 
a  number  of  them. 

He  had  trusted  to  reach  the  shack  long 
before  sundown,  but  the  way  was  bad,  over 
bottoms  covered  with  thin  ice  and  snow, 
and  soon  darkness  came  on,  leaving  him 
practically  lost  in  the  cottonwoods  that 
lined  the  watercoiu-se. 

What  to  do  the  3^oimg  ranchman  did  not 
know,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  he  wished 
himself  heartily  out  of  the  difficulty.  It 
was  so  dark  he  could  not  see  three  yards 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  61 

ahead  of  him,  and  it  was  only  by  the  merest 
accident  that  he  struck  the  shack  at  last, 
and  then  he  found  it  empty,  for  the  herder 
had  gone  off  elsewhere  on  business. 

So  far  Roosevelt  had  seen  no  game,  so  he 
was  without  food,  and  what  made  matters 
worse,  the  larder  of  the  shack  proved  to  be 
empty.  All  he  had  with  him  was  a  little 
package  of  tea. 

It  was  a  dismal  outlook  truly,  and  espe- 
cially on  such  a  cold  night.  But  firewood 
was  at  hand,  and  after  turning  his  pony 
loose  to  shift  for  itself,  the  future  President 
of  oiu^  country  started  up  housekeeping 
for  himself  by  lighting  a  fire,  bringing  in 
some  water  from  under  the  ice  of  the  river, 
and  brewing  himself  a  good,  strong  cup  of 
tea !  It  was  not  a  very  nourishing  meal, 
but  it  was  all  he  had,  and  soon  after  that  he 
went  to  sleep,  trusting  for  better  luck  in  the 
morning. 

He  was  up  almost  before  daybreak,  and 
my  young  readers  can  rest  assured  that  by 
that  time  his  appetite  was  decidedly  keen. 
Listening  intently,  he  could  hear  the  grouse 
drumming  in  the  woods  close  by. 

"I  must  have  some  of   them,  and    that 


52  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

directly,"  he  told  himself,  and  rifle  in  hand 
lost  no  time  in  making  his  way  to  the 
woods.  By  keeping  out  of  sight  behind  the 
brushwood  he  managed  to  get  quite  close  to 
the  game,  and  so  brought  down  one  after 
another  until  he  had  five.  Such  success 
was  a  great  satisfaction  to  him,  and  return- 
ing to  the  shack  he  fixed  himself  a  break- 
fast of  broiled  sharptails,  to  which  he  did 
full  justice. 

It  was  not  all  play  at  the  ranches,  and 
sometimes  Theodore  Roosevelt  went  out 
with  his  men  to  round  up  the  cattle  and 
help  "cut  out"  what  was  his  own.  This 
was  hard  work,  for  frequently  the  cattle  did 
not  want  to  be  separated  from  the  beasts 
belonging  to  another  ranchman.  More 
than  once  an  angry  cow  or  a  bull  would 
charge,  and  then  there  would  be  a  lively 
scramble  on  pony-back  or  on  foot  to  get 
out  of  the  way.  Sometimes,  too,  the  cattle 
would  wander  off  and  get  lost,  and  then  a 
long  and  hard  hunt  would  be  necessary  in 
order  to  find  them  ao:ain. 

But  there  was  fun  as  well  as  hard  work, 
and  Mr.  Roosevelt  has  told  one  story  about 
a  skunk  that  is  sure  to  be  remembered.     He 


THEODORE   ROOSEVELT  53 

says  that  skunks  were  very  numerous,  and 
that  they  were  more  feared  tlian  larger  ani- 
mals by  the  cowboys  because  the  bite  was 
sm^e  to  bring  on  hydrophobia. 

One  night  a  number  of  the  cowboys 
and  Mr.  Roosevelt  were  sleeping  in  a  hut. 
A  skunk  came  along,  and  after  a  time 
worked  its  way  into  the  hut.  It  got 
among  the  pots  and  pans  and  made  a 
noise  which  quickly  awoke  a  Scotchman 
named  Sandy. 

Thinking  something  was  wrong,  Sandy 
struck  a  light,  and  seeing  the  eyes  of  the 
skunk,  fired.  But  his  aim  was  bad,  and  the 
animal  fled. 

"  What  were  you  firing  at  ?"  asked  half  a 
dozen  of  the  other  cowboys. 

The  Scotchman  explained,  and,  satisfied 
that  it  had  been  a  skunk,  the  others  told 
him  he  had  better  leave  the  animal  alone  or 
there  would  be  trouble. 

Nobody  thought  the  skunk  would  come 
back,  but  it  did,  and  again  Sandy  heard  it 
among  the  pots  and  pans.  This  was  too 
much  for  his  Scotch  blood,  and  taking  aim 
once  more,  he  fired  and  gave  the  skunk  a 
mortal  wound.     At  once  the  hut  was  filled 


54  AMERICAN  boys'  LIFE  OF 

with  a  powerful  odor  that  made  all  the 
inmates  rush  for  the  open  air. 

"Now  see  what  you  have  done!"  cried 
several,  indignantly. 

"  Hoot  mon  !  "  answered  the  Scotchman, 
holding  his  nose  tightly,  "A  didna  ken 
'twould  cause  sec'  a  tragedee ! " 

And  after  that  we  may  be  sure  that 
Sandy  let  skunks  severely  alone. 

Hunting  in  the  summer  time,  or  when  the 
weather  was  but  moderately  cold,  was  well 
enough,  but  hunting  in  the  dead  of  winter 
was  quite  a  different  thing.  Then  the  ther- 
mometer would  frequently  drop  to  thirty 
and  forty  degrees  below  zero,  and  there  would 
be  a  cutting  "  norther"  fit  to  freeze  the  very 
marrow  in  one's  bones.  Seldom  was  there 
much  snow,  but  when  it  came,  it  caused  a 
veritable  blizzard,  during  which  neither  man 
nor  beast  felt  like  stirring  out. 

It  was  during  such  weather  that  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  once  had  the  tip  of  his  nose 
and  one  cheek  frozen  —  something  that 
caused  him  not  a  little  pain  and  trouble 
for  a  long  time  afterward. 

It  was  in  those  dreary  days  that  the  logs 
were  piled  high  in  the  broad  fireplace  of  the 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  55 

ranch  home,  and  Theodore  Roosevelt  spent 
his  days  in  reading  and  studying,  in  writing 
letters  to  his  friends  and  relatives,  and  in 
penning  some  of  the  hunting  sketches  that 
have  won  him  literary  fame. 

One  day,  early  in  the  winter,  Theodore 
Roosevelt  and  his  foreman  went  out  to  see 
if  they  could  not  bring  in  two  white-tail  deer 
which  had  been  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
ranch  the  day  before.  One  of  the  deer,  a 
large  buck,  had  been  shot  in  the  ankle  by 
the  foreman,  so  the  beginning  of  the  trail 
was  easy  to  follow.  The  buck  and  his 
mate  had  gone  into  a  thicket,  and  it  was 
likely  that  there  the  pair  had  spent  the 
night. 

"  We'll  have  our  own  trouble  finding  the 
tracks  again,"  said  the  foreman.  And  so  it 
proved  ;  for  during  the  night  some  cattle  and 
other  animals  had  passed  in  and  out  of  the 
thicket,  which  covered  a  large  extent  of 
territory. 

At  last  the  hunters  hit  upon  the  right 
trail,  and  the  foreman  went  ahead,  leaving 
Roosevelt  to  keep  somewhat  toward  the  out- 
side of  the  cover.  Both  were  wide-awake 
and  on  the  alert,  and  presently  the  foreman 


66  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

announced  that  he  had  found  the  spot 
where  the  wounded  buck  had  passed  the 
night. 

"  He  is  not  very  far  from  here,"  said  the 
foreman,  and  hardly  had  he  said  this  than 
Theodore  Roosevelt  heard  a  cracking  of 
fallen  twigs  and  a  breaking  of  the  brush 
and  lower  limbs  of  the  trees  as  the  buck 
rushed  through  the  thicket.  He  ran  with 
all  speed  in  the  direction  and  took  station 
behind  a  large  tree. 

Only  a  few  seconds  passed,  and  then  the 
buck  showed  his  head  and  antlers  among  the 
brushwood.  He  was  gazing  ahead  anxiously, 
no  doubt  trying  to  decide  if  it  would  be  safe 
to  leap  into  the  open  and  run  up  the  trail. 
Then  he  turned  his  gaze  directly  toward 
where  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  crouching, 
rifle  in  hand. 

Another  instant  and  it  would  have  been 
too  late.  But  just  as  the  buck's  head  was 
turned  and  he  sniffed  the  air  suspiciously, 
the  young  ranchman  pulled  the  trigger. 

"  He  turned  his  head  sharply  toward  me 
as  I  raised  the  rifle,"  says  Mr.  Roosevelt,  in 
writing  of  this  adventure,  "  and  the  bullet 
went  fairly  into  his  throat,  just  imder  the 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  67 

jaw,  breaking  his  neck,  and  bringing  him 
down  in  his  tracks  with  hardly  a  kick." 

The  buck  proved  to  be  an  extra  fine  one, 
and  the  two  hunters  lost  no  time  in  dressing 
the  game  and  taking  it  to  the  ranch.  Not 
wishing  to  go  back  for  their  horses,  the  two 
dragged  the  game  over  the  snow,  each  taking 
hold  of  an  antler  for  that  purpose.  It  was 
intensely  cold,  so  that  each  of  the  hunters 
had  to  drag;  first  with  one  hand  and  then 
with  the  other  for  fear  of  having  his  fingers 
frozen. 

This  was  one  of  the  times  when  the  yoimg 
ranchman  and  hunter  was  successful  in  his 
quest.  But  Mr.  Roosevelt  has  not  hesitated 
to  tell  of  the  many  times  he  has  gone  out  on 
the  hunt  only  to  return  empty-handed  and 
glad  enough  to  get  back  to  a  warm  shelter 
and  where  he  was  sure  of  a  good  meal. 

"Ranching  and  huntmg  was  no  bed  of 
roses,"  some  one  who  knew  him  at  that  time 
has  said.  "  Many  a  time  he  came  back  ut- 
terly fagged  out  and  not  a  thing  to  show  for 
his  labor.  But  he  never  complained,  and  on 
the  contrary  could  generally  tell  a  pretty  good 
story  about  something  he  had  seen  or  had 
taken  note  of.     In  the  summer  he  would 


58  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

examine  the  nests  of  birds  and  water-fowl 
with  great  care,  and  I  have  seen  him  with  a 
horned  frog  before  him,  studying  every  point 
of  the  creature." 

Once  while  on  the  prairie  the  young  ranch- 
man was  caught  in  a  heavy  hail-storm.  He 
was  out  with  a  number  of  others,  when,  with 
scarcely  any  warning,  the  sky  began  to  grow 
dark,  and  the  wind  came  up  in  fitful  gusts. 

"  We  must  get  out  of  this,  and  quick  too," 
said  a  companion.  And  all  pushed  onward 
as  fast  as  they  could.  But  soon  the  heavy 
fall  of  hail  overtook  them,  and  they  were  glad 
enough  to  seek  even  the  slight  shelter  of  a 
deep  washout,  where  men  and  horses  huddled 
close  together  for  protection.  The  hailstones 
came  down  as  large  as  marbles,  causing  the 
horses  to  jump  around  in  a  fashion  that 
was  particularly  dangerous  to  themselves 
and  to  their  owners.  The  time  was  August, 
yet  the  air  grew  very  cold,  and  when  the 
storm  was  over,  some  cattle  were  found  com- 
pletely benumbed.  A  few  had  been  killed, 
and  there  had  likewise  been  great  slaughter 
among  a  flock  of  lambs  that  had  been  driven 
into  the  Bad  Lands  the  year  previous. 

Mr.  Roosevelt  tells  us  that  the  greatest 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  59 

number  of  black-tailed  deer  he  ever  killed 
in  one  day  was  three.  He  is  a  true  sports- 
man in  this  respect  and  does  not  kill  for  the 
mere  sake  of  killing.  Those  who  go  out  just 
to  slaughter  all  they  possibly  can  are  not 
sportsmen,  but  butchers.  To  be  sikc,  a 
hunter  may  have  to  play  the  butcher  at 
times,  when  the  meat  is  needed,  but  not 
otherwise. 

On  the  occasion  when  the  three  blacktails 
were  laid  low  the  young  ranchman  and  his 
foreman  started  on  the  hunt  very  early  in 
the  morning,  when  the  bright  moon  was  still 
in  the  sky.  It  was  late  in  November  and 
stinging  cold,  so  they  allowed  their  horses 
to  take  their  own  pace,  which  was  far  from 
slow. 

The  coiurse  of  the  hunters  was  up  the  bed 
of  a  dry  creek,  along  which  they  passed  the 
still  sleeping  cattle  and  also  a  drove  of  po- 
nies. Then  they  reached  a  spot  where  they 
left  their  own  steeds,  and,  rifles  in  hand,  hur- 
ried silently  toward  a  great  plateau  which 
lay  some  distance  before  them.  Signs  of 
deer  could  be  seen  on  every  hand,  and  both 
were  certain  that  the  day's  outing  would 
prove  a  grand  success. 


60  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

Theodore  Roosevelt  had  separated  from 
his  companion  when  of  a  sudden  he  caught 
sight  of  a  beautiful  doe.  It  was  a  fair  shot, 
and  dropping  on  one  knee  he  took  aim  and 
fired.  But  to  his  intense  chagrin  the  doe 
bounded  off  and  disappeared  in  the  brush- 
wood. 

"Hit  anything?"  sang  out  the  foreman. 

"  I  am  afraid  not,"  was  the  answer. 

"Never  mind;  better  luck  next  time." 
And  then  both  sank  down  behmd  a  rock 
where  they  could  get  a  good  view  of  a  hol- 
low ahead  of  them. 

They  had  been  behind  the  rock  but  a  short 
time  when  they  heard  a  cracking  of  twigs, 
and  a  fine  black-tail  buck  came  cautiously 
into  view.  Both  fired,  and  the  buck  rolled 
over,  never  to  rise  again.  Then  another 
deer  came  into  view  and  both  fired  again, 
but  the  game  was  not  struck  and  lost  no 
time  in  disappearing. 

"  Never  mind ;  one  isn't  so  bad,"  said 
Theodore  Roosevelt,  and  his  companion 
agreed  with  him. 

The  hunters  now  decided  to  go  forward 
into  the  hollow  and  look  for  the  doe  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  had  missed.     This  was  done, 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  61 

and  soon  the  foreman  pointed  to  some  drops 
and  splashes  of  blood. 

"  Must  have  hit  her,  after  all,"  said  the 
foreman.  "  We  can  take  our  time  about 
following  her  up.  We'll  be  sure  to  get  her 
sooner  or  later." 

But  locating  the  wounded  doe  proved  not 
so  easy,  after  all.  The  trail  was  followed  for 
some  time,  but  was  lost  on  the  hard  ground 
higher  up;  and  at  last  the  two  hunters 
agreed  to  look  for  new  game.  They  had 
lunch,  and  then  started  out  nearly  as  fresh 
as  before  when  suddenly  the  foreman  called 
out:  — 

"  There's  your  game  all  right !  " 

He  pointed  to  a  clmnp  of  bushes,  and 
rimning  forward,  both  saw  the  doe  stretched 
out,  stiff  and  cold.  She  had  been  mortally 
wounded,  after  all,  much  to  both  hunters' 
gratification. 

So  far  the  himting  had  been  on  foot,  but 
now  the  hunters  took  again  to  their  steeds. 
Mr.  Roosevelt  says  he  was  wishing  for  just 
one  more  shot,  to  see  if  he  could  not  do 
better  than  before,  when  his  wish  was  grati- 
fied. Just  ahead  a  yearling  black-tail  buck 
leaped  into  view  and  cantered  away.     After 


62  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

the  buck  went  both  hunters,  but  Theodore 
Roosevelt  was  in  the  lead,  and  this  time  deter- 
mined to  make  no  miss  or  poor  shot.  He 
waited  until  the  buck  turned  its  side  to 
him,  then  fired  with  especial  care.  The 
game  staggered  on,  then  fell.  The  bullet 
had  gone  clean  through  its  body,  and  in  a 
few  seconds  it  breathed  its  last. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  63 


CHAPTER   VII 

Runs  for  Mayor  of  New  York  City  —  Marriage 
TO  Edith  Kermit  Carew  —  Hunting  in  the  Big- 
horn Mountains  —  A  Wild  Chase  after  Three 
Elk 

Although  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  de- 
voting himself  to  ranching,  hunting,  and  lit- 
erary work  in  North  Dakota  he  had  by  no 
means  given  np  his  residence  in  New  York 
or  at  Oyster  Bay.  More  than  this,  he  still 
continued  his  connection  with  the  Repub- 
lican party  in  spite  of  the  set-back  at  the 
last  National  Convention. 

In  1886,  while  Grover  Cleveland  was  still 
President  of  the  United  States,  there  was 
an  exceedingly  sharp  and  bitter  fight  in 
New  York  City  over  the  office  of  mayor. 
There  was  great  discontent  both  in  the 
Republican  and  the  Democratic  party,  and 
nobody  could  tell  what  was  going  to  happen 
on  election  day. 

"  Let  us  put  up  Teddy  Roosevelt,"  said 
some  of  the  Republicans,  and  shortly  after 


64  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

this  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  nominated  for 
mayor  of  New  York.  His  regular  opponent 
was  Abram  Hewitt,  while  the  Independents 
put  up  Henry  George,  the  "  single  tax " 
man,  well  known  as  the  author  of  a  book 
entitled  "Progress  and  Poverty." 

From  the  very  start  the  campaign  was 
an  exceedingly  hot  one,  and  there  was  a 
good  deal  of  parading  and  speech-making. 
Many  clubs  were  organized  in  behalf  of 
Theodore  Roosevelt,  and  clubs  were  like- 
wise formed  to  support  the  other  candidates. 
The  supporters  of  Henry  George  came  from 
both  regular  parties,  so  political  matters  be- 
came very  much  mixed  up. 

"  There  is  no  show  for  Roosevelt  imless 
George  withdraws,"  said  more  than  one  old 
politician. 

"And  George  won't  withdraw,"  added 
others.  And  so  it  proved.  Henry  George 
was  exceptionally  strong  with  the  poorer 
classes,  and  on  election  day  he  polled  over 
68,000  votes ;  90,552  votes  were  cast  for 
Hewitt,  while  Roosevelt  received  60,435 
votes. 

It  was  certainly  a  disheartening  defeat, 
and  many  a  man  would  have  retired  from 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  65 

the  political  field,  never  to  show  himself 
again.  But  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  made 
of  sterner  stuff.  He  held  his  ground  and 
went  his  way  as  before,  resolved  to  do  his 
duty  as  it  should  present  itself. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  his  intimacy 
with  Miss  Edith  Kermit  Carew  was  re- 
newed. It  will  be  remembered  that  she 
had  been  his  playmate  during  his  earlier 
days  around  Union  Square.  In  the  years 
that  had  followed  she  had  been  graduated 
from  a  young  ladies'  seminary  and  had 
travelled  abroad,  visiting  London,  Paris,  and 
other  large  cities.  Now  she  was  home  again, 
and  on  December  2,  1886,  she  became  Mr. 
Roosevelt's  wife. 

Mr.  Roosevelt's  second  marriage  has  been 
a  very  happy  one.  Mrs.  Roosevelt  is  a 
loving  wife  and  a  gracious  mistress  of  the 
White  House.  Five  children  ha7e  come  to 
bless  their  union,  of  which  more  will  be  said 
later.  Mrs.  Roosevelt  at  once  took  Mr. 
Roosevelt's  daughter  Alice  to  her  heart,  and 
from  that  time  to  this  the  two  have  been  as 
mother  and  daughter. 

Theodore  Roosevelt  had  already  produced 
his  "  Naval  War  of  1812  "  and  his  "Hunt- 


66  AMERICAN  BOYS'  LIFE  OF 

ing  TrijDs  of  a  Ranchman,"  both  spoken  of 
in  previous  pages.  A  short  while  after 
he  was  married  the  second  time  he  brought 
out  a  "  Life  of  Thomas  Benton,"  and  a  year 
later  a  "Life  of  Gouvemeur  Morris."  In 
addition  to  this  he  wrote  a  number  of  arti- 
cles for  the  magazines,  and  also  some  short 
stories  for  young  folks.  All  were  well  re- 
ceived and  added  not  a  little  to  his  literary 
reputation. 

But  the  desire  to  be  out  in  the  open,  to 
roam  the  prairie  and  to  hunt,  was  in  his 
veins,  and  again  and  again  he  visited  his 
ranches  in  the  Bad  Lands,  and  took  hunting 
trips  in  other  directions.  Sometimes  he 
cared  little  or  nothing  for  the  game  brought 
down,  and  at  others  he  went  on  the  hunt 
with  great  deliberation,  for  "something 
worth  while,"  as  he  expressed  it. 

How  careful  he  could  be  on  the  latter 
occasions  is  shown  by  his  printed  views  on 
hunting,  in  which  he  discusses  the  best 
rifles,  shot-guns,  and  pistols  to  use,  the  best 
knives  to  carry,  how  to  dress  with  comfort, 
and  how  to  follow  up  game,  on  horseback 
and  on  foot,  in  the  open  and  when  in  the 
woods  or  in  the  short  brush.     He  has  also 


/; 


\/^-V«>*-t-<-<2^        /%--»-Tl-^-7<Z--^:<^- 


THEOBOBE  BOOSEVELT  6T 

told  US  much  about  the  habits  of  the  beasts 
and  birds  that  he  has  hunted,  showing  that 
he  followed  the  sport  intelligently  and  not 
in  the  haphazard  fashion  of  many  who  go 
out  merely  to  get  a  big  bagful  of  game. 

Hunting  was  not  all  fun  in  those  days. 
We  have  already  related  how  Theodore 
Roosevelt  was  caught  in  a  heavy  hail-storm. 
At  another  time  he  and  his  companions  were 
caught  in  a  three-days'  rain-storm,  diu-ing 
which  the  wind  blew  a  hurricane.  They 
were  miles  away  from  the  ranch  home,  and 
it  was  utterly  impossible  to  move  in  any 
direction . 

"  Reckon  we  are  booked  to  stay  here,"  said 
one  of  the  cowboys,  a  fellow  from  the  South. 
"  It's  a  right  smart  storm,  and  it's  going  to 
stay  by  us."  And  stay  by  them  it  did,  until 
the  party  were  almost  out  of  provisions. 
They  got  what  shelter  they  could  in  some- 
thing of  a  hollow  overhung  with  trees  and 
brush,  but  this  was  not  very  satisfactory, 
and  all  were  soaked  to  the  skin,  and  the 
blankets  in  which  they  rolled  themselves  at 
night  were  both  wet  and  muddy. 

"Teddy  Roosevelt  didn't  like  that  wet- 
ting, and  I  know  it,"  one  of  the  cowboys 


68  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

has  said  since.  "But  he  didn't  grumble 
near  as  much  as  some  of  the  others.  We 
had  to  take  our  medicine,  and  he  took  his 
like  a  man." 

There  were  no  elk  in  the  immediate  vi- 
cinity of  Theodore  Roosevelt's  ranches,  nor 
were  there  many  bears  or  buffaloes.  But  all 
of  these  animals  were  to  be  met  with  fmiher 
westward,  and  the  young  ranchman  had 
been  after  them  during  a  previous  year's 
hunting  while  on  a  trip  to  Montana  and 
Wyoming. 

At  that  time  the  destination  of  the  party 
was  the  Bighorn  Mountains,  which  were 
reached  only  after  a  painful  and  disheart- 
ening journey  over  a  very  uncertain  Indian 
trail,  during  which  one  of  the  ponies  fell  into 
a  washout  and  broke  his  neck,  and  a  mule 
stuck  fast  in  a  mud-hole  and  was  extricated 
only  after  hours  of  hard  work. 

"It  was  on  the  second  day  of  our  jom^ney 
into  the  mountains  that  I  got  my  first  sight 
of  elk,''  says  Mr.  Roosevelt.  The  party  was 
on  the  trail  leading  into  a  broad  valley, 
moving  slowly  and  cautiously  along  through 
a  patch  of  pine  trees.  When  the  bottom  of 
the  valley  was  gained,  Mr.  Roosevelt  saw  a 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  69 

herd  of  cow  ellv  at  a  great  distance,  and  soon 
after  took  a  shot  at  one,  but  failed  to  reach 
his  mark. 

"I'm  going  after  that  herd,"  he  said. 
And  as  soon  as  the  party  had  pitched  camp, 
he  salHed  forth  in  one  direction,  while  his 
foreman,  Merrifield,  took  another. 

As  Theodore  Roosevelt  had  supposed,  the 
elk  had  gone  off  in  a  bunch,  and  for  some 
distance  it  was  easy  to  follow  them.  But 
further  on  the  herd  had  spread  out,  and  he 
had  to  follow  with  more  care,  for  fear  of 
getting  on  the  wrong  trail,  for  elk  tracks 
ran  in  all  directions  over  the  mountains. 
These  tracks  are  there  to-day,  but  the  elk 
and  the  bears  are  fast  disappearing,  for 
ruthless  hunters  have  done  their  best  to  ex- 
terminate the  game. 

After  passing  along  for  several  miles, 
Theodore  Roosevelt  felt  he  must  be  drawing 
close  to  the  herd.  Just  then  his  rifle  hap- 
pened to  tap  on  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  and  in- 
stantly he  heard  the  elk  moving  away  in  new 
alarm.  His  hunting  blood  was  now  aroused, 
and  he  rushed  forward  with  all  speed,  but 
as  silently  as  possiljle.  By  taking  a  short 
cut,  the  yoimg  ranchman  managed  to  come 


70  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

up  beside  the  running  elk.  They  were  less 
than  twenty  yards  away,  and  had  it  not  been 
for  the  many  trees  which  were  on  every  side, 
he  would  have  had  an  excellent  shot  at  them. 
As  it  was  he  brought  low  a  fine,  full-grown 
cow  elk,  and  hit  a  bull  calf  in  the  hind 
leg.  Later  on  he  took  up  the  trail  of  the 
calf  and  finished  that  also. 

Of  this  herd  the  foreman  also  brought 
down  two,  so  that  for  the  time  being  the 
hunters  had  all  the  meat  they  needed.  But 
Theodore  Roosevelt  was  anxious  to  obtain 
some  elk  horns  as  trophies  of  the  chase,  and 
day  after  day  a  watch  was  kept  for  bull  elk, 
as  the  hunters  moved  the  camp  from  one 
place  to  another. 

At  last  the  long-looked-for  opportunity 
arrived.  Three  big  bulls  were  seen,  and 
Roosevelt  and  his  man  went  after  them  with 
all  possible  speed.  They  were  on  foot,  and 
the  trail  led  them  over  some  soft  ground, 
and  then  through  a  big  patch  of  burnt 
timber.  Here  running  was  by  no  means 
easy,  and  more  than  once  both  hunters 
pitched  headlong  into  the  dirt  and  soot, 
until  they  were  covered  from  head  to  foot. 
But  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  bound  to  get 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  71 

the  elk,  and  kept  on  until  the  sweat  was 
pouring  down  his  face  and  neck.  Shot 
after  shot  was  fired,  and  all  three  of  the 
animals  were  wounded,  but  still  they  kept 
on  bounding  away. 

"  One  is  down ! "  shouted  Roosevelt  at  last. 
And  the  new^s  proved  true ;  the  smallest  of 
the  bulls  had  rocked  unsteadily  for  a  few 
seconds  and  gone  to  earth.  Then  on  and  on 
after  the  remaining  game  sped  the  hunters, 
panting  and  sweating  as  before. 

"  The  sweat  streamed  down  in  my  eyes  and 
made  furrows  in  the  sooty  mud  that  covered 
my  face,  from  having  fallen  full  length  down 
on  the  burnt  earth,"  writes  the  dauntless 
hunter,  in  relating  this  story.  "  I  sobbed 
for  breath  as  I  toiled  at  a  shambling  trot 
after  them,  as  nearly  done  out  as  could  well 
be." 

But  he  did  not  give  up ;  and  now  the  elk 
took  a  turn  and  went  downhill,  with  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  pitching  after  them,  ready  to 
drop  from  exhaustion,  but  full  of  that  grit  to 
win  out  which  has  since  won  the  admiration 
of  all  who  know  the  man.  The  second  bull 
fell ;  and  now  but  one  remained,  and  this 
dashed  into  a  thicket.     On  its  heels  went 


72  AMERICAN  BOYS'  LIFE  OF 

the  daring  hunter,  running  the  chance  of 
having;  the  elk  turn  on  him  as  soon  as 
cornered,  in  which  case,  had  Roosevelt's 
rifle  been  empty,  the  struggle  for  life  on 
both  sides  would  have  been  a  fierce  one. 

In  the  midst  of  the  thicket  the  hunter  had 
to  pause,  for  the  elk  was  now  out  of  sight, 
and  there  was  no  telling  what  new  course 
had  been  taken  by  the  game.  At  a  distance 
he  saw  a  yellow  body  imder  the  evergreen 
trees,  and,  taking  hasty  aim,  fired.  When  he 
came  up,  he  was  somewhat  dismayed  to  learn 
that  he  had  not  brought  down  the  elk,  but  a 
black-tail  deer  instead.  In  the  meantime, 
the  elk  got  away,  and  it  proved  impossible 
to  pick  up  the  trail  again. 

There  is  a  valuable  lesson  to  be  learned 
from  this  hunting  trip,  and  one  that  all 
young  readers  should  take  to  heart.  It 
shows  what  sticking  at  a  thing  can  accom- 
plish. Mr.  Roosevelt  had  determined  to  get 
at  least  a  portion  of  that  game,  no  matter 
what  the  labor  and  hardship  inyolved. 
Many  a  hunter  would  have  given  up  in  dis- 
gust or  despair  after  the  first  few  shots  were 
fired  and  it  looked  as  if  the  elk  were  out  of 
range  and  intended  to  keep  out.     But  this 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  73 

determined  young  man  did  not  give  np  thus 
easily.  Hard  as  was  that  run  up  hill  and 
down,  and  regardless  of  the  tumbles  taken, 
and  that  he  was  so  tired  he  could  scarcely 
stand,  he  kept  on  until  two  elk  were 
brought  down,  and  it  was  firmly  settled 
that  the  third  could  not  be  captured. 

The  way  to  accomplish  anything  in  this 
life  is  to  stick  at  it.  Theodore  Roosevelt 
understood  this  truth  even  when  he  went 
to  college,  for  in  the  Harvard  journal  of 
which  he  was  an  editor  he  wrote,  speaking 
of  foot-ball  practice,  "  What  is  most  neces- 
sary is  that  every  man  should  realize  the 
necessity  of  faithful  and  honest  woYk^every 
afternoon^  He  put  "every  afternoon"  in 
italics  himself,  and  he  meant  that  every  foot- 
ball player  who  hoped  to  win  in  the  inter- 
collegiate foot-ball  games  should  stick  at  it 
until  he  had  made  himself  as  perfect  a 
player  as  possible.  A  victory  worth  gaining 
is  worth  working  for,  and  usually  the  hard- 
est-earned victories  are  the  sweetest. 


74  AMEBIC  AN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Bringing  down  a  Grizzly  Bear  —  Back  to  New 
York  —  Appointed  a  Civil  Service  Commissioner 
—  The  Work  of  the  Commission 

It  was  while  in  the  Bighorn  Mountains 
that  Theodore  Roosevelt  got  his  first  shot 
at  a  bear.  He  had  been  wanting  such  a 
chance  for  a  good  many  years,  but  up  to 
that  date  the  bears  had  kept  well  out  of 
his  sight. 

In  his  writings  he  has  said  much  about 
bears,  both  common  and  grizzly,  and  told  of 
their  habits,  and  how  they  have  been  tracked 
down  and  shot  at  various  times  of  the  year. 
He  holds  to  the  opinion  that  the  average 
bear  would  rather  run  away  than  fight,  yet 
he  tells  the  story  of  how  one  bear  faced  the 
hunter  who  had  shot  him,  and  gave  the  man 
one  blow  with  his  powerful  paw  that  proved 
fatal. 

One  day  his  companion  of  the  hunt  came 
riding  in  with  the  carcass  of  a  black  bear 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  75 

killed  in  a  network  of  hollows  and  ravines 
some  miles  from  their  present  camp. 

"  The  hollows  are  full  of  bear  tracks," 
said  Merrifield.  "  I  am  sure,  if  we  go  up 
there,  we'll  get  one  or  more  black  bears  and 
perhaps  a  grizzly." 

"  Then  let  us  go  by  all  means,"  responded 
Theodore  Roosevelt.  And  no  time  was  lost 
in  moving  to  the  new  locality. 

The  hunters  had  been  out  nearly  all  of 
the  next  day,  when,  on  returning  through 
the  forest  toward  nightfall,  Roosevelt  came 
across  the  footmarks  of  a  large  bear.  He 
tried  to  follow  them,  but  night  closed  in  on 
him,  and  he  had  to  return  to  camp.  That 
very  night  the  bear  came  around  the  camp, 
looking  for  something  to  eat. 

"Let  us  try  to  bring  him  down,"  cried 
Roosevelt,  seizing  his  rifle,  while  his  com- 
panion did  the  same.  But  outside  it  was 
pitch  dark. 

"  Do  you  see  him  ?  "  questioned  Merri- 
field. 

"No." 

"  Neither  do  I." 

"  Listen." 

Both  listened,  and  at  a  distance  heard  the 


76  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE   OF 

bear  lumbering  off  slowly  through  the  ^yoods. 
They  went  forward  a  short  distance,  then 
came  to  a  halt. 

"We'll  have  to  give  it  up  for  the  pres- 
ent," said  Theodore  Roosevelt.  "  But  I  am 
going  to  have  him,  sooner  or  later,  if  the 
thing  is  possible." 

Early  the  next  morning  both  of  the  hunt- 
ers sallied  forth  and  discovered  that  the  bear 
had  been  at  the  carcasses  of  some  game  left 
in  the  forest.     The  tracks  were  fresh. 

"  He  has  been  here,  no  doubt  of  it,"  said 
Merrifield.  "  Shall  we  wait  for  him  to  come 
again  ? " 

"  We  might  as  well,"  was  the  answer. 
"  He'll  get  hungry  again,  sooner  or 
later." 

So  the  pair  sat  down  to  watch.  But  the 
bear  was  shy,  and  kept  his  distance.  Then 
it  grew  dark  once  more,  so  that  but  little 
could  be  seen  under  the  trees. 

"He  knows  enough  to  keep  away,"  said 
Roosevelt's  companion. 

"  Hark  !  "  was  the  reply  and  both  strained 
their  ears.  There  was  a  faint  crackling  of 
twigs,  and  they  felt  certain  it  was  the  bear. 
But  it  was  too  dark  to  see   anything;    so 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  77 

both  shouldered  their  rifles  and  walked  back 
to  camp. 

Here  was  another  illustration  of  Theodore 
Roosevelt's  method  of  sticking  at  a  thing. 
Two  days  had  been  spent  in  trying  to  get 
that  bear,  and  yet  he  did  not  give  up.  On 
the  following  morning  he  sallied  forth  once 
more,  as  full  of  hope  as  before. 

The  bear  had  been  at  the  carcass  again, 
and  the  trail  was  now  one  to  be  followed 
with  ease. 

"  I'm  going  to  hunt  him  down  to  his 
lair,"  said  Theodore  Roosevelt,  and  stalked 
off  with  his  companion  beside  him.  Soon 
they  were  again  deep  in  the  woods,  walking 
perhaps  where  the  foot  of  white  man  had 
never  before  trod.  Fallen  trees  were  every- 
where, and  over  these  they  often  had  to  climb. 

"  Getting  closer,"  whispered  Roosevelt's 
companion,  and  pointed  to  some  fresh  claw 
scratches  on  the  bark  of  fallen  trees. 

They  now  moved  forward  as  silently  as 
Indians,  sure  that  the  bear  could  not  be  far 
off.  Suddenly  Merrifield  dropped  on  his 
knee  as  if  to  take  aim.  Roosevelt  sprang 
to  the  front,  with  rifle  raised.  The  bear 
was   there,    standing   upright,    only  a   few 


78  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

paces  away.  Without  hesitation  Theodore 
Roosevelt  fired.  His  aim  was  true,  and  the 
great  beast  fell  with  a  bullet  straight  be- 
tween the  eyes.  The  leaden  messenger  had 
entered  his  brain,  and  he  died  with  scarcely 
a  struggle. 

"  The  whole  thing  was  over  in  twenty 
seconds  from  the  time  I  caught  sight  of  the 
game,"  writes  Mr.  Roosevelt,  in  his  book 
*'  Hunting  Trips  on  the  Prairies "  (Part  II 
of  "  Hunting  Trips  of  a  Ranchman").  "  In- 
deed it  was  over  so  quickly  that  the  grizzly 
did  not  have  time  to  show  fight  at  all  or 
come  a  step  toward  me.  It  was  the  first  I 
had  ever  seen,  and  I  felt  not  a  little  proud 
as  I  stood  over  the  great  brindled  bulk  which 
lay  stretched  out  at  length  in  the  cool  shade 
of  the  evergreens.  He  was  a  monstrous 
fellow,  much  larger  than  any  I  have  seen 
since,  whether  alive  or  brought  in  dead  by 
hunters.  As  near  as  we  could  estimate  he 
must  have  weighed  about  twelve  hundred 
pounds." 

There  is  a  bear  story  for  you,  l^oys.  And 
the  best  of  it  is,  it  is  every  word  true.  In 
later  j^ears  Theodore  Roosevelt  brought 
down  many  more  grizzlies,  but  I  doubt  if 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  79 

he  was  as  proud  of  them  as  he  was  of  that 
first  capture. 

While  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  spending 
a  large  part  of  his  time  in  hunting  and  in 
literary  work,  and  in  studying  political 
economy,  Grover  Cleveland's  first  term  as 
President  came  to  an  end,  and  Benjamin 
Harrison  was  inaugurated  to  fill  the  office 
of  Chief  Magistrate. 

At  that  time  the  question  of  Civil  Service 
was  again  being  agitated.  Theodore  Roose- 
velt was  a  warm  advocate  of  the  merit 
system,  and  knowing  this,  President  Harri- 
son appointed  him,  in  1889,  a  Civil  Service 
Commissioner,  and  this  office  he  held  for  six 
years,  until  his  resignation  in  1895.  When 
Benjamin  Harrison's  term  of  office  was  up, 
and  Grover  Cleveland  was  reelected  to  the 
Presidency,  it  was  thought  that  Roosevelt 
would  have  to  go,  but  his  friend,  the  newly 
elected  President,  wished  him  to  remain  as 
a  commissioner,  and  he  did  so  for  two  years 
longer,  thus  servmg  both  under  a  Republican 
and  a  Democratic  administration. 

To  some  of  my  young  readers  the  term 
Civil  Service,  as  applied  here,  may  be  a  bit 
perplexing.     For  the  benefit  of  such  let  me 


80  AMERICAN  boys"   LIFE  OF 

state  tliat  civil  service  here  applies  to  the 
thousands  of  persons  who  work  for  the 
government,  such  as  post-office  clerks,  letter 
carriers,  clerks  in  the  various  departments 
at  Washington,  like  the  Treasury,  the  Con- 
gressional Library,  the  Government  Printing 
Office,  the  War  Department,  and  the  hundred 
and  one  other  branches  in  which  Uncle  Sam 
needs  assistance. 

For  seventy  or  eighty  years  these  various 
positions  had  been  under  what  is  commonly 
called  the  "  spoils  system."  "  To  the  victor 
belong  the  spoils,"  had  been  the  old  motto, 
which  generally  meant  that  the  party  hap- 
pening to  be  in  power  could  do  as  it  pleased 
about  dealing  out  employment  to  those 
under  it.  A  worker  might  have  been  ever  so 
faithful  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  but  if 
the  administration  was  changed,  he  ran  the 
risk  of  losing  his  position  without  any  notice. 

Statesmen  of  both  great  political  parties 
had  long  seen  the  injustice  of  the  spoils 
system,  but  few  cared  to  take  the  matter  up 
for  fear  of  offending  their  political  friends. 
But  as  matters  grew  worse,  those  who  were 
honest  said  they  would  stand  such  a  system 
no  longer,  and  they  began  to  advocate  the 


THEODORE  BOOSEVELT  81 

merit  plan,  whereby  each  worker  for  our 
government  should  stand  on  his  merit,  so 
that  he  could  not  be  removed  from  his  posi- 
tion without  just  cause.  This  merit  system 
is  in  operation  to-day  and  is  a  most  excel- 
lent thing,  only  becoming  dangerous  when 
extended  too  far. 

There  were  two  other  commissioners 
besides  Mr.  Koosevelt  on  the  Commission, 
but  all  worked  together  in  harmony,  al- 
though in  many  moves  taken  Mr.  Roosevelt 
was  the  leader.  About  this  work  he  has 
written  a  notable  essay  called  "  Six  Years 
of  Civil  Service  Reform,"  in  which  he  re- 
views much  of  the  work  done.  In  this 
essay,  among  many  other  things,  he  says  :  — 

"  No  republic  can  permanently  endure 
when  its  politics  are  corrupt  and  base ;  and 
the  spoils  system, —  the  application  in  politi- 
cal life  of  the  degrading  doctrine  that  to  the 
victor  belong  the  spoils,  —  produces  corrup- 
tion and  degradation.  The  man  who  is  in 
politics  for  the  offices  might  just  as  well  be 
in  politics  for  the  money  he  can  get  for  his 
vote,  so  far  as  the  general  good  is  con- 
cerned." Certainly  wise  words  and  well 
worth  remembering. 


82  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

The  work  of  the  Commission  was  by  no 
means  easy,  and  the  members  were  often 
accused  of  doing  some  things  merely  to  ben- 
efit their  own  particular  party  or  friends. 
Politicians  of  the  old  sort,  who  wanted 
everything  they  could  lay  hands  on,  fought 
civil  service  bitterly,  and  even  those  who 
might  have  been  expected  to  help  often 
held  back,  fearing  they  would  lose  their 
own  popularity.  Yet  on  the  other  hand, 
some  members  of  Congress  upheld  the  Com- 
mission nobly,  and  when  President  Garfield 
was  assassinated  by  a  half-crazy  office-seeker 
many  more  came  forward  and  clamored  to 
put  public  offices  on  the  merit  system  by  all 
means. 

Part  of  the  work  of  the  Commission  was 
to  prosecute  the  head  of  any  bureau  or  de- 
partment where  an  employee  had  been  dis- 
charged or  had  suffered  without  just  cause. 
Such  cases  came  up  in  large  numbers  and 
were  prosecuted  with  all  the  vigor  of  which 
the  Commission  were  capable. 

"We  were  not  always  successful  in  these 
trials,"  says  Mr.  Roosevelt.  "  But  we  won 
out  in  the  majority  of  cases,  and  we  gave 
the  wrong-doing  such  a  wide  publicity  that 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  83 

those  who  were  guilty  hesitated  to  repeat 
their  actions."  And  he  goes  on  to  add 
that  during  his  term  of  service  not  over  one 
per  cent,  of  those  who  worked  for  Uncle  Sam 
were  dismissed  purely  for  political  reasons. 
This  was  certainly  an  excellent  record,  and 
our  government  will  do  well  to  maintain 
such  a  high  standard  in  the  future. 

