The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-04-28
PRESIDENTS INTRODUCTION At
GARDINER.
" YOU'RE ALL RIGHT N AC"
Incident Showing Bond Of Friendship
Between Roosevelt and People
Of the West.
From Mondays Daily Gazette.

To have the distinction OF ~intrOduc-
ing to an audience the president Of
the United States is an honor of it.
self and many a man would give all
his earthly possessions and a lien on
the expected pleasures of the world
to come to be thus singled out above
his neighbors, but when that honor
is still further emphasized by a
hearty slap on the shoulder from the
occupant of the highest Office in the
world, accompanied by a breezy re-
mark expressive of the presidents
satisfaction at the manner in which
it was done, then the man SO distin-
guished is to be %pardoned If for the
remainder of his life he is inclined to
be just a little above the rest OF his
fellOwmen. Mayor" J. G. Mccartney
of Gardiner is a man who has been
thus doubly honored and distinguish
ed.
While the newspaper correspond
'ents who were present at the laying
of the cornerstone of the massive gate
which is to mark the eastern en-
trance to the Yellowstone National
park have told all about the larger
events that tr%anspired in connection
with that ceremony, they appear to
have overlooked the trifles, the little
things that went to show the nearness
of President Roosevelt to the people
and his sympathies with the men and
women of the west and his under
standing and accord of their breezy,
unconventional manners. Many OF
the things that the scribes did not
seem to consider worthy OF mention
impressed the large-hearted, free-and-
easy western audience the most, for it
is because of these they have come to
love and admire Theodore Roosevelt
the man, in addition to giving him the
honor due him as president.
What They Overlooked.
The newspaper readers of the entire
country have read about the preskE
dents arrival at Gardiner and the
honors that were shown him by the
military, the cheerss of the crowd and
the ceremonious display by the So
ciety according to whose ritual the
cornerstone vas laid. The inciden*
was photographed and the illustrated
papers throughout the land will pub
lish pictures of it. The presidents
dress has been described and por-
tions OF his speech have found their
way into the columns OF the public
print, but Mayor" McCartney's
speech OF introduction and the presi-
dents response to it have nowhere
appeared. In none of the prints that
have come to hand has the line,
You're all right, Mac" been dis
cernable, yet it was spoken by the
president at the same instant that
he brought his right hand in a vigor-
GUS slap on the mayors" broad back.
And didn't the people laugh and cheer,
for it was evidence that although he
vas president, Roosevelt was also one
of them and understood their ways
and customs and was not above con
forming to them. Woe to the anarch-
list or other assassin who at that
moment would have dared to show his
scowling face in danger to the sun
Drowned man that with springy step
advanced toward the edge of the plat
form to address the multitude wait
ing to hear what he had to say. The
secret service guard would have found
no need for it's services. The men OF
all trouble and would have done the
thing expeditiously and thoroughly.
Major Pitchers introduction OF
Mayor" Mccartney as the msn who
was to introduce the president evoked
a cheer that shook the hills and when
his honor" unabashed and unmind-
full of the fact that he wore a "soft''
shirt and that his clothes gave evil
dence Of good, honest, everyday wear
and use followed the major it was the
signal of another such cheer. Ladies
and Gentlemen: Inow introduce the
president of the United States, Thee.
dore Roosevelt" was all the intro
ductory speech consisted of, but it
pleased the president, no less than it
pleased the crowd. Applause follow
ed it and when the president slapped
his i%ntroducer on the shoulder and
said You're all right, Mac" there
was moi even a Missouri democrat in
the throng who would lot have voted
for him had an election for president