Evening star., 1901-10-22
IN T6E TWIN CITIES
The President is the Most Popular
Man.
Ellis CHARACTERISTICS APPRECIATED
Some Interesting Stories Of His
Il
Student Days.
HIS RECENT IsIT
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

| 49, - ~ ~ II ~ ~ ~ = L ~ Il
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, October II, 1901.
Theodore Roosevelt, President of the
| United States, is the most popular man sc
far this state is concerned who could
conceivably have succeeded the late la
mented President William Mckinley.
Mr.. Roosevelt has been familiarly known
here for many years. When he operated
| the ranch at Medora his trips to the twin
] cities were of frequent recurrence, and
hundreds of men in both cities feel that
| they have a close personal acquaintance
with the newly installed executive.
| There are several men hereabouts who
have been friends of the President since
he was college student, and one of them
rather proudly ayers that he took lick
ing from young Roosevelt when the latter
was sixteen and the recipient Of the chas-
tisement but a trifle older.
1T took lot of badgering to make
] Teddy scrap" says this gentleman, but
When ne did turn loose you couldn't stop
| him with anything short of a knockout.
That's half the battle of life, too-lettng
people know that you'll go to finish
| Probably few men have had a more init
mate personal acquaintance with the, Presi-
dent than Timothy E. Byrnes, The Mime
sofa lawyer and politician. Byrnes went to
| Columbia Law School with Mr. Roosevelt in
1850, and he finds nothing surprising in the
reflection that his former. fellow-student is
now chief magistrate of the nation.
IT is an axiom" says Byrnes, that
work wins. Theodore Roosevelt Is the most
industrious human being l nave ever
known: Some men are poorly equipped
mentally for the assimilation of such va
| r1ed information as they acquire, and many
lack the power of concentration essential
| to great achievement. Roosevelt has a
splendid orderly mind Everything he reads
or otherwise learns is stored away some
where in the recesses of his wonderful
brain for ready reference.
! Ihat Mr.. Roosevelt occupies the Presi-
Dental chair is not in the least astonishing
] to those who know him we'll He would
inevitably have been President at future
] tlme. 1t was his goal, and one realizes his
disappointment that through the cruel
! death of his chief he was robbed of the
| delight he would have experienced in a
| contest for the exalted position he now oc-
| cupies.
As a Law Student.
| When Roosevelt entered the law school
| OF Columbia College he Immediately dem
onstrated that he was the best trained
| man intellectually in the class. All who
were Of that class will agree with me
that he displayed the same characters
! tics then as have since brought him mill
| tary and civil honors.
J AS an instance of his fearlessness, when
| a youth, recall an occasion when Judge
John F. Dillon, the celebrated jurist, after
| lecturing to the class, enunciated a princi-
] pie of law. l am not sure what it was now.
Coming from such an authority the judges
words had as much weight with us as a
| supreme court decision would have had
but at that time nobody had become ac-
| Quainted with Roosevelt.
| Theodore stood up in that class and
calmly informed Judge Dillon that he dis
| agreed with him. l can even now see a
| vivid picture of the astonished jurist as
young Roosevelt confronted him and ar
gued the matter from his own point of
| subsequently found to be incorrect.
Some people believe that Mr. Roose-
| welt is Observation-Disclosures They are
| wrong. He is student, deep thinker
| and what he does, though his action may
| occasionally appear impulsive is Invariably
the result of deliberate judgment. Scrupu-
lously honest, absolutely fearless, splendid
ly equipped Intellectually and with high
| ideal of life, l feel assured that Theodore
! Roosevelt will become one of the most
striking characters in American history"
| When In this city few weeks ago Mr..
Roosevelt expressed a wish to round up
two three old friends. One of them was
| Walter H. Heffeinger, more widely known
| as "Pudge," the famous Yale foot ball
| player, for whom the President has a warm
regard another was Major c. B. Heffel
| finger, father of the foot ball man, who is
one of the survivors of that famous regi-
| ment the 1st Minnesota; and still another
was NJ ]. Costello secretary to the mayor
| Of ST. Paul, and otherwise widely known
writer of caustic editorials. The President
| knew Costello when they served together
| in the New York state legislature in 1882.
| There was a famous fight during that ses-
sion in connection with the elevated road
! tax bill.
1.-THE amount of money involved was
! So 900 600, owed the city of New York for
| taxes on that elevated property says Cos
J telo, land there was an amendment tackled
on that would have robbed the municipali-
| ty slick and clean. / need not go into the
| details of the matter, but don't mind tell
ing you that Roosevelt scented the job, ex-
I posed it, fought 1t tooth and nail and beat
| it. He saved the city that money by his
| fearless and incorruptfble course.
Strictly and AggressiveIy Honest.
Theodore Roosevelt" adds Costello, "is
| the only politician I have ever known un-
willing to compromise his opinion of right
to any issue of personal expediency. He is
strictly and aggressively honest"
Costello, said Mr.. Roosevelt, when he
heard that his old-time comrade was In
this part of the world, 'is he here? There's
| a good man and a square one I must see
him before 1 return. Cos and 1 fought
| fight together once.
Thomas H. Shevlin, the millionaire lum-
herman, who entertained Mr.. Roosevelt In
Minneapolis, and who is now being talked
! Of for Secretary of the Interior, though he
declares he would not take the job on a
silver platter. entered upon his duties as
lin remarked with deep feeling that he
wasn't used to handling Vice Presidents,
and that he hoped Mr.. Roosevelt would
overlook any shortcomings due to his mex
perience.
my dear fellow" retorted the Vice Presi-
dent. "just let things happen, and we shall
| come out spIendid1y."
'Tom,' shouted Mr.. Shevlin addressing
his stalwart son from the step of the vice
| presidential Pullman, Tom, see that Mr.
Roosevelt's S. trunks get to the house in good
sSRes Yes, sir.e, where are they?" responded
Tom, jr., dutifplly.
Your valet. Mr.. Roosevelt?" suggested
Shevlin, insuiringly.
"Valet?" replied the distinguished arrival,
| showing his teeth in broad grin; IT don't
carry one, Mr.. Shevlin; I'm my own man"
"Oh, my. prophetic soul!'' whispered
George Thompson, the ST. Paul newspaper
| proprietor; there's many a true word
spoken in Jest.
"Our man can't find the trunks whis-
| pered young Shevlin to his sire; there
don't seemltoe be any,"