To  give  a  further  idea  of  the  work  re- 
quired in  the  way  of  examinations  for  posi- 
tions under  our  government,  let  me  state 
that  during  the  year  from  July  1,  1890,  to 
July  1,  1891,  5251  applicants  were  ex- 
amined for  the  departments  service,  1579 
for  the  customs  service,  8538  for  the  postal 
service,  3706  for  the  railway  mail  service, 
making  a  total  of  nearly  20,000,  of  which 
about  13,000  passed  and  the  balance  failed. 
Since  our  war  with  Spain,  the  work  of  the 
government  has  been  vastly  increased,  and 
the  places  to  be  filled  every  year  run  up 
into  figures  that  are  startling. 

One  of  the  best  and  wisest  acts  of  the 
Commission  was  to  place  the  colored  em- 
ployees of  the  government  on  an  equal  foot- 
ing with  the  white  employees.  In  the  past 
the  colored  employees  had   occupied   their 


84  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

places  merely  through  the  whim  or  good- 
will of  those  over  them.  Now  this  was 
changed,  and  any  colored  man  who  could 
pass  the  examination,  and  who  was  willing 
to  attend  strictly  to  his  labor,  was  as  safe  in 
his  situation  as  anybody. 


THEODORE  EOOSEVELT  85 


CHAPTER  IX 

A  Trip  to  the  Shoshone  Mountains  —  Caught  in  a 
Driving  Snow-storm  —  Back  to  Work  —  Resigna- 
tion AS  Civil  Service  Commissioner 

Notwithstanding  the  great  amount  of 
labor  involved  as  a  Civil  Service  Commis- 
sioner, Theodore  Roosevelt  did  not  forego 
the  pleasures  of  the  hunt,  and  in  1891  he 
made  an  extended  trip  to  the  Shoshone 
Mountains  in  Wyoming,  going  after  elk  and 
such  other  game  as  might  present  itself. 

On  this  trip  he  was  accompanied  by  his 
ranch  partner,  a  skilled  shot  named  Fer- 
guson, and  two  old  hunters  named  Woody 
and  Hofer.  There  was  also  in  the  party  a 
young  fellow  who  looked  after  the  pack- 
horses,  fourteen  in  number. 

The  start  was  made  on  a  beautiful  day  in 
September,  and  the  party  journeyed  along 
at  a  gait  that  pleased  them,  bringing  down 
everything  that  came  to  hand  and  which 
could  be  used  as  meat.     Two  tents  were 


86  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE   OF 

carried,  one  for  slieltering  their  packs  at 
night  and  the  other  for  sleeping  purposes. 

In  his  book  called  "The  Wilderness 
Hunter,"  Mr.  Roosevelt  has  given  many  of 
the  details  of  this  grand  hunt,  which  he  says 
was  one  of  the  most  exciting  as  well  as  most 
pleasm-able  undertaken.  With  an  interest 
that  cannot  be  mistaken,  and  which  betrays 
the  true  sportsman  at  every  turn,  he  gives 
minute  descriptions  of  how  the  tents  were 
erected,  how  everything  in  camp  was  put  in 
its  proper  place,  and  how  on  wet  days  they 
would  huddle  around  the  camp-fire  in  the 
middle  of  the  larger  tent  to  keep  warm  and 
dry.  He  also  tells  how  the  packs  on  the 
horses  were  adjusted,  and  adds  that  the 
hunter  who  cannot  take  care  of  his  outfit 
while  on  the  hunt,  or  who  must  have  all  his 
game  stalked  for  him,  is  a  hunter  in  name 
only;  —  which  is  literally  true,  as  every 
genuine  sportsman  knows. 

The  young  Civil  Service  Commissioner 
went  out  garbed  in  a  fitting  hunting  cos- 
tume, consisting  of  a  buckskin  shirt,  with 
stout  leggings,  and  moccasins,  or,  when  occa- 
sion required,  alligator-leather  boots.  Heavy 
overcoats  were  also  carried  and  plenty  of 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  87 

blankets,  and  for  extra  cold  nights  Theodore 
Roosevelt  had  a  fur  sleeping-bag,  in  which, 
no  doubt,  he  slept  "  as  snug  as  a  bug  in  a 
rug." 

The  horses  of  a  pack-train  in  the  wild 
West  are  not  always  thoroughly  broken, 
and  although  the  majority  rarely  do  any- 
thing worse  than  lag  behind  or  stray  away, 
yet  occasionally  one  or  another  will  indulge 
in  antics  far  from  desired.  This  was  true 
on  the  present  occasion,  when  at  different 
times  the  pack-beasts  went  on  a  ''shindy" 
that  upset  all  calculations  and  scattered 
packs  far  and  wide,  causing  a  general  alarm 
and  hard  work  on  the  part  of  all  hands  to 
restore  quietness  and  order. 

For  two  days  the  hunters  pushed  on  into 
the  mountains  with  but  little  signs  of  game. 
Then  a  rain-storm  set  in  which  made  the 
outlook  a  dismal  one. 

"  Going  to  have  a  big  storm,"  said  one  of 
the  old  hunters. 

"  Never  mind,  we'll  have  to  take  it  as  it 
comes,"  was  Mr.  Roosevelt's  philosophical 
answer.  "We  can't  expect  good  weather 
every  day." 

It  was  almost  noon  of  that  day  when  all 


88  AMERICAN  boys'  LIFE  OF 

lieard  the  call  of  a  bull  elk,  echoing  over  the 
hills.  The  sound  came  from  no  great  dis- 
tance, and  in  the  face  of  the  rain,  Theodore 
Roosevelt  and  the  hunter  named  Woody  set 
off  on  foot  after  the  beast,  who  was  still 
calling  as  loudly  as  ever. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  hunters  could 
hear  the  bull  plainly,  as  he  pawed  the  earth, 
a  challenge  to  another  bull  who  was  answer- 
ing him  from  a  great  distance. 

"  We  are  gettin'  closer  to  him,"  said 
Woody.  "Got  to  go  slow  now,  or  he'll 
take  alarm  and  be  off  like  a  flash." 

The  timber  was  rather  thin,  and  the 
ground  was  covered  with  moss  and  fallen 
leaves,  and  over  this  the  pair  glided  as 
silently  as  shadows,  until  Woody  declared 
that  the  bull  was  not  over  a  hundred  yards 
away. 

"  And  he's  in  a  tearing  rage,  on  account 
of  that  other  bull,"  he  added.  "Got  to 
plug  him  fair  and  square  or  there  will  be 
trouble." 

Without  replying  to  this,  Theodore  Roose- 
velt took  the  lead,  keeping  eyes  and  ears 
wide  open  for  anything  that  might  come  to 
hand.     Then  through  the  trees  he  caught 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  89 

sight  of  the  stately  horns  of  the  elk,  as  he 
stood  with  head  thrown  back,  repeating  his 
call  in  trumpet-like  tones. 

As  the  hunters  came  closer,  the  elk  faced 
around  and  caught  sight  of  his  human  en- 
emies. Up  went  his  antlers  once  more,  as 
if  to  defy  them. 

"  He's  coming  !  "  shouted  Woody.  And 
scarcely  had  he  spoken  when  Theodore 
Roosevelt  took  aim  and  fired  at  the  animal. 
There  was  a  snort  and  a  gasp,  and  the  elk 
turned  to  run  away.  Then  Roosevelt  fired 
a  second  shot,  and  over  went  the  monarch 
of  the  forest  in  his  death  agony.  It  was  a 
fine  bit  of  game  to  bring  down,  the  antlers 
having  twelve  prongs.  The  head  was  cut 
off  and  taken  back  to  camp,  along  with  a 
small  part  of  the  best  of  the  meat. 

After  that  the  forward  march  was  re- 
sumed in  the  face  of  a  sweeping  rain  that 
wet  everybody  to  the  skin.  On  they  went 
imtil,  just  as  the  rain  ceased,  they  reached 
a  bold  plateau,  overlooking  what  is  called 
Two-Ocean  Pass,  a  wild  and  wonderful 
freak  of  nature,  surrounded  by  lofty  moun- 
tains and  watered  by  streams  and  brooks 
flowing  in  several  directions.     Far  up  the 


'JO  AMERICAN  liOYS^    LIFE  OF 

uiountams  could  be  seen  the  snow-drifts, 
wliile  lower  down  were  the  heavy  forests 
and  underbrusli,  the  haunts  of  the  game 
they  were  seeking. 

In  this  Wonderland  Theodore  Roosevelt 
hunted  to  his  heart's  content  for  many 
days  —  bringing  down  several  more  elk  and 
also  a  fair  variety  of  smaller  game.  It  was 
now  growing  colder,  and  knowing  that  the 
winter  season  was  close  at  hand,  the  hunters 
decided  to  strike  camp  and  return  homeward. 

The  movement  was  made  none  too  soon. 
The  snow  was  already  filling  the  air,  and 
one  morning,  on  coming  from  his  tent, 
Theodore  Roosevelt  found  the  ground  cov- 
ered to  a  depth  of  a  foot  and  a  half.  To 
add  to  his  discomfort  the  pony  he  was  rid- 
ing began  to  buck  that  day  and  managed  to 
dislocate  his  rider's  thumb.  But  Theodore 
Roosevelt  stuck  to  him  and  showed  him  who 
was  master;  and  after  that  matters  went 
better.  The  snow  continued  to  come  down, 
and  before  the  end  of  the  journey  was 
reached,  at  Great  Geyser  Basin,  the  hunters 
almost  perished  from  the  cold. 

Such  pictures  as  the  above  give  us  some 
idea  of  the  varied  life  that  Tlieodore  Roose- 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  91 

velt  has  led.  Even  at  this  early  age  —  he 
was  but  thu'ty-three  years  old  —  he  had 
been  a  college  student,  a  traveller,  an  author, 
an  assemblyman,  a  ranchman  and  hunter, 
and  a  Civil  Service  Commissioner.  He  had 
travelled  the  length  and  breadth  of  Europe 
and  through  a  large  section  of  our  own 
country.  He  had  visited  the  palaces  of 
kings  and  the  shacks  of  the  humble  cow- 
boys of  the  far  West,  he  had  met  men  in 
high  places  and  in  low,  and  had  seen  them 
at  their  best  and  at  their  worst.  Surely 
if  "  experience  is  the  school  wherein  man 
learns  wisdom,"  then  the  future  President 
had  ample  means  of  growing  wise,  and  his 
works  prove  that  those  means  were  not 
neglected. 

As  already  mentioned,  when  Grover 
Cleveland  became  President  a  second  time, 
he  requested  Theodore  Roosevelt  to  retain 
his  place  on  the  Civil  Service  Commission. 
This  was  a  practical  illustration  of  the 
workings  of  the  merit  system,  and  it  made 
for  Mr.  Cleveland  many  friends  among  his 
former  political  enemies.  By  this  move- 
ment the  workings  of  the  Commission  were 
greatly  strengthened,  so  that  by  the  time 


92  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

Theodore  Koosevelt  resigned,  on  May  5, 
1895,  the  Commission  had  added  twenty 
thousand  places  filled  by  government  em- 
ployees to  those  coming  under  the  merit 
system.  This  number  was  larger  than  any 
placed  under  the  system  before  that  time, 
and  the  record  has  scarcely  been  equalled 
since. 

"He  was  a  fighter  for  the  system,  day 
and  night,"  says  one  who  knew  him  at  that 
time.  "  He  was  enthusiastic  to  the  last 
degree,  and  had  all  sorts  of  statistics  at 
his  fingers'  ends.  If  anybody  in  the  gov- 
ernment employ  was  doing  wrong,  he  was 
willing  to  pitch  into  that  person  regardless 
of  consequences.  Some  few  politicians 
thought  he  was  a  crank  on  the  subject, 
but  the  results  speak  for  themselves.  Some 
politicians,  who  wanted  the  old  spoils 
system  retained,  were  often  after  him  like 
a  swarm  of  angry  hornets,  but  he  never  got 
out  of  their  way,  and  when  they  tried  to 
sting,  he  slapped  them  in  a  way  that  soon 
made  them  leave  him  alone.  And  more 
than  that,  he  was  very  clever  in  the  way 
that  he  presented  his  case  to  those  repre- 
sentatives and  senators  who  imderstood  the 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  93 

real  value  of  Civil  Service  reform.  He 
made  them  appreciate  what  he  and  his 
fellow-commissioners  were  trying  to  do, 
and  when  the  Commission  was  attacked  in 
Congress  it  always  had,  as  a  consequence,  a 
support  that  could  not  be  easily  overthrown." 

When  Theodore  Roosevelt  resigned,  Presi- 
dent Cleveland  wrote  as  follows  to  him  :  — 

"You  are  certainly  to  be  congratulated 
upon  the  extent  and  permanency  of  civil 
service  reform  methods  which  you  have  so 
substantially  aided  in  bringing  about.  The 
struggle  for  its  firm  establishment  and  recog- 
nition is  past.  Its  faithful  application  and 
reasonable  expansion  remain,  subjects  of 
deep  interest  to  all  who  really  desire  the 
best  attainable  public  service."  It  was  high 
praise  for  the  retiring  commissioner,  and  it 
was  well  deserved. 


94  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 


CHAPTER  X 

Appointed  Police  Commissioner  of  New  York  City 
—  Corruptness  of  the  Department  —  Strenuous 
Efforts  to  make  Matters  Better  —  A  "  Dry  " 
Sunday  —  Enforcing  the  Tenement  House  Law 
AND  Other  Measures 

During  the  time  that  Theodore  Roose- 
velt was  a  Civil  Service  Commissioner  there 
were  several  important  political  changes 
made   in  New  York  City. 

In  the  past  there  had  been  a  great  deal 
of  what  is  familiarly  called  "-'machine  poli- 
tics," and  matters  had  been  going  from  bad 
to  worse.  Bnt  now  there  was  an  upward 
turn  by  the  election  of  William  S.  Strong 
to  the  office  of  mayor.  Mr.  Strong  was  a 
man  of  high  character,  and  was  elected  by  a 
vote  that  combined  the  best  elements  of  all 
the  political  parties. 

It  was  at  a  time  when  New  York  City 
was  in  urgent  need  of  reform.  Those  in 
power  were  doing  but  little  to  stop  the 
corruption  that  was  stalking  abroad  upon 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  95 

every  hand.  Bribes  were  given  and  taken 
in  nearly  all  departments,  clerks  were  being 
paid  large  salaries  for  doing  practically  noth- 
ing, and  contracts  were  put  out,  not  to  those 
who  could  do  the  best  w^ork,  but  to  those 
who  would  pay  the  political  tricksters  the 
most  money  for  them. 

The  record  of  the  police  department  was 
perhaps  the  blackest  of  the  lot.  It  was  to 
this  department  that  the  citizens  looked  for 
protection  from  crime,  yet  it  was  known 
that  many  in  the  department  winked  at  all 
sorts  of  vice,  providing  they  were  properly 
paid  for  so  doing.  Saloons  and  worse  resorts 
were  kept  open  in  defiance  of  the  law,  and 
wickedness  flaunted  itself  in  the  face  of  the 
public  in  a  manner  that  was  truly  shocking. 
Occasionally  a  private  citizen  would  try  to 
do  something  to  mend  matters,  but  his  com- 
plaint was  generally  "pigeon-holed,"  and 
that  would  be  the  end  of  the  matter.  The 
rottenness,  as  it  was  well  called,  extended 
from  the  highest  places  in  the  department 
to  the  lowest,  so  that  it  was  said  not  even 
a  policeman  could  secure  his  appointment 
without  paying  several  hundred  dollars  for 
it,  and  this  he  was,  of  course,  expected  to 


96  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

get  back  by  blackmailing  those  who  lived 
or  did  business  on  his  beat.  And  get  it 
back  the  policeman  would,  even  if  he  had 
to  make  an  Italian  fruit  dealer  pay  him  a 
dollar  a  month  for  having  a  stand  on  the 
sidewalk,  where  the  walk  was  supposed  to 
be  free  from  obstruction. 

When  William  Strong  came  into  office, 
the  first  thing  he  did  was  to  cast  his  eyes 
about  him  for  reliable  men  who  might  aid 
him  in  purifying  the  city.  He  already  knew 
of  Theodore  Roosevelt's  work  as  an  assem- 
blyman and  a  Civil  Service  Commissioner. 

"  Mr.  Roosevelt  is  just  the  man  to  take  the 
office  of  Police  Commissioner  and  put  the 
department  on  an  honorable  basis,"  said 
the  newly  elected  mayor,  and  he  lost  no 
time  in  tenderino;  the  office  to  Mr.  Roose- 
velt.  The  tender  was  accepted,  and  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  was  sworn  into  his  new 
position  on  May  24,  1895. 

The  appointment  of  Mr.  Roosevelt  to  the 
office  of  Police  Commissioner  was  a  great 
shock  to  nearly  the  entire  police  department. 
He  was  known  for  his  sterling  honesty,  and 
it  was  felt  that  he  would  not  condone  crime 
in  any  shape  or  form. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  97 

"There  will  be  a  grand  shaking  up,"  said 
more  than  one.  "  Just  you  wait  till  he  gets 
to  the  bottom  of  things.  He'll  turn  the 
light  on  in  a  way  that  will  make  more  than 
one  officer  tremble  in  his  boots." 

On  the  Board  with  Mr.  Roosevelt  were 
Andrew  D.  Parker,  Avery  D.  Andrews,  and 
Frederick  D.  Grant,  the  latter  the  son  of 
former  President  Grant.  Theodore  Roose- 
velt was  chosen  president,  and  the  Board 
lost  no  time  in  getting  to  work. 

"  The  new  Board  found  the  department  in 
a  demoralized  condition,"  says  Mr.  Roose- 
velt, in  his  report  on  the  matter.  "  A  recent 
grand  jury  had  investigated  the  records  of 
many  officers,  and  many  indictments  had 
been  found;  268  vacancies  existed  in  the 
department,  and  26  officers,  including  one 
inspector  and  five  captains,  were  under  sus- 
pension on  account  of  indictment  for  crime." 
This  was  truly  a  sad  state  of  affairs,  and  a 
horrible  example  to  the  other  large  cities  of 
our  Union. 

The  Commissioners  went  to  work  with  a 
will,  and  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  the  lead- 
ing spirit  in  every  move  made.  Every 
branch  of  the  police  department  was  given 


98  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

an  overhauling,  and  those  who  would  not  do 
their  duty  were  promptly  dismissed,  while 
minor  offences  were  met  with  heavy  fines. 
By  an  act  of  the  legislature  the  force  of  men 
was  increased  to  eight  hundred,  to  keep  pace 
with  the  growth  of  the  metropolis.  The  men 
who  were  particularly  faithful  in  the  dis- 
charge of  their  duties  were  rewarded  by 
honorable  mention,  engrossed  certificates, 
medals  of  honor,  and  by  pi'omotions.  More 
than  this,  they  were  given  to  understand  that 
if  they  did  their  duty  faithfully  they  need 
not  fear  trouble  from  those  over  them,  no 
matter  what  changes  were  made.  No  officer 
was  allowed  to  accept  blackmail  money  from 
those  lower  in  the  service ;  and  above  all, 
no  politics  were  to  interfere  Mdth  the  fair 
and  square  running  of  the  whole  depart- 
ment. 

It  was  a  gigantic  task,  and  it  cannot  be 
said  that  it  was  totally  successful,  for  the 
opposition  in  some  quarters  was  strong. 
More  than  once  Mr.  Roosevelt  was  threat- 
ened with  violence,  but,  as  when  an  assem- 
blyman, he  paid  but  scant  attention  to  these 
mutterings. 

His    habits    of    personally   investigating 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  99 

matters  still  clung  to  him,  and  it  is  well 
remembered  how  he  went  around  at  odd 
hours  of  the  day  and  night,  and  on  Sundays, 
seeing  if  the  policemen  were  really  doing 
their  duty.  There  had  been  a  boast  that  all 
policemen  were  at  their  posts  at  night.  Mr. 
Roosevelt  went  out  once  and  found  just  two 
out  of  an  even  dozen  where  they  should  be. 
Then  began  that  "shaking  up"  that  has 
resulted  in  better  police  service  in  New  York 
to  this  day. 

The  effect  of  the  new  vigor  in  the  police 
department  was  felt  in  many  other  ways. 
There  was  a  tenement-house  law  regarding 
buildings  which  were  unfit  for  human  habi- 
tations. New  York  City  was  crowded  with 
such  buildings,  but  nobody  had  ordered  them 
torn  down,  because  either  nobody  wanted 
to  bother,  or  the  owners  paid  blackmail 
money  to  keep  them  standing  for  the  rent 
they  could  get  out  of  them. 

"  Those  tenements  must  come  down," 
said  Theodore  Roosevelt. 

"  If  you  order  them  down,  the  owners  will 
fight  you  to  the  bitter  end,"  said  another 
officer  of  the  department. 

'^  I  don't  care  if  they  do.     The  houses  are 


100  AMERICAN  BOYS'  LIFE  OF 

a  menace  to  life  and  health.  They  are 
filthy,  and  if  a  fire  ever  started  in  them, 
some  would  prove  regular  traps.  They  have 
got  to  go."  And  shortly  after  that  about  a 
hundred  were  seized,  and  the  most  destroyed. 

The  enforcement  of  the  Sunday  liquor  law 
was  anotlier  thing  that  occasioned  great  sur- 
prise during  Mr.  Roosevelt's  term  as  Police 
Commissioner.  In  the  past,  saloons  had 
been  almost  as  wide  open  on  Sundays  as  on 
week  days.  On  account  of  the  cosmopolitan 
character  of  the  population  it  was  thought 
that  to  close  up  the  saloons  on  Sundays 
would  be  impossible.  But  the  police  force 
was  given  strict  orders,  and  on  one  Sunday 
in  June,  1895,  New  York  City  had  the  first 
"dry"  Sunday  that  it  could  remember  in 
many  years. 

This  "dry"  Sunday  provoked  a  new 
storm  of  opposition,  especially  from  many 
of  foreign  birth,  who  were  used  to  getting 
liquor  as  easily  on  that  day  as  on  any  other. 
More  threats  were  made  against  the  vigor- 
ous commissioner,  and  on  two  occasions 
dynamite  bombs  were  placed  in  his  desk, 
evidently  with  the  hope  that  they  would  ex- 
plode and  blow  him  to  pieces.    But  the  bombs 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  101 

were  found  in  time,  and  no  damage  was  done, 
and  Theodore  Roosevelt  paid  scant  attention 
to  them. 

After  that  he  was  attacked  in  a  new  way. 
Some  of  the  politicians  laid  traps  for  him 
whereby  they  hoped  to  bring  discredit  to  his 
management  of  the  department.  The  fight 
grew  very  hot  and  very  bitter,  and  he  was 
accused  of  doing  many  things,  "  just  for  the 
looks  of  them,"  rather  than  to  benefit  the 
public  at  large.  But  he  kept  on  his  way, 
and  at  last  the  opposition  were  silenced  to 
such  an  extent  that  they  merely  growled 
behind  his  back. 

For  many  years  a  large  number  of  shift- 
less and  often  lawless  men,  and  women  too, 
were  attracted  to  the  metropolis  because  of 
the  "  Tramps'  Lodging  Houses "  located 
there.  These  resorts  were  continually  filled 
by  vagrants  who  would  not  work  and  who 
were  a  constant  menace  to  society  at  large. 

"  We  must  get  rid  of  those  lodging  houses," 
said  Mr.  Roosevelt.  "  They  simply  breed 
crime.  No  respectable  man  or  woman,  no 
matter  how  poor,  will  enter  them." 

"  But  we'll  have  to  have  some  sort  of  shel- 
ter for  the  poor  people,"  said  others. 


102  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

"  To  be  sure  —  for  those  who  are  deserv- 
ing. The  others  should  be  driven  off  and 
disco"uraged,"  answered  Mr.  Roosevelt.  And 
one  by  one  the  tramps'  lodging  places  were 
abolished.  In  their  place  the  Board  of 
Charities  opened  a  Municipal  Lodging  House, 
where  those  who  were  deserving  were  re- 
ceived, were  made  to  bathe,  and  given  proper 
shelter  and  nourishment. 

A  story  is  told  that,  during  the  excitement 
attending  the  closing  of  saloons  on  Sunday, 
a  friend  came  to  Mr.  Roosevelt  and  told 
about  hearing  some  saloon-keepers  plotting 
to  harm  him. 

"  What  can  they  do  ?"  demanded  the  Po- 
lice Commissioner. 

"  I  am  afraid  they  can  do  a  good  deal," 
was  the  answer.  "  Each  of  those  men  has 
a  barkeeper  who  has  been  in  jail  for  various 
crimes.  They  may  attack  you  some  dark 
night  and  kill  you." 

"  Perhaps  I  won't  give  them  the  chance," 
answered  the  man  who  had  been  on  many 
a  dangerous  hunt  in  the  wild  West.  "  If 
they  can  shoot,  so  can  I." 

"■  But  they  may  sneak  up  behind  you  and 
knock  you  out,"  insisted  the  visitor. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  103 

"  Well,  if  they  do  that,  I  shall  have  died 
doing  my  duty,"  was  the  calm  answer 
made  by  the  future  hero  of  the  Rough 
Riders. 


104  AMERICAN  JBOF.S'  LIFE  OF 


CHAPTER   XI 

Appointed  First  Assistant  Secretary  of  the 
Navy — The  Condition  of  Affairs  in  Cuba  — 
Preparing  for  War  —  Theodore  Roosevelt's 
Resolve 

While  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  serving 
as  Police  Commissioner  of  the  city  of  New 
York,  William  McKinley  ran  for  the  Presi- 
dency of  the  United  States  the  first  time 
and  was  elected. 

The  yomig  commissioner  was  a  firm  up- 
holder of  McKinley,  for  he  did  not  believe 
in  "  free  silver  "  as  it  was  called,  but  in 
"sound  money,"  which  meant  that  in  the 
future,  as  in  the  past,  all  national  indebted- 
ness should  be  made  payable  in  gold,  instead 
of  in  gold  and  silver,  as  many  desired. 

As  soon  as  the  new  President  was  in- 
augurated, March  4,  1897,  he  appointed 
Hon.  John  D.  Long  to  be  Secretary  of  the 
Navy.  Mr.  Long  knew  Theodore  Roose- 
velt well,  and  also  knew  of  the  ''  History  of 
the  Naval  War  of  1812,"  which  the  energetic 
author  and  commissioner  had  written. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  105 

"  He  is  just  the  man  we  need  here,"  said 
Mr.  Long  to  President  McKinley.  "He 
has  made  a  study  of  the  navy,  and  he  is  not 
afraid  of  work,"  and  without  further  delay 
Theodore  Roosevelt  was  asked  to  resign  his 
position  in  the  metropolis  and  come  to 
Washington,  where  he  was  duly  installed 
as  First  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

In  his  new  position,  certainly  a  high  one 
for  such  a  young  man  to  occupy,  Mr.  Roose- 
velt had  much  to  do.  As  first  assistant, 
nearly  the  whole  responsibility  of  the  real 
workings  of  the  department  fell  upon  his 
shoulders.  He  took  up  these  responsibil- 
ities manfully,  and  how  well  he  succeeded 
in  the  work,  history  has  abundantly  proved. 

"  It  was  Roosevelt's  work  that  made 
Dewey's  victory  at  Manila  possible,"  one 
who  knew  of  the  inner  workings  of  the 
department  has  said,  and  another  has  said 
that  the  victory  off  Santiago  Bay  was  also 
due  in  part  to  Roosevelt's  watchfulness  over 
the  ships  that  took  part  in  that  conflict. 

At  Washington  the  Assistant  Secretary 
found  an  era  of  extravagance  equal  to  that 
which  he  had  discovered  in  New  York. 
The   Navy  Department  was  paying  dearly 


106  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

for  almost  everything  it  bought,  and  many 
hiburers  and  others  were  drawing  high 
wages  for  doing  little  or  no  work.  Against 
this  Theodore  Roosevelt  set  his  face  uncom- 
promisingly, so  that  inside  of  a  year  the 
actual  saving  to  our  government  was  twenty- 
five  per  cent.  "When  it  is  remembered  that 
the  Navy  Department  spends  each  year  mill- 
ions of  dollars,  something  of  what  such  a 
saving  means  can  be  realized. 

For  many  years  our  country  had  been  at 
peace  with  the  whole  world,  but  now  a  war 
cloud  showed  itself  on  the  horizon,  scarcely 
visible  at  first,  but  gradually  growing  larger 
and  larger.  Those  at  Washington  watched 
it  with  great  anxiety,  wondering  if  it  would 
burst,  and  what  would  be  the  result. 

Cuba  had  been  fighting  for  liberty  for 
years.  It  was  under  Spanish  rule,  and  the 
people  were  frightfully  oppressed.  To  Spain 
they  paid  vast  sums  of  money  and  got  but 
little  in  return.  Money  that  should  have 
gone  into  improvements  —  that  should  have 
supplied  good  roads  and  schools  —  went  into 
the  pockets  of  the  royalty  of  Spain.  When  a 
Cuban  tried  to  remonstrate,  he  could  scarcely 
get  a  hearing,  and  this  state  of  affairs  went 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  107 

from  bad  to  worse  until,  in  sheer  desperation, 
the  Cubans  declared  war  on  the  mother- 
country,  just  as  in  1776  our  own  nation 
threw  off  the  yoke  of  England. 

As  my  young  readers  know,  Cuba  lies 
only  a  short  distance  from  the  southeast 
coast  of  Florida.  Being  so  close,  it  was  but 
natural  that  our  people  should  take  an  in- 
terest in  the  struggle  at  hand.  Everybody 
sympathized  with  the  Cubans,  and  some 
made  offers  of  assistance.  Then,  when 
many  Cubans  were  on  the  verge  of  starva- 
tion, we  voted  to  send  them  relief  in  the 
way  of  something  to  eat. 

The  :,ction  of  the  United  States  was 
viewed  with  suspicion  by  Spain.  The  peo- 
ple of  that  country  were  certain  we  wanted 
to  help  Cuba  only  in  order  to  "  gobble  her 
up  afterward,"  as  the  saying  went.  Such 
was  not  our  intention  at  all,  and  total 
Cuban  liberty  to-day  testifies  to  that  fact. 

Not  knowing  how  far  matters  might  go, 
President  McKinley  and  his  advisers  deemed 
it  Avise  to  prepare  for  the  worst.  This 
meant  to  put  the  army  and  navy  on  the 
best  possible  footing  in  the  least  possible 
time. 


108  AMERICAN  boys'    LIFE  OF 

It  was  felt  that  should  war  come,  it 
would  be  fought  largely  on  the  sea,  and  no- 
body realized  this  more  than  did  Theodore 
Roosevelt.  He  Avas  active  day  and  night 
in  the  pursuit  of  his  duty,  seeing  to  it  that 
this  ship  or  that  was  properly  manned,  and 
this  fortification  and  that  put  in  proper 
order  to  resist  attack.  Our  ships  were  in 
all  parts  of  the  world,  on  the  Atlantic  and 
the  Pacific,  in  the  far  north  and  the  far 
south,  in  European  waters  and  Hong  Kong 
Harbor.  Each  had  to  be  supplied  with 
coal  and  ammunition  and  with  provisions. 
Those  that  were  "  out  of  commission ,"  that 
is,  laid  up,  generally  for  repairs,  vrere  put 
into  commission  with  all  speed.  A  thousand 
contracts  had  to  be  inspected,  judged,  and 
passed  upon.  Outwardly  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment at  Washington  was  moving  along  as 
peacefully  as  ever,  internally  it  was  more 
active  than  it  had  been  at  any  time  since 
the  great  Civil  \yar. 

"  War  may  come  at  any  moment,"  said 
Mr.  Roosevelt  to  his  friends.  "And  if  it 
does  come,  there  is  nothing  like  being  pre- 
pared for  it." 

About  one  thing  Theodore  Roosevelt  was 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  109 

very  particular.  In  the  past,  gun  practice 
on  board  of  oiu^  war-ships  had  been  largely  a 
matter  of  simply  going  through  the  motions 
of  handling  the  guns. 

"  This  will  not  do,"  said  the  Assistant  Sec- 
retary. "  Our  gunners  will  never  make 
good  marksmen  in  that  way.  They  must 
practise  with  powder  and  ball,  shot  and 
shell."  And  after  that  they  did.  Such  prac- 
tice cost  a  round  sum  of  money,  and  the 
department  was  criticised  for  its  wasteful- 
ness in  this  direction ;  but  the  worth  of  it 
was  afterward  proven  when  Commodore 
Dewey  sank  the  Spanish  ships  in  Manila 
Bay,  and  the  Atlantic  Squadron  likewise 
destroyed  the  enemy's  ships  that  were  trying 
to  escape  from  Santiago  Harbor. 

In  those  days  at  Washington,  Theodore 
Roosevelt  made  a  warm,  personal  friend  of 
Dr.  Leonard  Wood.  Dr.  Wood  was  an  army 
surgeon,  who  had  seen  considerable  active 
service  while  under  General  Miles  in  the 
campaigns  against  the  Apache  Indians.  Mr. 
Roosevelt  has  himself  told  how  he  and  Dr. 
Wood  would  often,  after  office  hours,  take 
long  walks  out  of  the  city,  or  play  foot-ball, 
or  go  snow-skating  when  the  weather  per- 


110  AMERICAN  boys'    LIFE  OF 

mitted,  and  during  such  pastimes  their  con- 
versation was  invariably  about  the  situation 
in  Cuba,  and  what  each  intended  to  do  should 
war  break  out. 

"  If  war  actually  comes,  I  intend,  by  hook 
or  by  crook,  to  get  out  into  the  field,"  said 
Dr.  Wood. 

"  I  shall  go  with  you,"  answered  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt.  "  No  more  office  work  for 
me  if  there  is  any  fighting  to  be  done." 

In  the  meantime,  as  already  mentioned, 
matters  in  Cuba  were  rapidly  approaching 
a  crisis.  Spain  could  not  send  a  large 
enough  army  to  the  island  to  conquer  the 
people  while  they  were  at  liberty  to  roam 
through  the  jungles  and  mountains,  and  so 
began  to  drive  men,  women,  and  children 
into  various  cities  or  camps,  where  they 
were  kept,  under  penalty  of  death  if  they 
tried  to  escape.  Thus  large  numbers  were 
torn  from  their  homes,  and  sent  miles  and 
miles  away,  with  no  money,  and  nothing 
with  which  to  support  themselves.  Food 
became  scarce  and  high  in  price,  and  many 
grown  folks  and  children  were  literally 
starved  to  death. 

To  help  these  starving   people  the  Con- 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  111 

gress  of  our  country  voted  to  expend  fifty 
thousand  dollars  from  the  national  treasury. 
This  excited  Spain  more  than  ever,  and  we 
were  accused  of  trying  to  prolong  the  rebel- 
lion. But  the  deed  was  done,  and  many 
would  have  had  us  go  farther,  and  recog- 
nize Cuba  as  a  free  and  independent  nation. 
This  desire  was  overruled  on  the  ground 
that  our  government  could  not  with  propri- 
ety endanger  the  peace  of  the  world  by 
taking  so  serious  a  step  at  that  time.  But 
the  strength  of  popular  sympathy  with  an 
oppressed  people  was  shown  by  the  fact 
that  many  Americans  at  grave  personal  risk 
went  to  Cuba,  and  joined  the  army  in  one 
capacity  or  another,  fighting  as  bravely  as 
if  for  their  own  individual  rights. 


112  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 


CHAPTER   XII 

Destkuction  of  the  Maine  —  Dewey's  Victory  — 
Theodore  Roosevelt  becomes  a  Soldier  — 
Organizing  the  Rough  Riders  —  Various  Men 
IN  THE  Command 

"  The  Maine  has  been  blown  up  !  " 

Such  was  the  awful  news  which  startled 
this  whole  nation  in  the  middle  of  February, 
1898,  and  which  caused  the  question  of  war 
with  Spain  to  crystallize  without  further 
deliberation. 

The  Maine  was  a  battleship  of  large  size, 
that  had  been  sent  down  to  the  harbor  of 
Havana,  Cuba,  on  nothing  more  than  a 
friendly  visit.  The  explosion  that  destroyed 
this  noble  vessel  occurred  about  ten  o'clock 
at  night,  and  was  heard  for  miles  around. 
Soon  after  the  explosion,  the  war-ship  began 
to  sink,  and  over  two  hundred  and  fifty 
sailors  and  officers  lost  their  lives. 

The  entire  nation  was  now  aroused,  and 
many  wanted  to  go  to  war  witli  Spain  imme- 
diately.    But  the  Spaniards  professed  to  be 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  113 

ignorant  of  the  cause  of  the  explosion,  and 
said  it  must  have  come  from  the  inside  of 
the  ship  and  not  the  outside.  Without  delay 
a  Board  of  Inquiry  was  established,  and  it 
was  settled  that  the  explosion  had  come 
from  the  outside,  probably  from  a  mine 
set  by  the  Spaniards  in  Havana  Harbor. 

"This  means  war,  and  nothing  but  war," 
said  even  the  wisest  of  our  statesmen.  And 
so  it  proved.  Without  hesitation  the  whole 
nation  sprang  forward  to  uphold  the  admin- 
istration, and  in  a  few  days  Congress  passed 
an  appropriation  of  fifty  millions  of  dollars 
"for  national  defence."  It  may  be  added 
that  this  appropriation  was  passed  unani- 
mously, regardless  of  party  politics  and 
regardless  of  the  differences  which,  in  the 
past,  had  existed  between  the  North  and  the 
South. 

We  have  already  learned  what  had  been 
done  to  prepare  the  navy  for  the  conflicts 
to  follow.  Now  there  was  even  more  work 
on  hand,  to  get  the  army  into  shape  for  ser- 
vice in  Cuba  and  on  other  foreign  soil. 

The  regular  army  at  that  time  consisted 
of  about  twenty-five  thousand  men,  scattered 
all  over  the  United  States,  —  on  the  frontier, 


114  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

at  the  Indian  reservations,  and  along  the 
sea-coasts.  Many  of  these  troops  were 
hurried  to  camps  in  the  southeast  portion 
of  our  country,  leaving  but  small  garrisons 
in  the  far  West. 

It  was  realized  by  President  McKinley 
that  our  regular  army  could  not  cope  with 
the  troubles  at  hand,  and  soon  came  a  call 
for  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand 
volunteers.  These  volunteers  were  to  come 
from  the  various  States  and  Territories,  each 
furnishing  its  proportion  of  soldiers  accord- 
ing to  its  population.  These  soldiers  were 
quickly  collected  and  marched  to  the  vari- 
ous state  camps,  there  to  be  sworn  into  the 
service  of  the  United  States. 

The  "war  fever"  was  everywhere,  and 
many  private  parties  began  to  raise  com- 
panies, while  all  sorts  of  independent  com- 
mands. Grand  Army,  Confederate  Veterans, 
Italian-American  Guards,  German  Singing 
Societies,  Colored  Guards,  and  the  like, 
offered  their  assistance.  Even  the  colleges 
caught  the  fever,  and  men  went  forth  from 
Yale,  Harvard,  Princeton,  and  other  insti- 
tutions of  learning  to  battle  for  Uncle  Sam. 

The  first  blow  struck  at  Spain  was  a  most 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  115 

effective  one.  Commodore,  afterwards  Ad- 
miral, Dewey  was  at  Hong  Kong  when  the 
trouble  began,  and  he  was  directed  by  the 
War  Department  to  hunt  for  a  Spanish  fleet 
somewhere  among  the  Philippine  Islands 
and  engage  it.  On  Sunday,  May  1,  came 
the  news  that  the  gallant  commodore  had 
reached  Manila  Bay,  fought  the  Spanish 
fleet  and  sunk  every  hostile  ship,  and  come 
out  of  the  battle  with  all  of  his  own  ships 
safe  and  not  a  single  man  killed ! 

"  Hurrah !  that  shows  what  our  navy  can 
do  !  "  cried  many  citizens.  And  they  were 
justly  proud.  In  the  past,  foreign  nations 
had  looked  with  something  akin  to  scorn  on 
our  vessels  and  the  way  they  were  manned. 
Now  such  criticism  was  silenced ;  and  this 
result  was,  in  a  certain  measure,  due  to  the 
work  of  Theodore  Roosevelt,  while  First 
Assistant  Secretary  to   Secretary  Long. 

But  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  no  longer  in 
the  department.  He  resigned  and  closed 
his  desk,  saying,  "  My  duty  here  is  done ; 
my  place  is  in  the  field."  With  such  an 
active  nature,  it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
remain  a  private  citizen  while  stern  war 
was  a  reality. 


116  AMERICAN  BOrs'   LIFE  OF 

In  his  own  excellent  work,  "  The  Rough 
Riders,"  and  in  his  sworn  testimony  before 
the  Commission  of  Investigation  of  the 
Spanish  War,  Mr.  Roosevelt  has  given  us 
graphic  pictures  of  how  the  First  United 
States  Volunteer  Cavalry,  commonly  called 
the  Rough  Riders,  happened  to  be  organized, 
and  what  it  tried  to  do  and  did,  and  this 
testimony  is  supplemented  by  many  who 
know  the  facts,  and  who  took  part  in  the 
battles  which  made  the  organization  famous 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  our 
land. 

At  first  Theodore  Roosevelt  thought  to 
attach  himself  to  the  militia  of  New  York, 
but  found  every  place  taken. 

"  Let  us  try  one  of  my  Massachusetts  regi- 
ments," said  Dr.  Wood.  And  this  was  also 
done,  with  a  like  result. 

"  We  could  fill  every  place,  did  we  want 
five  times  as  many  men,"  said  one  colonel. 
"  Everybody  seems  crazy  to  go."  This  shows 
how  truly  patriotic  our  nation  can  become 
when  the  occasion  arises  for  going  to  the 
front. 

While  Theodore  Roosevelt  and  his  in- 
timate friend  were  wondering  what  to  do 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  117 

next,  Congress  authorized  the  raising  of 
three  cavalry  regiments,  to  be  composed 
of  the  daring  riflemen  and  riders  of  New 
Mexico,  Oklahoma,  Arizona,  and  Indian 
Territory. 

"  There,  that  will  just  suit  me,"  said 
Theodore  Roosevelt.  "  I  know  many  of 
those  men,  and  I  know  we  can  raise  a  regi- 
ment in  no  time." 

And  without  delay  he  sought  out  Secre- 
tary of  War  Alger  and  told  him  of  his 
hopes. 

"  I  am  perfectly  willing  to  give  you  com- 
mand of  one  of  those  regiments,"  said  the 
war  secretary.  "  I  know  you  are  something 
of  a  rough  rider  yourself,  and  a  good  marks- 
man to  boot." 

This  was  certainly  flattering,  but  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt's  head  was  not  turned  by 
the  offer. 

"  I  don't  think  I  am  quite  ready  to  take 
command,"  said  he.  "I  know  that  I  can 
learn,  and  that  quickly,  but  it  will  be  pre- 
cious time  wasted." 

"Well,  what  do  you  wish,  Mr.  Roose- 
velt?" asked  the  Secretary  of  War,  curi- 
ously. 


118  AMERICAN  BOYS    LIFE  OF 

"  What  I  should  like  best  of  all  is  for  Dr. 
Wood  to  become  colonel  of  the  regiment,  and 
for  myself  to  become  lieutenant-colonel." 

"Very  well;  I  will  consult  President 
McKinley  on  the  subject,"  said  the  secre- 
tary. The  request  was  granted,  and  in  a 
few  days  more  Colonel  Wood  and  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Roosevelt  sallied  forth  to 
organize  the  Rough  Riders,  and  fit  them  for 
service  in  Cuba. 

