The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-10-26
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
His Contributions to Literature In
Twenty Years.

His Contributions to Literature In
Twenty Years.
Attention is being directed to Presi-
dent Roosevelt's literary work just now
because he is the first man of letters
to occupy the presidential chair since
Thomas Jefferson. Mr.. Roosevelt has
been q writer for twenty years, or near
ly half his life, and his productions
have been widely read. 1t is but ma
tural, however, now that he is at the
head Of the national government, that
a larger proportion Of the people
should turn to see what their president
has done in the world of letters.
His first publication was an histori-
cal work. 1t appeared when he had
been only year out Of college. He
was graduated from Harvard in 1880,
and 1.-The Naval War Of 1912; or, The
History Of the United States Navy
During the Last War with Great Brit
ain," by Theodore Roosevelt, was pub
lished in New York in 1882 1t will be
noticed that his investigations into his
tory, the conduct of navies and wanfare
were begun in his earliest manhood.
The Nation said of his first book:
1.-The impartiality of the authors
judgments and the thoroughness with
which the evidence is sifted are re-
markable and worthy of high praise"
Mr.. Roosevelt's next work, publish
ed three years later, was entitled
Hunting Trips Of Ranchman:
Sketches of Sport on the Northern Cat
tie Plains, Together with Personal Ex-
periences Of Life on a Cattle Ranch"
1t was Illustrated by A. B. Frost, R.
Swain Clifford, J. g. Beard, Fannie e.
Clifford and Henry Sandman, and was
published in 1S85sby. the Putnams in
the "Medora Edition." quarto, limited
to 500 copies and sold by subscription
at SIS. OF the author's work the Ma
ton said:
Ellis style is s1npae and devoid Of
pretence Of nsSsiEtting, yet his de-
scriptions Of scenery are often most
eloquent"
In 1887 Mr.. Roosevelt wrote the
Life Of Thomas Hart Benton" and in
the following year "Gouverneur Nor
ris," both duodecimo volumes, publish
ed in the american Statesman" series
by Houghton, M1ftltn & Co., at Boston.
In the same year another duodecimo
volume by him was published by the
putnams under the title, Essays on
Practical Politics." 1t was in the Sc
ries, Questions of the Day" His
most important work appearing that
year, 1858, however, was Ranch Life
and the Hunting Trail" folio volume
published by the Century Company
and illustrated by Frederic Reming-
ton. The Saturday Review said of
this book: G@
IF 1t be true that ranching-that is,
stock raising on the plains-is, in it's
present form, doomed, and can hardly
outlive the century, all the more CRATE
full ought we to be to Mr.. Theodore
Roosevelt for having stereotyped its
essential features and presented them
to us in so attractive form as the
present volume"
The Century Company published n
new popular edition of this work in
1896, an octave volume of 1856 pages in
cloth covers. In the following year the
first two volumes of the work which
has been called perhaps Mr.. Roose-
velt's most substantial literary
the winning of
the West" We're issued by the
Putnams. The whole work is
in five volumes, octave, with maps.
The third volume came out in 1894.
Its subtitle is "the Founding of the
Trans Allegheny CONFERENCE.-The,
and it deals with the period from 1884
to 100. In the preface Mr.. Roosevelt
says:
'1The period covered in this volume
includes the seven years Immediately
the close Of the Revolution
airy war. 1t was during these seven
years that the constitution was adopt
ed, and actually went into effect; an
event, If possible, even more momen-
tous for the West than for the East
The time was one of vital Importance
to the whole nation, alike to the peo-
pie of the inland frontier and to those
Of the seaboard. The course Of events
during these years determined whether
we should become mighty nation, OF
a mere snarl Of weak and quarrelsome
little commemorative, with history
as bloody and meaningless rs that of
the Spanish-American states.'
Mr.. Roosevelt's study of the consti-
tuition. it will be observed from this
began with its adoption and first work
ings, and he obtained an early insight
into the latent possibilities Of the prln.
ciples of American expansion, which
he was later to assist in working out.
In the fourth volume. issued in 1896,
he was still engaged with this phase
OF American development. The vol.
ume is Louisiana and the Northwest,
1901 to 1907"
In 1891 Mr.. Roosevelt published his