Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-09-20

Youngest President in the history of the
United States. Grant became President
at AZ. Cleveland at As, and Garfield and
Pierce at 40.
Roosevelt graduated from Harvard in
1880 He took a great interest in phil
osophy. history and government during
his college course and laid the founda-
ton for his literary career by writing for
the Harvard Advocate. of which he was
eventually editor. on completing his col
lege course. he took European trip, dur
/ ing which he climbed the Jungfrau and
Matterhorn.
on returning to New York. he plunged
at once into political affairs. He was
nominated and elected an assemblyman
| from the 21st New York district in 1881,
when ne was only % years old. He was
twice reelected, serving in the legisla-
| lures of 1881 lie soon made his mark
| at the head of a little band which WORKED
unremittngly to get through certain mea-
| sures which they deemed to be TOT
the public good. He was known as
rapid but attractive speaker. who hit
| hard and was savagely sarcastic In deal
| ing with well known rascals. In his sec
| ond year he was Republican candidate tor
| sneaker and in his third year was at the
| head of the committee on cities, having
! proved his thorough knowledge of New
| York and other cities. He was one OF
| four delegates at large to the Republican
| National convention of 1884, when he was
| only 20 years of age, and as a delegate
| was DESTROYS of nominating George +.
| Edmunds for the presidency. In 1886 he
was Republican candidate for mayor OF
| New York city against Abram S. Hewitt,
| United Democracy, and Henry George,
| United Labor. Mr.. Hewitt was elected.
His next important work was as
member Of the United States civil service
.fWNNfn 4
| in 1889 by President Harrison. There were
| IA 600 places under the merit and capac-
! ity rules when he went on the commits
| sion and 10000 when he went out. He re-
| signed from the commission May l. 1893.
| to accept the appointment as police COM
| missioner of New York city from Mayor
| Strong. The administration of police al
| fairs was in a demoralized condition.
| but his energetic methods and uncom-
| promising honesty were great factors in
| bringing It to a higher degree of eff
| cheney In the period between his election
| to the Legislature and his appointment
| as civil service commissioner, he spent
most of his summers in the West on
| ranch. and had written several books on
the life on western plains and noun
tains.
From the presidency of the New York
| police force. he was called by President
| Mckinley to be assistant secretary of the
and quick mastery of detail attributed
| much to the successful administration
of the department. and the preparation
of the navy for the most brilliant feats
| in naval warfare in the history of the
world He foresaw the possibilities of
conflict with Spain. and did everything
| in his power to prepare the department
for it, II is said that he It was who first
realized the tremendous opportunity that
the war would open in the East and who
had Dewey. in whom he recognized the
right man for the place appointed to COM
mand the Eastern squadron. Many naval
experts agree that the remarkable skill
in workmanship displayed by the Amer
lean gunners was due to his foresight
He saw the necessity Of practice and he
thought it the best kind of economy to
burn up ammunition in acquiring skill.
| a characteristic story is told regard
| ing Roosevelt's insistence on practice in
the navy Shortly after his appointment
he asked for an appropriation of $4,000
for ammunition. The appropriation was
made, and few months later he asked
| for another appropria ton of $500, 900 for
| the same purpose. When asked what had
| become OF the first appropriation he
replied: Every cent of 1t was spent for
powder and shot, and every bit of powder
| and shot has been fired" When he was
asked what he was going to do with the
$500 600. he replied: Use every dollar of
|
practice shooting" When the Maine was
blown up Roosevelt had no doubt, il is
said. that war would follow, and his en-
ergies We're bent with redoubled force to
getting the navy ready.
| Roosevelt had always been a man of
intense activity and when war against
Spain was declared he determined at once
to engage in active service. He had had
four years of experience as a national
guardsman in New York, serving both as
lieutenant and captain. He first thought
of getting an appointment on Gen. Wood 5
| stan. Then came the Rough. Rider idea.
hardly thought of before realized. Roose-
| velts Rough Riders-the name struck the
popular fancy, and the regiment became
famous before 1t was organized Col.
Wood, now Gen. Wood. encouragement
Of Cuba. was colonel in command, while
Roosevelt held the rank of lieutenant col
| Onel. At the very start Wood and RoOse-
Welt directed this band of independent
high spirited ranchers, COW punchers and
college athletes into regimeutal shape
with no uncertain hand, and impressed upon
them the idea that they were to perform
whatever duty was assigned to them re
gardless of the difficulty or danger at
tending it, Roosevelts conduct in the
jungle fight of Las Guasimas and in the
charge up San Juan hill made him a pop
ular hero. His care for his men was
shown by the circulation of the famous
round robin which he wrote. protesting
against keeping the army longer in Cuba
He showed that he was not bound by
mere conventonalities
On returning to the United States he
Found that he was the popular candidate
of the Republicans for governor of New
York. The Democrats tried to frustrat e