Leaving  his  family,  which  now  consisted 
of  his  wife  and  six  children,  the  lieutenant- 
colonel  made  his  way  to  San  Antonio, 
Texas,  where  the  regiment  was  to  gather. 
Previous  to  going  he  spent  a  full  week  in 
Washington,  seeing  to  it  that  arrangements 
were  completed  for  supplying  the  command 
with  uniforms,  carbines,  saddles,  and  other 
articles  which  were  needed.  This  was  in 
itself  quite  a  task,  for  all  of  the  depart- 
ments at  the  Capitol  were  more  than  busy, 
and  it  took  a  great  amount  of  "  hustling  " 
to  get  what  one  wanted. 

As  soon  as  it  was  known  that  Theodore 
lioosevelt  was  going  to  help  organize  the 
Rough  Riders,  offers  from  everywhere  began 
to  pour  in  upon  him.     Not  alone  did   the 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  119 

men  of  the  plains  and  ranch  who  knew  him 
want  to  go,  but  likewise  his  old  college 
chums  at  Harvard,  These  men,  of  wealth 
and  good  families,  were  wilHng  to  serve  in 
any  capacity,  if  only  they  could  be  mustered 
in.  There  were  crack  base-ball  and  foot-ball 
players,  yachtsmen,  all-round  athletes  and 
men  of  fortune,  all  mixed  in  with  hunters, 
cowboys,  men  who  had  served  as  sheriffs  in 
the  far  "West,  where  fighting  was  an  every- 
day occurrence,  some  policemen  who  had 
served  under  Roosevelt  when  he  was  a 
Police  Commissioner  in  New  York,  and 
even  some  Indians.  Nearly  every  nation- 
ality was  represented  when  it  came  to 
blood,  and  the  men  ran  from  the  best  edu- 
cated to  the  most  ignorant. 

But  there  were  three  tests  which  every 
man,  private  or  officer,  had  to  pass.  He 
had  to  be  in  perfect  health,  he  had  to  know 
how  to  ride,  and  he  had  to  know  how  to 
shoot.  To  these  conditions  were  afterward 
added  two  more :  each  man  had  to  learn 
his  duty  as  quickly  as  he  could  and  had  to 
learn  to  obey  his  superiors. 

In  such  a  collection  of  soldiers  it  was  but 
natural  that  the  real  leaders  soon  asserted 


120  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

themselves.  Several  of  the  captains  had 
served  in  the  United  States  army  before ; 
two  were  former  famous  western  sheriffs ; 
and  all  were  full  of  that  pluck  and  energy 
which  is  bound  to  command  success. 

In  this  regiment  were  some  men  who  had 
hunted  with  Theodore  Roosevelt  on  more 
than  one  occasion.  They  knew  him  well 
and  loved  him,  and  did  their  best  to  serve 
him.  To  them  he  was  really  their  com- 
mander, although  they  officially  recognized 
Colonel  Wood.  They  were  preeminently 
*'  Roosevelt's  Rough  Riders,"  and  the  great 
majority  of  the  people  of  our  nation  call 
them  such  to  this  day. 

The  majority  of  the  command  were  rather 
young  in  years,  although  a  few  were  of 
middle  age.  But  all  were  tough  and  hardy, 
either  from  athletic  training  or  from  years 
spent  in  the  open  air  of  the  great  West. 
Some  of  them  could  ride  almost  any  kind 
of  a  horse,  and  "  bronco  busting,"  that  is, 
breaking  in  a  wild  steed,  was  common  sport 
among  them.  Some  had  spent  nearly  their 
entire  lives  in  the  saddle,  and  some  could 
exhibit  remarkable  skill  with  their  firearms 
while  riding  at  full  speed. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  121 

When  the  men  began  to  come  into  San 
Antonio,  they  found  but  little  in  the  way  of 
accommodations.  But  soon  tents  and  blank- 
ets were  procured.  It  is  said  that  good 
shoes  were  scarce,  but  some  of  the  soldiers 
did  not  mind  going  without  them.  The 
regiment  was  supplied  with  good  rifles,  but 
the  cartridges  were  not  made  of  smokeless 
powder,  which  was  a  bad  thing,  for  smoke 
sometimes  enables  an  enemy  to  locate  the 
shooter,  when,  if  smokeless  powder  were 
used,  nothing  could  be  seen.  Each  man 
had  also  a  six  shooter,  and  was  to  have  had 
a  machete,  but  the  long  knives  did  not 
come. 

"  On  to  Cuba  !  "  was  the  cry.  And  it  was 
taken  up  every  day.  The  Rough  Riders 
were  eager  for  the  fray.  Alas !  little  did 
many  of  them  realize  that,  once  in  the 
"bloody  isle,"  they  would  never  see  their 
native  land  again. 


122  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 


CHAPTER   XIII 

In  Camp  at  Tampa  —  To  Port  Tampa  in  Coal 
Cars  —  Theodore  Roosevelt's  Quick  Move  to 
OBTAIN  A  Transport  —  The  Wait  in  the  Har- 
bor—  Off  for  Cuba  at  Last 

That  the  path  of  the  soldier  is  not  always 
one  full  of  glory  can  easily  be  proven  by 
what  happened  to  the  Rough  Riders  when, 
late  in  May,  they  were  ordered  to  Tampa, 
Florida,  where  a  part  of  the  army  was 
gathering  in  readiness  to  be  transported  to 
Cuba. 

"  We  were  just  wild  to  go,"  says  one  of 
the  number,  in  speaking  of  that  time. 
"  We  were  tired  of  staying  at  San  Antonio 
and  drilling  day  in  and  day  out,  rain  or 
shine.  I  guess  everybody  felt  like  hiu-rah- 
ing  when  we  piled  on  to  the  cars. 

"Colonel  Roosevelt  —  he  was  only  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel then  —  had  six  troops  under 
him,  and  he  did  all  he  could  to  make  the 
boys  comfortable.  But  the  cars  were 
crowded,  and  travelling  was  so  slow  it  took 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  123 

US  four  days  to  reach  Tampa.  Then  when 
we  got  there,  we  found  everything  in  confu- 
sion. The  raih^oad  yard  was  chock-a-block 
with  freight  and  passenger  cars,  and  no- 
body was  there  to  tell  us  where  to  go  or 
where  to  find  provisions. 

"  The  boys  were  hungry  and  tired  out, 
for  sleeping  on  the  railroad  had  been  almost 
out  of  the  question.  There  wasn't  a  sign 
of  rations  in  sight,  and  it  looked  as  if  we 
would  have  to  stay  hungry.  But  Teddy 
Roosevelt  just  put  his  hand  into  his  own 
pocket  and  bought  us  about  all  we  wanted. 
Then  he  scurried  around  and  found  out 
where  we  were  to  go,  and  in  another 
twenty-four  hours  we  were  settled  in 
camp."  Even  in  camp  the  Rough  Riders 
had  to  put  up  with  continued  discomfort. 
The  weather  was  warm,  flies  and  mosquitoes 
were  numerous,  and  the  drinking  water  was 
not  of  the  best.  The  rations  were  plain, 
but  the  Rough  Riders  did  not  mind  this,  for 
many  of  them  had  often  fared  worse  on  the 
plains. 

Although  it  was  now  a  regular  military 
camp  that  the  Rough  Riders  were  in,  it  was 
rather  difficult  to  control  some  of  the  men, 


124  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

especially  those  who  had  been  used  to  an 
unusually  rough  life.  But  they  were  held 
in  check  as  much  as  possible  by  then-  com- 
manders, and  on  Sunday  all  attended  a 
church  service  held  by  Chaplain  Brown, 
who  spoke  to  them  in  a  manner  that  soon 
claimed  their  attention. 

After  but  a  few  days  spent  in  the  camp 
at  Tampa,  within  walking  distance  of  many 
of  the  fashionable  hotels,  the  command  was 
ordered  to  Port  Tampa,  there  to  board  a 
transport  to  sail  for  some  destination  not 
revealed.  But  the  soldiers  knew  they  were 
going  to  Cuba,  to  fight  the  Spaniards  and 
to  aid  in  freeing  Cuba,  and  again  there  was 
a  loud  hurrahing. 

But  immediately  on  top  of  this  came  one 
of  the  hardest  blows  the  Rough  Riders  had 
to  endure,  and  one  which  some  of  them  will 
probably  never  forget. 

As  already  stated,  volunteers  from  all 
over  our  nation  were  anxious  to  get  into  the 
fight,  and  it  was  no  easy  matter  for  the 
authorities  at  Washington  to  decide  who 
should  go  and  who  should  be  left  behind. 

"  Only  eight  troops  of  seventy  men  each 
of  the  Rough  Riders  will  embark  on  the 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  125 

transport,"  was  the  order  sent  to  Colonel 
Wood.  More  than  this,  it  was  ordered  that 
the  command  should  be  on  board  of  the 
transport  by  the  following  morning,  other- 
wise it  could  not  go. 

"  Four  troops  to  be  left  behind ! "  ex- 
claimed Theodore  Roosevelt. 

"  Too  bad,"  returned  Colonel  Wood. 
"  Every  man  expects  to  go,  and  wants  to 
go." 

It  was  a  hard  task  to  tell  some  of  the 
men  that  they  could  not  go.  Mr.  Roosevelt 
tells  us  that  many  of  them  actually  cried  at 
the  news.  They  were  willing  to  go  under 
any  conditions.  They  did  not  want  any 
pay,  they  did  not  want  any  pensions  if  they 
were  disabled,  and  some,  who  had  money, 
even  offered  to  pay  their  way,  just  for  the 
privilege  of  fighting  for  Uncle  Sam.  After 
such  an  exhibition,  let  nobody  dare  to  say 
that  true  patriotism  is  dying  out  in  this 
country. 

But  orders  were  orders,  and  as  quickly  as 
possible  those  to  go  were  selected.  Then 
the  command  marched  to  the  railroad  tracks 
to  await  the  cars.  None  came,  and  they 
were   given   orders    to   march    to    another 


126  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

track.  This  tliey  also  did ;  but  still  no  train 
appeared. 

"  We'll  be  left,  that  is  certain,"  said  Colo- 
nel Wood,  anxiously. 

"  It  certainly  looks  like  it,  unless  we 
march  the  boys  down  to  the  port." 

"  Here  comes  a  train  !  "  was  the  cry. 

It  was  a  train,  but  only  of  empty  coal 
cars.  It  was  about  to  pass  by  when  the 
Rough  Riders  halted  it. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  riding  down  to 
the  port  in  the  coal  cars  ?  "  was  the  question 
asked  by  several. 

"  Good  enough  !  "  came  the  answer.  "  Into 
the  cars,  boys,  and  don't  waste  time  !  "  And 
into  the  dirty  coal  cars  they  piled,  and  per- 
suaded the  engineer  of  the  train  to  take  them 
down  to  Port  Tampa  as  quickly  as  he  could. 

If  there  had  been  bustle  and  confusion 
up  at  Tampa,  it  was  far  worse  at  the  port. 
Everybody  was  in  a  hurry,  and  ten  thousand 
soldiers  stood  around,  not  knowing  what  to 
do  with  their  baggage,  and  not  knowing 
which  of  the  many  transports  to  board. 

At  last  the  Rough  Riders  were  told  to 
go  aboard  the  Yucatan,  and  started  to  do 
so. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  127 

"  The  Yucatan  f  "  exclaimed  a  member 
of  another  command.  "  That  is  our  trans- 
port." 

"No,  she  has  been  allotted  to  us,"  put  in 
an  officer  belonging  to  still  another  com- 
mand. 

"  How  many  men  will  she  hold  ?  "  ques- 
tioned a  captain  of  the  Rough  Riders. 

"  About  a  thousand." 

"  Then  she  can't  take  the  three  com- 
mands." 

Theodore  Roosevelt  overheard  this  talk, 
and  at  once  made  up  his  mind  that  it  would 
be  a  question  of  what  command  got  aboard 
of  the  transport  first.  Without  the  loss  of 
a  moment  he  ran  back  to  where  his  men 
were  in  waiting. 

"  Double-quick  to  the  dock  !  "  was  his  or- 
der. And  forming  quickly,  the  troops  made 
their  way  to  the  wharf  with  all  possible 
speed.  In  the  meantime.  Colonel  Wood  had 
gone  out  to  the  transport  in  a  steam-launch 
and  gotten  the  vessel  to  come  up  to  the 
wharf.  On  board  went  the  Rough  Riders 
pell-mell,  and  not  a  minute  too  soon. 

"  This  is  our  boat !  "  cried  an  officer,  as  he 
came  up  with  his  command  a  minute  later. 


128  AMEBIC  AN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

"  Sorry  for  you,  sir,  but  it  is  our  boat," 
was  Colonel  Wood's  firm  answer. 

Then  the  third  command  loomed  up,  and 
a  three-handed  dispute  arose.  But  the 
Rough  Riders  remained  aboard  of  the  trans- 
port, taking  four  companies  of  another  com- 
mand in  with  them. 

I  have  told  of  the  particulars  of  this 
affair  to  show  my  young  readers  what  was 
needed  at  this  time,  and  how  well  Theodore 
Roosevelt  performed  his  duties.  He  had 
been  a  soldier  and  officer  only  a  few  weeks, 
yet  he  realized  that  army  life  on  paper  and 
army  life  in  reality  were  two  different  things. 
He  felt  that  an  officer  must  do  much  besides 
leading  his  men  in  the  field :  that  he  must 
look  after  them  constantly,  see  that  their 
health  was  provided  for,  see  that  they  got 
their  rations,  see  that  transportation  was 
ready  when  needed,  and  even  see  to  it  that 
some  were  kept  away  from  the  temptations 
of  drink,  and  that  they  did  not  quarrel 
among  themselves. 

When  going  on  board  of  the  transport, 
the  Rough  Riders  were  supplied  with  twelve 
days'  rations  each.  The  most  of  the  food 
was  good,  but  the  canned   beef  was  very 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  129 

bad,  just  as  it  was  found  to  be  very  bad  in 
many  other  quarters,  and  it  made  a  great 
number  sick.  Added  to  this,  somebody  had 
forgotten  to  issue  salt  to  the  soldiers;  so 
much  had  to  be  eaten  without  this  very 
necessary  seasoning. 

"But  we  took  matters  good-naturedly," 
said  one  of  the  number,  in  speaking  of  the 
trip  that  followed.  "Many  of  the  boys 
were  out  for  a  lark,  and  when  they  growled, 
they  did  it  good-naturedly.  We  had  all 
sorts  of  men,  and  all  sorts  of  nicknames. 
An  Irishman  was  called  Solomon  Levi,  and 
a  nice  young  Jew  Old  Pork  Chop.  One 
fellow  who  was  particularly  slow  was  called 
Speedy  William,  and  another  who  always 
spoke  in  a  quick,  jerky  voice  answered  to 
the  hail  of  '  Slow-up  Peter.'  One  cowboy 
who  was  as  rough  as  anybody  in  the  com- 
mand was  christened  The  Parson,  and  a  fine, 
high-toned,  well-educated  college  boy  had  to 
answer  to  the  name  of  Jimmy  the  Tramp. 
Some  of  the  boys  could  sing,  and  they 
organized  the  Rough  Rider  Quartette  ;  and 
others  could  play,  and  they  gave  us  music 
on  the  mouth  harmonicas  and  other  instru- 
ments they  had  managed  to  smuggle  along." 


130  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

The  War  Department  had  expected  to  send 
the  troops  to  Cuba  without  delay,  but  now 
came  in  a  report  that  some  Spanish  war-ships 
were  hovering  around,  ready  to  sink  the 
transports  as  soon  as  they  should  show 
themselves,  and  for  five  days  the  vessels 
remained  in  Port  Tampa  Harbor,  imtil  it 
was  ascertained  that  the  report  was  untrue. 

Those  five  days  were  important  to  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  and  to  the  men  under  him. 
Every  day  the  young  officer  spent  a  certain 
portion  of  his  time  in  studying  military  tac- 
tics and  in  drilling  his  soldiers.  Much  had 
still  to  be  learned,  and  the  officers  had  their 
school  of  instructions  as  well  as  did  those 
under  them. 

The  weather  was  broiling  hot,  and  some 
were  already  suffering  from  fever  or  its 
symptoms.  Fortunately  bathing  was  good, 
and  many  went  in  once  or  twice  a  day. 
Bathing  in  the  ocean  was  great  sport  to 
some  of  the  plainsmen  who  had  never  seen 
anything  larger  than  a  river  or  creek,  and 
they  frolicked  around  like  children,  and  got 
up  races,  w^ith  prizes  for  the  best  swimmers. 

At  last  came  the  orders  for  the  trans- 
ports to  set  sail  for  Cuba.     They  numbered 


THEODORE  BOOSEVELT  131 

thirty-two  in  all,  including  a  schooner  which 
was  towed  along  filled  with  drinking  water, 
for  water  must  be  had,  and  that  was  the 
only  place  where  it  could  be  stowed.  To 
protect  the  transports  from  a  possible  attack 
by  the  enemy,  they  were  accompanied  by 
five  war-ships  at  first,  and  later  on  by  four- 
teen. All  told,  there  were  on  the  trans- 
ports eight  hundred  officers  and  sixteen 
thousand  enlisted  men.  Of  the  commands, 
the  most  were  from  the  regular  army,  the 
volunteers  numbering  but  three  —  the  Rough 
Riders,  the  Seventy-first  New  York  Infantry, 
and  the  Second  Massachusetts  Infantry. 


132  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 


CHAPTER   XIV 

Lite   on   the    Traxsport  —  The  Landing  at  Dai- 
quiri—  The    March    to     Siboney  —  The    Trail 

THROUGH     the     JuNGLE  —  ThE     SkIRMISH      AT      La 
GUASIMA 

While  the  army  was  preparing  to  invade 
Cuba,  matters  so  far  as  they  concerned  the 
navy  had  been  moving  along  rapidly.  Com- 
modore Dewey  had  sunk  the  Spanish  fleet 
in  Manila  Bay;  Havana  and  the  adjacent 
coasts  were  being  blockaded,  so  no  ships 
could  pass  in  or  out  without  running  the 
risk  of  capture ;  and  a  large  fleet  of  war-ships 
under  Admiral  Cervera,  of  the  enemy's  navy, 
had  been  "  bottled  \\^  "  in  Santiago  Harbor. 

It  had  been  decided  that  the  United 
States  troops  should  be  landed  on  the  south- 
east coast  of  Cuba,  not  far  from  the  entrance 
to  Santiago  Bay,  and  from  that  point  should 
make  an  advance  on  Santiago,  Avhich  is  the 
second  city  of  importance  in  the  island. 

Day  after  day  the  flotilla  of  transports 
kept   on   its   way,  spread   out  in  a  broad 


THEODOBE  BOOSEVELT  133 

column  during  the  time  it  was  liglit,  and 
coming  in  close  together  during  the  night. 
The  war-ships  hovered  near,  and  at  night 
swept  the  ocean  with  their  powerful  search- 
lights, rendering  a  surprise  by  the  enemy 
impossible. 

The  trip  to  the  southeast  coast  of  Cuba 
lasted  seven  days.  It  was  very  hot,  even 
for  this  time  of  the  year,  and  those  who 
could,  slept  on  deck  during  the  voyage. 
There  was  but  little  to  do,  and  when  not 
drilling,  the  men  took  it  easy  in  the  shade,  — 
sleeping,  chatting,  or  playing  games.  Some- 
times they  would  talk  of  the  future  and 
wonder  how  much  of  real  fighting  lay  before 
them. 

"We  didn't  know  even  then  where  we 
were  going,"  said  one,  in  speaking  of  the 
trip.  "  I  don't  believe  Wood  or  Roosevelt 
knew  either.  First  we  thought  it  might  be 
Havana,  then  we  imagined  it  might  be  Porto 
Rico,  but  when  we  turned  southward  and  ran 
around  the  eastern  end  of  the  island,  we  all 
knew  we  wxre  bound  for  Santiago." 

As  the  transports  swept  up  toward  the 
mouth  of  Santiago  Bay,  they  came  within 
sight  of  the  American  war-ships  that  were 


134  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

keeping  Admiral  Cervera's  fleet  "bottled 
up"  in  the  harbor.  A  shout  of  recognition 
went  up,  and  one  of  the  bands  struck  up  a 
patriotic  air  that  was  truly  inspiring. 

The  landing  of  the  Rough  Riders  and 
many  other  commands  was  made  at  Dai- 
quiri, a  small  settlement  on  the  coast  east  of 
Santiago  Harbor.  The  Yucatan  got  closer  to 
the  shore  than  most  of  the  other  transports, 
and  the  men  lost  no  time  in  disembarking, 
taking  with  them  two  Colt's  automatic  guns 
and  a  dynamite  gun  of  which  they  had  be- 
come possessed.  As  there  had  not  been  trans- 
ports enough,  only  the  officers'  horses  had 
been  brought  along.  These  were  thrown 
into  the  water  and  made  to  swim  ashore. 
Theodore  Roosevelt  had  two  horses,  but  one 
was  drowned. 

It  was  important  that  the  landing  should 
be  guarded,  and  the  war-ships  sent  in  some 
shot  and  shell  to  dislodge  any  Spaniards 
who  might  be  in  the  vicinity.  But  none 
showed  themselves,  and  soon  nearly  all  of 
the  soldiers  were  ashore,  either  at  Daiquiri 
or  at  a  landing  a  short  distance  farther 
westward.  No  enemy  was  in  sight,  and 
the  only  persons  who  appeared  were  some 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  135 

Cubans,  soldiers  and  civilians,  who  wanted 
but  one  thing,  food. 

The  Rough  Riders  had  been  put  into  a 
brigade  commanded  by  General  S.  B.  M. 
Young.  There  were  two  of  these  brigades, 
and  it  is  worth  noting  that  they  formed  a 
division  under  the  command  of  Major-Gen- 
eral  Joseph  Wheeler,  who  had  in  years 
gone  by  fought  so  gallantly  on  the  side  of 
the  Confederacy.  Now,  as  brave  as  of  old, 
he  was  fighting  for  Old  Glory,  the  one  ban- 
ner of  the  North  and  the  South  alike. 

As  the  Rough  Riders  landed,  they  were 
marched  up  the  beach,  and  here  they  went 
into  temporary  camp,  —  an  easy  matter,  since 
each  soldier  carried  his  outfit  with  him,  or, 
at  least,  as  much  as  he  could  get  of  what 
belonged  to  him.  Theodore  Roosevelt  had 
his  weapons  and  ammunition,  a  mackintosh 
and  a  toothbrush,  certainly  much  less  than 
he  had  carried  even  when  roughing  it  in 
the  Bad  Lands  of  the  West. 

As  soon  as  the  larger  portion  of  the  army 
was  landed.  General  Lawton  —  he  who  was 
afterward  to  give  his  life  for  his  flag  in  the 
Philippines  —  threw  out  a  strong  detach- 
ment on  the  Santiago  road  to  the  westward, 


186  AMERICAN  BOYS'  LIFE  OF 

and  also  detachments  on  the  roads  to  the 
north  and  east. 

"On  to  Santiago!"  was  the  cry.  And 
many  were  for  pushing  forward  without 
delay.  But  the  transports  had  still  to  un- 
load their  baggage,  and  word  did  not  reach 
the  Rough  Riders  to  move  on  until  the 
afternoon  of  the  day  after  landing. 

It  was  a  rocky,  uneven  country,  with 
much  brushwood  and  jungles  of  trees  and 
vines.  It  had  rained,  but  now  the  sun 
came  out  fiercely,  and  the  Rough  Riders 
(riders  in  name  only,  for  only  the  officers 
were  on  horseback)  suffered  greatly  through 
being  clad  in  winter  uniform. 

"  It  was  a  tough  and  tiresome  march," 
said  one  who  was  there.  "  The  air  just 
quivered  with  heat,  and  many  of  the  boys 
felt  like  throwing  half  of  their  clothing 
away.  Whenever  we  reached  a  drinking 
place,  the  crowd  would  swarm  around  for 
water  like  a  lot  of  bees. 

"  General  Lawton  had  his  outposts  pretty 
well  advanced.  Our  commander,  old  Gen- 
eral Wheeler,  was  just  as  anxious  to  make 
a  showing,  and  he  ordered  General  Young 
to  push  on  with  the  Rough  Riders  and  some 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  137 

other  troops.  So  away  we  went,  with 
Colonel  Wood  at  our  head,  and  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Roosevelt  in  command  of  one 
squadron  and  Major  Brodie  in  command 
of  the  other.  In  some  spots  the  road  was 
frightful,  full  of  mud-holes,  with  big  land 
crabs  crawling  around  in  all  directions,  and 
with  the  trailing  vines  full  of  poisonous 
spiders.  We  didn't  know  but  that  the 
woods  might  be  full  of  Spaniards,  and  we 
were  on  the  alert  to  give  the  Dons  as  good 
as  they  sent,  should  they  show  themselves." 

By  nightfall  the  Rough  Riders  reached 
the  little  village  of  Siboney  without  having 
met  the  enemy.  Here  they  went  into  camp 
in  the  midst  of  a  heavy  thunder-storm  in 
which  every  soldier  and  officer  was  drenched 
to  the  skin.  Fires  could  scarcely  be  lighted, 
and  it  was  not  until  the  storm  had  partly 
cleared  away  that  the  cooks  could  prepare 
anything  to  eat.  Surely  being  a  soldier 
was  not  all  glory  after  all. 

It  had  been  learned  that  a  portion  of  the 
Spanish  army  was  less  than  four  miles 
away,  and  General  Young  was  ordered  by 
General  Wheeler  to  move  forward  at  day- 
break  and    engage    the   enemy.      Colonel 


138  AMEBIC  AN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

AYood  received  orders  to  move  the  Roua:h 
Riders  by  a  trail  over  a  hill,  beyond  which 
the  country  sloped  toward  the  bay  and  the 
city  of  Santiago. 

The  first  encounter  with  the  enemy 
occurred  at  a  place  called  La  Guasima  (or 
Las  Guasimas),  so  called  on  account  of  trees 
of  that  name  growing  in  the  vicinity.  Here 
the  Spaniards  had  rifle-pits  and  mounds  of 
earth  to  shelter  them  and  had  likewise  the 
sugar-house  of  a  plantation.  They  had  been 
watching  for  the  coming  of  the  A'tnericanos 
eagerly,  and  were  determined  to  give  our 
soldiers  a  lesson  not  to  be  forgotten.  They 
knew  that  our  army  had  not  been  in  active 
warfare  for  years,  and  felt  certain  that  they 
would  soon  be  able  to  make  the ''paper" 
soldiers  retreat. 

The  Rough  Riders  found  the  way  led  up 
a  steep  hill,  and  the  pace  w^as  so  fast  that 
before  the  firing  line  was  reached  some  men 
fell  out  from  exhaustion.  Theodore  Roose- 
velt was  at  the  head  of  the  first  squadron 
and  did  his  best  to  urge  those  under  him 
forward.  There  was  an  advance  guard,  led 
by  some  men  under  Sergeant  Hamilton 
Fish,  and  Captain  Capron's  troop,  and  soon 


THEOBOBE  ROOSEVELT  139 

a  crash  of  firearms  notified  all  that  a  fight 
was  on. 

Orders  were  at  once  issued  to  fill  the 
magazines  of  the  gmis,  and  this  was  done. 
Then,  while  some  troops  moved  to  the  left 
of  the  trail,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Roosevelt 
was  ordered  to  take  three  troops  to  the 
right.  Here  the  jungle  was  heavy,  and  no 
sooner  had  the  Rough  Riders  advanced  than 
the  Spaniards  opened  fire  upon  them.  In 
speaking  of  the  opening  of  this  fight,  Mr. 
Roosevelt  himself  writes  :  — 

"  The  effect  of  the  smokeless  powder 
(used  by  the  enemy)  was  remarkable.  The 
air  seemed  full  of  the  rustling  sound  of  the 
Mauser  bullets,  for  the  Spaniards  knew 
the  trails  by  which  we  were  advancing,  and 
opened  heavily  on  our  position.  But  they 
themselves  were  entirely  invisible.  The 
jungle  covered  everything,  and  not  the 
faintest  trace  of  smoke  was  to  be  seen  in 
any  direction,  to  indicate  from  whence  the 
bullets  came." 

It  was  certainly  a  trying  time  —  to  stand 
up  and  be  shot  at  without  being  able  to 
return  the  compliment.  Roosevelt  and  all 
the  other  leaders  knew  that  this  would  not 


140  AMERICAN  boys'  LIFE  OF 

do,  and  at  a  great  risk  they  continued  to 
advance,  until  some  Spaniards  were  at  last 
discovered  across  a  valley  to  the  right  of 
where  the  troops  under  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Roosevelt  were  located. 

"  There  they  are  !  "  was  the  cry.  "  For- 
ward and  at  'em,  boys !  Down  with  the 
Dons  !  "  Without  delay  some  sharpshooters 
fired  on  the  Spaniards,  and  then  the  regular 
troops  opened  up,  and  at  last  the  Spaniards 
ran  from  cover. 

Bullets  were  now  flying  in  all  directions, 
and  both  sides  were  making  their  shots  tell. 
The  Americans  had  but  scant  protection, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  a  number  of 
them  fell.  Some  bullets  came  close  to 
Theodore  Roosevelt,  and  one  hit  a  palm  tree 
near  where  he  was  standing,  filling  his  left 
eye  and  ear  with  the  dust  and  splinters. 
Had  that  Mauser  bullet  come  a  few  inches 
closer,  the  man  who  was  destined  to  be- 
come the  future  President  of  our  country 
might  have  been  killed  on  the  spot. 

In  the  midst  of  the  skirmish  —  for  the 
conflict  proved  to  be  nothing  more  —  there 
was  a  report  that  Colonel  Wood  was  dead, 
and  Theodore  Roosevelt  took  it  upon  him  > 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  141 

self  to  restore  the  fighting  line  of  Eoiigh 
Riders  to  order.  But  happily  the  report 
proved  false;  and  a  little  while  after  this 
the  skirmish  came  to  an  end,  and  both 
Spaniards  and  Americans  betook  themselves 
to  positions  of  greater  safety.  In  this 
skirmish,  brief  as  it  was,  the  Rough  Riders 
lost  eight  men  killed  and  nearly  forty 
wounded. 


142  AMERICAN  BOYS'  LIFE  OF 


CHAPTER    XV 

Along  the  Jungle  Trail  —  Fording  the  River  — 
Opening  of  the  Battle  of  San  Juan  Hill  — 
Bravery  of  the  Rough  Riders  —  Personal  Ex- 
periences OF  Theodore  Roosevelt  during  the 
Battle 

Taken  as  a  whole,  the  skirmish  at  La 
Guasima  was  quite  an  important  one,  for  it 
showed  the  Spaniards  that  our  soldiers  were 
bound  to  advance  upon  Santiago,  be  the 
cost  what  it  might. 

More  than  this,  it  showed  that  Theodore 
Roosevelt  was  brave  under  fire.  During 
the  skirmish  he  paid  but  scant  attention 
to  his  own  personal  safety.  He  went  wher- 
ever he  thought  he  was  needed,  and  the  fact 
that  Mauser  bullets  were  flying  about  in  all 
directions  did  not  daunt  him. 

"  He  was  about  as  cool  a  man  as  I  ever 
saw  in  a  fight,"  said  one  old  soldier.  "  He 
did  all  he  could  to  encourage  the  men,  and 
had  a  kind  word  for  every  man  he  ran 
across  who  was  wounded.  Once,  in  the 
thickest  of  the  brush,  he  grabl)ed  up  a  gun 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  143 

and  began  to  shoot  with  us,  and  I  reckon  he 
fired  as  straight  as  anybody  there,  for  he 
had  had  lots  of  practice  wliile  hunting." 

The  Spaniards  had  been  driven  from  their 
pits  and  from  the  sugar-house  of  the  planta- 
tion, and  now  took  good  care  to  keep  out 
of  sight.  Picket-guards  were  thrown  out 
by  the  officers  of  the  army,  and  those  who 
had  been  in  the  fight  took  a  much-needed 
rest,  and  looked  after  the  dead  and  wounded. 
There  was  certainly  a  toucliing  scene  at  the 
temporary  hospital,  where  one  soldier  started 
to  sing  "My  Country,  'tis  of  Thee,"  and 
many  others  joined  in.  On  the  following 
morning  the  dead  were  buried,  the  men 
gathering  around  the  one  common  grave  to 
sing  "  Rock  of  Ages "  in  a  manner  that 
brought  tears  to  the  eyes  of  many. 

From  La  Guasima  the  Rough  Riders 
moved  to  the  bank  of  a  small  stream  in  the 
neighborhood.  Part  of  the  army  was  ahead 
of  them  and  the  rest  behind,  and  for  several 
days  nothing  unusual  occurred.  But  during 
that  time  General  Young  caught  the  fever, 
whereupon  Colonel  Wood  had  to  take  charge 
of  the  brigade,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Roose- 
velt took  command  of  the  Rough  Riders. 


144  AMERICAX  nOYS'   LIFE   OF 

It  was  now  the  end  of  June,  and  the 
weather  was  anything  bnt  agreeable.  AVhen 
the  rain  did  not  come  down  in  torrents,  the 
sun  shone  with  a  glare  and  a  heat  that  was 
terrific.  As  said  before,  the  uniforms  of  the 
Rough  Riders  were  heavy,  and  much  cloth- 
ing had  to  be  cast  aside  as  unfit  for  use. 
To  add  to  the  discomfort,  rations  that  were 
promised  failed  to  appear,  so  that  a  good 
square  meal  was  almost  unknown. 

"  This  will  not  do ;  the  men  must  have 
enough  to  eat,  even  if  I  have  to  buy  it  for 
them,"  said  Acting  Colonel  Roosevelt,  and 
made  two  trips  down  to  the  seacoast  in 
search  of  beans,  tomatoes,  and  other  things 
to  eat.  Here  he  was  informed  that  he  could 
only  buy  stuff  meant  for  the  officers. 

"All  right;  I'll  buy  the  things  for  the 
officers,"  he  answered,  and  purchased  as 
much  as  they  would  allow.  \Yhen  he  got 
back,  he  turned  the  food  over  to  the  officers, 
but  saw  to  it  that  they  gave  their  men  a 
fair  share. 

"  It  was  a  kindness  none  of  his  men  ever 
forgot,"  said  a  soldier  wlio  was  there.  "  It 
wasn't  an}^  of  his  business  to  buy  the  grub, 
—  the  commissary  department  had  to  supply 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  145 

it  free,  —  but  he  knew  we  might  starve 
while  the  department  was  getting  itself 
straightened  out  and  ready  to  do  the  right 
thing.  Before  he  went  on  a  hunt  for  food, 
all  we  had  was  salt  pork,  hardtack,  and 
coffee,  and  some  of  the  stuff  wasn't  fit  to 
put  in  your  mouth."  And  this  testimony 
was  the  testimony  of  scores  of  others. 

The  Spaniards  were  strongly  intrenched 
upon  the  outskirts  of  Santiago,  and  as  it  was 
a  rough,  hilly  country,  with  many  shallow 
streams  and  much  jungle,  it  was  hard  for 
the  American  army  to  advance.  It  was 
General  Shafter's  idea  to  form  a  grand  semi- 
circle around  Santiago,  starting  from  El 
Caney  on  the  north,  and  running  in  an 
irregular  line  to  Aguadores  on  the  south. 
Throughout  this  territory  the  Spaniards  had 
done  everything  possible  to  hinder  the  ad- 
vance of  our  troops.  Barbed  wire  was 
strung  in  many  directions,  and  often  the 
brushwood  would  conceal  dangerous  pit- 
falls, so  that  any  advance  had  to  be  made 
with  great  caution. 

The  attack  upon  the  Spanish  lines  began 
on  July  1,  and  the  fighting  took  place  in 
several  quarters  at  once,  but  was  unusually 


146  AMEBICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

heavy  at  El  Caney  and  at  San  Juan  Hill. 
At  El  Caney  the  heroic  General  Law  ton 
was  in  command,  and  fought  as  gallantly  as 
he  afterward  did  in  the  Philippines.  Some 
of  the  charges  were  terrific,  and  will  ever  be 
remembered  by  those  who  participated  in 
them. 

The  Rough  Riders  struck  camp  and  moved 
along  the  trail  on  the  last  day  of  June. 
It  was  as  hot  as  ever,  with  no  sign  of  rain. 
The  trail  was  filled  with  troops  and  provi- 
sion wagons,  and  the  progress,  consequently, 
was  slow. 

"  Let  us  get  into  the  fight !  "  w^as  the  cry 
heard  on  every  side.  "  Don't  keep  us  wait- 
ing any  longer." 

"Keep  cool,"  said  one  of  the  officers. 
"  You'll  get  all  the  fighting  you  want  soon." 
And  so  it  proved. 

At  a  little  after  eight  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing the  Rough  Riders  found  themselves  on 
El  Poso  Hill,  and  here  the  whole  brigade  to 
which  they  were  attached  went  into  camp. 

"  It  wasn't  much  of  a  camp,"  said  one 
who  was  there.  "  We  just  threw  out  a 
strong  picket-guard  and  went  to  sleep  on 
our  arms,  and  glad  of  it,  after  that  day  in 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  147 

the  broiling  sun.  We  had  had  to  ford  some 
pretty  muddy  streams,  and  all  of  us  were 
water  and  mud  up  to  our  knees.  But 
everybody  was  as  enthusiastic  to  fight  as 
ever." 

At  sunrise  the  battle  opened  at  El  Caney, 
and  the  Rough  Riders  could  hear  the  boom- 
ing of  cannon.  At  once  all  was  activity, 
and  the  men  prepared  to  move  ahead  at  a 
moment's  notice. 

Acting  Colonel  Roosevelt  was  with  Colo- 
nel Wood  at  the  time,  and  both  were  listen- 
ing to  the  roar  of  the  artillery. 

"  I  wish  we  could  move  —  "  began  Colonel 
Wood,  when,  of  a  sudden,  both  he  and 
Theodore  Roosevelt  heard  a  strange  hum- 
ming sound  in  the  air.  Then  came  the 
explosion  of  a  shrapnel  shell  over  their 
heads,  and  both  leaped  to  their  feet. 

"  This  is  getting  warm  !  "  cried  Theodore 
Roosevelt,  and  ran  toward  his  horse,  when 
boom !  came  another  explosion,  and  one  of 
the  bullets  fell  upon  his  wrist,  making,  as 
he  himself  says,  "  a  bump  about  as  big  as  a 
hickory  nut."  This  same  shell,  he  adds, 
wounded  four  of  the  men  under  him  and 
two  or  three  regulars,  one  of  whom  lost  his 


148  AMEEICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

leg.  Certainly  another  providential  escape 
on  the  part  of  the  future  President. 

Without  loss  of  time  Theodore  Roosevelt 
ordered  his  troops  into  the  underbrush,  and 
here,  for  the  time  being,  they  were  safe. 
On  account  of  the  smokeless  powder  they 
used,  the  Spanish  batteries  could  not  be  pre- 
cisely located,  so  our  own  artillery  were  at 
a  slight  disadvantage. 

But  now  the  blood  of  the  Americans 
was  fully  aroused,  and  soon  came  an  order 
for  a  general  advance,  —  something  that 
was  hailed  with  wild  delight  by  the  Rough 
Riders. 

"  Hurrah,  now  we'll  show  'em  what  the 
Yankees  can  do !  "  was  the  cry.  ''  Down 
with  the  Dons  !  Three  cheers  for  Uncle 
Sam ! " 

The  Rough  Riders  had  to  ford  the  river, 
and  while  they  were  doing  this,  a  balloon 
that  had  been  used  for  observations  came 
down  in  that  vicinity  and  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  Spanish  sharpshooters.  The 
firing  was  now  heavy  on  all  sides,  and  many 
a  gallant  soldier  went  down  to  rise  no 
more. 

Then  came  another  wait  of  an  hour,  dm-- 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  149 

ing  which  the  Rough  Riders  rested  in  a 
hollow  leading  up  from  the  river.  Again 
there  was  grumbling.  With  so  much  fight- 
ing on  all  sides,  why  could  they  not  ad- 
vance ? 

"We'll  get  our  tmni,"  said  Theodore 
Roosevelt.  And  soon  after  a  staff  officer 
dashed  up  with  orders  to  move  forward  and 
support  the  cavalry  of  the  regular  army  on 
the  hills  in  front. 

"  Now  to  the  front !  "  was  the  cry.  "  Down 
with  the  Dons !  "  And  away  went  troop 
after  troop  on  the  double-quick,  wdth  Acting 
Colonel  Roosevelt  leading  them.  Shot  and 
shell  were  hurling  themselves  through  the 
air  in  all  directions,  and  on  all  sides  could 
be  heard  the  shrieks  and  groans  of  the  dead 
and  the  dying.  It  was  a  time  long  to  be 
remembered.  Men  went  down  in  all  direc- 
tions, and  with  them  not  a  few  officers.  It 
was  so  hot  that  Roosevelt's  orderly  was 
prostrated  from  the  heat  and  afterward 
died.  Roosevelt  summoned  another  Rough 
Rider,  and  had  just  finished  giving  the  man 
some  orders  when  the  soldier  pitched  for- 
ward upon  his  commander,  killed  by  a 
bullet  through  the  throat. 


150  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

As  the  troops  advanced,  Theodore  Roose- 
velt urged  his  men  forward  and  told  them 
to  do  their  best,  to  which  they  responded 
with  a  cheer.  He  was  on  horseback  at  the 
time,  and  soon  came  across  a  man  lying  in 
the  shade,  probably  overcome  by  the  heat. 
He  started  to  speak  to  the  Rough  Rider 
when  a  bullet  hit  the  fellow  and  killed  him 
on  the  spot. 

"  I  suppose  that  bullet  was  meant  for  me," 
says  Mr.  Roosevelt,  in  writing  of  this  inci- 
dent. "  I,  who  was  on  horseback  in  the 
open,  was  unhurt,  and  the  man  lying  flat 
on  the  ground  in  the  cover  beside  me  was 
killed." 

The  fight  had  now  centred  around  the 
possession  of  San  Juan  Hill,  upon  which 
was  located  a  Spanish  blockhouse.  The 
bullets  were  flying  as  thickly  as  ever,  when 
Roosevelt  was  ordered  to  advance  in  sup- 
port of  another  regiment.  As  the  Rough 
Riders  reached  the  spot  where  the  other 
regiment  was,  they  foimd  the  men  lying 
down  awaiting  orders. 

"  I  am  ordered  to  support  your  regiment," 
said  Theodore  Roosevelt  to  the  first  captain 
he  met. 


THEODORE  BOOSE VELT  151 

"  We  are  awaiting  orders  to  advance," 
answered  the  captain  of  the  regulars. 

"  In  my  opinion  we  cannot  take  these 
hills  by  firing  at  them,"  retm-ned  the  com- 
mander of  the  Rough  Riders.  "  We  must 
rush  them." 

"  My  orders  are  to  keep  my  men  where 
they  are." 

"  Where  is  your  Colonel  ? " 

"I  don't  know." 

"Well,  if  he  isn't  here,  then  I  am  the 
ranking  officer,  and  I  give  the  order  to 
charge,"  came  quickly  and  positively  from 
Theodore  Roosevelt. 

"Well,  sir,  —  I  —  I  have  orders  from 
our  Colonel  — "  began  the  captain  of  the 
regulars. 

