Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-09-23
The new PRESIDENT,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
AND[H|S FINE FAMILY

Theodore Roosevelt who succeeds
to the presidency, is but AZ. His in
coming augurs vast changes-a com
plete reorganization of the cabinet, the
transferrance Of power from Senator
Hanna, the appointment of other
ministers to foreign courts, great
notifications in the army and navy a
Strengthening of the civil service and
the advent to the white house of such a
roupe OF merry youngsters as per
haps has never before been seen there
Roosevelt is a member of an ole
Dutch family which was founded in
this country about the middle of the
seventeenth century by Klaas Marten
sen Roosevelt. He was born in New
York city, October 27, 1858, and was
prepared for Harvard by private tn
tors. Roosevelt was prominent in
Harvard athletics and was one of the
editors of the undergraduate journal
the Advocate. A year of foreign travel
followed his graduation in 1880, and
almost Immediately thereafter he en-
tered upon public career.
His first position was that of mem
bership in the lower branch of the
New York legislature in which he sat
during the sessions of 1882 and the
two following years. The bent, of his
mind politically was developed at this
early stage by his introduction of the
first civil service bill in the legisla-
ture, which became law in 1888.
He was an independent candidate
for mayor of New York city in
1885, with republican endorsement
but was not elected. President Har
rison appointed him a member of the
civil service commission in May, 1889
and he served as a member of the
the board and it's president for SIX
years, displaying during the whole OF
that period a determined purpose tC
enforce the law. In May, 1895, he re
signed to become president of the
board of police commissioners of New
York city, in which position he dis
played equal fearlessness.
On the Inauguration of President
Mckinley in 1897, Mr.. Roosevelt re
signed from the police board to be
come assistant secretary Of the navy
in which position he served until the
outbreak of hostilities with Spain, and
to his energy has been justly ascribed
by some the readiness of the naval
branch of the service to enter upon
that brief and brilliant contest.
When hostilities were threatened
Mr.. Roosevelt left the navy depart
ment to become lieutenant-colonel OF
a regiment of rough riders, of which
Maj.-Gen. Leonard Wood was colonel
A part of this force embarked for
Cuba with the advance guard OF
Skaters army, on June Is, 1898, and
took part in all the engagements pre-
ceding the capture Of Santiago, in
GLIDING especially the battles of Las
Guasimas and San Juan. July J.
Roosevelt succeeded Wood as colonel
of the regiment.
In September following Colonel
Roosevelt was made the republican
candidate for governor of New York
receiving more than three-fourths OF
the votes of the convention. He de-
feated Augustus Van Wyck, the demo
cratic candidate, at the November
election by plurality of 1909.
At Philadelphia, June rs, 1900, the
national convention unani
mously nominated Col Roosevelt for
the vice-presidency. He was reluc
tant to accept but was induced to do
so. Col. Roosevelt made a memOr-
able campaigning tour of the country
speaking in cities and towns from the
Atlantic to the Pacific
Col. Roosevelt has been a hard stu
dent ever since he left college, and nu.
merous interesting volumes have
come from his pen. Among the mum
Der are The Naval War Of 1912, Hunt
ing Trips of a Ranchman and two
other volumes of similar character;
volumes of biography, having Thomas
H. Benton, Gouverneur Norris and
oliver Cromwell for their subjects; a
History of the City Of New York; two
volumes on political topics and four
volume history entitled The Winning
of the West, his most important liter
airy work His experience in the San
tiago campaign has also been detailed