Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-10-03

Jus PRESIDENT. IL is as 1neV1taDle as
rate. For all practical purposes in
American speech he might as well
have coined the word strenuous 1.-The
.odore Roosevelt, his mark is stamped
on the expression.
For long time it has been a favor
lite word with him in his writing and
speaking. He delivered an address
before the Hamilton club, in Chicago,
April 10, 1899, and used the words "a
strenuous life" They caught like
prairie fire. Roosevelt walked up next
morning to find the word strenuous at
tached to his name forever. Like
Grants Il propose to fight it out on
this line if it takes all summer" the
phrase stuck because it had American
grit in it.
If ever word described a man, the
word strenuous sums up the character
of Roosevelt. He is born fighter 1t
is his mental attitude as well as his
physical characteristic. Every inch
of his road from Cutters academy to
the white house has been fought out
against odds.
Nothing illustrates this quite so
we'll as the hustling, outdoor ranch
life, the big game hunting, boxing,
wrestling, wood chopping, soldering
career of the man aside from his pub
lie and social life.
Roosevelt is one of the few presi-
dents who have been athletes. George
Washington was good shot before he
ever began his military career, and he
could ride to hounds and row and
swim and even fight with his fists, as
every Virginia gentleman was bound
to do in those days.
Lincoln enjoyed splitting rails to the
last day of his strong, active life.
Grover Cleveland liked the compare
lively mild sports of fishing and duck
hunting. Roosevelt is the first all
round athlete to sit in the presidents
chair.
1t is safe to say that before he has
been at the capital a month he will
have gymnasium fitted up where he
can work off the superfluous energy of
absolutely perfect health.
AS governor of New York ne had a
trainer at Albany whose business it
was to wrestle a match twice week,
and stand up for boxing bout once a
day with the executive. Sometimes
Roosevelt beat the trainer, and then
he was as pleased as high school
boy.
1t is almost certain that President
Roosevelt owes nearly everything he
has in life to the fact that he has the
instinct of a fighter.
A thtn-shanked, bright eyed boy, he
started in the world with prospect
OF semi-individualism before him.
Then, as he tells it himself, something
happened What happened was that
he got the first and only licking of
his life. 1t made him mad, and it
liver.
Twas brought up by a maiden aunt,
says Roosevelt, land until | was
twelve years of age was of timid
and retiring disposition. l was not in
good health, and was sent into the
North Woods on a certain occasion to
try to build myself up.
Whipped in His First Fight.
While Ell route there | came in
contact with a boy about my own
age, who was just my antipode. II
was not long before he found cause
for comp Amt at something had done
and syst ematically thrashed me. Ny
pride was hurt at the whipping and
vowed thea and there to make myself
proficient in an art that would enable
me to take my own part.
ION nv return to New York had {
master engaged at once, and have
continued to box at intervals all my
life"
Roosevelt shocked a mothers as
sembly in Albany once by putting his
strenuous creed in very concrete
way.
The boy that won't fight is no
worth his salt" he said, bluntly. "H'
is either coward or he is constitu
tionally weak | have taught my boys
TO take their own part. l don't know
which should punish my boys To-
auickest-for cruelty or for flinching
Both are abominable."
When Roosevelt was boy he wa
as strenuous, as impulsive as he i
now. He never fiinched, and he "hi
the line all the time as hard as, h
knew how" He belonged to the row
ing clubs and the football team a
Harvard. although he could not exec
in either sport. He was slender an
weak. but he kept everlastingly at
in the gymnasium. He was a goo
amateur boxer
one day he put on gloves agains
Billy Edwards. the pugilist- Edward
merely smiled at his antagonist, an
while he smiled Roosevelt stepped u
nimbly and landed blow that close