The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-13
MIR. ROOSEVELT AS A HUMoRIsT How He Named the Vixen When As
 sistant Secretary of the Navy.
Baltimore Sun,

Baltimore Sun.
 President Roosevelt possesses a char.
 acter!s;ir sense of huInor. It Is viSor-
 GUS and sometimes almost grotesque.
 When he was Assistant Secretary of
 tho Navy during the preparation for the
 spanish war tho government was buying
 numDer of paehts to be converted into
 torpedo boats. dispatch boats, scouts,
 etc. Considerable intimacy existed be-
 tween the family of President Roosevelt
 and that of one of tho officers of the
 this officer got fancy shc would like to
 have one of these beautiful little boats
 bear her name. There Is prejudice in
 the navy against giving q wocuans nams
 10 a war vessel of any type. It is be-
 lieyed to be unlucky. But the officer. who
 foend 1t opsier to face official prejudice
 than to resist the importunitieH of his bet tcr half. made tho request of Mir. Roose- welt.
 The Assistant Secretary of the Navy
 hesitated.
 Tt won't do," hc said. "I would like
 'o gratify. .your wife. but womln's name won't do.''
 ] he relcptod. "i will fix it." he said ''reii { your wife ii will he all right | The next d.y the boat vas named:
 ''rhe Vixen
 1 .l an going to put you in command
 of her." said Mir. Roosevelt when he an- l nounccd the name.
 The sun was over tho foyard and every
 old officer was llckng his lips. The
 suu1dron had been out for two days at
 target practice. and pn that day tho chiet [ officers of the several ships had been in- . vitcd on board Inc iagsh.o, where they
 were 10 bc entertained b. Theodore ] Roosevelt. Assistant Secretary of the l Navy. The guests and Mir Roosevelt talked about tho fca ,., of gunncrS and 1 speculated upon how such and such a
 shot would have counted had the target | been a Spanish ship. All save Mr. Hoose- | vrt had begun to weary Of this toplc. ! They found 1t dry. and conversation had 1 begun to lag by the time luncheon was
 announced. Men who had been long on | salt water were conscious of something
 lacking in the entertainment. For some | time there had been a clearing of throats
 and significant exchange of glances. MT 1 Rooseveits eyes, following those of his
 guests. caught the angle of tho sun to | the fo'yard.
 Will you step into the cabin and have
 some tea?'' he said, with an expression 1 which might he significant of most any | thing but which received but one inter- | prctation by those who felt the salt spray [ ip their throats. The movements towato | the cabin was spontaneous. There. inthe center of great table, rested punch | bowl of magnificent proportions, filied nearly to the brim with liquid shade deeper than amber or the r'cnest hue. lh l It's center fioated an island of ice; sprays of mint were scattered at its base and ex- tended their slender leaves over its brim while pieces of lemon and other fruit u0ate0 on tne SuTIaCc Ok tnc cVpt ohu tempting flood. A generous ladie was dipped into it's mysterious depths and glasses were marshaied around. The old commodore. with the color Of the sun upon his face and the dryness of the desert in his throat. turned eagerly toward this oasis. He stirred the ladie
 lovingly in the bowl, while others gath cred about him. He held his glass, filled 10 the brim, between his eye and the sun light that came with a burning blow through the cabin window. and the clat- ter and cling of glasses sounded through the cabin as each officer filled to the oc- casion. With an air of contentment ana anticipated joy he brought the glass to his lips Then, as all lifted their glasses
 to follow his example, a look Of horror passed over his face. his hand trembled, and the glass almost fell to the table. Be d--d if 1t a,a't tea?' he gasped. Shortly after Mir. Roosevelt entered the White House a politician catled upon him with reference to appointments. After inc preliminary expressions of high es- teem. unbounded admiration. and eternal loyalty. the politician began to disclose his business
 1T want to speak to you about MT.
 Blank, who holds a small office down in my district-
 The politician didn't finish his sentence. "What" exclaimed Roosevelt inter- ruuting him. 'Is that internal scoundrel 1 stiIl i'm that place? I had some knowl- edge of hirS when I was Civil Service | Commissioner
 The politician acknowledged that Mir. Blank was still there and then turned tne subject. I-