Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-16
THEODORE ROOsEvELT'S BOOK.
The Civil Service Commissioner Has Just
Published History of New York.
TSneoial CorrasnoDdance

The Civil Service Commissioner Has Just
Published History of New York.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, March The mental activ-
ity of Mr.. Theodore Roosevelt surprises
even those intimate friends who know well
his enthusiastic disposition and the varie-
ty of occupations which make demands
upon his time. Mr.. Roosevelt's name is
familiar to the American public as one of
the board of civil service commissioners.
In New York state he is perhaps better
known as the most audacious and success
full young legislator who ever served in the
assembly at Albany, while in New York
city his remarkable canvass for mayor, in
which Henry George and Abram S. Hewitt
were opposing candidates, made him per-
haps more conspicuous politically than any
of the other things he has done which have
brought him rcpute. But outside of the
political circle with which he has been
identified Mr.. Roosevelt has done other
things of merit. AS an enthusiastic sports
man and professional farmer he is cult
waited by gentlemen of such tastes, and his
great ranch in the northwest is frequently
visited by men who are sportsmen, and
yet of intellectual gifts and cultivated
lives.
Outside of this circle Mr. Roosevelt has
won another reputation, which is perhaps
the one most agreeable to him. He has &C
quired fame as writer of books, and his
latest work has just been issued All of
these pursuits are engrossing, and as Mr..
Roosevelt does everything he attempts
thoroughly and we'll, it is easy to see that
in short career he has taken upon him
self vast amount of work, for he is still a
very young man. Only ten years ago,
when just out Of college, Roosevelt deter
mined upon political career. He was of one
of New York s most favored families. He
possessed by inheritance the right Of adj
mission to what is really the highest social
circle in the metropolis. for his name is
Roosevelt, and he traces his lineage far
back to the Dutch settlers of New Am
sterdam.
For such a person to plunge into politics
at the beginning of a career was sufficiently
astonishing to attract general attention to
him. His success in the legislature was as
brilliant as the flash of meteor across
that dull body. He carried through two
very important measures, and it was a
marvel to see this fair haired, rosy checked,
blue eyed and beardless boy fighting with
the subtle and experienced men who were
his colleagues in the state legislature His
successes gave him what the politicians
call "boom," and ne seemed we'll started
on political path, at the end of which the
highest honors might be attained In the
Chicago convention of 1884 he was the most
picturesque person, and when, two years
1ofar Tuhon ctil1 n bio
nominated him for mayor of New York, he
had gained such prestige as no man except
William III. Seward and Alexander Hamil-
ton ever attained from the politicians of
New York at that early age.
He was de lated for mayor, and seemed
to have abandoned his political purposes
with that defeat He went to his ranch
and plunged into literature, writing a
series of charming letters, which were pub
lished in one of the magazines, descriptive
of life in tie northwest. The ink had
scarcely dried from this work before his
Life of Thomas II. Benton" was issued
This book showed decided bent for historical
study, and, though it caused some con-
troversy, it has generally been accepted
as a fair estimate of the life and services of
"Old Bullion" He seemed hardly to have
had breathing time when another work
appeared, which was a history of the early
settlements along the line of the Ale
ghanies Some passages in this work were
very severely criticised by James r. Gill
more, an author who, under the nom de
plume of Edmund Kirke, had gained some
reputation as writer of fiction.
Roosevelt meanwhile had been tempted
to take political office, and became a civil
service commissioner, bringing to his work
the same energy and enthusiasm that char
acteriZe all he does. 1t seems as though
the perpleXities and labors of that office
should have occupied his time entirely;
but now Il new book has been published
showing that the destinations of literature
still tempt him. He has written the story
of the growth of the city of New York, as
one of the series of works descriptive of
great cities now in the course of publica-
ton.
Perhaps no man is better qualified to
write of New York city than Theodore
Roosevelt, for he knows it well-both past
and present. The story is told in popu-
lar way, and the author makes no effort at
anything like a philosophical study of the
enormous growth of the metropolis MANY
of the readers of the book will think
doubtless, that Mr.. Roosevelt made mis-
history of New York, which is so well
known, and devoting so little space to the
magical development of it which followed
the opening Of the Erie canal That, today,
seems to be he most fascinating story that
| could be told of New York, and it never
has been written, excepting in brief and
fragmentary way. Mr.. Roosevelt in his
book devotes less than one-third of the
space to the telling of this story.
1t is understood that this young politi-
clan, statesman and litteraseur has in
mind at some future day a work of great
magnitude, involving the labor of years,
which will treat of some historical sub
jects connected with the growth of this
country, but if he shows the same indus
try in writing it that he has hitherto dis
played it will not be very long before the
work appears. E. J. EDWARDS.
Secrecy
Mrs. Al Tell have something terrible
to tell you. But can you keep silent about
it?