Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-14
PROMISE PRESIDENT A SHOT
Guides Say Bears Are Plentiful in smedes
District.
TRAIN RUNS SEVENTY MILES AN HOUR
Roosevelt Gets Impatient and Asks
Engineer to Make Faster Time
over Last Part of Run to
Hunting Grounds.

SMEDEs, Miss, Nov. 1S.-President
Roosevelt and his party arrived shortly be-
fore this afternoon and started soon
afterward for the camp on Little Sunhower
river. AS the distance is about fifteen
miles and the trail rough and bad, the
chances are that it was after dark before
they. reached the camp.
Smedes is simply a siding on the Yazoo
& Mississippi Valley railway where cotton
is loaded from the big smede plantations.
Work on the neighboring plantations was
suspended this afternoon and several hun
dred negroes we're at the siding when the
train stopped. Most OF the men sat on the
cotton bales, but the black mammies and
the pickanninies stood along the track.
They showed their white teeth in hard
grins, but made no other demonstrations
as the president stepped from the train.
He was clad in hunting costume, kakhi
riding trousers, heavy leather leggings,
blue flannel shirt, corduroy coat and wore
brown slouch hat, around his waist was
buekled his cartridge belt and at his side
hung his ry-handled hunting knife. The
other members of the party also wore
hunting suits.
While the guns, blankets and other small
baggage were being loaded into a four mule
ager OF the Smede estate and two women
who were great admirers Of his and who
had come especially to greet him.
Dash Away on Horses.
The members OF the party, except Mr.
Fish and Mr.. Dickinson, mounted small
horses and dashed away for the woods at
a breakneck canter.
Two disappointments met the president
here. Mr.. Mingum, who had much to do
with arranging the hunt, was too Ill to
proceed to camp tonight and in trying the
pack of hounds today half of the dogs went
off after a deer. As there are only twenty
two dogs in the pack the split is very
disquieting, but Mr. Mingum is trying to
obtain a pack of twenty-five dogs owned
by Bobb a famous bear hunter, about 100
miles north OF here. In place OF Mr..
Mingum 1t has been arranged that Hugh
Foote and Hoke Collier will hunt with the
president.
Paths have been cut through the under
growth to be used as cutoffs to the river
crossing and on these stations the members
of the party, except the president, will be
stationed.
VIII Lose Five Pounds.
The president and his guides will follow
the hounds through the underground in
order to be at hand II bear is brought to
bay.
1T will be powerful hard said Mr..
Miugum, "and predict the president will
lose at least five pounds in the next FIVE
days. rode through therN few days ago
and when I got out my Clothes were al
most torn of. looked as il had been in
railroad wreck"
| Mr.. Mingum says the black bears here
| abouts weigh from 300 to 600 pounds. 1--WE
! have a set of scales at the camp" said he,
land the beasts will be weighed when they
are brought in"
| Signs of bears in the vicinity of the camp
are plentiful and Mr.. Parker promises the
president a shot before tomorrow evening
! The presidents train is on the sidetrack
here and a telegraph station has been
rugged up in a box car on the siding The
arrangements made to prevent a crowd OF
! curious people from spelling the presi-
dents fun were admirably carried out
! The people Of Vicksburg wanted to run an
excursion here this afternoon to see the
president, but the Illinois Central would
not permit it.
Friends Join Him.
CLARKSDALE. Miss, Nov. 1s.-Presi.
dent Roosevelt was joined at Memphis by
the members OF the hunting party Stuy.
! vesant Fish of the Illinois Central, Mr.
Dickinson, John NJ. Parker OF New Orleans
John McElhenny. formerly lieutenant II
the Rough Riders; Major G. NJ. Helm, w
w. Mingum and II. L. Foote. The lattei
three are large Mississippi planters and
well known bear hunters.
Collier. one OF the guides. was credited
| by Mr.. Parker with having been in at th'
death OF 1000 bears.
at will be rough work" said Mr.. Parke
to the president when he joined him.
That is exactly what want" replied
Mr.. Roosevelt.
And we will have bear meat for sunda!
dinner" added Mr.. Parker.
Let us get the bear before we arrang
for the dinner" responded the president
| lauRhinR