, 1902-02-14
SAW THE PRESIDENT
HEADED OFF POLITICIAN WHO
HAD WAITED FOUR
DAYS.
Grubb Of Colorado Discusses
Western Matters With Roosevelt,
Who Assured Him No Measure
Would Be Signed Which Did Not
Protect Small Stockmen.

I'm a democrat, but President
Roosevelt can have my vote whenever
he wants it," said President W. L..
Grubb of the Colorado Cattle and
Horse Growers association last even
ing to a Denver Republican reporter.
Mr.. Grub has just returned from a
trip to Washington and other parts Of
the asst While in Washington he call.
ed upon the president. and is highly de
lighted with his interview.
when | got to Washington. I made
up my mind to call on the president"
said Mr.. Grubb. "and as | did not like
to bother any of our senators or con
gressmen thought | would just sail in
myself. To be honest, | did not have
much hope when | started for the
White House and | had still less when
| got in and saw the crowd waiting.
There were probably IS or so people
there. However, | sen in my card.
which bore my name and the fact that
I was connected with the Colorado
State Association of Cattlemen. While
| was waiting | got into conversation
with an attorney from Ohio who is
close to Foraker. He told me that he
was waiting to see the president and
had been waiting for four days. He
asked me what | was there for and |
told him that l was in from Colorado
and just wanted to shake hands with
the president. Well. you'll have a
hard time waiting he said. Just then
the usher came up and said that the
president would see me right away.
You should have seen the look on that
lawyers face. He had been there four
days and had been there but about Is
minutes.
well. I went in with six or seven
others. There were no chairs in the
room into which We were ushered and
We all stood up, as did the president,
who greeted his visitors one at a time,
shook hands, talked a few minutes and
passed on to the next. There was moth
ing private about the talks either. The
president spoke right out with all he
had to say n the only whispering
was done by the other fellow. 1t was
amusing at times to see some of the
visitors try to tow him off into a ri
and whisper to his ear. The president
would follow patiently enough, but
when it came to his turn to talk. he
would speak loud enough for all the
room to hear. There is not the slight
est doubt that Teddy is the boss in
Washington and they all know 1t now.
1t is understood that there are to be no
heart-toh heart condolences with him
when the business is of a public nature
and during public hours.
THE president greeted me very
kindly and had several minutes con
yersation with him, mostly on the land
question. He spoke very freely to me
and l was surprised to see how well
posted he was on the conditions that
eAiSI i'll lHS puoiIC lau6Ss VI Iuc West-
l told him how our people felt on the
leasing proposition and he was greatly
interested. He declined to express an
opinion upon the leasing bills now
pending but he did say to me that no
bill should have his approval that did
not fully protect the rights Of the small
stOrkpop ond tboir hordo
my impressions of the president
were exceedingly satisfactory. He i'm
pressed me Is every inch a man. the
kind we recognize as men in the west,
md his perfect familiarity with vest
ern subjects. and his interest in the
things that the west is interested in.
impressed me very strongly. We dis
cussed the irrigation proposition and
he spoke very warmly Of his desire to
see the west settled into small farms
and his belief that the government
should assist in storing the water for
irrigation.
Our state association will meet here
March 3. and undoubtedly the leasing
question will come up, at least the
Bowersock bill which Is being pushed
in Washington will be considered.
Most of all the small stockmen are op-
posed to it. They regard it as a good
thing for the corporations and conse-
quently not a good thing for the small
believe that the range
problem will be solved shortly and in
a manner that will prove satisfactory
to the great majority. l do not think
that the leasing plan Is feasible at this
time, at least. None Of the plans pro
posed has been satisfactory to the ma
jority of our association. which repre-
sents the small stockmen of this state"
Mr. Wheeler Got Rid Of His Rheumat-