Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-08-30
attistellantu,ts Reading,
ROOSEVELT'S DUEL.

Failed to Materialize; But Teddy
Was Game.
In the crowd of from 10000 to $4,000
persons who, it is predicted, will be
present at Maplewood park when Pres
ident Roosevelt attends the Bangor
fair, late in August, there will be one
man at least whom the president will
be delighted to see and greet with the
most cordial Roosevelt greeting.
This man is "Bilr' Sewall, of Island
Falls.
"BilP' tramped the Maine woods and
rode over the western prairies with
Roosevelt long before the latter was
dreamed of as a presidential possibil-
ity: but even in those days "Bill' was
heard to predict that Teddy would
some day be the foremost man in the
United States.
"Bill" was a sort Of father to Roose-
Welt when the latter was in his teens.
and as pale and sickly youth he came
every year to the Aroostock woods to
shoot and fish, under the guidance Of
the veteran woodsmans It Is said the
president has always kept warm cor
ner in his heart for the old guide, and
that never a year has gone by without
some substantial token of his regard.
It Is now more than Is years since
the two first met, but they have kept
with each other through correspondence
ever since.
Sewall lives in one Of the most COM
Portable cottages in Island Falls and
owns a fine farm, some woodland and
camp at Mattawamkeag Lake, few
miles away. He Is 65 years old, tall,
spare, blue-eyed and fair-haired, with
fine cast of countenance, athletic
and very intelligent.
Roosevelt is first of all, an honest
man." said Bill, speaking of his ac-
quaintance with the president, land
one Of the plainest men ever met. He
doesn't judge a man by the clothes he
wears. or by his position in life. He
takes man at his true worth, and he's
been so ever since I can remember,
which was when I met him here as a
boy 25 years ago.
IT know him. for have eaten with
him and slept under the same blanket
with him. They say to know much
about a man you must know him in
that way.
Hell never be wealthy man.
Why, I've known him to financially aid
his political opponents when they got
into a tight place. and he often told me
the only pleasure he got from money
was in the good he could. do with it.
IT always said he'd be president some
day. l told him when he was only
IS years old that he'd sit in the White
House some day. Something told me
he would, and you see it has turned
out true.
He used to laugh at me. He never
wanted to be in public life then. He
wanted to be naturalist. He loved to
study trees and animals and expected
to devote his life to that sort of thing.
lone day when we were out hunting
he said to me in a sober way: Bill. I've
been thinking about what I shall do in
life. and feel that if 7 were to follow
my natural bent, and be naturalist. I
would be robbing my fellowmen of more
useful service. Consequently, 7 have
decided. much against my natural in
clination, to go into public life, and
for that shall fit myself by study and
training
I'm confident of one thing" con-
tinued Bill, land that is that unless
some of those tricksters get him tangled
up they'll never be able to get the bet
ter of him and they'll find him the hard
est man to corrupt they ever tackled.
I know this as we'll as know that I'm
alive. I know his every trait, for I
spent the happiest years of my life with
him. both here and on the ranch in
Dakota. where for three years I was
his foreman.
How did I come to meet Roosevelt?
Dr. ]. West Roosevelt and w. F. Roose-
welt, the latter a wealthy banker of
New York, used to come here to hunt
in the fall. Once they told me they
were going to invite young relative
of theirs up here. They said his name