"  If  you  won't  charge,  let  my  men  pass 
through,  sir,"  cut  in  the  Acting  Colonel  of 
the  Rough  Riders,  and  he  ordered  his  men  to 
move  to  the  front.  This  was  too  much  for 
the  regulars,  and  up  they  sprang  with  shouts 
and  yells,  and  Rough  Riders  and  regulars 
went  up  San  Juan  Hill  together.  Roosevelt 
was  on  horseback  as  before,  but  at  a  barbed- 
wire  fence  he  leaped  to  the  ground,  swung 
his  hat  in  the  air,  and  joined  his  men  on  foot. 


152  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

The  fight  was  now  at  its  fiercest,  aud  men 
were  being  mowed  down  in  all  directions. 
But  the  fever  of  battle  was  in  the  veins  of 
all  the  American  soldiers,  and  nothing  could 
stop  them.  Up  the  hill  they  went,  loading 
and  firing  at  random,  and  making  as  many 
shots  as  possible  tell.  The  Spaniards  were 
in  retreat,  and  soon  Old  Glory  was  planted 
in  several  places.  Some  of  the  leading  offi- 
cers had  been  shot,  and  Theodore  Roosevelt 
found  himself  at  one  time  in  command  of 
five  regiments,  and  doing  his  best  to  keep 
them  in  military  order.  Strange  as  it  may 
seem,  with  bullets  flying  all  around  him,  he 
remained  unharmed,  saving  for  some  slight 
scratches  which,  he  tells  us,  "were  of  no 
consequence." 

With  the  top  of  the  hill  gained,  the 
American  soldiers  could  get  a  distant 
glimpse  of  Santiago,  several  miles  away, 
and  some  wanted  to  move  still  farther  for- 
ward. But  the  Spaniards  had  strong  in- 
trenchments  to  fall  back  upon,  and  it  was 
deemed  best  to  "  let  well  enousrh  alone." 
Accordingly  the  American  line  was  made 
as  strong  as  possible,  and  by  nightfall  the 
battle  was  at  an  end,  and  the  Rough  Riders 


THEODORE  BOOSEVELT  153 

were  told  to  hold  tlie  hill  and  mtrench,  and 
they  did  so.  In  the  blockhouse  they  found 
some  food  belonging  to  some  Spanish  officers, 
and  upon  this  tliey  feasted  after  their  well- 
earned  victory. 


154  AMERICAN  BOYS    LIFE  OF 


CHAPTER  XVI 

Results  of  the  Fight  —  Life  in  the  Trenches  — 
The  Spanish  Fleet  in  Santiago  Harbor  — 
Another  Great  Naval  Victory  —  The  Rough 
Riders  and  the  Spanish  Guerillas 

The  fight  had  been  a  hard  and  heavy  one. 
The  Rough  Riders  had  gone  into  the  engage- 
ment just  490  strong,  and  of  that  number 
89  were  killed  or  wounded.  The  total  loss 
to  the  Americans  was  1071  killed  and 
wounded.  The  loss  to  the  Spanish  was 
also  heavy,  but  the  exact  figures  will  prob- 
ably never  be  known. 

Utterly  tired  out  with  their  marching  and 
fighting,  the  Rough  Riders  intrenched  as 
best  they  could,  cared  for  their  wounded 
and  dead,  and  then  dropped  down  to  get  a 
well-earned  rest.  The  night  was  misty  and 
cold,  and  many  who  had  been  bathed  in 
perspiration  suffered  accordingly.  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  had  a  blanket  taken  from 
the  Spanish,  and  in  this  he  rolled  himself, 
and  slept  with  others  of  his  command. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  155 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  came  an 
unexpected  alarm.  The  Spanish  skirmishers 
were  out  in  force,  trying  to  drive  the  Ameri- 
cans back.  But  there  was  no  heavy  attack, 
and  presently  all  became  as  quiet  as  before. 

"  They'll  not  give  up  yet,"  said  one  of 
the  officers  of  the  Rough  Riders.  "  They 
mean  to  retake  this  hill  if  they  can." 

Just  at  daybreak  the  Spaniards  opened 
the  attack  on  San  Juan  Hill  once  more. 
Theodore  Roosevelt  was  resting  under  a 
little  tree  when  a  shrapnel  shell  burst  close 
by,  killing  or  wounding  five  men  of  the 
command.  He  at  once  ordered  the  eight 
troops  under  him  to  a  safer  position,  where 
the  Spanish  battery  and  the  sharpshooters 
could  not  locate  them  so  readily. 

If  the  fight  had  been  hard,  guarding  the 
trenches  was  almost  equally  so.  The  sun 
beat  down  fiercely,  and  the  newly  turned 
up  earth  made  many  of  the  Rough  Riders 
sick.  Added  to  this,  provisions  were,  as 
usual,  slow  in  arriving.  Those  in  the 
trenches  were  kept  there  six  hours,  and 
then  relieved  by  the  others  who  were 
farther  to  the  rear. 

"  Running  from  the  cover  of  brush  to  the 


156  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

trenches  was  no  easy  matter,"  says  one 
Roug:li  Rider  who  was  there.  "  We  had 
dug  the  trenches  in  a  hnrry,  and  had  no 
passages  from  the  rear  leading  to  them. 
All  we  could  do  was  to  wait  for  a  signal, 
and  then  rush,  and  when  we  did  that,  the 
Spaniards  would  open  a  hot  fire  and  keep  it 
up  for  perhaps  fifteen  minutes.  The  sun  was 
enough  to  turn  a  man's  brain,  and  more 
than  one  poor  fellow  caught  a  fever  there 
that  proved  fatal  to  him." 

Through  the  entire  day  the  firing  con- 
tinued, but  no  advances  were  made  upon 
either  side.  The  Americans  were  waiting 
for  reenforcements,  and  the  Spaniards  were 
doing  likewise.  On  our  side  a  dynamite 
gun  and  two  Colt's  guns  were  used,  but 
with  little  success.  But  the  Gatling  guns 
proved  very  effective,  and  caused  a  great 
loss  to  the  enemy. 

The  city  of  Santiago  lies  on  the  northeast 
coast  of  a  large  bay  of  the  same  name.  This 
bay  is  shaped  somewhat  like  a  bottle,  with 
a  long  neck  joining  it  to  the  Caribbean  Sea. 

In  the  harbor,  at  the  time  of  the  battles 
just  described,  the  Spaniards  had  a  fleet  of 
war-ships  under  the  command   of  Admiral 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  157 

Cervera,  an  old  and  able  naval  commander. 
In  the  fleet  were  four  large  cruisers  and  two 
torpedo-boats.  Three  of  the  cruisers  were 
of  seven  thousand  tons  burden  each,  and 
all  could  make  from  eighteen  to  nineteen 
knots  an  hour.  Each  carried  a  crew  of 
about  five  hundred  men,  and  all  were  well 
supplied  with  guns  and  ammunition. 

To  keep  this  fleet  "bottled  up,"  our  own 
navy  had  a  fleet  of  its  own  just  outside  of 
the  harbor,  where  it  had  been  stationed  ever 
since  Admiral  Cervera  had  been  discovered 
within.  The  American  fleet  consisted  of 
the  cruiser  Bi^ooMyn,  which  was  Commodore 
Schley's  flag-ship,  the  battle-ships  Texas, 
Iowa,  Indiana,  and  Oregon  (the  latter  having 
sailed  all  the  way  from  the  Pacific  coast 
around  Cape  Horn  to  get  into  the  fight), 
and  the  converted  yachts  Gloucester  and 
Vixen.  There  were  also  close  at  hand,  but 
not  near  enough  to  get  into  the  fight,  the 
cruiser  Neiu  York,  Admiral  Sampson's  flag- 
ship, and  several  other  vessels  of  lesser 
importance. 

For  a  long  time  it  had  been  thought  that 
Cervera  would  try  to  escape  from  the  harbor, 
in  which  he  could  not  be  reached  because  of 


158  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

the  strong  forts  that  protected  the  entrance. 
To  bottle  him  up  more  effectively,  the  Amer- 
icans tried  to  block  up  the  harbor  entrance 
by  sinking  an  old  iron  steamboat,  the  Me?^- 
7'imac,  in  the  channel.  This  heroic  work 
was  undertaken  by  Lieutenant  Hobson  with 
a  crew  of  seven  daring  men,  but  the  plan 
failed,  for  the  Merrimac,  instead  of  sinking 
where  intended,  swung  to  one  side  of  the 
main  channel. 

When  it  was  reported  to  him  that  the 
Americans  had  taken  the  heights  of  El 
Caney  and  San  Juan  and  were  strongly 
intrenched  in  their  positions.  Admiral  Cer- 
vera  concluded  that  Santiago  Bay  might 
soon  become  too  hot  to  hold  him.  The  cap- 
ture of  the  city  would  be  followed  by  the 
taking  of  the  forts  at  the  harbor  entrance, 
and  then  there  would  be  nothing  left  for 
him  to  do  but  to  surrender. 

San  Juan  and  El  Caney  had  been  taken 
on  Friday,  and  all  day  Saturday  occurred 
the  shooting  at  long  range,  as  already  de- 
scribed. In  the  meantime  the  war-ships 
outside  of  the  harbor  kept  up  a  close  watch 
on  the  harbor  entrance,  lying  well  vout  dur- 
ing the  day,  but  coming  in  closer  at  night. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  159 

and  using  their  powerful  search-lights  from 
sundown  to  sunrise. 

Sunday  dawned  bright  and  clear,  and  for 
the  time  being  all  was  quiet  both  ashore  and 
afloat.  In  the  trenches  the  Rough  Riders 
and  other  soldiers  were  still  on  guard,  doing 
what  they  could  for  their  wounded,  and 
trying  to  get  the  rations  which  were  still 
delayed. 

Presently,  those  on  board  of  the  Ameri- 
can fleet  noticed  a  thick  cloud  of  smoke 
hanging  over  the  harbor,  coming  from  the 
funnels  of  the  Spanish  war-ships.  Then  one 
of  the  enemy's  vessels  showed  itself,  quickly 
followed  by  the  others,  and  all  turned  west- 
ward, to  escape  up  the  coast. 

"  The  enemy  is  escaping !  "  was  the  signal 
hoisted.  And  then  one  cannon  after  another 
boomed  out,  giving  the  signal  to  all  our 
ships  in  that  vicinity.  The  booming  of  the 
cannon  was  heard  away  eastward  at  Siboney, 
whither  Admiral  Sampson  had  gone  with 
his  ship  to  confer  with  General  Sh after,  and 
without  delay  the  JVeiv  York  raced  madly 
back  to  get  into  the  fight  that  followed. 

"  Remember  the  Maine ! "  was  the  cry. 
"  Down  with  the  SjDanish  ships  !     Give  'em 


160  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

what  Dewey  did  !  "  And  this  cry,  "  Give 
'em  what  Dewey  did !  "  was  heard  on  every 
hand. 

The  first  vessel  to  go  down  was  a  torpedo- 
boat,  sunk  by  the  Gloucester,  and  this  was 
quickly  followed  by  the  sinking  of  the 
second  torpedo-boat.  In  the  meantime  the 
larger  vessels  were  pouring  in  their  rain  of 
steel  upon  the  Spanish  cruisers  wdth  deadly 
effect,  knocking  great  holes  into  the  ships 
and  killing  scores  of  those  on  board. 

The  Spanisli  cruiser  Teresa  was  the 
first  to  succumb  to  the  heavy  attack,  and 
soon  she  turned  in  to  shore  to  save  her  crew 
from  drowning.  Then  the  Oquendo  caught 
fire  in  several  places,  and  burning  fiercely 
from  stem  to  stern,  she,  too,  turned  in. 

But  two  ships  were  now  left  to  Admiral 
Cervera,  the  Vizcaya  and  the  Colon,  and  each 
had  suffered  nnich.  Both  were  doing  their 
best  to  get  out  of  reach  of  our  guns  and 
the  marvellous  accuracy  of  our  gunners. 

"  Don't  let  'em  get  away  !  "  was  the  cry. 
"  Give  'em  what  Dewey  did  !  "  Forward 
went  the  war-ships  of  Uncle  Sam,  the  pow- 
erful Oregon  leading,  with  the  Brooklyn  and 
Texas  not   far  behind.      The  rain  of  steel 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  161 

continued,  and  at  last,  burning  like  her 
sister  ships,  the  Vizcaya  turned  shoreward, 
and  many  of  her  crew  leaped  overboard  to 
save  their  lives. 

Only  the  Colon  now  remained.  She  was 
still  in  fair  condition,  and  it  was  the  Span- 
iards' ardent  hope  to  save  at  least  one  ship 
from  the  dire  calamity  that  had  overtaken 
them.  But  this  was  not  to  be,  and  after  a 
run  of  a  few  miles,  during  which  the  Ore- 
gon and  Brooklyn  continued  to  pound  her 
with  shot  and  shell,  the  Spanish  flag  was 
lowered,  and  the  Colon  also  ran  ashore. 

It  was  assuredly  a  mighty  victor}',  a  fit- 
ting  mate  to  the  great  victory  won  by  Ad- 
miral Dewey,  and  when  the  news  reached 
our  country  there  was  such  a  Fourth  of  July 
celebration  everywhere  as  will  never  be  for- 
gotten. Twice  had  our  navy  met  the  ships 
of  Spain,  and  each  time  we  had  sunk  every 
vessel  without  losing  any  of  our  own.  More 
than  this,  while  the  Spaniards  had  lost 
many  men  through  shot  and  fire  and  drown- 
ing, our  total  loss  was  but  one  man  killed 
and  a  handful  wounded. 

The  loss  of  her  second  fleet  was  a  bitter 
blow  to  Spain,  and  many  predicted  that  the 


162  ^iMERlCAN  BOYS^    LIFE  OF 

war  would  not  continue  much  longer,  and 
this  prediction  proved  correct. 

During  the  rush  made  by  the  Rough 
Riders  and  our  other  soldiers,  they  had  gone 
right  through  several  bodies  of  Spanish  gue- 
rillas who  were  secreted  in  the  trees  of  the 
jungle.  These  guerillas,  really  lawless  fel- 
lows belonging  to  no  particular  command, 
could  not  get  back  into  Santiago  because  of 
the  strong  American  guard  at  the  intrench- 
ments,  and  consequently  they  contented 
themselves  with  remaining  out  of  sight  and 
peppering  our  soldiers  whenever  the  oppor- 
tunity offered. 

"  This  will  not  do,"  said  Theodore  Roose- 
velt. "  They  are  shooting  down  our  men 
without  giving  them  a  chance  to  fire  back. 
We'll  have  to  get  after  them."  And  with- 
out delay  he  sent  out  a  detachment  of  the 
best  Rough  Rider  shots  to  be  found.  These 
sharpshooters  searched  the  jungle  back  of 
the  intrenchments  thoroughly,  and  as  a 
result  killed  eleven  of  the  guerillas  and 
wounded  many  more.  After  tliat  the  gue- 
rillas kept  their  distance,  satisfied  that  the 
Yankees  could  beat  them  at  their  own  game. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  163 


CHAPTER  XVII 

Devotion  of  the  Rough  Riders  to  Theodore  Roose- 
velt—  His  Kindness  to  His  Men  —  Last  of  the 
Fighting  —  The  Truce  and  Treaty  of  Peace 

With  the  defeat  of  Admiral  Cervera's 
fleet,  a  flag  of  truce  was  sent  into  Santiago 
by  the  commander  of  our  army,  demanding 
the  surrender  of  the  city.  While  these  ne- 
gotiations were  pending,  all  fighting  came  to 
an  end,  and  the  Rough  Riders  had  but  little 
to  do  outside  of  making  themselves  comfort- 
able and  caring  for  the  many  who  were  get- 
ting sick  because  of  the  lack  of  shelter  and 
proper  food.  Food  was  now  coming  in  more 
rapidly,  and  soon  all  were  supplied  with 
tents  and  blankets.  During  this  time  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt's  personal  baggage  appeared, 
and  he  celebrated  the  arrival  by  treating 
himself  to  a  shave  and  a  change  of  linen, 
something  impossible  to  do  since  the  fight- 
ing had  begun. 

In  his  own  writings,  Mr.  Roosevelt  has 
spoken    at   great    length    of    the    devotion 


164  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

which  all  of  the  Rough  Riders  displayed 
toward  him.  They  were  anxious  to  wait 
on  him  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night. 
Some  would  pitch  his  tent,  others  would 
clean  his  weapons,  and  still  others  would  go 
hunting  and  bring  in  such  game  as  the  vi- 
cinity afforded.  When  ordered  to  do  any- 
thing, there  was  rarely  a  grumble.  Those 
in  the  hospital  bore  their  sufferings  with 
remarkable  fortitude. 

In  return  for  this,  Theodore  Roosevelt  did 
all  he  could  to  make  life  less  hard  for  those 
under  him.  The  game  that  was  brought 
to  him  he  sent  to  the  hospital,  that  the 
wounded  might  have  proper  nourishment ; 
and  he  either  went  himself  or  sent  some- 
body to  the  seacoast,  to  purchase  food 
which  the  commissary  department  possessed, 
but  wdiich,  through  lack  of  organization,  it 
was  slow  in  distributing.  When  no  shelter 
was  to  be  had,  he  slept  on  the  ground  with 
his  men,  and  when  they  had  to  work  on  the 
trenches  at  night,  he  was  up  and  around 
superintending  the  labor. 

"  He  was  one  of  us,  and  he  let  us  know 
it,"  was  said  by  one  of  the  Rough  Riders. 
"  He  ate  the  same  food  we  did,  and  he  was 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  165 

mighty  good  to  the  sick  and  the  woimded. 
He  paid  for  lots  of  things  out  of  his  own 
pocket,  and  I  don't  believe  he  has  ever  asked 
Uncle  Sam  to  pay  him  back." 

There  was  no  telling  how  soon  the  truce 
would  come  to  an  end  and  fighting  would 
begin  again,  and  night  after  night  the 
Rough  Riders  were  kept  on  guard.  There 
was  a  standing  order  that  each  fourth  man 
should  keep  awake  while  the  others  slept, 
and  no  matter  how  dark  or  rainy  the  night, 
Theodore  Roosevelt  tramped  around  from 
one  trench  to  another,  seeing  to  it  that  this 
order  was  obeyed.  He  also  visited  the 
intrenchments  of  other  commands,  to  com- 
pare them  and  make  certain  that  the  grade 
of  service  was  equally  high  among  the 
Rough  Riders.  This  shows  distinctly  that 
he  was  a  natural-born  military  commander. 

The  truce  lasted  a  week,  and  while  all 
operations  were  supposed  to  have  come  to 
an  end,  both  the  Americans  and  the  Span- 
iards spent  the  time  in  strengthening  their 
positions.  At  one  time  the  Americans  con- 
structed a  fah'ly  good  defence,  in  which 
they  placed  two  Gatling  guns  and  two  auto- 
matic Colt  guns,  and  this  was  named  Fort 


166  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

Roosevelt,  in  honor  of  the  Rough  Rider 
commander. 

On  the  tenth  of  July  the  fighting  began 
once  more,  and  again  the  batteries  on  both 
sides  sent  shot  and  shell  into  the  camps  of 
the  enemy.  It  was  largely  fighting  at  long 
range,  and  the  only  Rough  Riders  who  took 
part  were  those  who  manned  the  Colt's 
guns,  and  a  small  body  of  sharpshooters 
stationed  in  a  trench  well  to  the  front. 

On  the  next  day  the  Rough  Riders  were 
ordered  northward,  to  guard  the  road  run- 
ning from  Santiago  to  El  Caney.  Here 
some  fighting  was  in  progress,  and  the 
troopers  expected  to  get  into  battle  once 
more.  But  the  skirmish  came  to  an  end 
before  they  arrived,  very  much  to  their 
disappointment. 

Hardly  had  the  Rough  Riders  settled  in 
their  new  position  than  a  storm  came  up 
which  proved  to  be  the  heaviest  yet  experi- 
enced during  the  campaign.  While  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  was  sleeping  in  his  tent, 
the  shelter  was  blown  down  and  away,  and 
all  of  his  personal  effects  were  scattered 
in  the  mud  and  wet.  As  best  he  could,  he 
donned  his  clothing,  saw  to  it  that  his  men 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  167 

were  safe,  and  then  betook  himself  to  a 
kitchen  tent,  where  he  finished  the  sleep  of 
that  night  on  a  rude  table  recently  taken 
from  an  abandoned  Spanish  home  in  that 
vicinity. 

"  On  that  night  it  rained  cats  and  dogs 
and  hammer-handles,"  said  one  of  the  sol- 
diers afterward.  "  It  was  inky  dark  — 
darker  than  I  have  ever  known  it  to  be 
anywhere  on  the  plains.  The  water  made 
a  muddy  pond  of  the  whole  camp,  and  the 
trenches  were  half  filled  in  no  time.  Every- 
thing was  blown  helter-skelter  by  the  fin:i- 
ous  wind,  and  some  of  our  outfits  we  never 
recovered.  In  the  midst  of  the  confusion 
some  fellows  reported  that  the  Spaniards 
were  trying  to  break  through  our  lines,  but 
the  report  was  false,  —  the  outsiders  were 
starving  Cubans  who  had  come  in  looking 
for  shelter  and  something  to  eat.  We  gave 
them  what  we  could  —  which  was  precious 
little,  for  we  had  next  to  nothing  ourselves 
—  and  then  got  them  to  help  us  get  things 
together  aorain.  One  of  the  Cubans  was  an 
old  man,  who  could  speak  a  little  English. 
He  said  he  had  lost  two  daughters  and  three 
grandchildren  by  starvation  since  the  war 


168  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

between  Spain  and  Cuba  had  started.  He 
himself  was  little  more  than  a  skeleton." 

That  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  warm- 
hearted enough  to  look  out  for  other  soldiers 
besides  those  of  his  own  command  is  proven 
by  what  took  place  on  the  day  following  the 
bis;  storm.  Next  to  the  Rous;h  Riders  were 
located  a  regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteers. 
Because  of  the  muddy  roads  and  swollen 
streams,  they  could  get  no  rations,  and  scant 
as  were  their  own  supplies.  Colonel  Roose- 
velt had  the  Rough  Riders  furnish  them 
with  beans,  coffee,  and  a  few  cases  of  hard- 
tack, for  which  they  were  extremely  grate- 
ful. Later  in  the  day  the  commander  of 
the  Rough  Riders  also  got  to  them  part  of  a 
mule  train  of  provisions. 

The  American  position  had  been  greatly 
strengthened,  and  many  additional  troops 
were  now  at  the  front.  It  was  felt  that  an 
advance  upon  Santiago  would  surely  result 
in  victory,  although  the  losses  might  be 
large.  But  the  Spaniards  were  no  longer 
in  a  position  to  continue  the  struggle,  and 
on  July  17  the  city  formally  surrendered. 
The  surrendered  territory  covered  many 
miles,  and  the  Spanish  soldiers  to  lay  down 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  169 

their  arms  numbered  upward  of  twenty 
thousand. 

There  was  great  cheering  in  the  American 
trenches  when  the  glad  news  was  brought  in, 
and  soon  Old  Glory  was  planted  on  every 
height,  while  the  trumpets  sounded  out 
triumphantly.  Possession  of  Santiago  was 
immediate,  and  in  a  few  hours  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  floated  from  the  flagstaff  of  the 
civil  government  buildings.  Our  gallant 
army  had  won  on  the  land  just  as  om-  gal- 
lant navy  had  won  on  the  sea.  The  war 
had  been,  for  us,  one  of  triumph  from  start 
to  finish. 

In  foreign  countries  the  news  was  received 
with  an  astonishment  that  can  scarcely  be 
described.  After  Dewey's  wonderful  vic- 
tory in  Manila  Bay,  many  naval  experts 
said  that  such  a  fight  could  not  be  dupli- 
cated, yet  it  was  duplicated  two  months 
later  off  Santiago  Bay  in  a  manner  that 
left  no  doubt  of  American  supremacy  on 
the  sea.  Then  when  it  came  to  fig-htins!:  on 
land,  our  army  was  designated  as  "  paper  " 
soldiers,  that  is,  soldiers  on  paper  or  in 
name  only,  and  it  was  said  that  their  guns 
would  be  found  of   little  use   against   the 


170  AMEBIC  AN  BOYS"   LIFE  OF 

Mausers  of  Spain.  But  this  was  likewise 
false  ;  and  to-day  the  army  and  navy  of  the 
United  States  are  respected  everywhere. 
And  more  than  this,  foreign  powers  have 
come  to  our  country  for  many  of  their 
war-ships,  asking  us  to  build  and  equip 
them,  and  also  asking  us  to  make  cannon 
and  rifles  for  them. 

While  the  war  was  on  in  Cuba,  a  part  of 
the  United  States  army  under  General  Miles 
was  sent  to  Porto  Rico,  another  island  be- 
longing to  Spain.  Here  the  inhabitants 
hailed  the  Americans  with  delight,  and  the 
resistance  by  the  Spanish  soldiers  was  only 
half-hearted. 

With  the  downfall  of  the  navy  and  Santi- 
ago, Spain  knew  not  what  to  do  next,  and 
gladly  received  the  terms  of  peace  offered  by 
President  McKinley  and  his  advisers.  The 
terms  were  accepted  on  August  9,  and  thus 
the  short  but  sharp  war  came  to  a  termi- 
nation. By  the  treaty  of  peace  Cuba  was 
given  her  liberty,  and  Porto  Rico  and  the 
Philippines  passed  into  the  possession  of 
the  United  States. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  171 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

Last  Days  in  Cuba  —  The  Departure  for  Home  — 
Arrival  at  Moxtauk  —  Caring  for  the  Sick  and 
Wounded  —  Presentation  to  Theodore  Roose- 
velt BY  his  Men  —  Mustering-out  of  the  Rough 
Riders 

Four  days  after  the  surrender  of  Santi- 
ago the  Rough  Riders  found  tliemselves  in 
the  hills  four  or  five  miles  back  from  the 
intrenchments  they  had  occupied  during 
the  last  fight.  Other  commands  were  scat- 
tered in  various  directions,  for  to  let  them 
go  into  the  wretched  city  would  have  been 
out  of  the  question.  Santiago  was  dirty  in 
the  extreme ;  the  fever  was  there,  and  hun- 
dreds were  on  the  verge  of  starvation. 

It  was  a  trying  time  for  everybody,  and 
equally  so  for  Theodore  Roosevelt,  who  did 
all  in  his  power,  as  before,  to  make  his  men 
comfortable.  When  it  did  not  rain,  the  sun 
came  out  fiercely,  causing  a  rapid  evapora- 
tion that  was  thoroughly  exhausting  to  the 
soldiers.     The  locality  was  not  a  healthy 


172  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

one,  and  soon  scores  of  Rough  Riders  and 
others  were  down  with  malaria  or  fever. 
Doctors  and  surgeons  were  scarce,  and  hos- 
pital accommodations  were  scanty,  and 
again  and  again  did  Colonel  Roosevelt  send 
down  on  his  own  account  to  the  seacoast  and 
to  Santiago  for  food  and  medicines  of  which 
his  command  were  in  dire  need.  He  was 
now  colonel  of  the  Rough  Riders  in  reality, 
his  promotion  having  been  granted  to  him 
just  one  week  after  the  heroic  charge  up 
San  Juan  Hill.  His  old  colonel,  Wood,  was 
installed  at  Santiago  as  military  governor. 
This,  for  the  time  being,  left  Colonel  Roose- 
velt in  command  of  the  cavalry  brigade,  no 
small  honor  to  one  who  had  been,  but  a  few 
months  before,  a  stranger  to  military  duties. 
During  this  time  in  camp,  Theodore 
Roosevelt  visited  Santiago  and  the  forts  at 
the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  and  with  the 
pen  of  a  skilled  author  he  has,  in  one  of  his 
books,  given  us  vivid  pictures  of  the  sights 
to  be  seen  there  at  that  time  —  the  crooked 
streets  with  their  queer  shops,  the  wretched 
inhabitants,  the  grim  and  frowning  forts, 
all  hemmed  in  by  the  towering  mountains 
and  the  sea.     He  likewise  tells  of  his  trips 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  173 

to  the  mountains,  and  how  his  companions 
were  usually  exhausted  by  the  climbing 
done.  For  one  who  in  his  youth  had  been 
so  delicate,  he  stood  the  exposure  remark- 
ably well,  for  which  he  was  thankful. 

For  some  time  the  authorities  at  Wash- 
ington did  not  know  what  to  do  with  the 
troops  in  Cuba.  It  was  suggested  that  they 
move  up  to  higher  ground,  or  to  another 
neighborhood.  But  General  Shafter  knew, 
and  so  did  all  of  the  officers  under  him, 
that  to  keep  the  army  in  the  island  would 
only  mean  more  sickness  and  death. 

"  I  will  go  to  the  general  with  a  protest," 
said  Colonel  Roosevelt.  And  he  did  so. 
Meanwhile  the  other  head  officers  drew  up 
a  letter  of  protest,  and  this  was  signed  by 
all,  including  the  commander  of  the  Rough 
Riders.  In  his  own  letter  Roosevelt  pro- 
tested against  the  treatment  of  his  men 
in  the  matter  of  rations,  clothing,  and  hos- 
pital accommodations,  and  in  the  other 
letter,  called  by  the  officers  a  Round  Robin, 
there  was  a  protest  about  remaining  in  Cuba 
longer,  with  the  fever  getting  worse  every 
day.  These  letters  were  made  public  through 
the  press  of   the  United  States,  with  the 


174  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

result  that  the  troops  were  ordered  home 
without  further  delay. 

The  Rough  Riders  left  Cuba  on  August  7, 
just  six  weeks  and  a  half  after  landing. 
The  time  spent  in  the  island  had  been  sliort, 
but  to  many  it  seemed  an  age.  None  were 
sorry  to  depart,  although  sad  to  think  that 
some  of  the  sick  had  to  be  left  behind. 

The  transport  used  this  time  was  the 
Miami,  and  Mr.  Roosevelt  tells  us  that, 
taken  as  a  whole,  the  accommodations  were 
better  than  they  had  been  on  the  Yucatan. 
But  on  the  trip  much  trouble  was  had  with 
some  of  the  stokers  and  engineers,  who  in- 
sisted upon  drinking  some  liquor  smuggled 
aboard. 

"  I  will  not  permit  this,"  said  Colonel 
Roosevelt.  And  he  read  the  disorderly  ones 
a  strong  lecture  and  made  them  give  up 
their  liquor.  After  that,  as  there  was  much 
grumbling,  he  set  a  guard  ;  and  that  was 
the  end  of  that  trouble. 

The  destination  of  the  transport  was 
Montauk,  on  the  extreme  eastern  shore  of 
Long  Island.  The  trip  took  nine  days, — 
rather  a  dreary  time  to  those  anxious  to 
see  their  native  land  once  more.     When  an 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  175 

anchorage  was  gained,  a  gunboat  came  out 
to  the  transport  with  the  welcome  news 
that  Spain  had  agreed  to  our  terms. 

The  sick  had  still  to  be  cared  for;  yet, 
taken  as  a  whole,  the  month  spent  at  the 
camp  at  Montauk  was  pleasant  enough. 
Here  Colonel  Roosevelt  met  that  part  of 
the  regiment  that  had  been  left  behind  in 
Florida,  and  all  the  stories  of  the  fights  had 
to  be  told  over  and  over  again. 

"  It  was  good  to .  meet  the  rest  of  the 
regiment,"  says  Mr.  Roosevelt,  in  his  book. 
"  They  all  felt  dreadfully  at  not  having 
been  in  Cuba.  Of  course  those  who  stayed 
had  done  their  duty  precisely  as  did  those 
who  went."  Which  was  true ;  yet,  as  he 
adds,  those  who  had  been  left  behind  could 
not  be  comforted. 

Colonel  Roosevelt  was  still  in  charge  of 
the  brigade  while  at  Montauk,  and  much 
of  his  time  was  taken  up  in  getting  out 
necessary  reports,  and  seeing  to  it  that  the 
entire  camp  was  kept  in  first-class  sanitary 
condition. 

"  And  he  was  up  to  the  mark,"  said  one 
of  those  who  were  there.  "  He  didn't  allow 
the  least  bit  of  dirt,  and  everything  had  to 


176  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

be  as  shipshape  as  if  we  were  at  West 
Point.  And  it  was  a  good  thing,  too,  for  it 
kept  the  sickness  from  spreading." 

The  sea-breeze  is  strong  at  Montauk,  and 
this  soon  began  to  tell  upon  all  who  were 
sick,  putting  in  them  new  life  and  vigor. 
Here  every  possible  attention  was  given  to 
those  who  were  down,  so  that  ere  long 
many  were  up  again  and  as  well  as  ever. 

When  he  had  a  little  time  to  himself, 
Theodore  Roosevelt  would  gather  a  few 
friends  around  him,  and  either  go  to  the 
beach  to  bathe  or  go  off  on  a  long  horse- 
back ride.  War  was  to  him  a  thing  of  the 
past,  and  he  was  once  more  willing  to  be- 
come a  private  citizen  as  of  old. 

In  those  days  the  camp  at  Montauk  was 
constantly  crowded  with  visitors  from  New 
York  City  and  elsewhere,  who  poured  in 
upon  every  train.  All  of  the  soldiers  ^vho 
had  been  to  Cuba  were  hailed  as  heroes,  and 
had  to  tell  their  stories  many  times. 

"  Every  soldier  had  a  crowd  following 
him,"  said  one  private.  "  The  visitors 
wanted  to  know  how  we  had  fought,  how 
we  had  been  treated  by  the  government, 
how  things  looked  in  Cuba,  and  a  hundred 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  177 

and  one  other  things.  Most  of  the  visitors, 
especially  the  ladies,  wanted  our  autographs, 
and  I  had  to  write  mine  as  many  as  forty 
times  a  day.  I  remember  one  of  the  men, 
a  cowboy  from  Oklahoma,  couldn't  write, 
and  he  got  so  upset  over  this  that  every 
time  somebody  asked  him  for  his  autograph 
he  would  run  away,  saying  he  had  forgotten 
to  do  something  that  he  had  been  ordered  to 
do.  When  I  and  some  chums  went  down 
to  New  York  to  look  around,  all  the  folks 
stared  at  us,  and  many  insisted  on  shaking 
hands  and  treating." 

The  uniforms  the  Rough  Riders  had  worn 
in  Cuba  were  in  rags,  and  many  had  boarded 
the  transport  barefooted.  The  rags  were 
saved  as  trophies  of  the  occasion,  and  many 
are  still  in  existence. 

At  Camp  Wykoff ,  as  the  place  was  called, 
there  was  a  large  hospital  for  the  sick,  and 
to  this  many  came  to  do  what  they  could 
for  the  sufferers,  who  were  now  given  every 
possible  attention.  Among  the  visitors  was 
Miss  Helen  Gould,  who  had  used  her  ample 
means  for  the  benefit  of  the  sick  all  through 
the  war,  and  who  now  continued  to  play  the 
good  Samaritan.     President  McKinley  and 


178  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

many  of  his  cabinet  likewise  visited  the 
camp,  and  saw  to  it  that  everything  in  the 
hospital  and  out  of  it  was  as  it  should  be. 
The  sick  were  presented  with  the  best  of 
fruits  and  other  things,  and  many  ladies 
assisted  the  nurses  by  reading  to  the 
patients  and  by  writing  letters  for  them. 

Now  that  they  had  nothing  to  do  in  the 
shape  of  fighting,  many  of  the  Rough  Riders 
were  anxious  to  get  back  to  the  wild  West. 
Life  in  an  ordinary  camp  did  not  suit  them, 
and  at  every  available  opportunity  they  in- 
dulged in  "  horse  play,"  working  off  many 
practical  jokes  upon  each  other. 

One  day  a  report  went  the  rounds  that 
a  member  of  another  cavalry  organization 
could  not  master  a  certain  horse  that  had 
been  assigned  to  him.  The  report  was 
true,  for  the  horse  was  what  is  called  by 
ranchmen  a  "  bad  bucker." 

"  I  think  Sergeant  Darnell  can  master 
him,"  said  Colonel  Roosevelt. 

He  referred  to  one  of  the  best  "  bronco 
busters  "  among  the  Rough  Riders,  a  man 
who  had  never  yet  allowed  a  steed  to  get 
the  best  of  him. 

"  All   right,  let   Darnell   try  him,"  said 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  171) 

others.  And  a  test  was  arranged  for  the  day 
following. 

At  that  time  Secretary  of  War  Alger  was 
in  camp,  and  a  great  crowd  of  visitors, 
military  men  and  others,  gathered  before 
Colonel  Roosevelt's  quarters  to  watch  the 
contest.  At  the  proper  time  the  vicious 
horse  was  brought  forth,  and  watching  his 
chance,  Sergeant  Darnell  leaped  upon  his 
back.  Then  came  such  a  bucking,  leaping, 
and  prancing  as  many  had  never  witnessed 
before. 

"He'll  be  killed!"  cried  many  of  the 
ladies.  "  The  horse  will  have  him  under  in 
another  moment."  But  such  fears  were 
groundless.  Darnell  knew  exactly  what  he 
was  doing,  and  in  the  end  the  fiery  steed 
had  to  give  in,  completely  conquered. 

On  the  last  Sunday  in  camp,  Chaplain 
Brown  delivered  an  impressive  sermon,  to 
which  all  listened  with  grave  attention. 
After  he  had  finished,  Theodore  Roosevelt 
spoke  to  the  men  in  a  feeling  way. 

"  I  told  them  how  proud  I  was  of  them," 
he  says.  "  But  warned  them  not  to  think 
that  they  could  go  back  and  rest  on  their 
laurels,  bidding  them  remember  that  though 


180  AMERICAN  BOYS"   LIFE  OF 

for  ten  days  or  so  the  world  would  be 
williug  to  treat  them  as  heroes,  yet  after 
that  time  they  would  find  they  would  have 
to  get  down  to  hard  work  just  lil^e  any- 
body else,  unless  they  were  willing  to  be 
regarded  as  worthless  do-nothings."  This 
was  the  best  possible  advice,  and  it  is 
believed  that  many  of  the  soldiers  profited 
by  it. 

Before  the  men  were  mustered  out,  they 
treated  their  beloved  commander  to  a 
genuine  surprise.  They  had  had  a  fine 
bronze  of  a  "  Bronco  Buster "  made,  and 
this  was  presented  to  Colonel  Roosevelt  on 
behalf  of  the  whole  regiment.  It  touched 
him  deeply,  and  to-day  this  bronze  is  one 
of  his  most  highly  prized  gifts. 

At  last  came  news  that  the  Rough  Riders 
would  be  mustered  out  of  the  United  States 
service  the  next  day.  That  evening  a 
great  celebration  took  place,  in  which  all  of 
the  men  joined,  each  according  to  his  own 
notion  of  what  a  celebration  should  be. 
Large  bonfires  were  lit,  and  here  some 
delivered  speeches,  the  soldiers  from  the 
colleges  sang,  those  with  Indian  blood  in 
them  gave  a  characteristic  dance,  and  cow- 


THEODORE  BOOSEVELT  181 

boys  and   ranchmen  did  "  double-shuffles  " 
and  "  cut  up  "  as  suited  them. 

On  the  morning  of  September  15,  four 
months  after  the  Rough  Riders  had  been 
organized,  the  colors  were  lowered  in  camp, 
the  men  were  mustered  out,  and  otiicers 
and  privates  shook  hands  and  said  good- 

by- 

"  It  was  the  greatest  sight  I  ever  saw," 
says  one  of  the  number.  "  Not  until  that 
moment  came  did  we  realize  what  it  meant 
to  part  with  those  who  had  fought  with  us 
in  battle  and  suffered  the  hardships  of  life 
in  the  trenches.  Strange  friendships  had 
been  formed,  some  between  those  who  were 
very  rich  and  very  poor,  and  others  between 
those  who  were  well  educated  and  very 
ignorant.  One  man  who  was  studying  for 
a  professional  life  had  as  his  particular 
chum  a  rough  cowboy  who  had  never  spent 
six  months  over  his  books.  But  the  two 
had  stood  by  each  other  and  suffered,  and 
I  really  believe  they  were  willing  to  lay 
down  theh-  lives  for  each  other. 

"  Many  of  the  men  could  hardly  bear  to 
part  with  Colonel  Roosevelt.  He  had  stuck 
by  them  through  thick  and  thin,  and  they 


182  AMERICAN  BOYS'  LIFE  OF 

worshipped  him.  Some  shook  hands  half  a 
dozen  times,  and  some  hardly  dared  to  speak 
for  fear  of  breaking  down.  I  never  expect 
to  see  the  match  of  that  scene  again." 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  183 


CHAPTER   XIX 

Nominated  for  Governor  of  New  York  —  A  Rough 
Rider  Way  of  Campaigning  —  Elected  Governor 
—  Important  Work  at  Albany  —  The  Home- 
stead AT  Oyster  Bay — Chopping  down  a  Tree 
FOR  Exercise 

The  war  with  Spain  was  at  an  end,  and 
Uncle  Sam  had  now  to  turn  his  attention  to 
the  Philippines,  where  for  many  months  to 
come  military  disturbances  of  a  more  or  less 
serious  nature  were  to  take  place. 

Theodore  Roosevelt  might  have  remained 
in  the  army,  and  had  he  done  so  there  is  no 
doubt  but  that  he  would  have  swiftly  risen 
to  a  rank  of  importance. 

But  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York 
willed  otherwise. 

"  He  is  a  great  military  man,"  they  said. 
"  But  he  was  likewise  a  fine  Police  Commis- 
sioner and  a  Civil  Service  Commissioner, 
fighting  continually  for  what  was  right  and 
good.    Let  us  make  him  our  next  governor." 

The  convention  that  nominated  Theodore 


184  AMEBICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

Roosevelt  for  the  highest  office  in  the  Em- 
pire State  met  at  Saratoga,  September  27, 
1898,  just  twelve  days  after  the  Rough 
Riders  were  mustered  out.  At  that  time 
Frank  S.  Black  was  governor  of  the  state, 
having  been  elected  two  years  before  by  a 
large  majority.  The  governor  had  many 
friends,  and  they  said  he  deserved  another 
term. 

"  Roosevelt  is  not  a  citizen  of  this  state," 
said  they.  "  He  gave  up  his  residence  here 
when  he  went  to  Washington  to  become 
Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

"  We  don't  want  him  anyway,"  said  other 
politicians,  who  had  not  forgotten  how  the 
Rough  Rider  had  acted  when  in  the 
Assembly.  "If  he  gets  into  office,  it  will 
be  impossible  to  manage  him."  And  they 
worked  night  and  day  to  defeat  the  hero  of 
San  Juan  Hill. 

On  the  day  of  the  convention,  the  hall 
where  it  was  held  was  jammed  with  people. 
The  people  were  also  crowded  in  the  street 
outside,  and  on  every  hand  were  seen  Rough 
Rider  badges. 

"  It  was  a  Roosevelt  crowd  from  top  to 
bottom,"  says  one  who  was  there.     "  You 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  185 

heard  his  name  everywhere  —  in  the  hotels, 
on  the  streets,  no  matter  where  you  went. 
Every  once  in  a  while  somebody  would  shout, 
'  Three  cheers  for  Teddy ! '  and  the  cheers 
would  be  given  with  a  will." 

As  soon  as  the  convention  had  settled 
down  to  business.  Governor  Black  was  put 
up  for  nomination,  and  then  the  Hon. 
Chauncey  M.  Depew  presented  the  name  of 
Theodore  Roosevelt.  He  spoke  of  what  had 
been  done  in  Cuba,  and  added :  — 

"  The  Rough  Riders  endured  no  hardships 
nor  dangers  which  were  not  shared  by  their 
Colonel.  He  helped  them  dig  their  ditches ; 
he  stood  beside  them  in  the  deadly  damp- 
ness of  the  trenches.  No  floored  tent  for 
him  if  his  comrades  must  sleep  on  the 
ground  and  under  the  sky.  In  that  world- 
famed  charge  of  the  Rough  Riders  up  the 
hill  of  San  Juan,  their  Colonel  was  a  hun- 
dred feet  in  advance." 

