The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-10-03
THE PRESIDENTS
FAMILY.
Something About the Occupants
of the Unofficial End of the
White House.
Harper's Weekly.)

There is something distinctly American
and at the same time extremely human in
the makeup of the family which is to
| fill the White House, in more senses than
one, for the next three years at least. In
| the first place, the distinguished head is
the youngest man who ever filled the of
| flee of. President of the United States, and
| for the first time in long while the Presi-
dent of the United States bears one of the
oldest American family names. The
| ROOsevelts came from Holland about as
early as any of the Dutch settlers of New
Amsterdam, and from its early years
down to the present time the name Of
Roosevelt has been identified with the
| first city of America. All along the line
| the different members of the family have
held honorable positions in the community,
either as sturdy merchants, or as citizens
chosen by their contemporaries to assist
in the government of the community in
municipal offices; and it seems proper that
at the beginning of the new century one
of their number should be at the head of
the Federal Government, bearing in his
every action the attributes that belonged
to the old Dutch settlers and to the 18th
and 18th century American citizen-the
same sturdy integrity, the same fearless
ness, the same love Of physical and mental
activity. Furthermore, it seems proper,
too, that the first private residence in the
land should hold, besides such man, a
large family of six vigorous children. In
other words, it is pleasant to think that
the White House holds a big, wholesome
family that is typical of the Nation it
self.
ROOSEVELT HOME AT OYSTER BAY.
President Roosevelt has for years lived
on the top of a hill overlooking Long Is
land Sound, at Oyster Bay, in a large I'M
assuming house, full of the stuffed heads
of animals of one kind or another that
have been the results of his many hunting
trips. The floors are covered with skins
of all kinds, and it has been a pride of
his to have only such trophies in the
lower part of his house as he himself
was responsible for Here the family are
together always in the Summer, and often
far into the Winter. They all, from Mrs
Roosevelt down, gather there whenever
they can, stay as long as possible, and
only leave when duties of one kind or an
other call them away. The simplicity of
the household, the simplicity of the method
of life, is as unusual among such people
as it is pleasant, and there is no more
probability of any change in the method
of life, except such as is necessitated by
the Presidents new duties, than there is
that the characters of the people them
selves will change.
sides of Sycamore Hill, are the country
residences of his relatives; and the differ
ent families can gather together some 10
or 20 children. One of the important
features of the community are the holiday
expeditions which Theodore Roosevelt and
this army of young people have under
taken through the woods and along the |
shore since the oldest of them could tod |
die along behind their cousin and father !
1t is a common and interesting sight to
see him, dressed in knickerbOckers, strid- |
ing along through the woods and over |
fences, with a troop of children doing !
their best to keep up with him, on their |
way for bath in the bay, or taking hold |
Of hands and running down the great
sand cliff called Cooper's Bluff, which
drops from the top of the hill into the !
Sound itself. They all talk at once; they |
discuss the nature of some new found nest |
or insect or flower, and not the least in |
terested of the party is its leader.
The reports that have got abroad that |
MIR. Roosevelt would give up this Oyster |
Bay house during his term as President |
Of the United States cannot be true, as |
no one who knows him could conceive of |
his giving up the opportunity for rest and |
exercise, or the kind of family life which |
ne most desires, and which he could not |
possibly have anywhere else.
A FOURTH OF JULY INCIDENT.
When after his return from Montauk |
Point at the close of the Spanish war he |
stood in the village under the trees on
IN old band-stand and the told the peo-
Die of his town what it all meant to him |
md ought 30 mean to them, he began by |
ecalling an incident that showed much of |
lis own honesty and LONELINESS. He |
OOked up into the trees, where the vii
age boys hung to the limbs like so many
turkey buzzards and then down into the
aces of the whole town round about the
He laughed a moment, and
hen said that he could see before him,