St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-09-18

merchant was alderman from 1748 t.
1767, and his great-great-great-great
grandfather, Nicholas Roosevelt, wal
alderman Of New York city in 1700-01.
Such was the life of the sturdy Dutch
ancestors from whom Theodore Roose
welt inherited his name. But, although
his name is Holland Dutch, Scotch
Irish and French Huguenot blood min.
| gle in his veins in equal measure with
that of his Dutch ancestors and &C.
counts to no small extent for the per-
sonal qualities of the man, his energy
and perseverance, his impulsive, not to
say fiery, temperament and his viva
cious mode of expression. With the
impetus of family and the favorable
material conditions in which he found
himself as we'll as by the force of his
own personality, Roosevelt might have
advanced rapidly in any path he chose,
whether 1t led toward brilliant social
success or the making Of a large for
tune. That he chose q career Of public
service Is characteristic of the man,
the lmore SO in that he, saw In the
course he had marked out for himself
small chance Of pecuniary remunera-
ton and struggle for principle that
might jeopardize those rewards that
are the politicians. Once decided he
never swerved from his course. For
more than twenty years he has been
before the public eye as an aggressive
political force.
RoosevelIs Homestead.
wee President Roosevelt's homestead
near Oyster Bay, N. Y, is an ideal
country seat, and the Roosevelt fami-
ly is a very old one In the nelghbor-
hood. The house is large, homelike
and countrifed, quite unpretentious, 1t
crowns the very topmost peak Of Saga
more hill.
The approach to the house, through
forest and meadow, Is beautiful and
refreshing In the extreme. But 1t Is
not until after one reaches the top Of
Sycamore hill that the full beauty Of
the magnificent panorama Is revealed.
The view Of the bay, the headlands,
with the Long Island sound and the
Connecticut coast stretching for miles
and resting against the deep blue Of
the sea, is SO restful so altogether
lovely, that 1t cannot soon fade from
the memory.
The library, which Is splendid
room directly off the main hall, con-
tains about 5000 books. The interior
is one Of enchantment to the genuine
book lover. A big open fireplace
stretches across one end Of the room.
Above it Is magnificent display Of
the heads Of deer, rams, antelopes,
mountain sheep and other trophies Of
Colonel Roosevelt's skill as hunter.
The floors are covered with rugs
made of the skins Of lions, bears, buff
faloes and panthers, all victims Of the
vice presidents gun. In fact the whole
house is adorned with trophies Of the
chase.
Here it is that most of his books and
articles, of which he has written many,
were brought into being.
Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt Is the most
enthusiastic admirer and ardent helper
of her husband in his political career.
She Is absorbed heart and soul in her
husbands success, as she has been
frog the time they first knew each 9th
er as children. Mrs. Roosevelt, who
before her marriage was Miss Edith
Carow, possesses great intelligence, a
remarkably fine education and Won
derful power of effacing herself and at
the same time exerting a great influ-
ence. She is very pretty, slight, Of
medium height and has dark brown
eyes and hair. She has not gone much
into society since her marriage, as she
has been more or less an invalid, and
she has devoted herself entirely to her
children and her home. She has five
children of her own, and there is also
daughter by Mr.. Roosevelts first wife,
a girl of seventeen, to whom Mrs.
Roosevelt is the most devoted of moth
nrS
Mrs. Roosevelt and the Children.
Mrs. Roosevelt was a playmate of
Mr.. RooseVelts sisters and of Mr.
Roosevelt himself when they were chill
dren. They went to the same dancing
class, were identified with the same set
in society, and there were a great
many people who predicted that as
these children grew up they would
marry. However, as Is well known,
Mr.. Roosevelt's first wife was Miss
Lee of Boston, and at the time of that
marriage Miss Carow was abroad,
where she remained for some time.
Mr.. Roosevelt met her in Europe after
his wife's death, and their engage
ment was not announced for some
months. When it was announced, the
congratulations were most sincere from
every one who knew them and realized
how we'll suited they were to one an
other.
Like her husband, Mrs. Roosevelt i
an enthusiastic novel reader, but ais
keeps we'll up on all the topics Of tn
day. She is good French scholar ant
also speaks German. During the year
spent in Europe she Travelled every
where and always kept up her studies
The Roosevelts heretofore have seldom
entertained formally, preferring t
keep open house.
When they first went TO WASHINGTON