Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-11-15

81 kNH<lEIlS> yIs
4 WS,ir ~
n Beth has always been q hero
worshiprer and when / told her of
my visit to the e.President-eleC on
ielection day, she added Rocsevelt's
22hsme to her list of laurel crowned
fJheroes. / found him in the quaint old
N illape Of Oyster Bay ON Long Island
MOUND, which is his home, just as he
Has going to vote. He was easily dis
Ns[{nguished from the lot OF men with
HON he was standing; by his strong
Feet figure, the dark hat OF rough
fider style and black military ever
foat. He was smiling, showing those
|teeth that the comic papers have made
such q target for their jokes. How
Fever, they make his smile Irresistible.
Theodore Roosevelt is one of the
|Nmost interesting. personalities of the
|Hday. He was picturesque before the
h Rough rider hat aud uniform existed
( Standing near the fireplace In his own
biary at Oyster Bay one could easily
Ire that his chief characteristic is
1prce.
,.# There stood the man who had been
Legislator, police commissioner, United
Estates Civil Service Commissioner,
WAssistnnt Secretary of the Navy, Com
msndpr of Regiment and governor OF
u the Empire State and Vice. President.
Eyery hoy swears by him, every soldier
pounis him a friend every cowboy ties
Ito him
|& Rough rough, we are the stuff,
We want to fight and can't get tr enough,
II This was the cry Of the ' ough riders
HAND IL expressed the sentiment of the
men who wero followers OF Roosevelt
from the very beginning.
Ell After he bad vottd, which he did at
III half after ten, his returned homo and IL
#was then that had such delightful
&cal. The house Is a big rcoply one OF
brick and shingles standing on tho
$op Of q hill, three mics from Oyster
Bay, with vide green vistns orening
u d front SO that from the veratda one
ses miles of wooded country and over
looks the beautiful harbor. The in
terior everywhere gives evidence OF
Soesevelt'a prowess as hunter. | was
kehown first into tho drawIugroum
Finished in delicate yellow with low
booK cases along one side opposite a
II Big fireplace. On the floor and over
the couches are thrown hearskins.
a fter n little while we went across
.-4ub uaii W tup MS
loom; 1t is finished in black oak
S9kainscoting and here arc the heads OF
Blk and bison and leopard and bear
Bkins and over tho low bookcases Eor-
trsits Of the three greatest Americans
Az history, Washington, Lincoln and
Grant. Ii was here that / met Mrs.
Roosevelt and the Roosevelt children.
The eldest daughter, Alice Leo Roose.
Welt, suggests her father In every move
md in her carriage, she has his keen
Gray eye, his fascinating smile and
Vehement manner. Then there Ia
Teddy Dr., u miniature Rough
Rider who has now Egone to school to
kirotten. BE rides, shoots, and 10
Avery way 10 son OF his father. Then
tbere is Kermit, Ethel and Archibald.
e But 1t is of my evening visit in which
Beth was most Interested. At nine
clock drove with Edward Marshall.
khe writer of Tho Rough Riders. :
kho was with Roosevelt all through
1uba, and who received an almost
fatal wound after the battle OF San
uan, and press correspondent. to
N taks the news to the Vice President
eleot. Up the winding wooded road
N which leads to his house on the hill,
the moon threw an exquisite silvery
Eight and flooded tho surrounding
\ 0ountry, it seemed good omen. When
Ve reached the broad piazza there was
ne sound Of reveliy, no ticking of tele-
paph wires, no ringing of telephone
bella and when we were ushered into
the broad hallway there was absolute
S8 quiet only the great Rough Rider him
eelf appeared and he was calmest of all
pf Us when the news was given out
rs he grasred each of us cordially by
the hand and ushered us into the
Qraw ingroom suid, 'well, well, that ia
food. l am glad OF that, very, very.
'Atespondent, "what are the football re-
Il ports? How about Columbian
H football! think Of it at the hour he
vas elected to the second greatest
xecutiye Office in America. hut 1t Is
ust like the man; it Is very charac-
teristic. There was ona other guest in
fhe house beside ourselves -Lieut
IA Ferguson of the Rough Riders, an old
Friend Of the familys'. We sat about
the cracking logs slipping tea with
Mrs. Roosevelt and the eldest daugh.
Ter, the other children having been
bidden TO go to the land OF Nod,
Enough | heard their little bare feet
pattering on the great wooden stair.
,Pds6 at Inc emu OF Gne nail ana knew
Mat they were listening for the news.
q seemed more like an informal even.
ing call than one OF such Importance.
IL was rare treat to sit there and
X hear Roosevelt in an off hand, en-.
usIastic, almost boyish way discuss
tmemories of the Cuban war, and talk
Vol the bucks he had been reading, OF
Mthe young men whole memories he
WI loved, the young men who lost their
VI lives for him and the American cause
durlng the Spanish war.
Poor old Tom,'' he said, speaking
of Tom Hall the humorist and writer.
IN Poor old Tom is dead and gone and
you, Marshall, dear hoy," and he go,
up and walked across the room and
took him firmly by tho shoulders,
W'you almost left us, you were very
near the border land, weren't you, old
man.
A touching little incident of the
evening ! must relate. 1t seems that
after the battle Marshall, the cor
4 respondent, had been left on the field
for dead, Later in the evening some
troopers were seut back to look over
N the bodies. One of the troopers was
this same Lieut.. Ferguson who found
Marshall with his leg crushed and
barely breathing. "He can't live, 9
said the other troopers, but Ferguson
forced. a few drops of whisky between
his teeth and saw the young writer's
eyelids culver with life They carried
him 10 the under. the.trees hospital
m nd fIas. II Ii. Il. A.