Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-30
HIS HEARTY LAUGH.
That Distinctly Roosevelt" Fea-
ture of the President.
TUESDAY A HAPPY DAY FOR HIM
Though Strenuous, His Experience
Seemed PIeasant--Des Moines Party
counterfeits the President and Other
Prominent Men.

"The President has been in his hap
piest vein and has been happy as
| little boy throughout the day" said
| Ora Williams, a Des Moines newspaper
correspondent, who accompanied the
official party through Iowa Tuesday.
| The remark was made as President
| Roosevelt entered the big tent to be-
gin his address to the assembled thou
sands, and was borne out by Mr..
| Roosevelt's happy demeanor from the
moment he reached the platform. His
/ face expanded into the smile which
has made friends for him so often as
he saw the vast assemblage of people
waiting patiently to hear his speech,
and as he rose to talk those sitting
nearest him could see that the smile
was not mere outward show of pleas
ure, for the Presidents genial chuckle
indicated that he was more than
4 pleased with the splendid reception he
i had received and laughed from sheer
joy.
J The Roosevelt Laugh.
Often during his address President
| Roosevelt paused and laughed at some
remark of approval that would come
to him from some interested auditor
and each time. though the cause was
unknown to the vast majority of the
audience the thousands of people in
sight of the great man felt the joyous
infection of his laugh and took it up
heartily.
The laugh which has been derided
by certain cartoonists and made to
show a double row of grinning teeth
surmounted by britsling mustache
is an unknown quantity with the real
Roosevelt The genuine Roosevelt
laugh, which is the same as his smile
for there is no halfway measure about
the President, is hearty "glad-to
see-you.'' laugh that starts at the CHR
and loses itself in the locks of the
hair that crowd each other at his
? temples. His laugh is one of his most
pleasant characteristics and without
it, he would be the less hearty, sincere
open-minded Teddy Roosevelt, whom
8 the people love.
A Pleasant Trip.
1--WE have had pleasant trip thus
1 far" said Nelson 2. Webster stenog
!, rapher to the President Everything
! has beer carried out exactly to tn,
! program arranged in Washington, ant
: everywhere the President has been &C
: corded a royal welcome. Even at tn
!. little crossroads towns through whicl
the presidential train goes whirling
u crowds of people line both sides of thu
! track to wave a greeting to their Pres
q ident. Mr.. Roosevelt is in splendi
5 health and spirits, and is probably tn
most consistently jolly man in the en-
:, tire party
A Touch of Comedy.
d Tuesday, when Governor Cum
Minis train was preceding the Pres
/ dents special over the Gainesville
S branch of the Burlington from Va
II Vert to Des Moines, the party of De
e Moines people on board perpetrated
/, Joke upon the residents OF severa
1t small communities which is too goo
Is to keep Governor Cummns left hi
4 train at Clarinda and Travelled in til
1t train with the President, leaving Sc,
e eral state officials and other prom
nent Iowa politicians to ride in hi
r special.
lie The Des Moines train ran consider
s ably ahead of the Presidents specia
ID several small stationsa lat each OF whic
ClOWuS vi pSOpit nSiS w eitlLS lUI
lie glimpse of the President and Governc
d Cummins. 1t looked wrong to tn
~ capital city delegation to disappear
the people and accordingly they a
ie pointed themselves members of til
~ Presidents party at some of tn
e, places. Speaker w. l.. Eaton of tn
70 Iowa house of representatives was 0
u these occasions introduced as Pres
y, dent Roosevelt, w. B. Martin, seer
" tary of state, learned how TO bo
le gracefully when he was called Cover
" or Cummins and N. E. Kendall OF A
g bia. member of the house of repr
sentatives, took the part of Lieut.
P. Hobson in the little comedy. I'll
reception accorded the counterfeit
a., was enthusiastic and the people we
:" no doubt satisfied.
ne Secretary Loeb I'LL.
of Secretary Loeb, who is member
in the Presidents party was Ill Tue
lis day and was unable to leave his stat
at room. His place in the parade al
MT th,.ouoI,oIt the evening was taken 1