There  was  a  prolonged  cheering  when 
Theodore  Roosevelt's  name  was  mentioned, 
and  hundreds  waved  their  handkerchiefs 
and  flags.  Other  speeches  followed,  and  at 
last  came  the  voting.  Out  of  the  total 
number  cast   Theodore   Roosevelt  received 


186  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

seven  hundred  and  fifty-three  and  Governor 
Black  two  hundred  and  eighteen. 

"  I  move  we  make  the  nomination  of 
Theodore  Roosevelt  unanimous ! "  cried 
Judge  Cady,  who  had  previously  presented 
the  name  of  Governor  Black.  And  amid 
continued  cheering  this  was  done. 

Theodore  Roosevelt  had  been  nominated 
on  the  regular  Republican  ticket.  In  oppo- 
sition, the  Democrats  nominated  Augustus 
Van  Wyck,  also  well  known,  and  likewise 
of  as  old  Dutch  stock  as  Roosevelt  himself. 

The  campaign  was  a  decidedly  strenuous 
one.  The  Democrats  made  every  effort  to 
win,  while  on  the  other  hand  the  Republi- 
cans who  had  wanted  Governor  Black  for 
another  term  did  not  give  to  Mr.  Roosevelt 
the  support  promised  when  his  nomination 
had  been  made  unanimous. 

"  We  shall  be  defeated,"  said  more  than 
one  friend  to  Roosevelt.  "  It  seems  a  shame, 
but  we  cannot  arouse  the  party  as  it  should 
be  aroused." 

"  I  will  see  what  I  can  do  myself,"  an- 
swered the  former  leader  of  the  Rough 
Riders.  And  he  arranged  to  make  a  com- 
plete tour  of  the  State,  taking  in  almost 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  187 

every  city  and  town  of  importance.  When 
some  of  the  old  campaign  managers  heard 
of  this,  they  came  to  Roosevelt  in  great 
alarm. 

''You  mustn't  do  it,"  they  said.  "It 
will  ruin  you." 

"  I  will  risk  it,"  was  the  answer  of  the 
candidate.  And  forthwith  he  started  on  his 
tour,  taking  a  handful  of  his  Rough  Rider 
friends  with  him. 

It  was  a  brilliant  stroke  on  the  part  of 
Theodore  Roosevelt,  and  it  told  tremendously 
in  his  favor.  Wherever  he  went,  the  people 
turned  out  in  large  crowds  to  see  him  and 
to  listen  to  what  he  or  his  Rough  Rider 
companions  had  to  say.  Citizens  by  the 
hundred  came  up  to  shake  him  by  the 
hand  and  wish  him  success.  Parades  were 
organized  to  do  him  honor,  and  at  night 
there  would  be  brilliant  illuminations  and 
fireworks. 

"We  have  aroused  the  party,"  said  he, 
when  the  tour  was  at  an  end.  And  so  it 
proved.  Although  Van  Wyck  was  popular, 
Theodore  Roosevelt  was  elected  to  the  high 
office  of  governor  by  seventeen  thousand 
plurality. 


188  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

It  was  certainly  a  high  position  for  such 
a  young  man  to  occupy.  He  was  barely 
forty  years  of  age,  yet  as  governor  of  New 
York  he  ruled  twice  as  many  people  as  did 
Georo;e  \Yasliina;ton  when  first  President  of 
the  United  States. 

He  entered  on  his  new  duties  with  as 
much  zeal  as  he  had  displayed  when  organ- 
izing the  Rough  Eiders,  and  in  a  few  weeks 
had  the  reins  of  government  well  in  hand. 
It  is  said  that  while  he  was  governor  he 
was  never  surprised  by  those  who  opposed 
him.  "When  they  wanted  facts  and  figures 
he  was  able  to  produce  them,  and  he  never 
supported  or  vetoed  a  measure  unless  he  was 
morally  certain  he  was  on  the  right  side. 
He  was  open-faced  to  the  last  degree,  and 
what  he  said  he  meant. 

During  his  term  of  office  many  measures 
of  importance  were  considered,  but  in  a  work 
of  this  kind  it  is  not  necessary  to  go  into 
details.  For  several  important  offices  he 
nominated  men  of  his  own  selection,  despite 
the  protests  of  some  older  politicians,  and 
these  selections  proved  first-class. 

During  his  term  as  governor,  Mr.  Roose- 
velt did  a  great  work  for  many  poor  people 


THEODOllE  ROOSEVELT  189 

in  New  York  City,  who  worked  in  what  are 
called  '^  sweat  shops,"  —  small,  close  quar- 
ters, not  fit  for  working  purposes,  in  which 
men,  women,  and  children  make  clothing 
and  other  articles.  He  enforced  what  was 
known  as  the  Factory  Law,  and  the  owners 
of  the  "sweat-shops"  had  to  seek  larger 
and  more  sanitary  quarters  for  their  em- 
ployees. He  also  took  a  strong  hand  in 
reforming  the  administration  of  the  canals, 
which  had  been  one-sided  and  uuiah-. 

But  perhaps  his  greatest  work  was  in 
behalf  of  a  measure  meant  to  make  the 
great  corporations  of  New  York  State  pay 
their  fair  share  of  the  general  taxes.  In 
the  past  these  corporations  had  had  great 
rights  conferred  upon  them,  and  they  had 
paid  little  or  nothing  in  return. 

"  This  is  unjust,"  said  Governor  Roose- 
velt. "  They  should  pay  their  taxes  just 
as  the  poorest  citizen  is  compelled  to  pay 
his  tax." 

When  the  corporations  heard  this,  many 
of  the  men  in  control  were  furious,  and  they 
threatened  the  governor  in  all  sorts  of 
ways.  They  would  defeat  him  if  he  ever 
again  came  up  for  election,  and  defeat  him 


190  AMERICAN  BOYsS'   LIFE  OF 

SO  badly  that  he  would  never  again  be  heard 
of. 

"Do  as  you  please,  gentlemen,"  said  the 
governor.  "  I  am  liere  to  do  my  duty,  and 
I  intend  to  do  it."  And  he  called  an  extra 
session  of  the  legislature  for  that  purpose. 
It  is  said  that  much  money  was  used  by 
some  corporations  to  defeat  Governor  Roose- 
velt's will,  but  in  the  end  a  modified  form 
of  the  bill  was  passed.  Since  that  time 
other  bills  along  similar  lines  have  become 
laws;  so  that  the  great  corporations  have 
to  pay  millions  of  dollars  which  in  the  past 
they  had  escaped  paying.  Such  measures 
are  of  immense  benefit  to  the  ordinary  citi- 
zen, and  for  his  share  in  this  work  Theodore 
Roosevelt  deserves  great  credit. 

It  was  while  governor  of  New  York  that 
Mr.  Roosevelt  gave  to  the  public  his  book 
entitled  "  The  Rough  Riders."  It  contains 
a  history  of  that  organization  from  his 
personal  point  of  view,  and  makes  the  most 
fascinating  kind  of  reading  from  beginning 
to  end.  It  was  well  received,  and  added 
not  a  little  to  the  laurels  of  the  writer  as 
an  author. 

Although  much  of  his  time  was  spent  at 


THEOBOBE  ROOSEVELT  191 

Albany  as  Executive,  Theodore  Roosevelt 
had  not  given  up  the  old  homestead  at 
Oyster  Bay  on  Long  Island,  and  thither  he 
went  for  rest  and  recreation,  taking  his  en- 
tire family,  which,  as  has  been  said,  consisted 
of  his  wife  and  six  children,  with  him. 

The  old  Roosevelt  homestead  is  on  a  hill 
about  three  miles  distant  from  the  village. 
The  road  to  the  house  winds  upward  through 
a  wilderness  of  trees  and  brushwood.  At 
the  top  of  the  hill,  where  the  house  stands, 
is  a  cleared  space,  free  to  the  strong  breezes 
of  Long  Island  Sound.  It  is  on  the  north 
shore,  about  twenty-five  miles  from  City 
Hall,  New  York. 

The  house  is  a  large,  three-story  affair, 
with  crossed  gables,  and  a  large  semicircular 
veranda  at  one  end.  Inside  there  is  a  wide 
hall,  and  all  the  rooms  are  of  good  size, 
with  broad  windows  and  inviting  open  fire- 
places. One  room  is  fitted  up  as  Mr.  Roose- 
velt's "den,"  with  many  bookcases  filled  with 
books,  and  with  rare  prints  of  Washington, 
Lincoln,  and  other  celebrities  on  the  walls, 
and  with  not  a  few  trophies  of  the  hunt 
added.  In  this  room  Mr.  Roosevelt  has 
done  much  of  his  work  as  an  author. 


192  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

It  is  said  that  Abraham  Lincoln  not  only 
chopped  wood  for  a  living,  but  that  he  rather 
enjoyed  the  outdoor  exercise.  Be  that  as  it 
may,  it  remains  a  fact  that  Mr.  Roosevelt 
frequently  goes  forth  into  the  woods  on  his 
estate  to  fell  a  tree,  or  split  one  up,  just 
for  the  exercise  thus  afforded.  This  he  did 
while  he  was  governor  of  New  York,  and 
once  astonished  some  newspaper  men  who 
had  come  to  see  him  on  business  by  the  dex- 
terity with  which  he  cut  a  large  tree  trunk 
in  two.  He  even  invited  his  visitors  to 
"take  a  hack  at  it"  themselves,  but  they 
respectfully  declined. 

He  still  kept  up  his  athletic  exercise,  and 
one  of  his  favorite  amusements  was  to  go 
on  long  horseback  rides,  either  alone,  or 
with  some  relative  or  friend.  At  other 
times  he  would  go  deep  into  the  woods  with 
his  young  sons,  showing  them  how  to  bring 
down  the  mits  from  the  trees,  or  how  to  use 
their  guns  on  any  small  game  that  chanced 
to  show  itself.  His  family  life  was  then,  as 
it  has  always  been,  a  happy  one;  but  of 
this  let  us  speak  later. 


TEEODOEE  BOOSE VELT  193 


CHAPTER  XX 

Great  Reception  to  Admiral  Dewj-y  —  Governor 
Roosevelt's  Increased  Popularity  —  Last  An- 
nual Message  as  Governor  —  Visit  to  Chicago 
—  Remarkable  Speech  on  the   Strenuous   Life 

Although  the  war  with  Spain  was  over, 
the  people  of  the  United  States  had  not  for- 
gotten tlie  wonderful  work  accomplished  by 
Admiral  Dewey  and  his  men  at  Manila,  and 
Avhen  the  dauntless  naval  fighter  returned 
to  this  country,  people  everj^where  arose  to 
do  him  honor. 

"  He  well  deserves  it,"  said  Governor 
Roosevelt.  And  he  appointed  September  29 
and  30,  1899,  as  public  holidays,  to  be  ob- 
served throughout  the  entire  State  as  days 
of  general  thanksgiving.  These  days  were 
commonly  called  "  Dewey  Days." 

The  reception  to  the  Admiral  and  to  the 
other  naval  heroes  was  to  take  place  in  New 
York  and  vicinity,  and  for  many  days  the 
citizens  were  busy  decorating  their  homes 
and  places  of  business  with  flags  and  bunt- 


194  AMERICAN  BOYS'    LIFE  OF 

ing  and  pictures,  and  immense  signs  of 
"  Welcome,"  some  in  letters  several  feet 
long.  At  the  junction  of  Broadway,  Fifth 
Avenue,  and  Twenty-Third  Street,  an  im- 
mense triumphal  arch  was  erected,  and  re- 
viewing stands  stretched  along  the  line  of 
parade  for  many  miles. 

On  the  day  before  the  grand  reception. 
Governor  Roosevelt,  with  some  members  of 
his  staff,  called  upon  Admiral  Dewey  on 
board  of  the  Olympia,  and  offered  the  State's 
greeting.  A  pleasant  time  was  had  by  all, 
and  the  governor  assured  the  sea  hero  that 
the  people  of  New  York  and  vicinity  were 
more  than  anxious  to  do  him  honor. 

It  had  been  arranged  that  a  naval  parade 
should  be  held  on  the  first  day  of  the  re- 
ception, and  a  land  parade  on  the  day  fol- 
lowing. The  course  of  the  naval  parade 
was  up  the  Hudson  River  past  Grant's 
Tomb,  and  the  grand  procession  on  the 
water  included  the  Olymina,  the  Admiral's 
flag-ship,  and  the  New  Yo7%  Indiana,  Mas- 
sachusetts, Texas,  Brooklyn,  and  a  large 
number  of  other  war-ships  of  lesser  impor- 
tance, besides  an  immense  number  of  private 
steam-yachts  and  other  craft. 


THEOBOBE  ROOSEVELT  195 

The  day  dawned  clear  and  bright,  and 
the  banks  of  the  Hudson  were  lined  from 
end  to  end  with  people.  When  the  pro- 
cession of  war-ships  swept  up  the  stream, 
loud  was  the  applause,  while  flags  waved 
everywhere,  and  whistles  blew  constantly. 
When  passing  Grant's  Tomb  every  war- 
ship fired  a  salute,  and  the  mass  of  sound 
echoing  across  the  water  was  positively 
deafening. 

As  the  Olympia  swept  up  the  river,  fired 
her  salute,  and  then  came  to  anchor  a  short 
distance  below  the  last  resting-place  of  Gen- 
eral Grant,  Admiral  Dewey  stood  on  the 
bridge  of  his  flag-ship,  a  small,  trim  figure, 
with  a  smile  and  a  wave  of  the  hand  for 
everybody.  The  siKging  people  could  see 
him  but  indistinctly,  yet  there  was  much 
hand  clapping,  and  throats  grew  sore  with 
cheering. 

But  there  was  another  figure  in  that  naval 
parade,  the  person  of  one  also  dear  to  the 
hearts  of  the  people.  It  was  the  figure  of 
Theodore  Roosevelt,  dressed,  not  as  a  Rough 
Rider,  but  as  a  civilian,  standing  at  the  rail 
of  a  steamer  used  by  the  New  York  State 
oflicials.      When  the  people  saw  and  recog- 


196  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

nized  that  figure,  the  cheering  was  as  wild 
as  ever. 

"  It  is  Roosevelt ! "  ran  from  mouth  to 
mouth.     "  The  hero  of  San  Juan  Hill !  " 

"  Hurrah  for  the  Rough  Riders  and  their 
gallant  leader ! "  came  from  others.  And 
the  cheering  was  renewed. 

In  the  evening  there  was  a  grand  display 
of  fireworks  and  illuminated  floats.  The 
immense  span  of  the  Brooklyn  Bridge  was 
a  mass  of  lights,  and  contained  the  words 
"  Welcome,  Dewey  "  in  lettering  which  cov- 
ered several  hundred  feet.  All  of  the  war- 
ships had  their  search-lights  in  operation, 
and  it  can  truthfully  be  said  that  for  once 
the  metropolis  was  as  light  as  day. 

But  all  of  this  was  as  nothing  compared 
with  the  land  parade  which  followed. 
Never  before  had  the  streets  of  New  York 
been  so  jammed  with  people.  At  many 
points  it  was  impossible  to  move,  yet  the 
crowds  were  good-natured  and  patriotic 
to  the  core.  The  parade  started  at  Grant's 
Tomb  and  ended  at  Washington  Square,  and 
was  between  five  and  six  hours  in  passing. 
Admiral  Dewey  rode  in  a  carriage  with 
Mayor   Van  Wyck,  and    received   another 


THEODORE  BOOSEVELT  197 

ovation.  At  the  Triumphal  Arch  the  Ad- 
miral reviewed  the  parade,  and  here  he 
was  accorded  additional  honors. 

In  this  parade  Governor  Roosevelt  rode 
on  horseback,  in  civilian  dress.  As  he  came 
down  the  street,  the  immense  crowds  recog- 
nized him  from  afar,  and  the  hand  clapping 
and  cheering  was  tremendous,  and  lasted 
long  after  he  was  out  of  sight. 

"  It's  our  own  Teddy  Roosevelt ! "  cried 
the  more  enthusiastic. 

"  Hurrah  for  the  governor  !  Hurrah  for 
the  colonel  of  the  Rough  Riders  !  " 

"  Hurrah  for  the  coming  President !  "  said 
another.    And  he  spoke  better  than  he  knew. 

This  demonstration  came  straight  from 
the  people's  heart,  and  it  could  not  help  but 
affect  Theodore  Roosevelt.  Sitting  astride 
of  his  dark-colored  horse  like  a  veteran,  he 
bowed  right  and  left.  Next  to  Dewey,  he 
was  easily  the  greatest  figure  in  the  parade. 

On  January  3,  1900,  Governor  Roosevelt 
sent  his  last  annual  message  to  the  State 
legislature.  It  was  an  able  document,  and 
as  it  was  now  recognized  everywhere  that 
he  was  a  truly  national  figure,  it  was  given 
careful  attention.     It  treated  of  the  corrup- 


198  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

tion  in  canal  management,  of  the  franchise 
tax,  of  taxation  in  general,  and  a  large 
portion  was  devoted  to  the  trusts.  At  that 
time  the  trusts  were  receiving  great  atten- 
tion everywhere,  and  it  was  felt  that  what 
the  governor  had  to  say  about  them,  that 
they  were  largely  over-capitalized,  that  they 
misrepresented  the  condition  of  their  affairs, 
that  they  promoted  unfair  competition,  and 
that  they  wielded  increased  power  over  the 
wage-earner,  was  strictly  true. 

In  Chicago  there  is  a  wealthy  organiza- 
tion known  as  the  Hamilton  Club,  and  the 
members  were  very  anxious  to  have  Gov- 
ernor Roosevelt  as  their  guest  on  Appomattox 
Day,  April  10,  1899.  A  delegation  went 
to  New  York  to  invite  the  governor,  and 
he  accepted  the  invitation  with  pleasure. 

"  The  middle  West  is  very  dear  to  me," 
said  he.  "  It  will  be  a  pleasure  to  meet  my 
many  friends  there." 

Of  course  he  was  expected  to  speak,  and 
said  the  subject  of  his  address  would  be 
"  The  Strenuous  Life,"  —  certainly  a  subject 
close  to  his  own  heart,  considering  the  life 
he  himself  had  led. 

When  Mr.  Roosevelt  reached  the  metrop- 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  199 

olis  of  the  Great  Lakes,  he  found  a  large 
crowd  waiting  at  the  raih'oad  station  to 
receive  him.  The  reception  committee  was 
on  hand,  with  the  necessary  coaches,  and 
people  were  crowded  everywhere,  anxious 
to  catch  a  sight  of  the  man  who  had  made 
himself  famous  by  the  advance  up  San 
Juan  Hill. 

But  for  the  moment  Governor  Roosevelt 
did  not  see  the  reception  committee,  nor  did 
he  see  the  great  mass  of  people.  In  a  far 
corner  of  the  platform  he  caught  sight  of 
six  men,  dressed  in  the  faded  and  tattered 
uniform  of  the  Rough  Riders.  They  were 
not  men  of  wealth  or  position,  but  they  were 
men  of  his  old  command,  and  he  had  not 
forgotten  them. 

"  Glad  to  see  you,  boys,  glad  to  see  you  !  " 
he  shouted,  as  he  elbowed  his  way  toward 
them.     "  Come  up  here  and  shake  hands." 

"  Glad  to  see  you.  Colonel,"  was  the  ready 
answer,  and  the  faces  of  the  men  broke  into 
broad  smiles.  They  shook  hands  readily, 
and  willingly  answered  all  of  the  questions 
the  governor  put  to  them.  He  asked  how 
each  of  them  was  doing,  calling  them  by 
their  names,  and   concluded  by  requesting 


200  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

them  to  come  up  to  the  Auditorium  later, 
"  for  an  all-round  chat." 

"  It  was  a  great  meeting,"  said  one  who 
was  there.  "  Before  the  train  came  in,  those 
old  Rough  Kiders  were  nervous  and  showed 
it.  They  knew  that  Roosevelt  had  become 
a  great  man,  and  they  were  just  a  little  afraid 
he  would  pass  them  by.  When  the  meeting 
was  over,  they  went  off  as  happy  as  a  lot  of 
children,  and  one  of  them  said, '  Say,  fellows, 
Teddy's  just  all  right  yet,  ain't  he  ? '  And 
another  answered  :  '  Told  you  he  would  be. 
He's  a  white  man  through  and  through, 
none  whiter  anywhere.'  " 

The  banquet  was  held  in  the  Auditorium 
Theatre  building,  and  was  said  to  be  the 
largest  ever  given  in  Chicago.  Many  dis- 
tinguished guests  were  present,  both  from 
the  North  and  the  South,  and  tlie  place  was 
a  mass  of  flowers  and  brilliantly  illuminated, 
while  a  fine  orchestra  discoursed  music  dur- 
ing the  meal.  When  Theodore  Roosevelt 
arose  to  speak,  there  was  cheering  that  lasted 
fully  a  quarter  of  an  hour. 

The  speech  made  upon  this  occasion  is 
one  not  likely  to  be  forgotten.  Previous  to 
that  time  the  word  "  strenuous  "  had  been 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  201 

heard  but  seldom,  but  ever  since  it  has  stood 
for  something  definite,  and  is  much  in  use. 
In  part  Mr.  Roosevelt  spoke  as  follows :  — 

"  I  wish  to  preach,  not  the  doctrine  of 
ignoble  ease,  but  the  doctrine  of  the  strenu- 
ous life ;  the  life  of  toil  and  effort ;  of  labor 
and  strife ;  to  preach  that  highest  form  of 
success  which  comes,  not  to  the  man  who 
desires  mere  easy  peace,  but  to  the  man  who 
does  not  shirk  from  danger,  from  hardship, 
or  from  bitter  toil,  and  who  out  of  these 
wins  the  splendid  ultimate  triumph." 

Another  paragraph  is  equally  interesting 
and  elevating :  — 

"  We  do  not  admke  the  man  of  timid 
peace.  We  admire  the  man  who  embodies 
victorious  effort ;  the  man  who  never  wrongs 
his  neighbor,  who  is  prompt  to  help  a  friend ; 
but  who  has  those  virile  qualities  necessary 
to  win  in  the  stern  strife  of  actual  life.  It 
is  hard  to  fail ;  but  it  is  worse  never  to  have 
tried  to  succeed." 

And  to  this  he  adds  :  — 

"  As  it  is  with  the  individual  so  it  is 
with  the  nation.  It  is  a  base  untruth  to 
say  that  happy  is  the  nation  that  has  no 
history.      Thrice  happy  is  the  nation  that 


202  AMEBICAN  BOYS"   LIFE  OF 

has  a  glorious  history.  Far  better  is  it  to 
dare  mighty  things  to  win  glorious  triumphs, 
even  though  checkered  by  failure,  than  to 
take  rank  with  those  poor  spirits  who  neither 
enjoy  much  nor  suffer  much,  because  they 
live  in  the  gray  twilight  that  knows  neither 
victory  nor  defeat." ' 

1  For  other  extracts  from  this  speech,  see  Appendix  A, 
p.  297. 


THEODORE   ROOSEVELT  203 


CHAPTER   XXI 

The  Convention  at  Philadelphia  —  Theodore 
Roosevelt  seconds  the  Nomination  of  Presi- 
dent McKiNLEY  —  Becomes  Candidate  for  the 
Vice-Presidency  —  Remarkable  Tours  through 
Many  States 

As  the  time  came  on  to  nominate  parties 
for  the  office  of  President  and  Vice-Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States^,  in  1900,  there 
was  considerable  speculation  in  the  Repub- 
lican party  regarding  who  should  be  chosen 
for  the  second  name  on  the  ticket. 

It  was  felt  by  everybody  that  President 
McKinley  had  honestly  earned  a  second 
term,  not  alone  by  his  management  of  the 
war  with  Spain,  but  also  because  of  his 
stand  touching  the  rebellion  in  the  Philip- 
pines, and  on  other  matters  of  equal  impor- 
tance. 

About  the  Vice-Presidency  the  political 
managers  were  not  so  sure,  and  they  men- 
tioned several  names.  But  in  the  hearts  of 
the  people  there  was  but  one  name,  and  that 
was  Theodore  Roosevelt. 


204  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

"  We  must  have  liiiii,"  was  heard  upon 
every  side.  "  He  will  be  just  the  right 
man  in  the  right  place.  He  will  give  to 
the  office  an  importance  never  before  at- 
tached to  it,  and  an  importance  which  it 
deserves." 

Personally,  Governor  Roosevelt  did  not 
wish  this  added  honor.  As  the  Executive 
of  the  greatest  State  in  our  Union,  he  had 
started  great  reforms,  and  he  wanted  to 
finish  them. 

"My  work  is  here,"  he  said  to  many. 
"  Let  me  do  what  I  have  been  called  to  do, 
and  then  I  will  again  be  at  the  service  of 
the  whole  nation  once  more." 

The  National  Republican  Convention  met 
in  Philadelphia,  June  19,  in  Exposition 
Hall,  beautifully  decorated  with  flags  and 
banners.  Senator  Mark  Hanna,  President 
McKinley's  warmest  personal  friend,  was 
chairman,  and  the  delegates,  numbering 
over  seven  hundred,  came,  as  usual  at  such 
conventions,  from  every  State  in  the  Union. 
Governor  Roosevelt  himself  was  a  delegate, 
and  sat  near  the  middle  aisle,  five  or  six 
seats  from  the  front.  He  was  recognized 
by  everybody,  and  it   is   safe  to  say   that 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  205 

he  was  the  most  conspicuous  figure  at  the 
convention. 

Up  to  the  last  minute  many  of  the  politi- 
cal leaders  were,  in  a  measure,  afraid  of 
Theodore  Roosevelt.  They  understood  his 
immense  popularity,  and  were  afraid  that 
the  convention  might  be  "  stampeded "  in 
his  favor. 

"If  they  once  start  to  yell  for  Roose- 
velt, it  will  be  good-by  to  everybody  else," 
said  one  old  politician.  "  They  are  just 
crazy  after  the  leader  of  the  Rough  Riders." 

But  this  man  did  not  understand  the 
stern  moral  honesty  of  the  man  under  con- 
sideration. Roosevelt  believed  in  uphold- 
ing AVilham  McKinley,  and  had  said  so, 
and  it  was  no  more  possible  for  him  to  seek 
the  Presidential  nomination  by  an  under- 
handed trick  than  it  was  for  President 
McKinley  to  do  an  equally  base  thing  when 
he  was  asked  to  allow  his  name  to  be 
mentioned  at  the  time  he  had  pledged  him- 
self to  support  John  Sherman.^  Both  men 
were  of  equal  loyalty,  and  the  word  of 
each  was  as  good  as  his  bond. 

^See  "American  Boys'  Life  of  William  McKinley," 
p.  191. 


206  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

It  was  Senator  Foraker  who  put  up  Presi- 
dent McKinley  for  nomination,  and  the  vig- 
orous cheering  at  that  time  will  never  be 
forgotten.  Fifteen  thousand  throats  yelled 
themselves  hoarse,  and  then  broke  into  the 
ringing  words  and  music  of  "  The  Union 
Forever !  "  in  a  manner  that  made  the  very 
convention  hall  tremble.  Then  came  cries 
for  Roosevelt,  "  For  our  own  Teddy  of  the 
Rough  Riders!  "  and,  written  speech  in  hand, 
he  arose  amid  that  vast  multitude  to  second 
the  candidacy  of  William  McKinley.  Not 
once  did  he  look  at  the  paper  he  held  in  his 
hand,  but  with  a  force  that  could  not  be 
misunderstood  he  addressed  the  assemblage. 

"•  I  rise  to  second  the  nomination  of 
William  McKinley,  because  with  him  as 
a  leader  this  people  has  trod  the  path  of 
national  greatness  and  prosperity  with  the 
strides  of  a  giant,"  said  he,  "  and  because 
under  him  we  can  and  will  succeed  in  the 
election.  Exactly  as  in  the  past  we  have 
remedied  the  evils  which  we  undertook  to 
remedy,  so  now  when  we  say  that  a  wrong 
shall  be  righted,  it  most  assuredly  will  be 
righted. 

"  We  stand  on  the  threshold  of  a  new 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  207 

century,  a  century  big  with  the  fate  of  the 
great  nations  of  the  earth.  It  rests  with  us 
to  decide  now  whether  in  the  opening  years 
of  that  century  we  shall  march  forward  to 
fresh  triumphs,  or  whether  at  the  outset  we 
shall  deliberately  cripple  ourselves  for  the 
contest." 

His  speech  was  the  signal  for  another 
burst  of  applause,  and  when  finally  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  was  named  as  the  candidate 
for  Vice-President,  the  crowd  yelled  until 
it  could  yell  no  longer,  while  many  sang 
"  Yankee  Doodle  "  and  other  more  or  less 
patriotic  au's,  keeping  time  with  canes  and 
flag-sticks.  When  the  vote  was  cast,  only 
one  delegate  failed  to  vote  for  Theodore 
Roosevelt,  and  that  was  Theodore  Roosevelt 
himself. 

The  platform  of  the  party  was  largely  a 
repetition  of  the  platform  of  four  years 
before.  Again  the  cry  was  for  "  sound 
money,"  and  for  the  continuance  of  Presi- 
dent McKinley's  policy  in  the  Philippines. 

The  campaign  which  followed  was  truly 
a  strenuous  one  —  to  use  a  favorite  word 
of  the  candidate.  President  McKinley 
decided   not  to  make  many  speeches,    and 


208  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

thus  the  hard  work  previous  to  election  day 
fell  upon  Theodore  Roosevelt. 

He  did  not  shirk  the  task.  As  with  every- 
thing he  inidertook,  he  entered  into  the 
campaign  with  vigor,  resolved  to  deserve 
success  even  if  he  did  not  win  it. 

"  I  will  do  my  best  in  the  interests  of  our 
party,  and  for  the  benefit  of  the  people  at 
large,"  said  Theodore  Roosevelt.  "  No  man 
can  do  more  than  that." 

In  the  few  short  months  between  the 
time  when  he  was  nominated  and  when 
the  election  was  held,  Governor  Roosevelt 
travelled  over  20,000  miles  by  rail,  visit- 
ing nearly  600  towns,  and  addressing,  on  a 
rough  estimate,  fully  3,000,000  of  people ! 
In  that  time  he  delivered  673  speeches, 
some  of  them  half  an  hour  and  some  an 
hour  in  length. 

In  his  thousands  of  miles  of  travel  the 
candidate  for  the  Vice-Presidency  visited 
many  States,  particularly  those  lying  be- 
tween New  York  and  Colorado.  At  nearly 
every  town  he  was  greeted  by  an  immense 
crowd,  all  anxious  to  do  the  leader  of  the 
Rough  Riders  honor.  In  the  large  cities 
great  banquets  were  held,  and  he  was  shown 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  209 

much  respect  and  consideration.  In  nicany 
places  tliose  who  had  fought  under  him 
came  to  see  and  listen  to  him,  and  these 
meetings  were  of  especial  pleasure.  Often 
he  would  see  an  old  Rough  Rider  hanging 
back  in  the  crowd,  and  would  call  him  to 
the  front  or  do  his  best  to  reach  the  ex-sol- 
dier and  shake  him  by  the  hand. 

One  occmTence  is  worthy  of  special  men- 
tion. The  Democratic  party  had  nominated 
William  Jennings  Bryan  as  their  candidate 
for  President.  There  was  a  great  labor  pic- 
nic and  demonstration  at  Chicago,  and  both 
Governor  Roosevelt  and  Mr.  Bryan  were 
invited  to  speak. 

"  You  had  better  not  accept,  governor," 
said  some  friends  to  Theodore  Roosevelt. 
"  There  may  be  trouble." 

"I  am  not  afraid,"  answered  the  former 
leader  of  the  Rough  Riders. 

"  But  Mr.  Bryan  and  yourself  are  to  be 
there  at  practically  the  same  time." 

"  That  does  not  matter,"  said  the  gov- 
ernor. And  he  went  to  Chicago  on  Septem- 
ber 3,  to  attend  the  Labor  Day  celebrations. 
The  picnic  was  held  at  Electric  Park,  and  in 
the  presence  of  fifteen  thousand  people  Gov- 


210  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

ernor  Roosevelt  and  Mr.  Bryan  "  buried  the 
hatchet "  for  the  time  being,  and  spoke  to 
those  surrounding  them  on  the  dignity  of 
labor  and  the  duties  of  the  laboring  man 
to  better  himself  and  his  social  conditions. 
In  that  motley  collection  of  people  there 
were  frequent  cries  of  "  Hurrah  for  Teddy  !  " 
and  "  What's  the  matter  with  Bryan  ?  He's 
all  right ! "  but  there  was  no  disturbance, 
and  each  speaker  was  listened  to  with  re- 
spectful attention  from  start  to  finish.  It 
was  without  a  doubt  a  meeting  to  show 
true  American  liberty  and  free  speech  at 
its  best. 

But  all  of  the  stops  on  his  tours  were  not 
so  pleasant  to  Governor  Roosevelt.  In  every 
community  there  are  those  who  are  low-bred 
and  bound  to  make  an  exhibition  of  their 
baseness.  At  Waverly,  New  York,  a  stone 
was  flung  at  him  through  the  car  window, 
breaking  the  glass  but  missing  the  candidate 
for  whom  it  was  intended.  At  once  there 
was  excitement. 

"  Are  you  hurt,  Governor  ?  "  was  the  ques- 
tion asked. 

"  No,"  retm-ned  Theodore  Roosevelt.  And 
then   he  added,  with  a   faint   smile,  "  It's 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  211 

only  a  bouquet,  but  I  wish,  after  this,  they 
wouldn't  make  them  quite  so  hard." 

There  was  also  a  demonstration  against  the 
candidate  at  Haverstraw,  New  York,  which 
threatened  for  a  while  to  break  up  an  in- 
tended meeting.  But  the  worst  rowdyism 
was  encountered  at  Victor,  a  small  town  in 
Colorado,  near  the  well-known  mining  cen- 
tre of  Cripple  Creek.  Victor  was  full  of 
miners  who  wanted  not  "  sound  money," 
but  "  free  silver,"  for  free  silver,  so  styled, 
meant  a  great  booming  of  silver  mining. 

"  We  don't  want  him  here,"  said  these 
miners.  "We  have  heard  enough  about 
him  and  his  gold  standard.  He  had  better 
keep  away,  or  he'll  regret  it." 

When  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  told  he 
might  have  trouble  in  the  mining  camps,  he 
merely  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I  know  these  men,"  he  said.  "  The  most 
of  them  are  as  honest  and  respectable  as  the 
citizens  of  New  York.  I  am  not  afraid  of 
the  vicious  element.  The  better  class  are 
bound  to  see  fair  play." 

The  governor  spoke  at  a  place  called  Ar- 
mory Hall,  and  the  auditorium  was  packed. 
He  had  just  begun  his  speech  when  there 


212  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

was  a  wild  yelling  and  cat-calling,  all  cal- 
culated to  drown  him  out.  He  waited  for 
a  minute,  and  then,  as  the  noise  subsided, 
tried  to  go  on  once  more,  when  a  voice 
cried  out :  — 

"What  about  rotten  beef?"  referring  to 
the  beef  furnished  during;  the  Santias-o  cam- 
paign,  which  had,  of  course,  come  through 
a  Republican  Commissary  Department. 

"I  ate  that  beef,"  answered  the  governor, 
quickly.  And  then  he  added  to  the  fellow 
who  had  thus  questioned  him :  "  You  will 
never  get  near  enough  to  be  hit  with  a 
bullet,  or  within  five  miles  of  it."  At  this 
many  bm\st  into  applause,  and  the  man,  who 
was  a  coward  at  heart,  sneaked  from  the 
hall  in  a  hurry.  He  was  no  soldier  and 
had  never  suffered  the  hardships  of  any 
campaign,  and  many  hooted  him  as  he 
deserved. 

But  the  trouble  was  not  yet  over.  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  finished  his  address,  and  then 
started  to  leave  the  hall  in  company  with  a 
number  of  his  friends.  On  the  way  to  the 
train  a  crowd  of  rowdies  followed  the  can- 
didate's party,  and  threw  all  sorts  of  things 
at  them.     One   man   made  a   personal  at- 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  213 

tack  on  the  governor  and  hit  him  on  the 
chest  with  a  stick.  He  tried  to  leap  away, 
but  was  knocked  down  by  a  personal  friend 
of  Theodore  Roosevelt. 

"  Down  with  the  gold  bugs  ! "  was  the 
cry,  and  the  violence  of  the  mob  increased. 
The  friends  of  Governor  Roosevelt  rallied 
to  his  support,  and  blows  were  given  and 
taken  freely.  But  with  it  all  the  candidate 
reached  his  train  in  safety,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  more  had  left  the  town  far  be- 
hind. He  was  not  much  disturbed,  and  the 
very  next  da^'^  went  on  with  his  speech- 
making  as  if  nothing  out  of  the  ordinary 
had  happened.  The  better  classes  of  citi- 
zens of  Victor  were  much  distmbed  over 
the  happening,  and  they  sent  many  regrets 
to  Governor  Roosevelt,  assming  him  that 
such  a  demonstration  would  never  again  be 
permitted  to  occm*. 


214  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 


CHAPTER   XXII 

Elected  Vice-President  of  the  United  States  — 
Presides  Over  the  Senate  —  Tax  upon  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt's  Strength  —  Start  on  An- 
other Grand  Hunting  Tour 

But  the  campaign,  sharp  and  bitter  as  it 
had  been,  was  not  yet  at  an  end.  In  New 
York  City  there  followed  a  ''  Sound  Money 
Parade,"  which  was  perhaps  the  largest 
of  its  kind  ever  witnessed  in  the  United 
States.  It  was  composed  of  all  sorts  and 
conditions  of  men,  from  bankers  and  brokers 
of  Wall  Street  to  the  humble  factory  and 
mill  hands  from  up  the  river  and  beyond. 
The  parade  took  several  hours  to  pass,  and 
was  witnessed  by  crowds  almost  as  great  as 
had  witnessed  the  Dewey  demonstration. 

In  New  York  City,  as  the  time  drew 
closer  for  the  election,  there  was  every  inti- 
mation that  the  contest  would  be  an  un- 
usually "  hot "  one,  and  that  there  would  be 
much  bribery  and  corruption.  It  was  said 
by  some  that  police  methods  were  very  lax 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  215 

at  that  time,  and  that  the  saloons,  which 
ought  to  be  closed  on  election  day,  would 
be  almost  if  not  quite  wide  open. 

"  We  must  have  an  honest  election,"  said 
Governor  Roosevelt.  And  without  loss  of 
time  he  sent  letters  to  Mayor  Van  Wyck, 
and  to  the  sheriff  and  the  district  attorney 
of  the  county  of  New  York,  calling  their 
attention  to  the  facts  in  the  case,  and  tell- 
ing them  that  he  would  hold  them  strictly 
responsible  if  they  did  not  do  their  full  duty. 
As  a  consequence  the  election  was  far  more 
orderly  than  it  might  otherwise  have  been 
in  the  metropolitan  district. 

The  results  of  the  long  contest  were 
speedily  known.  McKinley  and  Roosevelt 
had  been  elected  by  a  large  plurality,  and 
both  they  and  their  numerous  friends  and 
supporters  were  correspondingly  happy. 
Great  parades  were  had  in  their  honor, 
and  it  was  predicted,  and  rightly,  that  the 
prosperity  which  oiu-  comitry  had  enjoyed 
for  several  years  in  the  past  would  continue 
for  many  years  to  come. 

During  those  days  the  United  States  had 
but  one  outside  difficulty,  which  was  in 
China.     There  a  certain  set  of  people  called 


216  AMERICAN  boys''   LIFE  OF 

the  Boxers  arose  in  rebellion  and  threat- 
ened the  lives  of  all  foreigners,  including 
American  citizens.  An  International  Army 
was  organized,  including  American,  English, 
French,  German,  Japanese,  and  other  troops, 
and  a  quick  attack  was  made  upon  Tien- 
Tsin  and  Pekin,  and  the  suffering  foreigners 
in  China  were  rescued.  In  this  campaign 
the  American  soldiers  did  their  full  share 
of  the  work  and  added  fresh  lam-els  to  the 
name  of  Old  Glory. 

The  tax  upon  the  strength  of  the  newly 
elected  Vice-President  had  been  very  great, 
and  he  was  glad  to  surrender  the  duties  of 
governor  into  the  hands  of  his  successor. 
But  as  Vice-President,  Theodore  Roosevelt 
became  the  presiding  officer  of  the  United 
States  Senate,  a  position  of  equal  if  not 
greater  importance. 

As  President  of  the  Senate  it  is  said  that 
Mr.  Roosevelt  was  kind  yet  firm,  and  ever 
on  the  alert  to  see  that  affairs  ran  smoothly. 
He  occupied  the  position  only  for  one  short 
winter  session,  and  during  that  time  nothing 
came  under  discussion  that  was  of  jorime 
importance,  although  my  young  readers 
must  remember  that  all  the  work  accom- 


THEOBORE  ROOSEVELT  217 

plished  in  onr  Senate  is  of  more  or  less 
magnitude. 

"  He  was  very  earnest  in  his  work,"  says 
one  who  was  in  the  Senate  at  that  time. 
"  As  was  his  nsual  habit,  he  took  little  for 
granted,  but  usually  started  to  investigate 
for  himself.  He  knew  the  rules  thoroughly, 
and  rarely  made  an  error." 

For  a  long  time  the  newly  elected  Vice- 
President  had  been  wanting  to  get  back  to 
his  favorite  recreation,  hunting.  Despite 
the  excitement  of  political  life,  he  could  not 
overcome  his  fondness  for  his  rifle  and  the 
wilderness.  He  felt  that  an  outing  would 
do  his  system  much  good,  and  accordingly 
arranged  for  a  five  weeks'  hunting  trip  in 
northwestern  Colorado. 

In  this  trip,  which  he  has  himself  de- 
scribed in  one  of  his  admirable  hunting 
papers,  he  had  with  him  two  companions. 
Dr.  Gerald  Webl3  of  Colorado  Springs,  and 
Mr.  Philip  K.  Stewart,  an  old  friend  who 
in  former  years  had  been  captain  of  the 
Yale  base-ball  team. 

The  party  went  as  far  as  the  railroad 
would  carry  them,  and  then  started  for  a  set- 
tlement called  Meeker,  forty  miles  distant. 


218  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE   OF 

The  weather  was  extremely  cold,  with  the 
thermometer  from  ten  to  twenty  degrees 
below  zero,  but  the  journey  to  Meeker  was 
made  in  safety,  and  here  the  hunters  met 
their  guide,  a  well-known  hunter  of  that 
region  named  Goff,  and  started  with  him 
for  his  ranch,  several  miles  away. 

Theodore  Roosevelt  would  have  liked 
to  bring  down  a  bear  on  this  trip,  but 
the  grizzlies  were  all  in  winter  quarters 
and  sleeping  soundly,  so  the  hunt  was  con- 
fined to  bob-cats  and  cougars.  The  hunting 
began  early,  for  on  the  way  to  the  ranch 
the  hounds  treed  a  bob-cat,  commonly 
known  as  a  lynx,  which  was  secured  with- 
out much  trouble,  and  a  second  bob-cat  was 
secured  the  next  day. 

