Evening star., 1902-09-13
WITH THE PRESIDENT
LIFE ON BOARD THE TRAIN
WHEN HE TRAVELS.
A Pleasure to the Newspaper Men
His Consideration for the
People.

President is not only delight full travelling
companion, but he is frank and fair with
the newspaper correspondents. He tells
them many interesting things when oppor-
tunity throws them together the train
going from one point to another. Frequent
y the Presidents remarks are not for pub
lication, but the correspondents enjoy hear
ing the chief executive talk and relate his
experiences in civil or political life.
The understanding among. wellposted
newspaper men is that, no matter what the
President says, he is never to be quoted.
The same understanding existed in the pro-
fession with President Mckinley, and it
was an exceedingly rare thing to see any
remark attributed to the late President.
Whenever this was the case it was due to
some country reporter overhearing a re-
mark No legitimate newspaper reporter
or correspondent has violated the desire Of
President Roosevelt, except one, and not
one ever deliberately broke over the rules
laid down by President Mckinley. GER
tain New York newspaper man went aboard
the Presidents train on the recent New
England trip, Immediately after the acci-
dent in which Craig lost his life, tosesk for
a statement of the accident The President
made statement, and seeing few new
faces among the newspaper men, said: mo.
a word of this will be used as coming from
and it was heard by all. Yet one man vio
lated the request. He won't have oppor-
tunity to do so again. Newspaper readers
who at any time see what purports to be an
interview with the President may be rea-
Sonably certain that it Is fake.
Sleeps Well on the Train.
President Roosevelt has been accustomed
to 'roughing IT. too many years not to be
able to sleep on a train running at a swift
gait. He never goes to bed until near mid
night when out on his trips and sits up
until somewhere near that hour talking
over business affairs with Secretary Cor
telyou. He has no time for that during the
day, as the local committees of cities he
is visiting keep him busy riding around or
making speeches. On the trains in the day
time he is constantly having to make his
appearance on the rear platform in response
to the demands of crowds at small stations
and there is little time to do business then.
Most of the time, also, republican senators
or representatives, or other prominent per-
sons guests of the President from
city to another through their territory and
the President entertains them in his car.
On his recent southern trip the President
had opportunity to spend one night at a
hotel, but he said the was good enough
for him and remained aboard. He sleeps
about as late as he does when at his home
in the White House, and just soundly,
too. The only occupants of the car with
him are Secretary COrtelyou and Assistant
Secretary Barnes. They take their meals
with him. At dinner the time taken is
generally about an hour and ten minutes,
never less than an hour unless there is
good reason for shorter time.
Looking Into the Wrong Cars.
An amusing thing to railroad and news
paper men with the President Is the way
the people congregated at stations do in
looking for the President when the train
rolls up. Nearly all of them invariably fix
Z hoir ,rlo ba Gvc-
slowly runs by to come to a stop, and peer
eagerly into its windows to see If they can
catch a glimpse of him. When they do not
see him in the first or two coaches they
assume that he is tucked away somewhere
and they remain standing, not knowing
what to do. The Presidents coach is al
ways the last one on the train. 1t is put
in that position for two main reasons. The
first is that he is more accessible to the
crowds and that it is more convenient get
ting in and out The next is that it is the
safest place on the train in case of acc-
dent. Rear coaches of a derailed train or
one cOlliding with an obstruction seldom suf-
fer as seriously as the first coaches. For
observation purposes the rear coach is the
most satisfactory. Often people stand look
ing aimlesSly about when the train comes
to a standstill until the crowd gets to
moving to the rear, some one tells the
people the President is in the last car
President Roosevelt is obliging and cour-
through which the train skins without a
stop. If he hears them cheer or knows that
they are cOngregated at the depot he steps
to the rear platform and bows pleasantly
and graciously. Some times a single en-
gine on side track will Shrek a welcome
to the President as he speeds by. Because
he likes railroad men the President will re-
spond to the salute by walking to the rear
of his car and bowing to the engineer and
fireman.
Some Familiar Phrases.
President Roosevelt has a few homely
when he is getting right down to a heart
to heart talk with his audience AS a fine
scholar and a versatile writer, he has a
splendid command of English and never
has occasion to repeat word or phrase in
his various speeches unless by his own de-
sire and because he knows the expressions
than high-fown words. One of his favorite
expressions is that when a man won't
stay put ne is a poor man. The express
sion is one in domestic use throughout the
United States and especially in the south
To stay put is to remain where YOU are
placed and do your duty without finching
Il don't care the snap of my finger" is
another expression of the President in de-
scribing his lack of regard for this thing
or that kind of a man.
The President talks occasionally to his
hearers about the manly qualities in man
and holds up his ideals of what a man
should be. He places honesty courage
and common sense as the funda mental es-
sentials Of a good man. Without these three
things a man isn't complete. "A man who
is worth his salt and "a man who can
pull his own weight" are plain expressions
with the President that mean something to
an audience of North Carolina mountain
GERS or to the general public. "A man who
has the stuff in him" is sometimes en-
ployed by the President Mr. Roosevelt
has high opinion of the cardinal virtues
of the American citizen and believes that
no higher or more magnificent type of man
lives than in this country. For the bene-
mt Of the weaker brethren the President oc-
casionally talks on the civic qualities of
man and tells what he thinks constitutes
the real American citizen. His speeches
on these subjects always strike responsive
chords