The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-22
ROOSEVELT FEELS TREES.
now THE GOVERNOR WORKS oEF ms
SUPERELUoUS EMERGE.

He Is rs Handy with an Axe ns with n Gun
and tho Solitude of the Forest Is One ~
His Great DeliRhts-A Glimpse Mt Him
when lie Thought No Ono Was Looking.
Gov. Roosevelts two greatest luSurics are
solitude and books. He has como nearest 10
realizing a heaven on earth when he has been
alone In his ranch on the Rocky Mountain
slope. with a storm bowling outside. no other
human being within twenty miles. and a fairly
large library within reach OF his hand. Or The
two. solitude perhaps appeals to him rather
more than books. because II is harder to get. 10
will be almost impossible for him at Albany.
Just as il was impossible for him while he was
In the army. Whom Col. Roosevelt hears him.
self landed for sharing with his men the
hardships and the lack OF luxurles in
cident to the campaign, he is apt to smila
grimly. For. as he SAYS freely enough. tho
things that his men would have considered
luxuries-pies canned soups and all that sort
| OF thing-were not things that he wanted him
self half so much as to be absolutely alono
with n book for hours together. The depriva-
lions which worked the greatest hardship on
him were those which most OF his men would
not consider derrivations at all. As n matter
of fact. It was, In his sight. a privilege 10 no
kept hard at work In rough quarters on an
even rougher diet. because 1t kept him from
feeling how much he wanted the more intel.
lectual privileges.
In anticipation. apparently. OF the limitations
OF his daily life at Albany. Col. Roosevelt made
the most OF the opportunities of outdoor life
which he had In the last few days he spent on
his big place near Oyster Bay. The outward
characteristics Of his home exemplify his
tastes. The house is half a mile from the main
road and is concealed from sight hy a quarter
ola mile Of woods From the house itself no
other house can be seen. although It ia stu:
s sRs road %s ' leading fine vi ap to fi Il winds IN Sf so m '"as
that It Is almost twice az, long. as the
f'f E Is O sn SFea '" Of % fort2 FSn f,t s@a ac aes n %BoH,i
the house comparatively free from, trees. 4
fRsIl ra part is o. woods &c IS n laT0it h %PFs Is r T9Tm w le31;
are a. : alive W With I'll s smp,l wild thi mEisb II
woods, Col. Roosevelt found the luxury Of
X'yisitor, to the Governor one day, last De-
eember told how. Col. Roosevelt found solitnds
Ct Oyster sn;S :. Pay Vas I tOI9 MI I re eel C Ro the hTui T,sI
gone out for a walk and would, not he back for
some time, | was rather in a hurry and, inas-
which would require no discussion, I deter.
mined net to, wait for him to come back, but
from six inches to three feet deep audit seemed
nronert to infer that there were very few direc;
That hsi'II caught %%H 1T the "s1 flqSe }igi sha "ilgVT Of S a, SHIFTS
down toward the woods. N''
From an old ,ccolored man working about
the Darn l GOT n HUG more uplllltp lnIOrIna-
ton as to the Path by which Col. Roosevelt had
pasSse,a out Of sight; | went through The gate
There II e"i Il stopped ed t at a wood s'f Fresh f fsSH,
prints prints m nnot6s by a Z R9ir Fl f6 GI2ISRsaiIe tbs shoes 4 Jed b of
had lust begun to fall. The snow was sticky
and heayyas lead. Thai trail led throuEh drifts.
It would have been the toughest kind Of walk
f i@fi WYNN had s6e 'f Ro6na Sfs9 R foot sn rTInts As down ! wa" As
steep gully toward the woods which extend
blows ahead. I stopped and listened and. in a
moment heard the grating crash Of a falling
tree. tramped on down the hill and entered
Notwithstanding the fine. almost misty.
quite light. As climbed the fence that sera-
rated the pasture from the trees saw a figure
another moment | recognized the Governor
elect. He wore neither hat nor coat. The
rolled back. and he had on rough gray EnSicker,
He was hacking away at a lot Of
with trunks from two to four inches in diam
eter. Some Of them he cut At a single blow:
one side to another. lodged falling trunks. and
to guide them as thcy, fell with the
h hS'ee cut two VI a a TTiosa'' th ! o %nshneG and nln T shan'
going back. Gu. down, a third. a big
9 90sn so viii thH a biz IL t t4i,iPs it As k tES2 falI he he o sl."5
and laughed out loud at the racket they made.
Then hen in n,a another rp ma tTa mt ne leapSsd ob on the
them off into ~hrewood lengths. A, light cloud
q steam hung about him as h. worked,
] went nearer and SPOKE.
" He locked over his shoulder with q quick:
ness that had nothing Of the startled in it and
Hello he said; where did you coma
rom 2 Without waiting for an answer he
urned1 hack to his chopping. Pm glad you've
In another moment he turned hack again.
This is bully he said; it is as good exercise
{ have Just been thinking about that APP
ointment he went on, referring to tho mat
er with, regard, 70 which he knew had come
o soc him.. and I've made up my mind
Q a standing tree, took Of his distance. and
~ think he continued, as, he took fresh
lold Of the aye handle. A. is thoroughly good
ReP In %nn. 9 and S h. ! at 9sIley ihe shGP out + b B, a s4 fSs
'H ib for a principle That lhep!l want thor
He jumped back. and with a crack and a
ush the tree came town. Every chip that flew
'2a!EGYs Su q EPS Sia' t IN n5s o Mq' &C., said to him at
ne point does not want You to do this
n the c syraifbh n. Ritb a up ss snd IT"Ee on ne square
ression. as If he had not understood quite
II2} s ,1 ! meant w5s t the words; 'gSp pgt good Sd fTi St n D..
lush was that OF displeasure. but in a moment
saw that 1t was only the effect Of MS exercise.
the roots Of his, hair to his collar. fHfss
tughed as a man laughs who is PeelinR OF his
ripped his axe so hard that his knuckles wers
ke ivory,
He turned 70 a small tree and swung the
Xe into il with such force that IL went clear
trough, and then to a bigger ono, which fell
! the same way, az did n third. The Colonel
frniGhtened up and chuckled.
My good friend c. he said. has a right to
Is opinion
= It was growing dark, When he pulled on
is coat and picked up his hat he paused a
to show me what he was ACCOMPLISHING
a road Down through the woods. and
. wanted to thin ont the smaller trees so that
le big ones further up the hin would be visi-
le to better advantage from the road.
And, besides: it's the best fun | have, nj
But. and he sighed humorously. I wish
,at / could treat some men as | handle these
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