The  territory  surrounding  Goff's  ranch, 
called  the  Keystone,  was  an  ideal  one  for 
hunting,  with  clumps  of  cottonwoods  and 
pines  scattered  here  and  there,  and  numer- 
ous cliffs  and  ravines,  the  hiding-places  of 
game  unnumbered.  The  ranch  home  stood 
at  the  foot  of  several  well-wooded  hills,  a 
long,  low,  one-story  affair,  built  of  rough 
logs,  but  clean  and  comfortable  within. 

The  two  days'  ride  in  the  nipping  air  had 


THEODOIiE  ROOSEVELT  219 

been  a  severe  test  of  endurance,  and  all 
were  glad,  when  the  ranch  was  reached,  to 
"  thaw  out "  before  the  roaring  fire,  and  sit 
down  to  the  hot  and  hearty  meal  that  had 
been  prepared  in  anticipation  of  their 
coming. 

The  hunters  had  some  excellent  hounds, 
trained  especially  for  bob-cats  and  cougars, 
animals  that  were  never  allowed  to  go  after 
small  game  under  any  circumstances.  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  was  much  taken  with  them 
from  the  start,  and  soon  got  to  know  each 
by  name. 

"  In  cougar  hunting  the  success  of  the 
hunter  depends  absolutely  upon  his  hounds," 
says  Mr.  Roosevelt.  And  he  described  each 
hound  with  great  minuteness,  showing  that 
he  allowed  little  to  escape  his  trained  eye 
while  on  this  tour. 

On  the  day  after  the  arrival  at  the  ranch 
the  party  went  out  for  its  first  cougar, 
which,  as  my  young  readers  perhaps  know, 
is  an  animal  inhabiting  certain  wild  parts 
of  our  West  and  Southwest.  The  beast 
grows  to  a  size  of  from  six  to  nine  feet 
in  length,  and  weighs  several  hundred 
pounds.     It  is  variously  known  as  a  puma 


220  AMEBICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

and  panther,  the  latter  name  sometunes  be- 
ing changed  to  "  painter."  When  attacked, 
it  is  ofttimes  exceedingly  savage,  and  on 
certain  occasions  has  been  known  to  kill 
a  man. 

In  Colorado  the  coucrar  is  hmited  almost 
exclusively  with  the  aid  of  hounds,  and 
this  was  the  method  adopted  on  the  present 
occasion.  With  the  pen  of  a  true  sportsman, 
Mr.  Roosevelt  tells  us  how  the  hounds  were 
held  back  until  a  cougar  trail  less  than 
thirty-six  hours  old  was  struck.  Then  off 
went  the  pack  along  the  cliffs  and  ravines, 
with  the  hunters  following  on  horseback. 
The  trail  led  up  the  moimtain  side  and 
then  across  the  valley  opposite,  and  soon 
the  hounds  were  out  of  sight.  Leaduig 
their  steeds,  the  hunters  went  down  the 
valley  and  followed  the  dogs,  to  find  they 
had  separated  among  the  bare  spots  beyond. 
But  soon  came  a  welcome  sound. 

"  The  cougar's  treed,"  announced  the 
guide.  And  so  it  proved.  But  when  the 
hunters  came  closer,  the  cougar,  an  old  fe- 
male, leaped  from  the  tree,  outdistanced 
the  dogs,  and  leaped  into  another  tree. 
Then,  as  the  party  again  came  up,  the  beast 


THEODORE  BOOSEVELT  221 

took  another  leap  and  started  to  rnn  once 
more.  But  now  the  hounds  were  too  quick, 
and  in  a  trice  tliey  had  the  cougar  sur- 
rounded. SHpping  in,  Theodore  Roosevelt 
ended  the  struggles  of  the  wild  beast  by 
a  knife-thrust  behind  the  shoulder. 

The  next  day  there  was  another  hunt, 
and  this  had  rather  a  tinge  of  sadness  to  it. 
The  dogs  tracked  a  mother  cougar,  who 
occupied  her  den  with  her  three  kittens. 
The  hounds  rushed  into  the  hole,  barking 
furiously,  and  presently  one  came  out  with 
a  dead  kitten  in  his  mouth. 

"  I  had  supposed  a  cougar  would  defend 
her  young  to  the  last,"  says  Mr.  Roosevelt, 
"  but  such  was  not  the  case  in  this  instance. 
For  some  minutes  she  kept  the  dogs  at 
bay,  but  gradually  gave  ground,  leaving 
her  three  kittens."  The  dogs  killed  the 
kittens  without  loss  of  time,  and  then  fol- 
lowed the  cougar  as  she  fled  from  the 
other  end  of  her  hole.  But  the  hounds 
were  too  quick  for  her,  and  soon  had 
her  on  the  ground.  Theodore  Roosevelt 
rushed  up,  knife  in  one  hand  and  rifle  in 
the  other.  With  the  firearm  he  struck  the 
beast    in   the   jaws,    and    then    ended    the 


222  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

struggle  by  a  knife -thrust  straight  into  the 
heart. 

To  many  this  may  seem  a  cruel  sport, 
and  in  a  certain  sense  it  assuredly  is ;  but 
my  young  readers  must  remember  that 
cougars  and  other  wild  beasts  are  a  menace 
to  civilization  in  the  far  West,  and  they 
have  been  shot  down  and  killed  at  every 
available  opportunity.  More  than  this, 
as  I  have  already  mentioned,  Theodore 
Roosevelt  is  more  than  a  mere  hunter 
delighting  in  bloodshed.  He  is  a  natu- 
ralist, and  examines  with  care  everything 
brought  down  and  reports  upon  it,  so 
that  his  hunting  trips  have  added  not  a 
little  to  up-to-date  natural  history.  The 
skulls  of  the  various  animals  killed  on  this 
trip  were  forwarded  to  the  Biological  Sur- 
vey, Department  of  Agriculture,  Washing- 
ton, and  in  return  Mr.  Roosevelt  received  a 
letter,  part  of  which  stated  :  — 

"  Your  series  of  skulls  from  Colorado  is 
incomparably  the  largest,  most  complete, 
and  most  valuable  series  ever  brought  to- 
gether from  any  single  locality,  and  will  be 
of  inestimable  value  in  determining  the 
amount  of  individual  variation." 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  223 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

The  Roosevelt  Family  in  the  Adirondacks  — 
The  Pan-American  Exposition  at  Buffalo  — 
Shooting  of  President  McKinley  —  The  Vice- 
President's  Visit  —  Death  of  the  President 

Theodore  Roosevelt's  companions  of 
the  hunt  remained  with  him  for  fom'teen 
days,  after  which  they  departed,  leaving 
him  with  Goff,  the  ranchman  and  hunter 
already  mentioned. 

When  the  pair  were  alone,  they  visited 
Juniper  Mountain,  said  to  be  a  great  ground 
for  cougars  and  bob-cats,  and  there  hunted 
with  great  success.  All  together  the  trip  of 
five  weeks'  hunting  netted  fourteen  cougars, 
the  largest  of  which  was  eight  feet  in  length 
and  weighed  227  pounds.  Mr.  Roosevelt 
also  brought  down  five  bob-cats,  showing 
that  he  was  just  as  skilful  with  his  rifle  as 
ever. 

The  hero  of  San  Juan  Hill  fairly  loved 
the  outdoor  exercise  of  the  hunt,  and  spent 
three  weeks  in  keen   enjoyment  after   his 


224  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

companions  liad  departed.  During  this 
time  it  snowed  heavily,  so  that  the  hunters 
were  often  compelled  to  remain  indoors. 
As  luck  would  have  it  there  were  other 
ranches  in  that  vicinity,  with  owners  that 
were  hospitable,  so  that  they  did  not  have 
to  go  into  camp,  as  would  otherwise  have 
been  the  case. 

On  the  last  day  of  the  hunt,  Theodore 
Roosevelt  was  able  to  bring  down  the 
largest  cougar  j'et  encountered.  The 
hounds  were  on  the  trail  of  one  beast  when 
they  came  across  that  of  another  and  took 
it  up  with  but  little  warning. 

*'  We're  going  to  get  a  big  one  now," 
said  Goff.     "  Just  you  wait  and  see." 

"  Well,  if  we  do,  it  will  be  a  good  end- 
ing to  my  outing,"  responded  Theodore 
Roosevelt. 

The  cougar  was  at  last  located  by  the 
hounds  in  a  large  pinyon  on  the  side  of  a 
hill.  It  had  run  a  lono;  distance  and  was 
evidently  out  of  breath,  but  as  the  hunters 
drew  closer,  it  leaped  to  the  ground  and 
trotted  away  through  the  snow.  Away 
went  the  hounds  on  the  new  trail  of  the 
beast. 


THEODORE  ItOOSEVELT  225 

"He's  game,  and  he'll  get  away  if  he 
can,"  said  the  guide. 

At  the  top  of  another  hill  the  cougar 
halted  and  one  of  the  hounds  leaped  in,  and 
was  immediately  sent  sprawling  by  a  savage 
blow  of  the  wald  animal's  paw.  Then  on 
went  the  cougar  as  before,  the  hounds  bark- 
ing wildly  as  they  went  in  pursuit. 

When  Theodore  Roosevelt  came  up  once 
more,  the  cougar  was  in  another  pinyon 
tree,  with  the  hounds  in  a  semicircle  on 
the  ground  below. 

"  Now  I  think  I've  got  him,"  whispered 
Theodore  Roosevelt  to  his  companion,  and 
advanced  on  foot,  with  great  cautiousness. 
At  first  he  could  see  nothing,  but  at  last 
made  out  the  back  and  tail  of  the  great 
beast,  as  it  lay  crouched  among  the  branches. 
With  great  care  he  took  aim  and  fired,  and 
the  cougar  fell  to  the  ground,  shot  through 
the  back. 

At  once  the  hounds  rushed  in  and  seized 
the  game.  But  the  cougar  was  not  yet 
dead,  and  snapping  and  snarling  the  beast 
slipped  over  the  ground  and  down  a  hillside, 
with  the  doo;s  all  around  it.  Theodore 
Roosevelt  came  up  behind,  working  his  way 


226  AMERICAN  BOYS    LIFE  OF 

through  the  brush  with  all  speed.  Then, 
watching  his  chance,  he  jumped  in,  hunting- 
knife  in  hand,  and  despatched  the  game. 

*'  A  good  haul,"  cried  Goff.  And  later 
on  he  and  his  men  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  it  was  the  same  cougar  that  had  car- 
ried off  a  cow  and  a  steer  and  killed  a 
work  horse  belonging  to  one  of  the  ranches 
near  by. 

The  five  weeks  spent  in  the  far  West 
strengthened  Theodore  Roosevelt  a  great 
deal,  and  it  was  with  renewed  energy  that 
he  took  up  his  duties  as  Vice-President  of 
our  nation. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  matters  were 
not  going  on  so  well  at  home.  Among  the 
children  two  had  been  very  sick,  and  in  the 
summer  it  was  suggested  that  some  pure 
mountain  air  would  do  them  a  great  deal  of 
good. 

"  Very  well,  we'll  go  to  the  mountains," 
said  Mr.  Roosevelt,  and  looked  around  to 
learn  what  place  would  be  best  to  choose. 

Among  the  Adirondack  Mountains  of 
New  York  State  there  is  a  reservation  of 
ninety-six  thousand  acres  leased  by  what 
is  called  the  Adirondack  Club,  a  wealthy 


THEOBOEE  ROOSEVELT  227 

organization  of  people  who  have  numerous 
summer  cottages  built  within  the  preserve. 

Among  the  members  was  a  Mr.  McNaugh- 
ten,  an  old  friend  of  the  Roosevelt  family, 
and  he  suggested  that  they  occupy  his  cot- 
tage until  the  close  of  the  season.  This 
invitation  was  accepted,  and  the  whole 
Roosevelt  family  moved  up  to  the  spot, 
which  was  located  at  the  foot  of  Mount 
Marcy,  the  largest  of  the  mountains  in  that 
vicinity.  Here  Mr.  Roosevelt  spent  much 
time  in  hunting  and  fishing,  and  also  in 
writing.  The  family  were  not  forgotten, 
and  he  frequently  went  out  with  the  whole 
party,  rowing  and  exploring.  Sometimes 
they  took  baskets  of  lunch  with  them  and 
had  regular  picnics  in  the  woods,  something 
the  Roosevelt  children  enjoyed  very  much. 

In  the  meantime  the  Pan-American  Ex- 
position at  Buffalo,  New  York,  had  been 
opened,  and  day  after  day  it  was  thronged 
with  visitors.  Vice-President  Roosevelt  had 
assisted  at  the  opening,  and  he  was  one  of 
many  who  hoped  the  Exposition  would  be  a 
great  success. 

At  the  Exposition  our  government  had  a 
large   exhibit,  and   it  was   thought  highly 


228  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

proper  that  President  McKinley  should  visit 
the  ground  in  his  official  capacity  and  de- 
liver an  address.  Preparations  were  accord- 
ingly made,  and  the  address  was  delivered 
on  September  5  to  a  most  enthusiastic 
throng.^ 

On  the  following  day  the  President  was 
driven  to  the  Temple  of  Music,  on  the  Ex- 
position grounds,  there  to  hold  a  public 
reception.  The  crowds  were  as  great  as 
ever,  but  perfectly  orderly,  and  filed  in  at 
one  side  of  the  building  and  out  at  the  other, 
each  person  in  turn  being  permitted  to  grasp 
the  Chief  Magistrate's  hand. 

For  a  while  all  went  well,  and  nobody 
noticed  anything  unusual  about  a  somewhat 
weak-faced  individual  who  joined  the  crowd, 
and  who  had  one  hand  covered  with  a  hand- 
kerchief. As  this  rascal  came  up  to  shake 
hands,  he  raised  the  hand  with  the  handker- 
chief and,  using  a  concealed  pistol,  fired  two 
shots  at  President  McKinley. 

For  an  instant  everybody  was  dazed. 
Then  followed  a  commotion,  and  while 
some   went    to    the    wounded    Executive's 

^  For  this  speech  in  full,  and  for  wliat  happened  after 
it  was  delivered,  see  "  Ainevicaii  Boj's'  Life  of  McKinley." 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  229 

assistance,  others  leaped  upon  the  das- 
tardly assassin  and  made  him  a  prisoner. 

There  was  an  excellent  hospital  upon  the 
Exposition  grounds,  and  to  this  President 
McKinley  was  carried.  Here  it  was  found 
that  both  bullets  had  entered  his  body,  one 
having  struck  the  breastbone  and  the  other 
having  entered  the  abdomen.  The  physi- 
cians present  did  all  they  possibly  could  for 
him,  and  then  he  was  removed  to  the  resi- 
dence of  Mr.  Millburn,  the  President  of  the 
Exposition. 

In  the  meantime,  all  unconscious  of  the 
awful  happening  that  was  to  have  such  an 
influence  upon  his  future,  Mr.  Roosevelt 
had  been  enjoying  himself  with  his  family, 
and  helping  to  take  care  of  the  children 
that  were  not  yet  totally  recovered  from 
their  illness.  All  seemed  to  be  progressing 
finely,  and  he  had  gone  off  on  a  little  tour 
to  Vermont,  to  visit  some  points  of  interest 
and  deliver  a  few  addresses. 

He  was  at  Isle  La  Motte,  not  far  from 
Burlington,  when  the  news  reached  him 
that  President  McKinley  had  been  shot. 
He  had  just  finished  an  address,  and  for  the 
moment  he  could  not  believe  the  sad  news. 


230  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

"Shot!"  he  said.  "How  dreadful!" 
And  could  scarcely  say  another  word.  He 
asked  for  the  latest  bulletin,  and,  forgetful 
of  all  else,  took  the  first  train  he  could  get 
to  Buffalo,  and  then  hastened  to  the  side  of 
his  Chief. 

It  was  truly  a  sad  meeting.  For  many 
years  these  two  men  had  known  each 
other,  and  they  were  warm  friends.  Their 
methods  were  somewhat  different,  but  each 
stood  for  what  was  just  and  right  and  true, 
and  each  was  ready  to  give  his  country  his 
best  service,  no  matter  what  the  cost. 

It  was  a  sad  time  for  the  whole  nation, 
and  men  and  women  watched  the  bulletins 
eagerly,  hoping  and  praying  that  President 
McKinley  might  recover.  Every  hour 
there  was  some  slight  change,  and  people 
would  talk  it  over  in  a  whisper. 

In  a  few  days  there  were  hopeful  signs, 
and  the  physicians,  deceived  by  them,  said 
they  thought  the  President  would  recover. 
This  was  glad  news  to  Theodore  Roosevelt. 
Yet  he  lingered  on,  fearful  to  go  away,  lest 
the  news  should  prove  untrue  and  he  should 
be  needed.  But  then  there  was  a  still 
brighter  turn,  and  he  thought  of  his  own 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  231 

family,  and  of  the  fact  that  one  of  his  chil- 
dren was  again  ill. 

"I  will  return  to  my  family,"  said  he 
to  two  of  his  closest  friends.  '*But  if  I 
am  needed  here,  let  me  know  at  once." 
And  his  friends  promised  to  keep  him  in- 
formed. Two  days  later  he  was  back 
among  the  Adirondacks,  in  the  bosom  of 
his  family. 

The  prayers  of  a  whole  nation  were  in 
vain.  William  McKinley's  mission  on  earth 
was  finished,  and  one  week  after  he  was 
shot  he  breathed  his  last.  His  wife  came 
to  bid  him  farewell,  and  so  did  his  other 
relatives,  and  his  friend  of  many  3'ears, 
Mark  Hanna,  and  the  members  of  his 
Cabinet. 

"It  is  God's  way,"  murmnred  the  dying 
Executive.  "  His  will  be  done,  not  ours." 
Then  like  a  child  going  to  sleep,  he  re- 
lapsed into  unconsciousness,  from  which  he 
did  not  recover.  He  died  September  14, 
1901,  at  a  little  after  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning. 

It  was  the  last  of  a  truly  great  life. 
Illustrious  men  may  come  and  go,  but  Will- 
iam McKinley  will  be  remembered  so  long 


232  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

as  oiir  nation  endures.  As  a  soldier  and  a 
statesman  he  gave  his  best  talents  to  better 
the  conditions  of  his  fellow-creatures,  and 
to  place  the  United  States  where  we  justly 
belong,  among  the  truly  great  nations  of 
the  world. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  233 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

Theodore  Roosevelt's  Tramp  up  Mount  Marcy  — 
A  Message  of  Importance  —  Wild  Midnight 
Ride  through  the  Mountains  —  On  the  Spe- 
cial Trains  from  North  Creek  to  Buffalo 

With  a  somewhat  lighter  heart,  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  returned  to  the  Adirondacks 
and  joined  his  family  on  Wednesday,  three 
days  previous  to  President  McKinley's  death. 
The  last  report  he  had  received  from  Buffalo 
was  the  most  encouraging  of  any,  and  he 
now  felt  almost  certain  that  the  President 
would  survive  the  outrageous  attack  that 
had  been  made  upon  his  person. 

"  He  will  get  well,"  said  several  who 
lived  close  by.  "  You  need  not  worry  about 
his  condition  any  longer." 

On  the  following  day  it  was  planned  to 
go  np  to  Colton  Lake,  five  miles  from  where 
the  family  was  stopping.  Some  friends  went 
along,  and  in  the  party  were  Mrs.  Roosevelt 
and  several  of  the  children.  Two  guides 
accompanied   them,  and  it  was  decided  to 


234  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

spend  the  night  at  a  camp  on  the  lake, 
returning  home  the  following  day. 

The  next  morning  it  rained,  but  in  spite 
of  this  drawback  Theodore  Roosevelt,  leav- 
ing the  ladies  and  children  to  return  to  the 
cottage,  started  to  climb  Mount  Marcy. 
Such  an  undertaking  was  exactly  to  his 
liking,  and  he  went  up  the  rough  and 
uneven  trail  with  the  vigor  of  a  trained 
woodsman,  the  guide  leading  the  way  and 
the  other  gentlemen  of  the  party  following. 

At  last,  high  up  on  the  side  of  Mount 
Marcy,  the  party  reached  a  small  body  of 
water  known  as  Tear  of  the  Clouds,  and 
here  they  rested  for  lunch. 

"  You  are  certainly  a  great  walker,  Mr. 
Roosevelt,"  remarked  one  of  the  gentlemen 
during  the  progress  of  the  lunch. 

"  Oh,  I  have  to  be,"  answered  Theodore 
Roosevelt,  jokingly.  "A  Vice-President 
needs  exercise  to  keep  him  alive.  You 
see,  when  he  is  in  the  Senate,  all  of  his 
work  is  done  sitting  down." 

The  words  had  scarcely  been  uttered 
when  one  of  the  party  pointed  to  a  man 
climbing  up  the  mountain  side  toward  them. 
The  newcomer  held  some  yellow  telegram- 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  235 

slips  in  his  hand,  and  Theodore  Roosevelt 
quickly  arose  to  receive  them. 

He  had  soon  mastered  the  contents  of  the 
messages.  President  McKinley  was  much 
worse ;  it  was  likely  that  he  would  not  live. 
For  fully  a  minute  Mr.  Roosevelt  did  not 
speak.  He  realized  the  great  responsibility 
which  rested  upon  his  shoulders.  Then,  in 
a  voice  filled  with  emotion,  he  read  the 
messages  aloud. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  continued,  ^'  I  must  re- 
turn to  the  club-house  at  once."  And  with- 
out waiting,  he  turned  and  started  down  the 
mountain  side  along  the  trail  by  which  he 
had  come. 

It  was  a  long,  hard  walk,  but  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  Theodore  Roosevelt  took  note  of  it. 
A  thousand  thoughts  must  have  flashed 
through  his  mind.  If  William  McKinley 
should  indeed  breathe  his  last,  the  nation 
would  look  to  him  as  their  Chief  Magis- 
trate. He  could  not  make  himself  believe 
that  his  President  was  to  die. 

It  was  not  long  before  Theodore  Roosevelt 
reached  the  club-house  at  the  lake.  He 
asked  for  further  news,  but  none  was 
forthcoming. 


236  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

"  We  will  send  to  the  lower  clul)-lioiise  at 
once,"  said  his  friends.  "  You  had  better 
take  a  short  rest,  in  case  you  have  a  sudden 
call  to  make  the  trip  to  Buffalo." 

A  misty  rain  was  falling,  and  the  at- 
mosphere of  the  mountains  was  raw  and 
penetrating.  Messengers  were  quickly  de- 
spatched to  the  lower  club-house,  and  by 
eleven  o'clock  that  evening  news  came  back 
that  left  no  doubt  of  the  true  condition 
of  affairs.  President  McKinley  was  sink- 
ing rapidly,  and  his  death  was  now  only  a 
question  of  a  few  hours. 

"  I  must  go,  and  at  once,"  said  Theodore 
Roosevelt.  And  soon  a  light  wagon  drove  up 
to  the  club-house,  and  he  leaped  in.  There 
was  a  short  good-by  to  his  family  and  his 
friends,  the  whip  cracked,  and  the  drive  of 
thirty-five  miles  to  the  nearest  railroad 
station  was  begun. 

It  was  a  never-to-be-forgotten  journey. 
For  ten  miles  or  more  the  road  was  fearfully 
rough  and  ran  around  the  edges  of  over- 
hanging cliffs,  where  a  false  turn  might 
mean  deatli.  Then  at  times  the  road  went 
down  into  deep  hollows  and  over  rocky 
hills.      All  was   pitch  black,  save  for   the 


THEODORE  llOOSEVELT  237 

tiny  yellow  light  hanging  over  the  dash- 
board of  the  turnout.  Crouched  on  the 
seat,  Mr.  Roosevelt  urged  the  driver  to  go 
on,  and  go  on  they  did,  making  better  time 
during  that  rain  and  darkness  than  had 
before  been  made  in  broad  daylight. 

At  last  a  place  called  Hunter's  was 
reached,  and  Theodore  Roosevelt  alighted. 

"  What  news  have  you  for  me  ? "  he 
asked  of  a  waiting  messenger,  and  the  latest 
message  was  handed  to  him.  There  was 
no  new  hope,  —  President  McKinley  Avas 
sinking  faster  than  ever.  New  horses  were 
obtained,  and  the  second  part  of  the  jour- 
ney, from  Hunter's  to  Aiden  Lair, was  begun. 

And  during  that  wild,  swift  ride  of  nine 
miles,  when  it  seemed  to  Theodore  Roose- 
velt as  if  he  were  racing  against  death,  the 
angel  of  Life  Everlasting  claimed  William 
McKinley,  and  the  man  crouched  in  the 
wagon,  wet  from  the  rain,  hurrying  to  reach 
him,  became  the  next  President  of  the 
United  States. 

It  was  a  little  after  three  in  the  morning 
when  Aiden  Lair  was  reached.  The  sufferer 
at  Buffalo  had  breathed  his  last,  but  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt  did  not  know  it,  and  he  still 


238  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

hoped  for  the  best.  More  fresh  horses,  and 
now  the  last  sixteen  miles  of  the  rough 
journey  were  made  on  a  buckboard.  In 
spots  the  road  was  worse  than  it  had  pre- 
viously been,  and  the  driver  was  tempted  to 
go  slow. 

''  Go  on  !  "  cried  Mr.  Roosevelt,  and  held 
his  watch  in  hand.  "Go  on  !  "  And  the 
driver  obeyed,  the  buckboard  dancing  up  and 
down  over  the  rocks  and  swinging  danger- 
ously from  side  to  side  around  the  curves  of 
ravines.  But  Theodore  Roosevelt's  mind 
was  not  on  the  road  nor  on  the  peril  of  that 
ride,  but  in  that  room  in  Buffalo  where  the 
great  tragedy  had  just  seen  its  completion. 

At  last,  a  little  after  five  in  the  morning, 
the  turnout  came  in  sight  of  the  railroad 
station  at  North  Creek.  A  special  train 
was  in  waiting  for  him.  He  gazed  anx- 
iously at  the  little  knot  of  people  assembled. 
Their  very  faces  told  him  the  sorrowful 
truth.     President  McKinley  was  dead. 

With  bowed  head  he  entered  a  private 
car  of  the  special  train,  and  without  delay 
the  train  started  on  its  journey  southward 
for  Albany.  No  time  was  lost  on  this 
portion   of    the   trip,  and  at  seven  o'clock 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  239 

Theodore  Roosevelt  reached  the  city  in 
which  but  a  short  time  before  he  had  pre- 
sided as  Governor  of  the  State. 

At  Albany  he  was  met  by  Secretary  of 
State  Hay,  who  informed  him  officially  that 
President  McKinley  was  no  more.  He  like- 
wise informed  the  Vice-President  that,  con- 
sidering the  excitement,  it  might  be  best 
that  Mr.  Roosevelt  be  sworn  in  as  President 
without  delay. 

Another  special  train  was  in  waiting  at 
Albany,  and  this  was  rushed  westward  with 
all  possible  speed,  arriving  in  Buffalo  at  half- 
past  one  in  the  afternoon.  In  order  to  avoid 
the  tremendous  crowd  at  the  Union  railroad 
station,  Mr.  Roosevelt  alighted  at  the  Ter- 
race station.  Here  he  was  met  by  several 
friends  with  a  carriage  and  also  a  detach- 
ment of  the  Fourth  Signal  Corps  and  a 
squad  of  mounted  police. 

Without  loss  of  time  Theodore  Roosevelt 
was  driven  to  the  Millburn  house.  Here  he 
found  a  great  many  friends  and  relatives  of 
the  dead  President  assembled.  All  were 
too  shocked  over  what  had  occurred  to  say 
much,  and  shook  the  hand  of  the  coming 
President  in  silence. 


240  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

Thousands  of  eyes  were  upon  Theodore 
Roosevelt,  but  he  noticed  them  not.  Enter- 
ing the  Millburn  house,  he  thought  only  of 
the  one  who  had  surrendered  his  life  while 
doing  his  duty,  and  of  that  kind  and  patient 
woman  now  left  to  fight  the  battles  of  this 
w^orld  alone.  He  offered  what  consolation 
he  could  to  Mrs.  McKinley,  heard  the  little 
that  had  not  yet  been  told  of  that  final 
struggle  to  fight  off  death,  and  then  took  his 
departure,  to  assume  the  high  office  thus 
suddenly  and  unexpectedly  thrust  upon 
him. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  241 


CHAPTER   XXV 

Takes  the  Oath  as  President  —  The  New  Chief 
Magistrate  at  the  Funeral  of  President 
McKiNLEY — At  the  White  House — How  the 
First  Real  Working  Day  was  Spent 

The  new  President  took  the  oath  of  office 
at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Ansley  Wilcox  in 
Buffalo.  It  is  a  fine,  substantial  mansion 
and  has  ever  since  been  of  historic  interest 
to  sight-seers. 

When  he  arrived  at  the  Wilcox  home,  he 
found  a  number  of  members  of  the  McKinley 
Cabinet  awaiting  him,  as  well  as  Judge 
John  R.  Hazel,  of  the  United  States  District 
Court,  who  administered  the  oath;  and  ten 
or  a  dozen  others. 

The  scene  was  truly  an  affecting  one. 
Secretary  Root  could  scarcely  control  him- 
self, for,  twenty  years  before,  he  had  been  at 
a  similar  scene,  when  Vice-President  Aiihur 
became  Chief  Magistrate,  after  the  assassi- 
nation of  President  Garfield.  In  a  voice 
filled  with  emotion  he  requested  Vice-Presi- 


242  AMERICAN  boys''   LIFE  OF 

dent  Roosevelt,  on  behalf  of  the  Cabinet  as 
a  whole,  to  take  the  prescribed  oath. 

It  is  recorded  by  an  eye-witness  that 
Theodore  Roosevelt  was  pale,  and  that  his 
eyes  were  dim  with  tears,  as  he  stepped  for- 
ward to  do  as  bidden.  His  hand  was  up- 
lifted, and  then  in  a  solemn  voice  the  judge 
began  the  oath :  — 

"  I  do  solemnly  swear  that  I  will  faith- 
fully execute  the  office  of  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  will,  to  the  best  of  my 
ability,  preserve,  protect,  and  defend  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States." 

The  words  were  repeated  in  a  low  but 
distinct  voice  by  Theodore  Roosevelt,  and  a 
moment  of  utter  silence  followed. 

"Mr.  President,  please  attach  yom'  sig- 
nature," went  on  the  judge.  And  in  a  firm 
hand  the  new  Chief  Executive  wrote  '•  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt "  at  the  bottom  of  the  all- 
important  document  which  made  him  the 
President  of  our  beloved  country. 

Standing  in  that  room,  the  President  fo-lt 
the  great  responsibility  which  now  rested 
on  his  shoulders,  and  turning  to  those  be- 
fore him,  he  spoke  as  follows  :  — 

"  In  this  hour  of   deep   and  terrible  be- 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  243 

reavement,  I  wish  to  state  that  it  shall  be 
my  aim  to  continue  absolutely  unbroken 
the  policy  of  President  McKinley  for  the 
peace  and  prosperity  and  honor  of  our 
country." 

These  were  no  mere  words,  as  his  actions 
immediately  afterward  prove.  On  reaching 
Washington  he  assembled  the  Cabinet  at 
the  home  of  Commander  Cowles,  his  brother- 
in-law,  and  there  spoke  to  them  somewhat  in 
this  strain :  — 

"  I  wish  to  make  it  clear  to  you,  gentle- 
men, that  what  I  said  at  Buffalo  I  meant. 
I  want  each  of  you  to  remain  as  a  member 
of  my  Cabinet.  I  need  your  advice  and 
counsel.  I  tender  you  the  office  in  the 
same  manner  that  I  would  tender  it  if  I 
were  entering  upon  the  discharge  of  my 
duties  as  the  result  of  an  election  by  the 
people."  Having  thus  declared  himself, 
the  newly  made  President  asked  each  mem- 
ber personally  to  stay  with  him.  It  was  a 
sincere  request,  and  the  Cabinet  members 
all  agreed  to  remain  by  Mr.  Roosevelt  and 
aid  him  exactly  as  they  had  been  aiding 
Mr.  McKinley.  Thus  was  it  shown  to  the 
world  at  large,  and  especially  to  the  anar- 


244  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

chists,  of  which  the  assassm  of  McKinley 
had  been  one,  that  though  the  President 
might  be  slain,  the  government  still  lived. 

The  entire  country  was  prostrate  over 
the  sudden  death  of  President  McKinley, 
and  one  of  the  first  acts  of  Theodore  Roose- 
velt, after  assuming  the  responsibilities 
of  his  office,  was  to  issue  the  following 
proclamation :  — 

"  A  terrible  bereavement  has  befallen  our 
people.  The  President  of  the  United  States 
has  been  struck  down ;  a  crime  committed 
not  only  against  the  Chief  Magistrate,  but 
against  every  law-abiding  and  liberty-loving 
citizen. 

"President  McKinley  crowned  a  life  of 
largest  love  for  his  fellow-men,  of  most 
earnest  endeavor  for  their  welfare,  by  a 
death  of  Christian  fortitude ;  and  both  the 
way  in  which  he  lived  his  life  and  the  way 
in  which,  in  the  supreme  hour  of  trial,  he 
met  his  death,  will  remain  forever  a  precious 
heritage  of  our  people. 

"  It  is  meet  that  we,  as  a  nation,  express 
our  abiding  love  and  reverence  for  his  life, 
our  deep  sorrow  for  liis  untimely  death. 

"  Now,  therefore,  I,  Theodore  Roosevelt, 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  245 

President  of  the  United  States,  do  appoint 
Thursday  next,  September  19,  the  day  in 
which  the  body  of  the  dead  President  will 
be  laid  in  its  last  earthly  resting-place,  a 
day  of  mourning  and  prayer  throughout  the 
United  States. 

"  I  earnestly  recommend  all  the  people  to 
assemble  on  that  day  in  their  respective 
places  of  divine  worship,  there  to  bow  down 
in  submission  to  the  will  of  Almighty  God, 
and  to  pay  out  of  full  hearts  their  homage 
of  love  and  reverence  to  the  great  and  good 
President  whose  death  has  smitten  the  na- 
tion with  bitter  grief." 

The  funeral  of  President  McKinley  was  a 
most  imposing  one.  The  body  was  at  first 
laid  in  state  in  the  City  Hall  at  Buffalo, 
where  President  Roosevelt  and  fully  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  men,  women,  and 
children  went  to  view  the  remains.  From 
Bu:ffalo  the  remains  were  taken  by  special 
funeral  train  to  Washington,  and  there 
placed  in  the  Rotunda  of  the  Capitol.  Here 
the  crowd  was  equally  great,  and  here  the 
services  were  attended  by  representatives 
from  almost  every  civilized  nation  on  the 
globe.     Outside   a   marine   band   was   sta- 


246  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

tioned,  playing  the  dead  President's  favorite 
hymns,  "  Lead,  Kindly  Light  "  and  "  Nearer, 
my  God,  to  Thee,"  and  in  the  singing  of 
these  thousands  of  mourners  joined,  while 
the  tears  of  sorrow  streamed  down  thek 
faces. 

From  Washington  the  body  of  the  mar- 
tyred President  was  taken  to  Canton,  Ohio, 
where  had  been  his  private  home.  Here 
his  friends  and  neighbors  assembled  to  do 
him  final  honor,  and  great  arches  of  green 
branches  and  flowers  were  erected,  under 
which  the  funeral  cortege  passed.  As  the 
body  was  placed  in  the  receiving  vault, 
business  throughout  the  entire  United 
States  was  suspended.  In  spirit,  eighty 
millions  of  people  were  surrounding  the 
mortal  clay  left  by  the  passing  of  a  soul  to 
the  place  whence  it  had  come.  It  was  truly 
a  funeral  of  which  the  greatest  of  kings 
might  well  be  proud. 

The  taking-off  of  President  McKinley  un- 
doubtedly had  a  great  effect  upon  President 
Roosevelt.  During  the  Presidential  cam- 
paign the  Vice-Presidential  nominee  had 
made  many  speeches  in  behalf  of  his  fel- 
low candidate,  showing  the  high   personal 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  247 

character  of  McKinley,  and  what  might  be 
expected  from  the  man  in  case  he  was  elected 
once  more  to  the  office  of  Chief  Magistrate. 
More  than  this,  when  Assistant  Secretary  of 
the  Navy,  Mr.  Roosevelt  had  done  his  best 
to  carry  out  the  plans  formulated  by  the 
President.  The  two  were  close  friends,  and 
in  the  one  brief  session  of  the  Senate  when 
he  was  Vice-President,  Mr.  Roosevelt  gave 
to  President  McKinley  many  evidences  of 
his  high  regard. 

On  returning  to  Washington,  President 
Roosevelt  did  not  at  once  take  up  his  resi- 
dence at  the  White  House,  preferring  that 
the  place  should  be  left  to  Mrs.  McKinley 
until  she  had  sufficiently  recovered  from  her 
terrible  shock  to  arrange  for  the  removal  of 
the  family's  personal  effects. 

As  it  may  interest  some  of  my  young 
readers  to  know  how  President  Roosevelt's 
first  day  as  an  active  President  was  spent, 
I  append  the  following,  taken  down  at  the 
time  by  a  reporter  for  a  press  association:  — 

"  Reached  the  White  House  from  Canton, 
on  September  20, 1901,  at  9.40  a.m.  Went 
at  once  to  the  private  office  formerly  occu- 
pied by  President  McKinley,  and,  as  speedily 


248  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

as  possible,  settled  down  for  the  business  of 
the  day. 

"  Met  Secretary  Long  of  the  navy  in 
the  cabinet  room  and  held  a  discussion  con- 
cerning naval  matters ;  received  Colonel 
Sanger  to  talk  over  some  army  appoint- 
ments ;  signed  appointments  of  General  J. 
M.  Bell  and  others ;  met  Senators  Cullom 
and  Proctor. 

"  At  11  A.M.  called  for  the  first  time  for- 
mal meeting  of  the  Cabinet  and  transacted 
business  of  that  body  until  12.30  p.m. 

"  Received  his  old  friend,  General  "Wood, 
and  held  conference  with  him  and  with  Sec- 
retary Root  in  regard  to  Cuban  election 
laws. 

"  President  Roosevelt  left  the  White 
House  at  1.20  p.m.  to  take  lunch  with  Sec- 
retary Hay  at  the  latter's  residence.  He 
was  alone,  disregarding  the  services  of  a 
body-guard. 

"Returned  to  the  White  House  at  3.30 
P.M.  and  transacted  business  with  some  offi- 
cials and  received  a  few  personal  friends. 

"  Engaged  with  Secretary  Cortelyou  from 
4  P.M.  to  6.30  P.M.  in  the  transaction  of 
public  business,  disposal  of  mail,  etc. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  249 

"Left  the  White  House  imattended  at 
6.30  P.M.  and  walked  through  the  semi-dark 
streets  of  Washington  to  1733  N  Street, 
N.  W.,  the  residence  of  his  brother-in-law, 
Commander  Cowles.  Dined  in  private  with 
the  family. 

"  Late  in  the  evening  received  a  few  close 
friends.     Retired  at  11  p.m." 

It  will  be  observed  that  special  mention 
is  made  of  the  fact  that  President  Roosevelt 
travelled  around  alone.  Immediately  after 
the  terrible  tragedy  at  Buffalo  many  citizens 
were  of  the  opinion  that  the  Chief  Magis- 
trate of  our  nation  ought  to  be  strongly 
protected,  for  fear  of  further  violence,  but 
to  this  Theodore  Roosevelt  would  not 
listen. 

"  I  am  not  afraid,"  he  said  calmly.  "  We 
are  living  in  a  peaceful  country,  and  the 
great  mass  of  our  people  are  orderly,  law- 
abiding  citizens.  I  can  trust  them,  and  take 
care  of  myself."  And  to  this  he  held,  despite 
the  protestations  of  his  closest  friends.  Of 
course  he  is  scarcely  ever  without  some  guard 
or  secret  service  detective  close  at  hand,  but 
no  outward  display  of  such  protection  is 
permitted.    And  let  it  l3e  added  to  the  credit 


250  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE   OF 

of  our  people  that,  though  a  few  cranks  and 
crazy  persons  have  caused  him  a  little  an- 
noyance, he  has  never,  up  to  the  present 
time,  been  molested  in  any  way. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  251 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

Continuing  the  Work  begun  by  President  Mc- 
KiNLEY  —  The  Panama  Canal  Agitation — Visit 
OF  Prince  Henry  of  Prussia  —  The  President  at 
THE  Charleston  Exposition 

President  Roosevelt  had  said  he  would 
continue  the  policy  inaugurated  by  President 
McKinley,  and  one  of  the  important  steps 
in  this  direction  was  to  appoint  many  to 
office  who  had  been  expecting  appointment 
at  the  hands  of  the  martyred  President. 
This  gained  him  many  friends,  and  soon 
some  who  had  kept  themselves  at  a  distance 
flocked  around,  to  aid  him  in  every  possible 
manner. 

Late  in  September  the  last  of  the  Mc- 
Kinley  effects  were  taken  from  the  White 
House,  and  some  days  later  the  newly  made 
President  moved  in,  with  his  family,  who 
had  come  down  from  the  Adirondacks  some 
time  previous.  In  Washington  the  family 
were  joined  by  Mr.  Roosevelt's  two  brothers- 
in-law,  Commander  Wm.  Sheffield   Cowles 


252  AMERICAN  BOTS'   LIFE  OF 

and  Mr.  Douglas  Robinson,  and  their  wives, 
and  the  relatives  remained  together  for  some 
days. 

It  was  at  first  feared  by  some  politicians 
that  President  Roosevelt  would  be  what  is 
termed  a  "sectional  President," — that  is, 
that  he  would  favor  one  section  of  our  coun- 
try to  the  exclusion  of  the  others,  but  he 
soon  proved  that  he  was  altogether  too  noble 
for  such  baseness. 

"  I  am  going  to  be  President  of  the  whole 
United  States,"  he  said.  "  I  don't  care  for 
sections  or  sectional  lines.  I  was  bom  in 
the  North,  but  my  mother  was  from  the 
South,  and  I  have  spent  much  of  my  time 
in  the  West,  so  I  think  I  can  fairly  repre- 
sent the  whole  country." 

President  Roosevelt  sympathized  deeply 
with  the  condition  of  the  negroes  in  the 
South,  and  for  the  purpose  of  learning  the 
true  state  of  affairs  sent  for  Mr.  Booker  T. 
Washington,  one  of  the  foremost  colored 
men  of  this  country  and  founder  of  the 
Tuskegee  Industrial  School  for  Colored 
People.  They  had  a  long  conference  at 
the  White  House,  which  Mr.  Washington 
enjoyed  very  much.     For  this  action  many 


Pkesidknt  KoosEVKi/r  at  His  Dksk. 


mmmmmmmm^mtmm 


THEOBOBE  ROOSEVELT  253 

criticised  the  President  severely,  but  to  this 
he  paid  no  attention,  satisfied  that  he  had 
done  his  duty  as  his  conscience  dictated. 

President  Roosevelt's  first  message  to 
Congress  was  awaited  with  considerable 
interest.  It  was  remembered  that  he  was 
ohe  youngest  Executive  our  White  House 
had  ever  known,  and  many  were  curious  to 
know  what  he  would  say  and  what  he  pro- 
posed to  do. 

The  Fifty-seventh  Congress  of  the  United 
States  assembled  at  Washington,  December 
2, 1901,  and  on  the  day  following.  President 
Roosevelt's  first  annual  message  was  read  in 
both  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives. 

