The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-09
RoOsEvELr IN HIS YOUTR.
Capt. yelsor Tells How He went Up tine
Sound as He said He would.

1
Sound as He said He would.
OYSTER BAY, l.. l., Aug 8.-Capt. Daniel
| velsor, owner OF the oyster boat Sally in
Our Alley, was sitting on the pier at the
| end OF South street here the other after
noon smoothing his whiskers with the
innate satisfaction that a grizzled growth
of more than three score years affords
This IL the yarn he spun as he smoothed
them.
"One sprir mornn' nigh on to thirty.
five years ago Sally's nose was hard on the
beach and ! was sittin' in her openir
scollops, when see lad In blue swimmin
suit with he arms cut of at the shoulders
comm up on the Sally's port in a canoe
The waves was smackin' ag'in the little
craft in lively shape an the spray was a-fyin
over the boy by the pailful.
Hey, mister, says he { me- an the
brine was a-drippin' of his nose an chin
will We please give me lift with my canoe
over the Neck? ! want Z 60 up round the
island on The Sound side says he.
Young man. says { him. we don't
pear { know jest 'xactly what you're talkin
about, do YEP That sea out there, says 1
would swamp that little bark o. yourn in
Less time than il took Capt. Kidd T. pull a
gun. And besides says 1 t. him, IL your
canoe could stand the racket, by gosh, ye
amt got the stuff in We t pull lin that seq
anyway
Say, mister. says he t. me. sort o pert
like, as he sent his boat up close t the Sally e
side. I'd have We know | come down here
! 60 up on the Sound an I'm goin', says
he, sea or no sea-
Well, says |, anyway l amt goin
to lend hand t the drownin' OF We, an
il ye git that bit of a boat over the Neck
to-day says |. 1 guess you'll git it over all
by yourself
Then l sat myself T. openin scollops
az in, but keepin' weather eye on the
boy jest the same
"For he was likely-lookin' sort O lad
not what youd call strappin', but tightly
put together all the same, for a boy jest
bout turnin' fourteen year. watched
him, I'm telln' ye, while shelled scollops
a-beach alongside the Sally's bow an
Even then, though, III be shipwreoked
seven times in quick succession il I thought
he'd try all by hisself { get the boat over
the rough 2OO-yard stretch between the
bay an the Sound. He was barefooted,
but he dug his feet into the gravel like a
4.
He raked her over the stones foot or two
at a time when he set to an give her a jerk
after tuggin' and pullin steady for a
while
He'd got bout half way cross the pisce
when see it was a-comin' harder an harder
for him But I knowed that he'd never
give up now that he'd gone SO far.
$50 l says, says t myself, What's the
Use o tryin' t. stop him. Ye can't do 1t.
He goin' t 60 over sure an If give him a
boost, says t. myself. he'll he a durn
sight more filter & stand the sea than IL
he's tuokered hisself all out jerkin' that
there boat over
Understand now the captain added
THAT didn't mind givin him fit. Bgosh
I'm proud & say I never refused & help
man in trouble yet. What was shy
about was dom something that would
put the boy in danger, an when 1 made
up my mind t. help him bit did It cause
thought it was FOR his own good
The captain caught his breath, pulled
| some more and continued
Hold on there says / . him, as I
dropped my scollop knife an riz right up
| from NV seat.
oh, don't bother yourself about me.
mister says he t me. =, 49,,
Yes, by thunder. l will. boy says
I, and piled out x where he was strainin'
he thanked me.
Once more, my boy says when we'd
got O the Sound shore; take sailors
advice an don't start out in that there
craft till things has cleared bit
throwed his shoulders way back, but !
come down here & go up the Sound an
up the Sound I'm goin'.'N
Capt velsor gave his listeners time to
think 1t all over, then went on:
well, that there boy did 60 up the Sound
an my heart was way up in my mouth
for a-watchin' o. him. He tried twice T.
git the canoe of shore. an both times he
was spilled out an hissef an the canoe
driven ashore.
"On the third try he got OF clean. The
little craft went out o. sight every time the
waves dipped an the caps broke over her
in thunderin' big splashes. But the lad
pulled right strong oar an kept her head
on like q tar
Il follered him along the shore till see
he was a-goin' { make go of it all right.
Then, thinking o. the kids sand an grit
/ goes back t the Sally an opens scollops
Now, said Capt. Daniel Velsor chestily,
with a gesture that swept the horizon
from West Bav 20 Sycamore Hill, sw-h-o
do You think THAT y-o-u-n-g NAL
w-a-s2"
Then before anybody had a chance to
guess, he perforated:
THAT was Theodore Roosevelt. now
President of the United States. the man
who'll get Capt. Daniel Velsor's vote as
long as the captains oysters grow in Oyster
Raw