The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-06-08
z5vf zn THE PRESIDENT ON HORSEBACK 19

with his rife he has held his own in the
Rocky Mountains side by side with
crack frontiersmen.
William II has but one perfect arm.
yet with that alone he can do more Diff
ferent kinds OF things than most peo-
pie with two. His vision is that of an
eagle, but any one who has tried to
shoot with one arm alone can appreciate
what it means to be good shot under
such condition. He is very fond OF
shooting, and riding is second nature,
in spite of the fact that he has but
the one hand for his sword and for the
reins as well. An eye witness spoke re-
Gently of having seen the Emperor ride
smoothly over series of bitches which
endorsed many of his officers. who at
tempted to follow. 1t is felt assured
that President Roosevelt could drop sew
eral of our generals off the active list IL
he followed the Emperor's example in
this matter.
The Antithesis of Indolent.
Mr.. Roosevelt's nature is the an
tithesis OF indolent His schoolmates and
college companions speak of him as
never being idle, even at that early Pc
riod of his life. He was never without
some absorbing topic. some book that
he would be devouring. He would disap-
pear mysteriously in the course OF a
social affair. and was sure to be found
in distant corner immersed in some
historical or biographical work. He sell
dom met chum but there ensued some
form Of scuffie involving boxing or
wrestling. leaping, tennis. pillow-ight-
ing, the tearing of garments, or the
demolition of furniture. His is, and
always was. nature that must find
vent in some form of physical exertion.
Early Dreams Realized.
When he went to law school, and be-
fore his election to the New York State
Legislature, his mind was full of
schemes for going West and leading a
savage life among the cowboys and In
dams and grizzly bears on the great
cattle ranges, and when he realized this
ambition and bought a ranch. and lost
a lot of money bv the venture, he yet
would grow eloquent over the magnifi
cent life that existed in the far away
Land of the Setting SUM-
Fifteen years before the Spanish war
he painted to a companion in glowing
colors the glory of going to war with
regiment of cowboys from the plains.
The life of sport which Roosevelt had
cultivated stood him in good stead dur
ing the war. for it enabled him not
only to win the admiration and respect
,t his rough subordinates, but to see
10 the training of men and horses, and
the getting his regiment into the pink of
condition.
Mr.. Roosevclt's home being IN salt
water, and his having been brought up
to the sea in a sense. it is not surpris-
ing that he should have experimental
with matters nautical: that he should
have early mastered the principles of
seamanship and have thus fitted himself
10 some extent for his Assistant Sec
of the Navy, and for writing
mis- History of the Naval War of 1872"
Prefers Land to Sea.
The President loves the sea, but the
and cn.-s him more effective means for
his muscles. The crack
'achtsman must have his heart on the
sea, so to speak. He must also have
,lenty of time, must be prepared to
iang about for weary days in
aim and not lose his temper. This sort
Il thing would never do for Roosevelt.
Is for steam yachting, that is not sport
n the true sense of the word.
There is a distinct difference between
he srortsmanlike spirit which the Pres
dent represents and the conventional
orm which exists for its own sake, and
ihich is founded on the animal life.
However perfect this phase, there Is no
oubt but that 1t is sacrifice of the
mind and finer sensibilities to the per-
ection Of the animal man. College ath-
atics, carried to excess. result in some-
hing of this kind, and 1t is this devo-
ion which Kipling has attacked in his
owerful poem, "Thc Islanders" much
o the general indignation of sporting
.ngland.
Embodiment of Best Sport Spirit.
The notion of this sort of sport is that
. is struggle for prize, and for the
lory Of victory; that the supremacy Of
luscle and wind, with the necessary