It  proved  to  be  a  surprisingly  long  and 
strong  state  paper,  and  by  many  was  con- 
sidered one  of  the  best  messages  sent  to 
Congress  in  many  years.  It  touched  upon 
general  conditions  in  our  country,  spoke  for 
improvements  in  the  army  and  the  navy, 
called  for  closer  attention  to  civil  service 
reform,  for  a  correction  of  the  faults  in  the 
post-office  system,  and  for  a  clean  adminis- 
tration in  the  Philippines,  Hawaii,  and  Porto 
Rico.  It  spoke  of  several  great  needs  of 
the  government,  and  added  that  the  Gold 


254  AMEBIC  AN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

Standard  Act  had  been  found  timely  and 
judicious. 

"  President  Roosevelt  is  all  right,"  was 
the  general  comment,  after  the  message  had 
been  printed  in  the  various  papers  of  our 
country.  "  He  is  looking  ahead,  and  he 
knows  exactly  what  this  country  wants  and 
needs.  We  are  prosperous  now,  and  if  we 
want  to  continue  so,  we  must  keep  our  hands 
on  the  plough,  and  not  look  backward." 

The  first  break  in  the  old  Cabinet 
occurred  on  December  17,  when  Postmaster 
General  Charles  E.  Smith  resigned.  His  place 
was  immediately  filled  by  the  appointment 
of  Henry  C.  Payne,  of  Wisconsin.  Soon 
after  this  Secretary  Gage  of  the  Treasury 
resigned,  and  his  place  was  filled  by  former 
governor  Leslie  M.  Shaw,  of  Iowa. 

For  a  long  time  there  had  been  before 
the  American  people  various  suggestions 
to  build  a  canal  across  Central  America,  to 
join  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific  oceans,  so 
that  the  ships  wanting  to  go  from  one  body 
of  water  to  the  other  would  not  have  to 
take  the  long  and  expensive  trip  around 
Cape  Horn. 

In  years  gone  by  the  French   had   also 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  255 

contemplated  such  a  canal,  and  had  even 
gone  to  work  at  the  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
making  an  elaborate  survey  and  domg  not 
a  little  digging.  But  the  work  was  beyond 
them,  and  the  French  Canal  Company  soon 
ran  out  of  funds  and  went  into  the  hands 
of  a  receiver. 

"  We  ought  to  take  hold  and  dig  a  canal," 
was  heard  on  all  sides  in  the  United  States. 
But  where  to  dig  the  canal  was  a  question. 
Some  said  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  was  the 
best  place,  while  others  preferred  a  route 
through  Nicaragua.  The  discussion  waxed 
very  warm,  and  at  last  a  Commission  was 
appointed  to  go  over  both  routes  and  find 
out  which  would  be  the  more  satisfactory 
from  every  point  of  view. 

The  Commission  was  not  very  long  in 
reaching  a  decision.  The  Panama  Canal 
Company  was  willing  to  sell  out  all  its  inter- 
est in  the  work  already  done  for  forty  millions 
of  dollars,  and  it  was  recommended  that  the 
United  States  accept  this  offer.  President 
Roosevelt  received  the  report,  and  lost  no 
time  in  submitting  it  to  Congress. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  new  year,  1902, 
there  was  a  grand  ball  at  the  White  House, 


256  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

attended  by  a  large  gathering  of  people, 
including  many  of  the  foreign  representa- 
tives accredited  to  Washington.  The  oc- 
casion was  the  introduction  into  society  of 
Miss  Alice  Roosevelt,  and  the  affair  was  a 
most  pleasing  one  from  beginning  to  end. 

One  of  the  President's  sons,  Theodore 
Roosevelt,  Jr.,  had  been  sent  to  a  boarding 
school  at  Groton,  Massachusetts.  Early  in 
February  he  was  taken  down  with  a  cold 
that  developed  into  pneumonia.  It  looked 
as  if  the  youth  might  die,  and  both  Mrs. 
Roosevelt  and  the  President  lost  no  time  in 
leaving  Washington  and  going  to  his  bed- 
side. The  sympathy  of  the  whole  country 
was  with  the  anxious  parents,  and  when  it 
was  announced  that  the  crisis  had  been 
passed  in  safety  there  was  much  relief  in  all 
quarters. 

Before  this  illness  occurred  there  came  to 
the  Roosevelts  an  invitation  which  pleased 
them,  and  especially  Miss  Alice,  not  a  little. 
The  German  Emperor  William  was  having 
a  yacht  built  in  this  country,  at  Shooter's 
Island.  He  sent  his  brother.  Prince  Henry 
of  Prussia,  over  to  attend  the  launching, 
and   requested   Miss   Roosevelt  to  christen 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  257 

the  yaclit,  which  was  to  be  called  the 
Ifeteor. 

The  arrival  of  Prince  Henry  was  made  a 
gala  day  by  many  who  wished  to  see  the 
friendship  between  the  United  States  and 
Germany  more  firmly  cemented  than  ever, 
and  the  royal  visitor  was  treated  with  every 
consideration  wherever  he  went.  From 
New  York  he  jom'neyed  to  Washington, 
where  he  dined  with  the  President.  He 
retm^ned  to  New  York  with  President 
Roosevelt  and  with  Miss  Roosevelt,  and  on 
February  25  the  launching  occurred,  m  the 
presence  of  thousands  of  people  and  a  great 
many  craft  of  all  sorts.  Miss  Roosevelt 
performed  the  christening  in  appropriate 
style,  and  this  was  followed  by  music  from 
a  band  and  the  blowing  of  hundreds  of 
steam  whistles.  After  these  ceremonies 
were  over,  there  followed  an  elaborate  dinner 
given  by  the  mayor  of  New  York,  and  then 
the  Prince  started  on  a  tour  of  the  country 
lasting  two  weeks.  His  visit  made  a  good 
impression  wherever  he  went,  and  he  was 
universally  put  down  as  a  right  good 
fellow. 

It  was  about   this    time   that  President 


258  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

Roosevelt  showed  he  was  not  to  be  led  alto- 
gether by  what  his  party  did.  So  far  he 
had  not  vetoed  any  measures  sent  to  him 
for  his  signature.  Now,  however,  a  bill 
came  to  him  touching  the  desertion  of  a 
sailor  in  the  navy.  Congress  was  willing 
to  strike  the  black  record  of  the  sailor  from 
the  books,  but  President  Roosevelt  would 
not  have  it. 

"  The  sailor  did  wrong,"  he  said.  "  He 
knew  what  he  was  doing,  too.  The  record 
against  him  must  stand."  And  he  vetoed 
the  bill.  On  the  other  hand  he  was  prompt 
to  recognize  real  worth  in  those  who  had 
served  the  government,  and  when  over  two 
hundred  private  pension  bills  came  before 
him  for  his  approval,  he  signed  them  with- 
out a  murmur. 

The  people  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
had  been  arranging  for  a  long  time  to  hold 
an  exposition  which  should  set  forth  the 
real  advance  and  v/orth  of  the  leading 
southern  industries.  This  exposition  was 
now  open  to  the  public,  and  President 
Roosevelt  and  his  wife  were  invited  to 
attend  the  exhibit.  With  so  much  south- 
ern blood  in  his  veins,  the  President  could 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  259 

not  think  of  refusing,  and  he  and  Mrs. 
Roosevelt  visited  the  exposition  early  in 
April. 

It  was  a  gala  day  at  Charleston,  and  the 
President  and  Mrs.  Roosevelt  were  received 
with  every  honor  due  their  rank,  and  with 
great  personal  consideration.  Governor  Mc- 
Sweeney  of  the  state  was  assisted  by  Gov- 
ernor Aycock,  of  North  Carolina,  in  receiving 
President  Roosevelt. 

A  stirring  patriotic  speech  was  made  by 
the  President  during  his  visit,  and  a  fea- 
ture of  the  trip  was  the  presentation  of  a 
sword  to  Major  Micah  Jenkins  of  the 
Rough  Riders.  A  great  number  of  Presi- 
dent Roosevelt's  former  troopers  were  pres- 
ent, and  all  were  glad,  as  of  old,  to  crowd 
around  and  take  him  by  the  hand. 


260  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

Destruction  of  St.  Pierre  —  American  Aid  —  The 
Great  Coal  Strike  —  President  Roosevelt  ends 
the  Difficulty  —  Tour  through  New  England 
—  The  Trolley  Accident  in  the  Berkshires  — 
A  Providential  Escape  from  Death 

During  the  summer  of  1902  two  mcatters 
of  great  importance  occmTed  in  which  the 
whole  people  of  our  nation  were  deeply 
interested. 

Early  in  May  occurred  tremendous  vol- 
canic eruptions  on  the  islands  of  Martinique 
and  St.  Vincent.  At  the  former  island, 
Mont  Pelee  threw  such  a  rain  of  lire  upon 
the  town  of  St.  Pierre  that  the  entire  place, 
with  about  thirty  thousand  jDCople,  was 
wiped  out  of  existence  in  a  minute.  At 
other  points  the  eruptions  were  not  so  bad, 
yet  hundreds  lost  their  lives,  and  all  of  the 
islands  of  the  Lesser  Antilles  were  thrown 
into  a  state  bordering  upon  panic. 

It  was  felt  that  something  must  be  done, 
and  at  once,  for  the  sufferers,  and  a  large 
fund  for  relief  was  gathered,  of  which  the 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  261 

Americans  contributed  their  full  share. 
The  volcanic  disturbances  contmued  for 
some  time,  and  as  it  was  thought  they 
might  also  cover  certain  portions  of  Central 
America,  nothing  was  done  further  concern- 
ing a  canal  to  unite  the  two  oceans. 

The  other  event  of  importance  was  the 
strilve  of  thousands  upon  thousands  of 
coal-miners,  working  in  Pennsylvania  and 
other  states.  The  miners  did  not  think 
they  were  being  treated  rightly  and  went 
out  in  a  body,  and  for  many  weeks  not  a 
poimd  of  coal  of  any  kind  was  mined.  This 
produced  a  double  hardship,  for  people 
could  get  no  coal  either  for  the  fall  or 
winter,  and  the  miners  were,  in  some  cases, 
reduced  almost  to  the  verge  of  starvation. 
Neither  the  workmen  nor  the  operators  of 
the  mines  would  give  in,  and  soon  there 
was  more  or  less  violence,  and  some  sol- 
diers had  to  be  called  out  in  an  effort  to 
preserve  order. 

As  matters  went  from  bad  to  worse,  and 
it  looked  as  if  the  entire  eastern  section  of 
our  country  would  have  to  go  without  coal 
for  the  winter,  there  were  loud  demands 
that  the  government  take  hold  of  the  dif- 


262  AMERICAN  boys'  LIFE  OF 

ficulty  and  settle  the  matter,  if  not  in  one 
way,  then  in  another. 

At  last,  early  in  October,  the  whole  coun- 
try was  aroused,  for  it  was  felt  that  with 
no  coal  a  winter  of  untold  suffering  stared 
the  people  in  the  face.  President  Roosevelt 
held  a  conference  at  Washington  with  the 
mine  operators  and  the  representatives  of 
the  miners. 

"  We  must  get  together,  gentlemen," 
said  he.  "  The  country  cannot  do  without 
coal,  and  you  must  supply  it  to  us."  And 
he  laid  down  the  law  in  a  manner  not  to 
be  misunderstood. 

Another  conference  followed,  and  then  a 
third,  and  at  last  the  coal  operators  asked 
the  President  to  appoint  a  Commission  to 
decide  upon  the  points  in  dispute.  To  this 
the  representative  of  the  mine  workers 
agreed,  and  as  a  result  a  Commission  was 
appointed  by  President  Roosevelt,  Avhich 
was  to  settle  all  points  in  dispute,  and  by 
its  decision  each  side  was  to  abide.  In 
the  meantime,  while  the  Commission  was 
at  work,  the  mine  workers  were  to  resume 
their  labors.  The  mines  were  thereupon 
once  more  put  in  operation,  after  a  strike 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  263 

lasting  over  five  months.  This  is  the 
greatest  coal  strike  known  in  American 
history,  and  it  is  not  likely  that  the  peojole 
at  large  will  ever  again  permit  themselves 
to  suffer  for  the  want  of  coal  as  they  did 
during  that  fall  and  the  winter  which 
followed. 

Early  in  June  occurred  the  centennial 
celebration  of  the  founding  of  the  United 
States  Military  Academy  at  West  Point. 
The  occasion  was  made  one  of  great  inter- 
est, and  among  the  many  distinguished 
visitors  were  President  Roosevelt  and  Gen- 
eral Miles,  head  of  our  army  at  that  time. 
The  President  reviewed  the  cadets  and 
made  a  speech  to  them,  complimenting 
them  on  their  truly  excellent  showing  as 
soldiers. 

Although  very  busy  with  matters  of 
state,  President  Roosevelt  received  an 
urgent  call  to  deliver  a  Fourth  of  July 
oration  at  Pittsburg.  He  consented,  and 
spoke  to  a  vast  assemblage  on  the  rights 
and  duties  of  American  citizens. 

To  remain  in  Washington  during  the  hot 
summer  months  was  out  of  the  question 
with  President  Roosevelt   and   his   fa  mil  v, 


264  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

and  early  in  the  season  he  removed  to 
Oyster  Bay,  there  to  enjoy  himself  as  best 
he  might  during  the  short  time  allowed 
him  for  recreation. 

That  the  business  of  the  administration 
might  not  be  too  seriously  interrupted,  he 
hired  a  few  rooms  over  a  bank  building  in 
the  village  of  Oyster  Bay,  and  these  were 
fitted  up  for  hmiself  and  his  several  secre- 
taries and  assistants.  To  the  bank  build- 
ing he  rode  or  drove  every  day,  spending 
an  hour  or  more  over  the  routine  work  re- 
quired. By  this  means  undesirable  visitors 
were  kept  away  from  his  private  residence, 
and  he  was  permitted  to  enjoy  himself  as 
he  pleased  in  company  with  his  family. 

While  Mr.  Roosevelt  was  summering  at 
Oyster  Bay,  it  was  arranged  that  he  should 
make  a  short  tour  through  New  England, 
to  last  fi'om  August  22  to  September  3. 
The  trip  covered  every  New  England  State, 
and  was  one  of  great  pleasure  to  the  Presi- 
dent until  the  last  day.  Everywhere  he 
went  he  was  greeted  by  enthusiastic  crowds, 
and,  of  course,  had  to  make  one  of  his 
characteristic  speeches,  accompanied  by  a 
great  deal  of  hand-shaking. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  265 

On  the  last  day  of  the  trip  he  was  at 
Dal  ton,  Massachusetts,  the  home  of  Gov- 
ernor Crane.  It  had  been  planned  to  drive 
from  Dalton  to  Lenox,  a  beautiful  spot, 
adjoining  Lam-el  Lake,  where  are  located 
the  summer  homes  of  many  American 
millionnaires. 

The  trip  was  begun  without  a  thought 
of  what  was  to  follow.  In  the  party,  be- 
sides President  Roosevelt,  w^ere  Governor 
Crane,  Secretary  Cortelyou  (afterward 
made  a  member  of  the  Cabinet),  United 
States  Secret  Service  officer  William  Craig, 
and  the  driver  of  the  carriage.  It  may 
be  mentioned  here  that  William  Craig  was 
detailed  as  a  special  guard  for  the  President, 
and  had  been  with  him  since  the  tour  was 
begun. 

There  are  a  number  of  trolley  lines  in 
this  section  of  Massachusetts,  all  centring 
in  Pittsfield.  As  the  mass  of  the  people 
were  very  anxious  to  see  President  Roose- 
velt, the  trolleys  going  to  the  points  where 
he  would  pass  were  crowded,  and  the  cars 
were  run  with  more  than  usual  speed. 

As  the  carriage  containing  the  President 
and  his  companions  attempted  to  cross  the 


266  AMERICAN  BOYS"   LIFE  OF 

trolley  tracks  a  car  came  bounding  along 
at  a  rapid  rate  of  speed.  There  seemed  to 
be  no  time  in  which  to  stop  the  car,  and  in 
an  instant  the  long  and  heavy  affair  crashed 
into  the  carriage  with  all  force,  hurling  the 
occupants  to  the  street  in  all  directions. 
The  Secret  Service  officer,  William  Craig, 
was  instantly  killed,  and  the  driver  of  the 
carriage  was  seriously  hurt. 

There  was  immediate  and  great  excite- 
ment, and  for  the  time  being  it  was  feared 
that  President  Roosevelt  had  been  seriously 
injured.  He  had  been  struck  a  sharp  blow 
on  the  leg,  and  had  fallen  on  his  face,  cut- 
ting it  not  a  little.  The  shock  was  a  severe 
one,  but  in  a  little  while  he  was  himself  once 
more,  although  his  face  was  much  swollen. 
Later  still  a  small  abscess  formed  on  the  in- 
jured limb,  but  this  was  skilfully  treated  by 
his  physician,  and  soon  disappeared.  The 
others  in  the  carriage  escaped  with  but  a 
few  bruises  and  a  general  shaking-up. 

The  result  of  this  accident,  small  as  it 
was  to  the  President  personally,  showed 
well  how  firmly  he  was  seated  in  the  affec- 
tion of  his  fellow-citizens.  From  all  over 
the  country,  as  well  as  from  his  friends  in 


THEOBOBE  ROOSEVELT  267 

foreign  climes,  telegrams  of  congratula- 
tion came  pouring  in.  Everybody  was 
glad  that  he  had  escaped,  and  everybody 
wished  to  show  how  he  felt  over  the 
affair. 

"President  Roosevelt  was  much  affected 
by  the  messages  received,"  said  one  who 
was  in  a  position  to  know.  "  It  showed 
him  that  his  friends  were  in  every  walk  of 
life,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest.  Had 
he  met  death,  as  did  the  Secret  Service  offi- 
cer detailed  to  guard  over  him,  the  shock  to 
the  people,  coming  so  soon  after  the  assas- 
sination of  President  McKinley,  would  have 
been  tremendous." 

The  President  had  already  been  persuaded 
to  consent  to  a  short  trip  to  the  South,  from 
September  5  to  10,  and  then  a  trip  to  the 
West,  lasting  until  September  19,  or  longer. 
The  trips  came  to  an  end  on  September  23, 
in  Indiana,  because  of  the  abscess  on  the 
lower  limb  already  mentioned,  yet  on  No- 
vember 19  he  was  given  a  grand  reception 
by  the  people  of  Memphis,  Tennessee,  who 
flocked  around  him  and  were  glad  to  see 
him  as  well  as  ever. 

"  We  are  so  glad  you  escaped  from  that 


268  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

trolley  accident ! "  was  heard  a  hundred 
times. 

"  We  can't  afford  to  lose  yon,  Mr.  Presi- 
dent," said  others.  "  Really  good  men  are 
too  scarce."  And  then  a  cheer  would  go 
up  for  "  The  hero  of  San  Juan  Hill !  " 

His  speeches  on  these  trips  were  largely 
about  the  trusts  and  monopolies  that  are 
trying  to  control  various  industries  of  our 
country.  It  is  an  intricate  subject,  3''et  it 
can  be  said  that  Mr.  Roosevelt  understands 
it  as  well  as  any  one,  and  is  laboring  hard 
to  do  what  is  right  and  best,  both  for  the 
consumer  and  the  capitalist. 

Congress  had,  some  time  before,  voted  a 
large  sum  for  the  extension  and  improve- 
ment of  the  White  House,  and  while  Mr. 
Roosevelt  and  his  family  were  at  Oyster 
Bay  these  improvements  were  begun. 
They  continued  dm'ing  the  fall,  and  the 
President  made  his  temporary  home  at  a 
private  residence  in  the  capital  city.  Here 
it  was  he  was  treated  for  his  wounded  limb, 
and  here  he  ended  the  coal  strike,  as  already 
chronicled. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  269 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

New  Offices  at  the  White  House  —  Sends  a 
Wireless  Message  to  King  Edward  of  Eng- 
land —  End  of  the  Trouble  in  Venezuela  — 
The  Canadian  Boundary  Dispute  —  Beginning 
of  a  Trip  to  the  West  —  In  Yellowstone 
Park 

The  end  of  the  year  found  President 
Roosevelt  in  the  best  of  health,  despite 
the  accident  some  weeks  previous.  The 
improvements  at  the  White  House  were 
now  complete,  and  the  family  of  the  Chief 
Magistrate  took  possession.  A  separate  set 
of  offices  for  the  President  and  his  Cabinet 
had  been  built  at  the  western  end  of  the 
executive  mansion,  and  the  rooms  formerly 
used  for  this  purpose  were  turned  into  liv- 
ing apartments.  The  changes  made  have 
been  approved  by  many  who  have  seen 
them,  and  they  have  wondered  why  the 
alterations  were  not  made  a  long  time  ago. 

On  December  1,  Congress  assembled  for  a 
new  session,  and  on  the  day  following  the 
President's  messao;e  was  read.  It  was  a 
masterly  state  paper,  dealing  with  the  trust 


270  AMERICAN  BOYS"  LIFE  OF 

question,  our  relations  with  the  new  gov- 
ernment of  Cuba  (for  the  island  was  now 
free,  just  as  we  had  meant  it  to  be  when 
the  war  with  Spain  started),  the  creation  of 
a  new  department  of  Commerce  and  Labor, 
needs  of  the  army  and  navy,  and  the  all- 
important  matter  of  how  the  Philippines 
should  be  governed.  It  may  be  added  here 
that  not  long  after  this  a  Department  of 
Commerce  and  Labor  was  created  by  Con- 
gress, and  Mr.  George  B.  Cortelyou,  the 
secretary  to  the  President,  became  its  first 
official  head.  When  Mr.  Cortelyou  left  his 
post  as  secretary,  Mr.  William  Loeb,  Jr., 
who  had  been  the  President's  private  sec- 
retary for  some  time,  became  the  regular 
first  secretary  to  the  Chief  Magistrate,  a 
place  he  occupies  to-day. 

Just  about  this  time  there  was  consider- 
able trouble  in  Indianola,  Mississippi.  A 
colored  young  lady  had  been  appointed 
postmistress,  and  the  people  in  that  vicin- 
ity refused  to  recognize  her.  The  Post- 
Office  Department  did  what  it  could  in 
the  matter,  and  then  referred  the  case  to 
the  President. 

"As  she  has  been  regularly  appointed, 


THEODORE  BOOSEVELT 


271 


the  people  will  have  to  accept  her,"  said 
Mr.  Roosevelt.  And  when  there  was  more 
trouble,  he  sent  forward  an  order  that  the 
post-office  be  shut  up  entirely.  This  was 
done,  and  for  a  long  time  the  people  of  that 
vicinity  had  to  get  their  mail  elsewhere,  a 
great  inconvenience  to  them. 

On  January  1, 1903,  the  new  cable  to  the 
Hawaiian  Islands  was  completed,  and  Presi- 
dent Roosevelt  received  a  message  from 
Governor  Dole,  and  sent  a  reply  to  the 
same.  About  two  weeks  later  the  Presi- 
dent sent  a  wireless,  or  rather  cableless, 
message  to  King  Edward  of  England.  This 
helped  to  mark  the  beginning  of  a  new  era 
in  message-sending  which  may  cause  great 
changes  in  the  transmission  of  messages  in 
the  future. 

For  some  time  past  there  had  been  a 
small-sized  war  going  on  in  Venezuela, 
South  America,  between  that  nation  on  one 
hand  and  England,  Germany,  and  Italy  on 
the  other.  This  war  had  caused  much  dis- 
turbance to  American  trade.  Pressure  was 
brought  to  bear  upon  the  several  nations 
through  President  Roosevelt,  and  at  last  it 
was  agreed  to  leave  matters  to  be  settled  by 


272  AMETtlCAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

arbitration  at  The  Hague.  The  agreements 
to  this  end  were  signed  at  Washington, 
much  to  the  President's  satisfaction.  All 
trouble  then  ceased,  and  American  com- 
merce was  resumed  as  before. 

For  many  years  there  had  been  a  dispute 
between  the  United  States  and  Canada, 
regarding  a  certain  boundary  line.  This 
country  claimed  a  long  strip  of  territory 
next  to  the  sea,  near  the  seaports  of  Dyea 
and  Skagway,  and  Canada  claimed  that 
this  strip,  about  thirty  miles  in  width,  be- 
longed to  her  domain. 

There  had  been  endless  disputes  about 
the  claim,  and  considerable  local  trouble, 
especially  during  the  rush  to  the  Klondike 
after  gold. 

Many  Americans  contended  that  we  had 
absolute  right  to  the  territory,  and  when 
arbitration  was  spoken  of,  said  we  had 
nothing  to  arbitrate.  This  was,  in  the 
main.  President  Roosevelt's  view  of  the 
matter,  yet,  as  things  grew  more  disturbed, 
he  realized,  as  a  good  business  man,  that 
something  must  be  done.  We  did  not  wish 
to  fight  Canada  and  England  for  the  strip 
of  land,  and  neither  did  they  wish  to  fight. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  273 

SO  at  last  a  Board  of  Arbitration  was  agreed 
upon,  and  the  claims  of  both  parties  were 
carefully  investigated.  In  the  end  nearly 
every  point  claimed  by  the  United  States 
was  granted  to  us.  It  was  a  great  satisfac- 
tion to  have  this  long-standing  dispute  set- 
tled ;  and  how  much  better  it  was  to  do  it 
by  arbitration  than  by  going  to  war. 

The  regular  session  of  Congress  came  to 
an  end  on  March  4,  1903,  but  President 
Roosevelt  had  already  called  an  extra  ses- 
sion, to  consider  a  bill  for  reciprocity  in  our 
dealing  with  the  new  government  of  Cuba 
and  to  ratify  a  treaty  with  Colombia  con- 
cerning the  Panama  Canal. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  debating  at  this 
session  of  Congress.  The  bill  concerning 
Cuba  caused  but  little  trouble,  but  many 
wanted  the  canal  placed  in  Nicaragua  in- 
stead of  Panama,  and  did  not  wish  to  pay 
the  forty  millions  of  dollars  asked  for  the 
work  already  accomplished  by  the  old  French 
Canal  Company.  But  in  the  end  the  bill 
passed  the  United  States  Senate  by  a  vote 
of  seventy-tlu-ee  to  five,  with  the  proviso 
that  should  we  fail  to  make  a  satisfactory 
arrangement  about  the  Panama  Canal,  then 


274  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

the  government  should  build  the  canal 
through  Nicaragua.  President  Roosevelt 
was  enthusiastic  over  a  canal  at  the  isthmus, 
and  lost  no  time  in  arranging  to  push  the 
work  further. 

The  people  of  the  far  West  were  very 
anxious  to  meet  the  chief  ruler  of  our 
nation,  and  early  in  the  year  it  was  ar- 
ranged that  President  Roosevelt  should 
leave  Washington  on  April  1  for  a  tour 
to  last  until  June.  In  that  time  he  was  to 
visit  more  than  twenty  States,  and  make 
over  one  hundred  stops.  The  people  in 
the  West  awaited  his  coming  with  much 
pleasure. 

The  President  was  justly  entitled  to  this 
outing,  for  the  nation  was  now  at  peace 
with  the  entu^e  world,  and  never  had  busi- 
ness been  so  prosperous.  More  than  this, 
our  affairs  with  other  nations  had  been  so 
handled  that  throughout  the  entire  civilized 
world  no  ruler  was  more  popular  than  was 
Theodore  Roosevelt.  In  England  he  was 
spoken  of  with  the  highest  praise,  and  the 
regards  of  the  Germans  had  already  been 
shown  in  the  visit  of  Prince  Henry  to  this 
country.     He  was  known  to  be  vigorous  to 


THEODORE  EOOSEVELT  275 

the  last  degree,  but  it  was  likewise  realized 
that  he  was  thoroughly  honest  and  straight- 
forward. 

The  first  stop  of  the  President  in  his  trip 
West  was  made  at  Chicago,  where  during 
the  day  he  laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  new 
law  building  of  the  University  of  Chicago, 
which  university  conferred  upon  him  the 
degree  of  LL.D.  (Doctor  of  Laws).  In  the 
evening  he  addressed  an  unusually  large 
crowd  at  the  Auditorium  building,  speaking 
upon  the  Monroe  Doctrine. 

From  Chicago  the  President  journeyed 
to  Milwaukee,  and  then  to  St.  Paul  and 
Minneapolis.  At  the  first-named  city  he 
made  a  forceful  address  on  the  trusts,  giving 
his  hearers  a  clear  idea  of  how  the  great 
corporations  of  to-day  were  brought  into 
existence,  and  what  may  be  done  to  con- 
trol them,  and  in  the  last-named  city  he 
spoke  on  the  ever-important  question  of 
tariff. 

It  was  an  eventful  week,  and  when  Sun- 
day came  the  Chief  Magistrate  was  glad 
enough  to  take  a  day  of  rest  at  Sioux  Falls, 
South  Dakota.  From  there  he  journeyed 
to  Gardiner,  Montana,  one  of  the  entrances 


276  AMERICAN  boys'  LIFE  OF 

to  that  greatest  of   all  American  wonder- 
lands, Yellowstone  Park. 

It  was  understood  that  President  Roose- 
velt wished  to  visit  the  Park  without  a 
great  following  of  the  general  public,  and 
this  wish  was  carried  out  to  the  letter.  Mr. 
Roosevelt  had  with  him  the  well-known 
naturalist,  Mr.  John  Burroughs,  and  for 
about  two  weeks  he  enjoyed  himself  to  his 
heart's  content,  visiting  many  of  the  spots 
of  interest  and  taking  it  easy  whenever  he 
felt  so  disposed.  It  was  not  a  hunting  trip, 
although  big  game  is  plentiful  enough  in  the 
Park.  It  was  just  getting  "  near  to  nature's 
heart,"  and  Mr.  Roosevelt  afterward  de- 
clared it  to  be  one  of  the  best  outings  he 
had  ever  experienced. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  277 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

Dedication  of  the  Fair  Buildings  at  St.  Louis  — 
Continuation  of  the  Trip  to  San  Francisco  — 
Up  in  the  Far  North-West  —  Back  in  Wash- 
ington—  The  Post-office  Scandals  —  The  New 
Republic  of  Panama  —  A  Canal  at  Last  —  Proc- 
lamation regarding  the  War  between  Japan 
AND  Russia — Opening  of  the  Great  Fair 

After  the  refreshing  tour  of  Yellowstone 
Park,  President  Roosevelt  journeyed  across 
Nebraska  to  Omaha,  then  across  Iowa  to 
Keokuk,  and  from  the  latter  city  to  St. 
Louis. 

As  before,  he  delivered  a  number  of  ad- 
dresses, and  wherever  he  spoke  great  crowds 
came  to  see  and  to  hear  him.  In  these 
crowds  were  people  of  all  political  ten- 
dencies, but  it  made  no  difference  if  they 
were  Republicans,  Democrats,  or  Populists, 
all  were  equally  glad  to  greet  the  President 
of  the  United  States  and  the  hero  of  San 
Juan  Hill. 

On  this  trip  he  frequently  met  some  of 
the  Rough  Riders,  and  they  invariably  did 


278  AMERICAN  BOYS    LIFE  OF 

all  in  their  power  to  make  him  feel  at  home. 
On  the  other  hand  he  showed  that  he  had 
not  forgotten  them. 

"  By  George,  I  am  glad  to  see  you  !  "  he 
would  exclaim,  catching  an  old  comrade  by 
the  hand.  And  his  tone  of  voice  would 
show  that  he  meant  just  what  he  said. 

For  a  long  time  the  people  of  St.  Louis 
had  been  preparing  for  a  grand  fair,  to  be 
known  as  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposi- 
tion, to  commemorate  the  purchasing  from 
France  of  all  that  vast  territory  of  the 
United  States  which  lies  between  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  and  the  Rocky  Mountains  and 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  British  America. 
The  purchase  was  made  in  1803  for  fifteen 
millions  of  dollars,  and  it  was  hoped  to  hold 
the  exposition  on  the  one  himdredth  anni- 
versary, in  1903,  but  matters  were  delayed, 
and  so  the  fair  was  postponed  until  1904. 

The  dedication  of  the  fair  buildings  at 
the  Exposition  Grounds  was  held  on  April 
30,  1903,  and  was  made  a  gala  occasion  by 
those  interested.  President  Roosevelt  was 
invited  to  speak,  and  also  Ex-President 
Cleveland,  and  both  made  addresses  of  re- 
markable interest.      Following  the  dedica- 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  279 

tion  exercises  a  grand  banquet  was  given  at 
which  the  scene  of  good-fellowship  was  one 
not  readily  forgotten.  The  President  wished 
the  exposition  well,  and  promised  to  do  all 
in  his  power  to  make  it  a  success. 

Although  the  President  had  already  trav- 
elled many  miles,  the  greater  part  of  his 
western  trip  still  lay  before  him. 

From  St.  Louis  he  went  to  Kansas  City 
and  to  Topeka,  where  the  citizens  were  as 
anxious  to  meet  him  as  anywhere.  He 
stopped  at  Sharon  Springs  over  Sunday, 
and  then  went  to  Denver,  and  to  various 
towns  in  Colorado  and  in  New  Mexico. 
While  in  New  Mexico  he  became  interested 
in  the  systems  of  irrigation  there,  and  told 
the  people  what  they  might  do  if  their  sys- 
tems of  watering  the  ground  were  increased. 

Having  passed  through  the  Grand  Canon, 
the  second  week  in  May  found  him  in  south- 
em  California.  He  visited  Los  Angeles,  re- 
viewing the  annual  floral  parade,  and  many 
other  points,  and  at  Claremont  addressed  a 
great  gathering  of  school  children  in  a  beau- 
tiful park  filled  with  shrubs  and  flowers. 
The  children  were  decidedly  enthusiastic 
over  the  meeting,  and  when  Mr.  Roosevelt 


280  AMERICAN  BOYS'  LIFE  OF 

went  away,  some  pelted  him  with  flowers, 
which  bombardment  he  took  in  good  part. 

President  Roosevelt's  visit  to  Leland  Stan- 
ford Jr.  University  in  California  came  next, 
and  here  the  students  cheered  him  with 
vigor.  He  visited  many  of  the  more  impor- 
tant buildings,  and  was  entertained  by  mem- 
bers of  the  faculty. 

His  face  was  now  set  toward  the  Golden 
Gate,  and  San  Francisco  was  all  alive  to 
give  him  an  ovation.  It  was  his  first  offi- 
cial visit  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  all  whom 
he  met  vied  with  each  other  to  do  him  honor, 
while  they  listened  with  great  attention  to 
what  he  had  to  say. 

Three  days  were  spent  in  San  Francisco 
and  vicinity,  and  three  days  more  in  a  tour 
of  the  Yosemite  Valley.  President  Roose- 
velt was  particularly  anxious  to  see  some  of 
the  big  trees  of  the  State,  and  was  driven  to 
several  that  are  well  known. 

The  steps  of  the  Chief  Magistrate  were 
now  turned  northward,  to  Oregon,  and  a 
week  was  spent  at  Portland,  and  in  the 
towns  and  cities  of  the  Puget  Sound  terri- 
tory, and  beyond.  Here  he  saw  much  that 
was  new  and  novel  in  the  lumber  trade  and 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  281 

in  the  salmon  industry,  and  was  received 
with  a  warmth  that  could  not  be  mistaken. 

"  He  is  a  President  for  the  whole  country, 
no  mistake  about  that,"  said  more  than  one. 

"He  makes  you  feel  he  is  your  friend 
the  minute  you  lay  eyes  on  him,"  would 
put  in  another.  To  many  in  this  far  comer 
of  our  country,  this  visit  of  the  President 
will  ever  remain  as  a  pleasant  memory. 
They  could  never  hope  to  get  to  Washing- 
ton, more  than  three  thousand  miles  away, 
and  to  have  him  come  out  to  see  them  was 
worth  remembering. 

The  journey  eastward  was  made  through 
Montana  to  Salt  Lake  City  and  then  to 
Cheyenne,  where  additional  addresses  were 
delivered.  From  the  latter  point  a  fast  train 
bore  him  homeward,  and  by  the  next  Sun- 
day he  was  back  in  the  White  House  once 
more,  as  fresh  and  hearty  as  ever,  and  well 
prepared  to  undertake  whatever  important 
work  might  come  to  hand. 

And  work  was  there  in  plenty.  Among 
the  first  things  taken  up  })y  the  President 
was  a  scandal  in  the  Post-Office  Department. 
Without  loss  of  time  President  Roosevelt 
ordered  Postmaster  General  Payne  to  make 


282  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

a  thorough  investigation,  with  the  result 
that  many  contracts  which  were  harmful  to 
our  post-office  system  were  annulled,  and 
some  wrong-doers  were  brought  to  justice. 

Toward  the  end  of  July  there  was  con- 
siderable disturbance  in  the  Government 
Printing  Office  at  Washington  because  a 
certain  assistant  foreman,  who  had  been 
discharged,  was  reinstated.  All  of  the 
bookbinders  were  on  the  point  of  striking 
because  they  did  not  want  the  man  returned, 
as  he  did  not  belong  to  their  union.  But 
President  Roosevelt  was  firm  in  the  matter ; 
and  in  the  end  the  man  went  back,  and  there 
was  no  strike.  This  affair  caused  an  almost 
endless  discussion  in  labor  circles,  some 
claiming  that  the  union  should  have  been 
upheld,  while  others  thought  differently. 

During  the  summer,  as  was  his  usual 
habit.  President  Roosevelt,  with  his  family, 
spent  part  of  his  time  at  his  country  home 
at  Oyster  Bay.  This  time  the  visit  to  the 
old  homestead  was  of  unusual  interest,  for, 
on  August  17,  the  North  Atlantic  Fleet  of 
the  navy  visited  that  vicinity,  for  review 
and  inspection  by  the  President. 

It  was  a  gala  occasion,  and  the  fleet  pre- 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  283 

sented  a  handsome  appearance  as  it  filed 
past  and  thundered  out  a  Presidential  sa- 
lute. Many  distinguished  guests  were  pres- 
ent, and  all  without  exception  spoke  of 
the  steady  improvement  in  our  navy  as  a 
whole.  President  Roosevelt  was  equally 
enthusiastic,  and  well  he  might  be,  for  he 
had  used  every  means  in  his  power  to  make 
our  navy  all  it  should  be. 

Late  in  September  President  Roosevelt 
returned  to  Washington,  and  on  October 
15  delivered  the  principal  address  at  the 
unveiling  of  a  statue  of  that  grand  military 
hero.  General  Sherman.  Here  once  more 
he  was  listened  to  with  tremendous  inter- 
est, delivering  a  speech  that  was  patriotic 
to  the  core  and  full  of  inspiration. 

For  some  time  past  matters  in  Colombia 
had  been  in  a  very  mixed-up  condition. 
The  United  States  were  willing  to  take 
hold  of  the  Panama  Canal,  as  already  men- 
tioned, but  although  a  treaty  had  been 
made  to  that  effect,  the  Colombian  govern- 
ment would  not  ratify  the  agreement. 

On  November  3,  the  trouble  in  Colom- 
bia reached  its  culminating  point.  On  that 
day  the  State  of  Panama  declared  itself  free 


284  AMERICAN  HOYS'   LIFE  OF 

and  independent.  The  people  of  that  State 
wanted  the  canal  built  by  the  United  States, 
and  were  very  angry  when  the  rest  of  the 
Colombian  States  would  not  agree  to  the 
treaty  which  had  been  made. 

At  once  there  were  strong  rumors  of  war, 
and  a  few  slight  attacks  were  really  made. 
The  United  States  forbade  the  transportation 
of  soldiers  on  the  Panama  railroad,  and  a 
few  days  later  recognized  Panama  as  an  in- 
dependent republic.  The  new  republic  was 
likewise  recognized  by  France,  and,  later 
still,  by  England.  On  November  9,  Pan- 
ama appointed  a  commission  to  negotiate  a 
canal  treaty  with  our  country,  and  this 
treaty  was  signed  and  sealed  at  Washing- 
ton by  Secretary  of  State  Hay,  acting  for 
the  United  States,  and  M.  Bimau-Varilla, 
acting  for  Panama. 

The  President's  next  message  to  Congress 
went  at  great  length  into  the  question  of 
the  Panama  Canal,  and  in  defence  of  the 
recognition  of  the  new  repu])lic.  It  also  told 
of  what  the  new  Department  of  Commerce 
and  Labor  had  accomplished,  especially  the 
branch  devoted  to  corporations. 

"  We  need  not  be  over-sensitive  about  the 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  285 

welfare  of  corporations  which  shrink  from 
the  hght,"  wrote  Mr.  Roosevelt.  And  in  this 
statement  every  one  who  had  the  best  in- 
terests of  our  nation  at  heart  agreed.  To 
accomplish  great  works  great  corporations 
are  often  necessary,  but  they  must  conduct 
business  in  such  a  fashion  that  they  are  not 
ashamed  to  show  their  methods  to  the  pub- 
lic at  large. 

At  the  opening  of  the  year  1904  there 
were  strong  rumors  of  a  war  between  Japan 
and  Russia,  over  the  occupation  of  Korea, 
and  this  war  started  early  in  February  by 
a  battle  on  the  sea,  wherein  the  Russian 
fleet  lost  several  war-ships.  This  contest 
was  followed  by  others  of  more  or  less  im- 
portance, and  it  looked  as  if,  sooner  or 
later,  other  nations  might  become  involved 
in  the  struggle. 

"  We  must  keep  our  hands  off,"  said 
President  Roosevelt,  and  at  once  issued  a 
proclamation,  calling  on  all  good  citizens 
to  remain  strictly  neutral,  and  warning 
those  who  might  take  part  that  they  could 
hope  for  no  aid  from  the  United  States 
should  they  get  into  trouble  personally  or 
have  any  property  confiscated.      This  proc- 


286  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

lamation  was  followed  by  some  excellent 
work  of  our  State  Department,  whereby  it 
was  agreed  among  the  leading  nations  that 
the  zone  of  fighting  should  be  a  limited  one, 
—  that  is,  that  neither  Japan  nor  Russia 
should  be  allowed  to  carry  it  beyond  a  cer- 
tain defined  territory. 

For  many  weeks  Congress  had  debated 
the  Panama  Canal  treaty  and  the  action 
of  President  Roosevelt  regarding  the  new 
republic  of  Panama.  On  February  23, 1904, 
a  vote  was  taken  in  the  Senate,  and  the 
Panama  Canal  treaty  was  ratified  in  all  par- 
ticulars. Without  delay  some  United  States 
troops  were  despatched  to  Panama,  to  guard 
the  strip  of  land  ten  miles  wide  through 
which  the  canal  is  to  run,  and  preparations 
were  made  to  push  the  work  on  the  water- 
way without  further  delay. 

On  Satiu-day,  April  30,  the  great  World's 
Fair  at  St.  Louis  was  formally  opened  to  the 
public.  It  had  cost  over  fifty  millions  of 
dollars  and  was  designed  to  eclipse  any  fair 
held  in  the  past.  The  opening  was  attended 
by  two  hundred  thousand  visitors,  all  of 
whom  were  more  than  pleased  with  every- 
thing to  be  seen. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  287 

It  had  been  arrang-ed  that  President 
Roosevelt  should  formall}^  open  the  Exposi- 
tion by  means  of  telegraphic  communications 
from  the  White  House  to  the  fair  grounds. 
A  key  of  ivory  and  gold  was  used  for  the 
purpose,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  touched  a 
salute  of  twenty-one  guns  roared  forth  in  the 
Exposition's  honor.  Around  the  President 
were  assembled  the  members  of  his  Cabinet 
and  representatives  of  many  foreign  nations. 
Before  touching  the  key  which  was  to  set  the 
machinery  of  the  wonderful  fair  in  motion, 
President  Roosevelt  spoke  as  follows  :  — 

"  I  have  received  from  the  Exposition 
grounds  the  statement  that  the  management 
of  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  awaits 
the  pressing  of  the  button  which  is  to 
transmit  the  electric  energy  which  is  to 
unfurl  the  flag  and  start  the  machinery 
of  the  Exposition. 

