The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-18
TEDDY'S FIRST SOLDIERS.
HE ORGANIZED THEM IN ROWE
WHEN HE WAS II YEARS OLD.

Born Leader, Even as a BOv. NJ
One Thought of Questioning III.
Authority, and While CrOssfnr H.
Atlantic He introduced a Greo.
Fishing Game on Board the Scotia.
Playing North American Indian In
the Garden of the TuiIeries.
New York, Dec. 16.-Mr. George Crom-
well, a boyhood friend of Col. Theodor.
Roosevelt, related a number of amusira.
incidents the other day connected with
voyage to Europe he and his brother paJo.
with the two Roosevelt boys thirty war;
ago next May. It was great event in 1os.
to cross the Atlantic, particularly for
youngsters all of them under IL years ~.
age.
'As 1 remember Theodore" said NJ
Cromwell, ''he was a tail, thin lad. wit,
bright eyes and legs like pipestems fon
he had grown very rapidly, indeed. ana
don't believe he ever was quiet IN tboso
days, excepting when he was asleep h
was constantly investigating all parts %
the vessel, asking questions of everybod.
he met.
one of the first things I remembar
about him on that voyage was that after
the ship had got out of sight of land bo
remarked, half 90 himself as he glancea
at the water: Il guess there ought to h.
a good many fish here
Then an idea suddenly struck him. and
turning to me, he said: George, 60 GET
me small rope from somewhere, and
Wen play a fishing game
Il don't know why / went at onoe in
search OF that line without asking WHY
he didn't so himself, but 1 went ana IL
never occurred to me to put the question
He had told me to so, and in such a deter
mined way that ID settled the matter Even
then he was leader, a masterful COM
manding little fellow who seemed to bavs
a peculiar quality all his own of maxine.
ms playmates obey him, not at all be-
cause we were afraid, but because wa
wanted to, and somehow felt sure wa
would have a good time and get lots OF
fun If we did as he said.
Fine Fishing Game
"Well I went after the line and brought
1t to him. While I was gone on the err
rand he had thought out all the details
of the fishing game and had climbed on
top OF a coiled cable-for, of course. he
was to be the fisherman
NOW he said, as l handed him tbs
line, 'all you fellows lie down fiat on tbe
deck here and make believe to swim round
like fishes. I'll throw one end of the lima
down to you, and the first fellow tbat
catches hold of it is a fish that has hin
my hook. He must just pull as hard az
ne can and if he pulls me down off this
coil OF rope, why, then he will be the
hsnerman and l win be a fish. But If he
lets 60, or if I pull him up here off the
deck why, 1 win still be the fisherman
The game is to see how many fish each
D M
catches the most fish wins
The rest of us lay down fiat on our
stomachs," Mr. Cromwell continued
ana made believe to swim; and Theos
dore, standing above us on the coiled
cable, threw down one end of his line
thin, but strong, rope. If remember
correctly my brother was the first fish ia
grasp the line, and then commenced
mighty struggle. It would seem TO bs
much easier for the FISH to pull the fish
erman down than for the fisherman to
haul up the dead weight of a pretty
heavy boy lying fiat on the beck below
MN; and L tell you it was a pretty hard
struggle. My brother held on to the line
win both hands, and wrapped his legs
around it, grapevine fashion. Theodore
oraced his feet on the cooled cable stiffen.
ca his back shut his teeth hard, and
wound his end of the line around his waist.
AT hrst he tried by sheer muscle to
pun the fish up; but he soon found IL
was hard work to lift up boy about as
heaVy as himself. Then another bright
ldea struck him. He pulled less and less,
and at last ceased trying to pull at all.
Of course the fish thought the fisherman
was tired out and he commenced TO pull,
! hoping to get Theodore down on deck.
He didn't succeed at first and pulled all
the harder. He rolled over on his back,
'hen on MS side, then sat up, all the time
nf1I rrf-Af
IIne IN every possible way; and that was
Just what Theodore hoped the fish would
90. You see, all this time, while my
brother was using his strength Theodore
simply stood still, braced like steel. and let
him tire himself out. Before very long tho
ilsh was so out of breath that he couldn't
pull any longer. Beside the thin rope
had cut his hands and made them sore.
Ihen the fisherman commenced slowly
ana steadily TO pull on the line, and in
very few minutes he had my brother haul
ed up alongside of him on the coil OF
cable.
Since Theodore has grown from little
boy TO be a man we have all seen him
use just such methods" Mr.. Cromwell
continued. while he was at the head Of
tho New York police department, and
whlle ne was in the legislature, as we'll as
during the war with SPAIN he always
tried to strike the first blow at bad men
VINO We're trying to break the laws. Some
times when they got on his line he would
find 1t easier to let them tire themselves
out by attacking him, rather than by US
ing up his own strength in fighting them'
although he was careful never to let them
go. 1 cannot recall an instance when he
failed in this plan, either.
A great many things happened that
have entirely forgotten. of course Mr..
Cromwell continued
I recall one time when the sailors had
their athletic games for the enjoyment OF
the passengers. OF course they had been
making preparations, laying out pro-
gramme and getting ready generally anu
Theodore was in the middle of it from inc
moment he caught wind of the plan until
after the games were over. And he went
into the scheme with great enthusiasm
trying his hand at twisting sticks, jump
ing, wrestling and climbing creased poLee
Il