The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-16
YOUNG ROOSEVELTS
ARRANGED A BOAT RACE FOR THE
JACKIES.
PRESIDENT AND HIS GUESTS
WE'RE INTERESTED SPECTATORS
ABOARD THE SYLPH.

Young ROOseveIts Were Masters OF
CeremOnies-Teddy and His COus-
in George Were the Starters-Miss
Alice Was with Them--K ermIt
Fired u Pistol as the Leading
Boat Crossed the Line, He ana
Philip, His Cousin, Being the
Judges-SaiIOrs' Guests.
Oyster Bay, N. Y. July 15.-Secre-
tary of the Treasury Shaw was the
guest of President Roosevelt to-day
He came here to discuss with Mr..
Roosevelt some matters of Importance
in his department.
In addition to Secretary Shaw,
Charles j. Bonaparte of Baltimore, Ray
Stannard Baker, the magazine writer,
and II. H. Kohlsaat of Chicago, were
the guests of me President and Mrs.
Roosevelt at luncheon.
Mr.. and Mrs. Roosevelt, together
with Secretary Shaw and large party
of relatiN es and friends, were inter-
ested witnesses of a boat race on Oys-
ter Bay this afternoon. The contest
ants were four crews of three men each
selected from the enlisted men of the
naval yacht Sylph.
President offered Prizes.
Spurred by the knowledge that the
eyes of the President were on them,
every one of the sailors worked in the
race with great vigor The race was
the idea of the Roosevelt children. 1t
1nnaa1p6 CfrnrOlU n
Through the commander of the Sylph,
the arrangements were perfected. The
President offered a prize of $35, $25 of
which should go to the winning crew
and, $40 to the second crew.
A launch commanded by Ensign
Hamlin, in which were Miss Alice
Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.,
and his cousin, George Roosevelt, tow
ed the boats to the starting point, a
mile and a quarter due southeast of
| the Sylph. Theodore and George
| Roosevelt acted as starters.
President Roosevelt stood in the ex-
treme bow of the Sylph and watched
the race through glasses. Besides him
were his son Kermit and his nephew,
Philip Roosevelt, who acted as judges
! of the finish.
AS number one swept across the fin
ish line, a winner by ten lengths from
number two, Kermits pistol cracked
announcing the finish of the contest
| The time was a fraction less than ten
minutes, for the mile and a quarter.
He Greeted the Crews.
President Roosevelt greeted the
members of the crews as they went
aboard the Sylph. shaking hands and
saying a word to each one. Then he
presented the prizes to the coxswains
of the winning and second crews. Soon
afterward the President and his party
| left the Sylph for home
To night Mr.. and Mrs. Roosevelt
dined on board the Sylph as the guests
of the enlisted men. At the conclusion
of the dinner, which was served in the
foreeastle, the President made brief
talk to the men. He desired them to
realize fully, he said that as Theodore
Roosevelt and as President of the
United States he had a warm and per-
sonal interest in them and in all the
enlisted men in the navy. The welfare
of the enlisted men, in both the navy
and army was one of the safeguards
of the country. He urged them to be
efficient and faithful in the perform
ance of their duties and jealous in
their work of preparation for a time,
which might come almost unexpected
ly, when their services would mean
the life of the nation.