"I  wish  now  to  greet  all  present,  and 
especially  the  representatives  of  the  foreign 
nations  here  represented,  in  the  name 
of  the  American  people,  and  to  thank 
these  representatives  for  the  parts  their 
several  coimtries  have  taken  in  being  repre- 
sented   in   this   centennial   anniversary   of 


288  AMERICAN  boys'  LIFE  OF 

the  greatest  step  in  the  movement  which 
transformed  the  American  Republic  from  a 
small  confederacy  of  States  lying  along  the 
Atlantic  seaboard  into  a  continental  nation. 

"  This  Exposition  is  one  primarily  intended 
to  show  the  progress  in  the  industry,  the 
science,  and  the  art,  not  only  of  the  American 
nation,  but  of  all  other  nations,  in  the  great 
and  wonderful  century  which  has  just  closed. 
Every  department  of  human  activity  will 
be  represented  there,  and  perhaps  I  may  be 
allowed,  as  honorary  president  of  the  athletic 
association  which,  under  European  manage- 
ment, started  to  revive  the  memory  of  the 
Olympic  games,  to  say  that  I  am  glad  that, 
in  addition  to  paying  proper  heed  to  the 
progress  of  industry,  of  science,  of  art,  we 
have  also  paid  proper  heed  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  athletic  pastimes  which  are 
useful  in  themselves  as  showing  that  it  is 
wise  for  nations  to  be  able  to  relax. 

"I  greet  you  all.  I  appreciate  your 
having  come  here  on  this  occasion,  and  in 
the  presence  of  you,  representing  the  Amer- 
ican government  and  the  governments  of 
the  foreign  nations,  I  here  open  the  Louisi- 
ana Exposition." 


THEODORE  BOOSEVELT  289 


CHAPTER  XXX 

Personal  Characteristics  oe  Theodore  Roosevelt 
—  The  President's  Family  —  Life  at  the  White 
House  —  Our  Country  and  its  Future 

In  reading  over  the  foregoing  pages  the 
question  may  occur  to  some  of  my  young 
readers,  How  is  it  possible  for  President 
Roosevelt  to  accomplish  so  much  and  still 
have  time  in  Avhich  to  occasionally  enjoy 
himself  by  travelling  or  by  going  on  a 
hunting  tour  ? 

The  answer  is  a  very  simple  one.  Mr. 
Roosevelt  works  systematically,  as  do  all 
who  want  their  labor  to  amount  to  some- 
thing. Years  ago,  when  he  was  physically 
weak,  he  determined  to  make  himself  strong. 
He  persisted  in  vigorous  exercise,  especially 
in  the  open  air,  and  in  the  end  attained  a 
bodily  health  which  any  ordinary  man  may 
well  envy. 

The  President  does  each  day's  work  as 
it  comes  before  him.  He  does  not  borrow 
trouble  or  cross  a  bridge  before  he  comes 


290  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE   OF 

to  it.  Whatever  there  is  to  do  he  does  to 
the  very  best  of  his  ability,  and  he  allows 
future  complications  to  take  care  of  them- 
selves. If  a  mistake  is  made,  he  does  not 
worry  continually  over  it,  but  keeps  it  in 
mind,  so  that  a  like  mistake  shall  not  occur 
again.  When  once  his  hand  is  on  the 
plough,  he  does  not  believe  in  turning  back. 
He  has  unlimited  faith  in  the  future  of  our 
glorious  country,  and  a  like  faith  in  the 
honor  and  courage  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

Any  man  to  be  an  intelligent  worker 
cannot  be  dissipated,  and  the  President  is 
a  good  illustration  of  this.  He  has  a  good 
appetite,  but  eats  moderately,  and  does  not 
depend  upon  stimulants  or  tobacco  to  "  brace 
him  up "  when  the  work  is  extra  heavy. 
He  goes  out  nearly  every  day  for  a  walk, 
a  ride  on  horseback,  or  a  drive  with  some 
members  of  his  family,  and  as  a  result  of 
this,  when  night  comes,  sleeps  soundly  and 
arises  the  next  morning  as  bright  and  fresh 
as  ever. 

This  is  the  first  time  that  a  President 
with  a  large  family  has  occupied  the  White 
House.  Other  Presidents  have  had  a  few 
children,  but  Mr.  Roosevelt  took  possession 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  291 

with  six,  a  hearty,  romping  crowd,  the 
younger  members  of  which  thought  it  great 
fun  to  explore  the  executive  mansion  when 
first  they  moved  in.  The  President  loves 
his  children  dearly,  and  is  not  above  "  play- 
ing bear  "  with  the  little  ones  when  time 
permits  and  they  want  some  fun. 

Of  Mrs.  Roosevelt  it  can  truthfully  be 
said  that  she  makes  a  splendid  "  first  lady 
in  the  land."  She  takes  a  great  interest  in 
all  social  functions,  and  an  equal  interest  in 
what  is  best  for  her  boys  and  girls  and  their 
friends.  She  is  very  charitable,  and  each 
year  contributes  liberally  to  hundreds  of 
bazaars  and  fairs  held  throughout  our 
country. 

The  oldest  child  of  the  President  is  Miss 
Alice  Lee  Roosevelt,  named  after  her  mother, 
the  first  wife  of  the  Chief  Magistrate.  Al- 
though but  a  step-daughter  to  the  present 
Mrs.  Roosevelt,  the  two  are  as  intimate  and 
loving  as  if  of  the  same  flesh  and  blood. 
Miss  Roosevelt  has  already  made  her  debut 
in  Washington  society,  and  assisted  at  sev- 
eral gatherings  at  the  White  House. 

All  of  the  other  children  were  born  after 
Mr.  Roosevelt's  second  marriage.    His  oldest 


292  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

son  is  Theodore  Roosevelt,  Jr.,  commonly 
called  by  his  chums,  Teddy,  Jr.  He  is  a 
lad  of  sixteen,  bright  and  clever,  and  has 
been  attending  a  college  preparatory  school 
at  Groton,  Massachusetts,  as  already  men- 
tioned. He  loves  outdoor  games,  and  is  said 
to  possess  many  tastes  in  common  with  his 
father. 

The  other  members  of  the  family  are, 
Kermit,  fourteen,  Ethel  Carew,  twelve, 
Archibald  Bullock,  nine,  and  a  lively  little 
boy  named  Quentin,  who  is  six. 

Some  time  ago  a  distinguished  member 
of  the  English  Educational  Commission  vis- 
ited this  country  and  made  an  inspection  of 
our  school  system.  When  asked  what  had 
impressed  him  most  deeply,  he  answered :  — 

"  The  children  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States  sitting  side  by  side  with  the 
children  of  yom'  workingmen  in  the  public 
schools." 

This  simple  little  speech  speaks  volumes 
for  the  good,  hard  common  sense  of  our 
President.  He  believes  thoroughly^  in  our 
public  institutions,  and  knows  the  real 
value  of  sending  out  his  boys  to  fight 
their  own  battles  in  the   world   at   large. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  293 

He  does  not  believe  in  pampering  children, 
but  in  making  them  self-reliant.  All  love 
to  go  out  with  him,  and  when  at  Oyster 
Bay  he  frequently  takes  the  boys  and  their 
cousins  for  a  day's  tramp  through  the  woods 
or  along  the  beach,  or  else  for  a  good  hard 
row  on  the  bay.  The  President  prefers 
rowing  to  sailing,  and  frequently  rows  for 
several  miles  at  a  stretch.  His  enjoyment 
of  bathing  is  as  great  as  ever,  and  his  boys 
love  to  go  into  the  water  with  him. 

Christmas  time  at  the  White  House  is 
just  as  full  of  joy  there  as  it  is  anywhere. 
The  younger  children  hang  up  their  stock- 
ings, and  scream  with  delight  over  every 
new  toy  received.  For  some  days  previous 
to  Christmas  one  of  the  rooms  is  turned  into 
a  storeroom,  and  to  this  only  Mrs.  Roose- 
velt and  one  of  the  maids  hold  the  key. 
Presents  come  in  from  everywhere,  includ- 
ing many  for  the  President,  for  his  friends 
far  and  near  insist  upon  remembering  him. 
These  presents  are  arranged  on  a  large  oval 
table  near  one  of  the  broad  wmdows,  and 
on  Christmas  morning  the  distribution 
begins. 

The  President,  in  his  trips  to  the  woods, 


294  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 

has  seen  the  great  harm  done  by  cutting 
down  promising  evergreens,  so  he  does  not 
believe  very  much  in  having  a  Christmas 
tree.  But  a  year  ago  a  great  sui'prise 
awaited  him. 

"  I'm  going  to  fix  up  a  tree,"  said  little 
Archie,  and  managed  to  smuggle  a  small 
evergreen  into  the  house  and  place  it  in  a 
large  closet  that  was  not  being  used.  Here 
he  and  his  younger  brother  Quentin  worked 
for  several  days  in  arranging  the  tree  just 
to  suit  them.  On  Christmas  morning, 
after  the  presents  were  given  out,  both 
asked  their  father  to  come  to  where  the 
closet  was  located. 

"What  is  up  now?"  asked  Mr.  Roose- 
velt,  curiously. 

"  Come  and  see  !  "  they  shouted.  And  he 
went,  followed  by  all  the  others  of  the 
family.  Then  the  closet  door  was  thrown 
open,  and  there  stood  the  tree,  blazing  with 
lights.  It  was  certainly  a  great  surprise, 
and  Mr.  Roosevelt  enjoyed  it  as  much  as 
anybody. 

The  children  of  Washington,  and  espe- 
cially those  whose  fathers  occupy  public 
positions,  always  look  forward  with  antici- 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  295 

pations  of  great  pleasure  to  the  children's 
parties  given  by  Mrs.  Roosevelt,  and  these 
parties  are  of  equal  interest  to  those  living 
at  the  mansion. 

Such  a  party  was  given  during  the  last 
holidays,  and  was  attended  by  several  hun- 
dred children,  all  of  whom,  of  course,  came 
arrayed  in  their  best.  They  were  received 
by  Mrs.  Roosevelt,  who  had  a  hand-shake 
and  a  kind  word  for  each,  and  then  some 
of  the  Cabinet  ladies,  who  were  assisting, 
gave  to  each  visitor  a  button,  set  in  ribbon 
and  tinsel  and  inscribed  "  Merry  Christmas 
and  Happy  New  Year." 

The  big  main  dining-room  of  the  White 
House  had  been  prepared  for  the  occasion. 
There  was  a  Christmas  tree  at  one  side  of 
the  room,  and  the  table  was  filled  with 
fruit,  cake,  and  candy.  The  President 
came  in  and  helped  to  pass  the  ice-cream 
and  cake,  and  Theodore,  Jr.  and  some  of 
the  others  passed  the  candy  and  other 
good  things. 

After  this  the  visitors  were  asked  to  go 
to  the  East  Room  and  dance.  The  Marine 
Band  furnished  the  music,  and  while  the 
children  were  dancing,  the  President  came 


296  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

in  to  look  at  them.  The  entertainment 
lasted  until  the  end  of  the  afternoon,  and 
when  the  visitors  departed,  President  Roose- 
velt was  at  the  door  to  shake  hands  and  bid 
them  good-by. 

And  here  let  us  bid  good-by  ourselves, 
wishing  Theodore  Roosevelt  and  his  family 
well.  What  the  future  holds  in  store  for 
our  President  no  man  can  tell.  That  he 
richly  deserves  the  honors  that  have  come 
to  him,  is  beyond  question.  He  has  done 
his  best  to  place  and  keep  our  United 
States  in  the  front  rank  of  the  nations  of 
the  world.  Under  him,  as  under  President 
McKinley,  progress  has  been  remarkably 
rapid.  In  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  world 
our  Flag  is  respected  as  it  was  never  re- 
spected before.  Perhaps  some  few  mis- 
takes have  been  made,  but  on  the  whole 
our  advancement  has  been  justified,  and  is 
eminently  satisfactory.  The  future  is  large 
with  possibilities,  and  it  remains  for  the 
generation  I  am  addressing  to  rise  up  and 
embrace  those  opportunities  and  make  the 
most  of  them. 


THEODORE  BOOSEVELT  297 


APPENDIX  A 

BRIEF  EXTRACTS  FROxM  FAMOUS  ADDRESSES 
DELIVERED  BY  THEODORE   ROOSEVELT 

"  If  we  are  to  be  a  really  great  people,  we  must 
strive  in  good  faith  to  play  a  great  part  in  the 
world.  We  cannot  avoid  meeting  great  issues.  All 
that  we  can  determine  for  ourselves  is  whether  we 
shall  meet  them  well  or  ill." 

''  All  honor  must  be  paid  to  the  architects  of  our 
material  prosperity ;  to  the  captains  of  industry 
who  have  built  our  factories  and  our  railroads ;  to 
the  strong  men  who  toil  for  wealth  with  brain  or 
hand ;  for  great  is  the  debt  of  the  nation  to  these 
and  their  kind.  But  our  debt  is  still  greater  to  the 
men  whose  highest  type  is  to  be  found  in  a  states- 
man like  Lincoln,  a  soldier  like  Grant." 

"  A  man's  first  duty  is  to  his  own  home,  but  he 
is  not  thereby  excused  from  doing  his  duty  to  the 
state ;  for  if  he  fails  in  this  second  duty  it  is  under 
the  penalty  of  ceasing  to  be  a  freeman." 

—  Extracts  from  "  The  Strenuous  Life.'''' 

"  Is  America  a  weakling  to  shrink  from  the  work 
that  must  be  done  by  the  world's  powers  ?  No ! 
The  young  giant  of  the  West  stands  on  a  continent 
and  clasps  the  crest  of  an  ocean  in  either  hand. 
Our  nation,  glorious  in  youth  and  strength,  looks 


298  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

into  the  future  with  eager  and  fearless  eyes,  and 
rejoices,  as  a  strong  man  to  run  the  race." 

—  Extract  from  Speech  seconding  the  Nomination  of 
William  McKinley  for  President. 

"Poverty  is  a  bitter  thing,  bnt  it  is  not  as  bitter 
as  the  existence  of  restless  vacuity  and  physical, 
moral,  and  intellectual  flabbiness  to  which  those 
doom  themselves  who  elect  to  spend  all  their  years 
in  that  vainest  of  all  vain  pursuits,  the  pursuit  of 
mere  pleasure." 

"  Our  interests  are  at  bottom  common ;  in  the 
long  run  we  go  up  or  go  down  together." 

"  The  first  essential  of  civilization  is  law.  Anar- 
chy is  simply  the  hand-maiden  and  forerunner  of 
tyranny  and  despotism.  Law  and  order,  enforced 
by  justice  and  by  strength,  lie  at  the  foundation  of 
civilization." 

—  Extracts  from  a  Speech  delivered  at  Minneapolis, 
Minnesota,  September  2,  1901. 

"  We  hold  work,  not  as  a  curse,  but  as  a  blessing, 
and  we  regard  the  idler  with  scornful  pity." 

"  Each  man  must  choose,  so  far  as  the  conditions 
allow  him,  the  path  to  which  he  is  bidden  by  his 
own  peculiar  powers  and  inclinations.  But  if  he  is 
a  man,  he  must  in  some  way  or  shape  do  a  man's 
work." 

"  It  is  not  given  to  us  all  to  succeed,  but  it  is 
given  to  us  all  to  strive  manfully  to  deserve  success." 

"We  cannot  retain  the  full  measure  of  our  self- 
respect  if  we  do  not  retain  pride  in  our  citizenship." 

—  Extracts  from  an  Address  on  '^Manhood  and  State- 
hood.''^ 


THEODOIiE  ROOSEVELT  299 

"The  true  welfare  of  the  nation  is  indissolubly 
bound  up  in  the  welfare  of  the  farmer  and  wage- 
worker  ;  of  the  man  who  tills  the  soil,  and  of  the 
mechanic,  the  handicraftsman,  and  the  laborer. 
The  poorest  motto  upon  which  an  American  can  act 
is  the  motto  of  '  some  men  down,'  and  the  safest  to 
follow  is  that  of  '  all  men  up.' " 

—  Extract  from  Speech  delivered  at  the  Dedication  of  the 
Pan-American  Fair  Buildings. 

"  The  men  we  need  are  the  men  of  strong,  ear- 
nest, solid  character  —  the  men  who  possess  the 
homely  virtues,  and  who  to  these  virtues  add  rug- 
ged courage,  rugged  honesty,  and  high  resolve." 

—  Extract  from  Speech  delivered  upon  the  Life  of  General 
Grant. 


300  AMERICAN  BOYS'   LIFE  OF 


APPENDIX  B 

LIST  OF  THEODORE  ROOSEVELT'S  WRITINGS 
Books : 

The  Naval  War  of  1812,  2  volumes.     (1882.) 
The  Winning  of  the  West,  6  volumes.    (1889- 

1896.) 
Hunting  Trips  of  a  Eanchman.     (1885.) 
Hunting   Trips  on  the   Prairie.     (Companion 

volume  to  that  above.     1885.) 
The  Wilderness  Hunter.     (1893.) 
Hunting  the  Grisly.     (Companion  volume   to 

that  above.     1893.) 
The  Eough  Pdders.     (1899.) 
Life  of  Oliver  Cromwell.     (1900.) 
The  Strenuous  Life  —  Essays  and  Addresses. 

(1900.) 
American  Ideals.     (1897.) 
Administration  —  Civil  Service.     (1898.) 
Life  of  Thomas  Hart  Benton.     (1887.) 
New  York.     (Historic  Towns  Series.     1891.) 
Life  of  Gouverneur  Morris.     (1888.) 
Kanch  Life  and  the  Hunting  Trail.     (1888.) 
Essays  on  Practical  Politics.     (1888.) 

Written    by    Theodore    Eoosevelt    and    Henry 
Cabot  Lodge : 
Hero  Tales  from  American  History.     (1895.) 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  30l 

Written    by    Theodore    Eoosevelt    and    G.    B. 
Grinnell : 
Trail  and  Camp  Fire.     (1896.) 
Hunting  in  Many  Lands.     (1896.) 

Principal  Magazine  Articles : 

Admiral  Dewey.     (McClure's  Magazine.) 
Military   Preparedness    and    Unpreparedness. 

(Century  Magazine.) 
Mad  Anthony   Wayne's   Victory.      (Harper's 

Magazine.) 
St.  Clair's  Defeat.     (Harper's  Magazine.) 
Fights  between  Iron  Clads.     (Century  Maga- 
zine.) 
Need  of  a  New  Navy.     (Keview  of  Keviews.) 


302  AMERICAN  BOYS'  LIFE  OF 


APPENDIX  C 

CHRONOLOGY  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  THEODORE 
ROOSEVELT  FROM  1858   TO   1904 

1858.  October  27.  Theodore  Roosevelt  born  in 
New  York  City,  son  of  Theodore  Roose- 
velt and  Martha  (Bullock)  Roosevelt. 

1864.  Sent  to  public  school,  and  also  received  some 
private  instruction ;  spent  summers  at 
Oyster  Bay,  New  York. 

1873.  Became  a  member  of  the  Dutch  Reformed 
Church ;  has  been  a  member  ever  since. 

1876.  September.  Entered  Harvard  College. 
Member  of  numerous  clubs  and  societies. 

1878.  February  9.  Death  of  Theodore  Roose- 
velt, Sr. 

1880.  June.     Graduated   from  Harvard  College; 

a  Phi  Beta  Kappa  man. 
September  23.     Married  Miss  Alice  Lee,  of 

Boston,  Massachusetts. 
Travelled  extensively  in  Europe ;    climbed 

the  Alps ;  made  a  member  of  the  Alpine 

Club  of  London. 

1881.  Elected  a  member  of  the  New  York  Assembly, 

and  served  for  three  terms  in  succession. 
1884.     Birth  of  daughter,  Alice  Lee  Roosevelt. 

Death  of   Mrs.  Alice  (Lee)  Roosevelt,  Mr. 
Roosevelt's  first  wife. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  303 

Death  of  Mrs.  Martha  (Bullock)  Eoosevelt, 
Mr.  Roosevelt's  mother. 

Made  Delegate-at-large  to  the  Eepublican 
National  Conveutiou  that  nominated 
James  G.  Blaine  for  President. 

1885.  Became  a  ranchman  and  hunter. 

1886.  Ran    for    office   of    mayor    of    New   York 

City,     and     was     defeated     by     Abram 

Hewitt. 
Spent  additional  time  in  hunting. 
December  2.     Married  Edith  Kermit  Carew, 

of  jSTew  York  City. 

1888.  Birth  of  son,  Theodore  Roosevelt,  Jr. 
September.      Grand    hunt    in    the    Selkirk 

Mountains. 

1889.  May.     Appointed  by  President  Harrison  a 

member  of  the  Civil  Service  Commission  ; 
served  for  six  years,  four  under  President 
Harrison  and  two  under  President  Cleve- 
land. 

1890.  Birth  of  son,  Kermit  Roosevelt. 

1891.  September.       Grand    hunt    at    Two-Ocean 

Pass,  Wyoming. 

1892.  Birth  of  daughter,  Ethel  Carew  Roosevelt. 
1895.     ]\ray  24.     Appointed  Police  Commissioner 

of  New   York   City   by   Mayor  William 
Strong.     Served  until  April,  1897. 
Birth  of  son,  Archibald  Bullock  Roosevelt. 

1897.  April.     Made  First  Assistant  Secretary  of 

the    Navy,   under    Secretary    Long    and 
President  McKinley, 
Birth  of  son,  Quentin  Roosevelt. 

1898.  April    25.      Congress    declared    war    with 


304  AMERICAN  boys'  LIFE  OF 

Spain,     Eoosevelt   resigned   his   position 

in  tlie  Navy  Department. 
May.     Helped  to  organize  the  Rough  Riders, 

and   was    appointed    Lieutenant-Colonel, 

May  6. 
May  29.     The  Rough  Riders  left  San  Anto- 
nio, Texas,  for  Tampa,  Florida. 
June  2.     In  camp  at  Tampa. 
June  7.     Move  by  coal  cars  to  Port  Tampa; 

four  companies  left  behind;  board  trans- 
port Yucatan. 
June  13.     Start  for  Cuba,  without  horses. 
June  22.     Landing  of  the  Rough  Riders  at 

Daiquiri. 
June  23.     March  to  Siboney. 
June  24.    Advance  to   La    Guasima  (Las 

Guasimas).     First  fight  with  the  Spanish 

troops. 
July  1.     Battles  of  San  Juan  and  El  Caney. 

Roosevelt  leads  the  Rough  Riders  up  San 

Juan  Hill. 
July  2.     Fighting  in  the  trenches  by  the 

Rough  Riders,  Roosevelt  in  command. 
July  3.     Sinking  of  the  Spanish  fleet  off 

Santiago  Bay. 
July  8.     Roosevelt  made    Colonel    of   the 

Rough  Riders. 
August  7.     Departure  of  the  Rough  Riders 

from  Cuba. 
August   9.     Spain  accepts  terms  of  peace 

offered  by  the  United  States. 
August  16.     Arrival  of  the  Rough  Riders 

at  Montauk,  Long  Island. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  305 

September  15.  Mustering  out  of  the  Eough 
Riders. 

September  27.  Nominated  by  the  Republi- 
can party  for  governor  of  New  York. 

October.  Grand  campaigning  tour  through 
the  Empire  State. 

November.  Elected  governor  of  New  York 
by  seventeen  thousand  plurality. 

1899.  January  1.     Assumed  olfice  as  governor  of 

New  York. 

April  10.  Delivered  famous  address  on 
''  The  Strenuous  Life,"  at  Chicago. 

September  29  and  30.  Governor  appointed 
these  days  as  holidays  in  honor  of  a  re- 
ception to  Admiral  Dewey;  grand  water 
and  land  processions. 

1900.  June   19.     Republican  Convention  met   at 

Philadelphia;  Roosevelt  seconded  the 
nomination  of  McKinley  for  President 
(second  term),  and  was  nominated  for  the 
Vice-Presidency. 

July,  August,  and  September.  Governor 
Roosevelt  travelled  20,000  miles,  deliver- 
ing 673  political  speeches  at  nearly  600 
cities  and  towns. 

November  6.  McKinley  and  Roosevelt  car- 
ried 28  states,  Democratic  opponents  car- 
ried 17  states;  Republican  electoral  votes, 
292,  Democratic  and  scattering  combined, 
155. 

December.  Presided  over  one  short  session 
of  the  United  States  Senate, 

1901.  January  11.     Started  on  a  five  weeks'  hunt- 


306  AMERICAN  BOYH,'   LIFE  OF 

ing  tour  in  Xorthwest  Colorado;  bringing 
down  many  cougars. 

April.  Attended  the  dedication  of  the 
Pan-American  Exposition  buildings  at 
Buffalo,  New  York,  and  delivered  an 
address. 

September  6.  Eeceived  word,  while  at  Isle  la 
Motte,  Vermont,  that  President  McKinley 
had  been  shot;  hurried  at  once  to  Buffalo; 
assured  that  the  President  would  recover, 
joined  his  family  in  the  Adirondacks. 

September  14.  Death  of  President  McKinley. 
Roosevelt  returned  to  Buffalo;  took  the 
oath  of  office  as  President  of  the  United 
States  at  the  house  of  Ansley  Wilcox; 
retained  the  IVIcKinley  Cabinet. 

September  15  to  19.  Puneral  of  President 
McKinley,  at  Buffalo,  Washington,  and 
Canton,  Ohio.  President  Roosevelt  at- 
tended. 

September  20.  First  regular  working  day 
of  President  Roosevelt  at  the  White 
House. 

December  3.  First  annual  message  delivered 
to  Congress. 

December  4.  Senate  received  Hay-Paunce- 
fote  canal  treaty  from  the  President. 

December  17.  First  break  in  the  McKinley 
Cabinet.  Postmaster  General  Smith  re- 
signed; was  succeeded  by  H.  C.  Payne. 
1902.  January  3.  Grand  ball  at  the  White  House, 
Miss  Alice  Roosevelt  formally  presented 
to  Washington  society. 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  307 

January  6.  Secretary  Gage  of  the  Treasury 
resigned ;  was  succeeded  by  Ex-Governor 
Leslie  M.  Shaw,  of  Iowa. 

January  20.  The  President  transmitted  to 
Congress  report  of  Canal  Commission, 
recommending  buying  of  rights  for 
^40,000,000. 

February  10.  Serious  sickness  of  Theo- 
dore Roosevelt,  Jr.  President  in  attend- 
ance at  Groton,  Massachusetts,  several 
days. 

February  24.  Recej^tion  to  Prince  Henry 
of  Prussia. 

February  25.  Launching  of  German  Em- 
peror's yacht,  Avhich  was  christened  by 
Miss  Alice  Roosevelt. 

March  7.  President  signed  a  bill  creating  a 
permanent  pension  bureau. 

May  12.  Beginning  of  the  great  coal  strike ; 
largest  in  the  history  of  the  United 
States. 

May  21.  President  unveiled  a  monument 
at  Arlington  Cemetery,  erected  in  memory 
of  those  who  fell  in  the  Spanish-American 
War. 

June  9.  President  reviewed  West  Point 
cadets  at  the  centennial  celebration  of 
that  institution. 

July  4.  Addressed  a  great  gathering  at 
Pittsburg. 

July  5.  Removed  his  business  offices  to 
Oyster  Bay  for  the  summer. 

August  11.     Retirement  of  Justice   Gray 


308  AMERICAN  BOYS'  LIFE  OF 

of  the  Supreme  Court;  the  President 
named  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  as  liis 
successor. 

August  22.  The  President  began  a  twelve 
days'  tour  of  New  England. 

September  3.  Narrow  escape  from  death 
near  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts.  Trolley 
car  ran  down  carriage,  killing  Secret 
Service  attendant. 

September  6  and  7.  President  visited 
Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  and  delivered 
addresses. 

October  3.  President  called  conference  at 
Washington  concerning  coal  strike. 

October  21.  As  a  result  of  several  meet- 
ings between  the  President,  the  mine 
operators,  and  the  mine  workers  the 
miners  resumed  work,  and  a  commission 
was  appointed  by  the  President  to  adjust 
matters  in  dispute. 

November  19.  Grand  reception  to  tbe  Presi- 
dent at  Memphis,  Tennessee. 

December  2.     President's  message  to  Con- 
gress was  read  by  both  branches. 
1903.     January  15.     President  signed  the  free  coal 
bill  passed  by  Congress. 

January  21.  President  signed  the  bill  for 
the  reorganization  of  the  military  system. 

March  5.  Special  session  of  Congress  called 
by  the  President  to  consider  Cuban  reci- 
procity bill  and  Panama  Canal  treaty  with 
Colombia. 

March  12.     President  appointed  a  Commis- 


THEODORE  ROOSEVELT  309 

sion  to  report  on  organization,  needs,  and 
conditions  of  government  work. 

March  18.  President  received  report  of 
Coal  Commission. 

April  2.  President  received  degree  of  LL.D. 
from  the  University  of  Chicago.  Begin- 
ning of  long  trip  to  the  west. 

April  4.  President  addressed  Minnesota 
legislature  at  St.  Paul. 

April  30.  President  delivered  address  at 
dedication  of  buildings  of  the  Louisiana 
Purchase  Exposition,  at  St.  Louis. 

June  6.  President  ordered  an  investigation 
into  the  Post-office  Department  scandals. 

July  4.  First  message  around  the  world, 
via  new  Pacific  cable,  received  by  Presi- 
dent at  Oyster  Bay. 

July  23.  The  President  refused  to  consider 
charges  made  by  a  bookbinders'  union 
against  a  workman  in  the  Government 
Printing  Office,  thereby  declaring  for  an 
"open"  shop. 

August  17.  Grand  naval  review  by  the 
President,  on  Long  Island  Sound,  near 
Oyster  Bay. 

September  17.  President  delivered  an  ad- 
dress at  the  dedication  of  a  monument  to 
New  Jersey  soldiers,  on  the  battle-field  of 
Antietam. 

October  15.  President  delivered  an  address 
at  unveiling  of  statue  to  General  Sher- 
man, at  Washington. 

October  20.     President  called  extra  session 


310  AMERICAN  boys'   LIFE  OF 

of    Congress    to   consider    a   commercial 
treaty  with  Cuba. 

November  3.  Panama  proclaimed  inde- 
pendent of  Colombia. 

November  6.  The  United  States  govern- 
ment formally  recognized  the  indepen- 
dence of  the  state  of  Panama. 

November  10.  Opening  of  extra  session  of 
Congress  called  by  President  to  consider 
commercial  treaty  with  Cuba. 

November  18.  A  new  canal  treaty  was 
formally  signed  at  Washington  by  Secre- 
tary Hay,  of  the  United  States,  and  M. 
Bunau-Varilla,  acting  for  Panama. 

December  2.  The  canal  treaty  was  ratified 
at  Panama. 

December  7.  The  President  sent  regular 
message  to  Congress  especially  defending 
the  administration  policy  regarding  Pan- 
ama and  the  canal. 
1904.  January  4.  The  President  sent  a  special 
message  to  Congress  regarding  the  rec- 
ognition of  the  new  republic  of  Panama, 
This  was  followed  for  weeks  by  debates, 
for  and  against  the  action  of  the  adminis- 
tration. 

February.  War  broke  out  between  Japan 
and  Russia;  the  President  issued  a  proc- 
lamation declaring  the  neutrality  of  the 
United  States. 

February  22.  The  President  and  family 
assisted  at  a  Washington's  Birthday  tree- 
planting  at  the  White  House  grounds. 


THEODORE  BOOSEVELT  311 

February  23.  The  United  States  ratified 
all  the  provisions  of  the  Panama  Canal 
treaty;  preparations  were  made,  under 
the  directions  of  the  President,  to  begin 
work  without  delay. 

April  30.  President,  at  Washington,  de- 
livered address  and  pressed  telegraphic 
key  opening  World's  Fair  at  St.  Louis. 


Americd^n  Boys'  Life 
Of  William  McKinley 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER     300  pages     Il- 
lustrated by  A.  B.  Shute^  and  from  photographs     $1.25 


the 


TJERE    is    told 

whole  story  of 
McKinlcy's  boyhood 
days,  his  life  at  school 
and  at  college,  his  work 
as  a  school  teacher,  his 
glorious  career  in  the 
army,  his  struggles  to 
obtain  a  footing  as  a 
lawyer,  his  efforts  as 
a  Congressman,  and 
lastly  h  i  s  prosperous 
career  as  our  President. 
There  are  many  side 
lights  on  the  work  at 
the  White  House  during  the  war  with  Spain,  and  in 
China,  all  told  in  a  style  particularly  adapted  to  boys 
and  young  men.  The  book  is  full  of  interesting  anec- 
dotes, all  taken  from  life,  showing  fully  the  sincere, 
honest,  painstaking  efforts  of  a  life  cut  all  too  short. 
The  volume  will  prove  an  inspiration  to  all  boys  and 
young  men,  and  should  be  in  every  one's  library. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid,  on  receipt 
of  price,  by  the  publishers. 

LEE    AND    SHEPARD 

BOSTON 


THE  FAMOUS  "OLD  GLORY  SERIES' 

By   EDWARD   STRATEMEYER 

Author  of  "  The  Bound  to  Succeed  Series,"  "  7 he  Ship  and  Shore 
Series,-^  "  Colonial  Series^'''  ^^Pan-American  Series,"  etc. 

Six  volttmcs      Qoth      Illustrated       Price  per  volume  $J^ 

UNDER  DEWEY  AT  MANILA 

Or  The  War  Fortunes  of  a  Castaway 

A  YOUNG  VOLUNTEER  IN  CUBA 
Or  Fighting  for  the  Single  Star 

FIGHTING  IN  CUBAN  WATERS 

Or  Under  Schley  on  the  Brooklyn 

UNDER  OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 
Or  A  Young  Officer  in  the  Tropics 

THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  THE  JUNGLE 
Or  Under  Lawton  through  Lu^on 

UNDER  MACARTHUR  IN  LUZON 
Or  Last  Battles  in  the  Philippines 

"A  boy  once  addicted  to  Stratemeyer  stays  by  him." — •  The  Living 
Church. 


the  '  Old  Glory  Series.'  " —  The   Christian  Ad- 
John  Terhune,  Supt.  of  Pub- 


"The  boys'  delight 
vacate.,  New  York. 

"  Stratemeyer's  style  suits  the  boys."  - 
lie  Instruction,  Bergen  Co.,  New  Jersey 

**  Mr.  Stratemeyer  is  in  a  class  by  himself  when  it  comes  to  writing 
about  American  heroes,  their  brilliant  doings  on  land  and  sea." —  Times, 
Boston. 

"  Mr.  Stratemeyer  has  written  a  series  of  books  which,  while  histori- 
cally correct  and  embodying  the  most  important  features  of  the  Spanish- 
American  War  and  the  rebellion  of  the  Filipinos,  ar>.  sufficiently  inter- 
woven with  fiction  to  render  them  most  entertaining  to  young  readers,""' 
—  The  Call.,  San  Francisco. 


For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price  by 

LEE    AND    SHEPARD,     Publishers, 

BOSTON 


THE  COLONIAL  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

Author  of  "  Pan-A)nerican  Series"  "  Old  Glory  Series,""  "  Great 

American    Industries  Series,"    '■'■American    Boys'' 

Biographical  Series,'^  etc. 


Four  volumes      Cloth      Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shutc 
Price  per  volume,  $1.25 


WITH  WASHINGTON  IN  THE  WEST 
Of  A  Soldier  Boy's  Battles  in  the  Wilderness 

MARCHING  ON  NIAGARA 
Or  The  Soldier  Boys  of  the  Old  Frontier 

AT  THE  FALL  OF  MONTREAL 
Or  A  Soldier  Boy's  Final  Victory 

ON  THE  TRAIL  OF  PONTIAC 
Or  The  Pioneer  Boys  of  the  Ohio 


"  Mr.  Stratemeyer  has  put  his  best  work  into  the  '  Colonial 
Series.'  "  —  Christian  Register^  Boston. 

"A  series  that  doesn't  fall  so  very  far  short  of  being  histoiy 
itself."  —  Boston  Courier. 

"  The  tales  of  war  are  incidental  to  the  dramatic  adventures  of 
two  boys,  so  well  told  that  the  historical  facts  are  all  the  better 
remembered."  —  Boston  Globe. 

"Edward  Stratemeyer  has  in  many  volumes  shown  Iiimself 
master  of  the  ^rt  of  producing  historic  studies  in  the  pleasing 
story  form." —  Minneapolis  Journal. 

"  The  author,  Edward  Stratemeyer,  has  used  his  usual  care  in 
matters  of  historical  detail  and  accuracy,  and  gives  a  splendid 
picture  of  the  times  in  general." — Milwaukee  Sentinel. 

"Told  by  one  who  knows  how  to  write  so  as  to  interest  boys, 
while  still  having  a  care  as  to  accuracy.  —  Commercial  Advertiser, 
New  York. 

For  sale  hy  all  hooliselUn:,  or  sent,  postpaid,  on  reci-ipt  of  price  by 

LEE    AND    SHEPARD.    Publishers 


BOSTON 


TWO  GOOD  WAR  STORIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

ON  TO  PEKIN,  Or  Old  Glory  in  China 

Cloth    330  pages    Illustrated  by  A.  Burnham  Shute    $1.25 

THE  hero,  Gilbert  Pennington, 
has  become  a  lieutenant  in  the 
regular  army,  and  goes  from  the 
Philippines  with  the  Ninth  Regiment 
to  take  part  in  the  rescue  of  the  be- 
leaguered British  Embassy  at  Pekin 
by  the  international  forces.  Mr. 
Stratemeyer  has  risen  to  the  occasion 
by  giving,  in  addition  to  one  of  his 
very  best  stories,  a  store  of  informa- 
tion concerning  China  and  the  Chi- 
nese, conveyed  in  a  natural  and 
entertaining  manner. 

Mr.  Stratemeyer  gives  his  youthful  readers  plenty  of  adventures,  but 
there  is  little  that  might  not  easily  happen.  His  books  are  eminently 
"safe"  ones,  and  their  patriotic  spirit^will  be  considered  admirable. — 
Home  yournal^  Boston. 

BETWEEN  BOER  AND  BRITON 

Or  Two  Boys'  Adventures  in  South  Africa 

Illustrated  by  A.  Burnham  Shute    354  pages    Price  $1.25 

RELATES  the  experiences  of  two  boys,  cousins  to  each 
other,  one  American  and  the  other  English,  whose 
fathers  are  engaged  in  the  Transvaal,  one  in  farming  and 
the  other  in  mining  operations.  While  the  two  boys  are 
off  on  a  hunting  trip  after  big  game,  the  war  between  the 
Boers  and  Britons  suddenly  breaks  out,  and  the  boys  find 
theiBselves  placed  between  hostile  armies,  where  their 
thrilling  experiences  are  brought  out  in  Mr.  Stratemeyer's 
best  style. 

Exhibits  the  same  qualities  which  have  given  popularity  to  his  former 
writings. —  'JVitr  Times,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

A  stirring  story  of  the  South  African  war. —  The  Journal,  Indianap- 
olis, Ind. 

The  kind  of  story  to  please  boys  and  give  them  a  fair  idea  of  a  great 
historical  event.  —  St.  Louis  Post- Despatch. 


Great  American  Industries  Series 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 


VOLUME  ONE 

TWO  YOUNG  LUMBERMEN 

Or  From  Maine  to  Oregon  for  Fortune 

320  pages    Cloth    Illustrated    Price  $1.00  net 

A  SPLENDID  new  story,  undoubt- 
edly the  best  Mr.  Stratemeyer  has 
yet  penned.  It  covers  the  whole  of  the  [j 
great  lumber  industry  of  our  country, 
the  scene  shifting  from  Maine  to  Mich- 
igan and  the  Great  Lakes,  and  then  to 
the  Columbia  and  the  Great  Northwest. 
The  heroes  are  two  sturdy  youths  who 
have  been  brought  up  among  the  lum- 
bermen of  their  native  State,  and  who 
strike  out  in  an  honest  endeavor  to  bet- 
ter their  condition.  As  mill  hands, 
fellers,  log  drivers,  and  general  camp 
workers  they  have  a  variety  of  adventures,  absorbing  in 
the  extreme.  An  ideal  volume  for  the  library  of  every 
wide-awake  American  who  wishes  to  know  what  our 
great  lumber  industry  is  to-day. 

Boys  are  acquiring  the  Stratemeyer  habit.  —  Pos(,  Chicago. 

Mr.  Stratemeyer's  books  are  not  only  entertaining  but  instructive — . 
Daily  Press^  Portland,  Me. 

He  knows  how  to  attract  and  hold  boy  readers.  —  Evening  Stand- 
ard, New  Bedford,  Mass. 

The  demands  of  boy  readers  are  peculiar,  and  the  author  who  can  sat- 
isfy them,  not  once  or  twice,  but  uniformly,  must  possess  rare  ability  in 
an  extremely  difficult  field.  Such  an  author  is  Edward  Stratemeyer.  — 
Sunday  News,  Newark,  N.jf. 


PAN-AMERICAN  SERIES 

By  EDWARD    STRATEMEYER 


VOLUME  ONE 

LOST  ON  THE  ORINOCO 

Or  American  Boys  in  Venezuela. 

I2mo    Cloth     Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

THIS  volume  tells  of  five  American  youths,  who,  with 
their  tutor,  sail  from  New  York  to  La  Guayra, 
touching  at  Cura9ao  on  the  way.  They  visit  Caracas,  the 
capital,  Macuto,  the  fashionable  seaside  resort,  go  west- 
ward to  the  Gulf  of  Maracaibo  and  lake  of  the  same  name, 
and  at  last  find  themselves  in  the  region  of  the  mighty 
Orinoco,  and  of  course  they  have  some  exciting  expe- 
riences, one  of  which  gives  name  to  the  book.  Just  the 
book  boys  and  young  men  should  read,  in  view  of  the 
general  interest  in  matters  Pan-American. 

Its  pictures  of  South  American  life  and  scenery  are  novel  and  instruc- 
tive.—  The  Literary  Worhi^  Boston. 

The  scenes  described  are  of  the  sort  to  charm  the  hearts  of  adventur- 
ous boys. —  The  Outlook,  N.  Y. 

VOLUME  TWO 

THE  YOUNG   VOLCANO  EXPLORERS 

Or  American  Boys  in  the  West  Indies 

12mo    Cloth     Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

THIS  is  a  complete  tale  in  itself,  but  has  the  same 
characters  which  have  appeared  so  successfully  in 
"  Lost  on  the  Orinoco."  The  boys,  with  their  tutor,  sail 
from  Venezuela  to  the  West  Indies,  stopping  at  Jamaica, 
Cuba,  Hayti,  and  Porto  Rico.  They  have  numerous  ad- 
ventures on  the  way,  and  then  set  out  for  St.  Pierre,  Mar- 
tinique, where  they  encounter  the  effects  of  the  eruption 
of  Mt.  Pelee,  and  two  of  the  boys  are  left  on  a  raft  to  shift 
for  themselves.  Life  in  the  West  Indies  is  well  portrayed, 
and  the  tale  will  appeal  to  many  an  older  person  as  well 
as  to  the  boys.