The Indianapolis journal., 1902-09-16
ON THE ROOSEVELT TRAIN
LIFE ON THE RAIL WHEN THE CHIEF
EXECUTIVE TRAVELS
A Pleasure to the Accompanying
tiOn for the People.
Washington Star.

Travelling with President Roosevelt on his
trips throughout the country is pleasure
tc newspaper men. Something OF the spirit
of the man himself is shared by his fellow
travellers Of the newspaper profession. The
President is not only delightful travelling
companion, but he is frank and fair with
the newspaper correspondent. He tells them
many interesting things when opportunity
throws them together on the train going
from one point to another. Frequently the
Presidents remarks are not for publica-
tion, but the correspondents enjoy hearing
the chief executive talk and relate his ex-
periences in civil or political life.
The understanding among well-posted
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 1t
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 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. A 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, to ask for
a statement of the accident The President
made statement, and seeing few new
faces among the newspaper men, said: mot
a word of this will be used as coming from
me, / am sure" He repeated this request,
and 1T was heard by all. Yet one man vio-
lated Lated the re request; he - wont have roPors opPor-
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 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 busi-
ness then. Most of the time, also, Repub-
lican Senators or Representatives or other
prominent persons are guests of the Pres
ident from one city to another through
their territory and the President enter
tainS them in his car. On his recent South
ern trip the President had opportunity TO
spend one night at a hotel, but he said the
car was good enough for him and re-
mained aboard. He sleeps about as late
as he does when at his home in the White
House, and just as soundly, too. The only
occupants of the car with him are Secre-
tary 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.
An amusing thing to railroad and news.
paper men with the President is the way
looking for the President when the trair
rolls up. Nearly all of them invariably fix
their glances on the first coach as the trair
slowly runs by to come to stop, and peel
eagerly into Its windows to see If they car
| catch a glimpse Of him. When they do no
| see him in the first one 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 pu
| in that position for two main reasons. The
| first is that he is more accessible to th'
| crowds and that 1t is more convenient get
| ting in and out The next is that it is th'
| safest place on the train In case of acci
dent Rear coaches of a derailed train o.
| one colliding with an obstruction seldom
| suffer as seriously as the first coaches. Fo
| observation purposes the rear coach Is tn
most satisfactory. Often people stand look
ing aimleSSly about when the train come
| to stardstill until the crowd gets to NOV
| ing to the rear. or some one tells the peopl
| the President is in the last car
| President Roosevelt is obliging and cour
| teous to people who live in small town
| through which the train skins without
| stop. If he hears them cheer or knows tina
| they are congregated at the depot he step
tn In md G N
| and graciously Sometimes a single engin
on a side track will shrek a welcome t
the President as he speeds by Because h
likes railroad men the President will re
spond to the salute by walking to the rea
| of his car and bowling to the engineer an
| fireman.
SOME FAMILIAR PHRASES.
President Roosevelt has a few homel!
but timely words and phrases that he USE
when he Is getting right down to heart
to-heart talk with his audience. AS a fin
scholar and a versatile writer, he has
| splendid command of English and neve
has occasion to repeat a word or phrase II
his various speeches unless by his own de
sire and because he knows the expression
are understood and go right home bette
than high-fiown words. One of his favorit
expressions is that when a man won
"stay put he is a poor man. The expires
| sion is one in domestic use throughout tn
| United States and especially in the South
To stay putt is to remain where you ar
| placed and do your duty without fiinching
81 don't care the snap of my finger" /
| another expression of the President in de
scribing his lack Of regard for this thin
or that kind of man.
The President talks occasionally to hi
hearers about the manly qualities in ma
and holds Nup his ideals of what ma
should be. He places honesty. courag
and common sense as the fundamental es
sentials of a good man. Without thes
three things a man isn't complete %.
man who is worth his salt and "a ma
who can pull his own weight are plai
EXPIRE ssions with the President that mea
something TO an audience of North Care
lima mountaineeers or to the general public
"a man who has the stuff in him.
sometimes employed by the President. M
Roosevelt has high opinion of the cardir
al virtues of the American citizen and be
lieves that no higher or more magnifcer
type OF man lives than in this country. Fo
the benefit of the weaker brethren til
President occasionally talks on the civi
qualities of man and tells what he think
constitutes the real American citizen. H
speeches on these subjects always strik
responsive chords.