Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-28
TED AND HIS TEETH.
The Combination That HaS Turned
GOtham'S Police Upside Down.
DAY WITH ROOSEVELT.
He Is n ProwIer-What New YorlS's
cst-Talked-A and Best-
Hated Man Does I'm Twenty-Four
Hours.
Corresnondence Of the pLspatchl
Hours.

Correspondence OF tne Dlspatcn.)
NEW YORK, July a.-Teddy Roose-
welt, the man who has rippsd the p5'.ce
department of New York wide open AMI
turned It upside down IN a very short
space Of time. has no political axe TO
grind. He Is not wording for future
recognition when fine Offices are TO be
distributed. In fact, he says that Just
as soon as a man begins to consider the
effect OF his actions on his political future
he loses his public usefulness.
A day with Mr.. Roosevelt is about the
busiest day that can be spent IN New
York these hot times. This young man,
who has been called the Dude Commits
sioner," knows no rest. The hottest day
does not worry him. He goes right
ahead working and showing his teeth.
This latter is no hgurauyely bit Of speech.
Ii ia literal. His fine white teeth, which
glisten and shine ali day long. are known
and feared by each one of the three
thousand and odd. of the police force.
TEDDY and his teeth" is an awful COM
bination in Mulberry street.
It's a difficult matter 10 say when Mr..
Roosevelts day begins. Often he works
right on from midnight OF one day into
the next. He has set q terrible example
for the rest OF the easy-going, luxury
loving, oflce-holding world of the city.
1t was a strange thing in the old days
If any Police Commissioner averaged
throughout the week more than two hours
work a day. Sixteen 10 twenty hours Is
RoOseyelt's average.
An ordinary day is begun By this UNI
len 81 10. DTIf ard af
A. NJ, when he flashes into the big build
ing on Mulberry street. Like a streak or
lightning the news darts into every ear,
in every room. on every floor. that Teddy
is on deck. teeth, Eyeglasses, energy, and
all.
DELUGED WITH THREATS.
The clerk who manages the mail Of the
most talked about man In New YORK
has no sinecure. Roosevelt likes to begin
the day by going over these letters.
There Is as much excitement in them as
in cow-purching. trade in which the
head Of New York's police exces. IL
an off day when less than nity threaten
ing letters are received. THESE come
mainly from the hangers-on OF saloons
and the small fry criminal classes gen.
orally. Roosevelt has driven the elsn'
| thousand and odd owners OF saloons Well
nigh crazy by his Sunday crusade against
them, and as each proprietor has at least
| six hangers-on who swear by him, Roose'
welt has a fine brigade Of 5000 men pittec
against him. This, Of course, represents
! only one division Of the Brand army oil
! his enemies. In round numbers. there are
| about $4,000 persons in New YORK VINO
would smile II he were dropped into tht
river some dark night. But against this
| quarter OF a million there are more thar
a million and half who are with MN
up 10 tho hilt.
HE IS A FIGHTER.
In eight cases out of ten the letters re-
ceivcd by Roosevelt are anonymous. That
is the reason the threats do not worry
him. It's a question whether they would
cause him any disquiet If they were sign
ed He lived in the western country win
bad men" on all sides of him for long
time. and always held his end up. lie is
an adept in tho use Of all kinds OF Ire
arms and fino athlete.
Only the other day a stone-mason, a
big. brawny fellow. called 10 see him TOT
the purpose of getting on the force,
Roosevelt used to box regularly every
morning in an uptown academy. and soon
outgrew the other members or the SCHOOL
He nut too much steam in his blows even
for the instructor. SO the stone-mason
was called in TO spar Win the coming
president Of the Police Board. The crafts
man had hard muscles and thought al
first II would be great sport to polish on
the dude But 1t wasn't The dude could
fight. The stone-mason soon learned to
respect the slugging abilities or the dude.
They fought each other early every morn
ing for n long time II the stone-mason
passes the regular civil-service examina-
ton he Will get on the force. II he
doesn't he won't. Roosevelt likes him,
and would be glad 20 DO him a favor. but
Influence. political pulls, etc, are things
Of the past.
HORDES OF CALLERS.
There are hordeS OF callers every hour
In the day upon the Commissioner. All
kinds of wrongs are poured into his ear.
His sudden prominence has caused many
people TO believe that he possesses every