Free press., 1901-10-12

American citizen who has ever been |
called to the head of our nation. He |
was born in New York City, October |
II, 1858, his father, after whom he was |
named. being prominent merchant, |
a patriot, philanthropist, and NOV |
ing spirit in the Civil War. The elder |
Theodore Roosevelt went to Washing |
ton after the first Battle of Bull Run,
and warned President Lincoln that he |
must get rid of Simon Cameron as Sec
retary OF War, with the result that
Mr.. Stanton, the Organizer of vic
tory" took his place. When the war
vas fairly under way, it was Theodore
Roosevelt who organized the allotment
plan, which saved the families of
eighty thousand soldiers of New York
State more than five million dollars of
their pay; and when the war was over
he protected the soldiers against the
sharks that lay in wait for them, and
saw to it that they got employment
Through his influence the New York
newsboys' lodging-house system and
many other institutions of public bene-
ut and helpful charity were established
There were four children in the Roose-
velt family, of whom Theodore was the
girls. A younger brother was killed in
railroad accident. and the hopes of
the father were centered on Theodore.
At the age of five or six, Theodore gave
little promise of maintaining the pres
tige of the Roosevelt family line.
Che PreSsdenf'S Early BoY6ood.
He was a puny, sickly, delicate boy.
Some one who knew him in those days
of the Civil War described him as a
''weak-eyed, pig-chested boy, who was
too frail to take part in the sports of
lads of his age" When he arrived at
the age of six. he was sent to the
famous old McMullen School, where he
remained for eight years. It was not,
however, in New York that the boy
Roosevelt spent with most profit the
months to which he looks back with
pleasure. The elder Roosevelt believed
that children best thrive in the coun-
try. He selected beautiful spot near
the village of Oyster Bay, on the north
shore of Long Island and erected a
country house which well deserves it's
title, Tranquility" Here it was among
the hills which border the sound and
the bay, that Theodore Roosevelt and
his brother and sisters spent the long
summer months. At fourteen Theodore
was admitted to the Cutler School, a
private academy in New York conduct
ed by Arthur H. Cutler. Here he took
the preparatory course for Harvard
University, making rapid advancement
under the careful tuition of Mr.. Cutler,
and graduating with honors.
BeconeS an Athlete.
-
gymnasium exercise and out-of-door
life his frame became more sturdy and
his health vastly improved. 1t thus
happened that when young Roosevelt
entered on college life at Harvard, in
1875, he suffered little by comparison
with boys of his age. While he did not
stand in the front rank Of athletics, he
was well above the average, and had
no reason to be ashamed Of his physt-
cal prowess.
Never for a waking moment was he
idle 1t was either study or exercise.
in addition to his regular studies and
special courses he took upon himself
the editorship of the college paper, and
made success of it. He was demo-
cratic in his tastes and simple in his
mode of living. Theodore Roosevelt
was graduated from Harvard in 1880
with high honors. In spite of severe
study. his health was but little i'm
paired, and he at once started on
foreign journey in search Of instruc-
tion, pleasure and adventure. He dis
:inguished himself as mountain
climber, ascending the Jungfrau, the
Matterhorn and many other peaks, and
was made a member of the Alpine Club
Of London.
Begins Study of LotO.
On his return to America he studied
law, and in the fall of 1881 he was
elected to the State Assembly from the
Twenty-first District of New York,
generally known as Jacob Hess's dis
trict.
By reelection he continued in the
body during the session OF 1888 and
1884 He introduced important reform
measures, and his entire legislative
career was made conspicuous by the
courage and zeal with which he as
sailed political abuses. AS chairman of
The Committee on Cities he introduced
lhe measure which took from the
Board of Aldermen the power to con-
1rm or reject the appointments OF the
Mayor. He was chairman of the noted
legislative investigating committee
which bore his name. In 1884 he went
TO the Bad Lands in Dakota, near the
~Pretty Buttes," where he built log