Evening star., 1903-10-03
HAS A FINE MEMORY

Iney uSeu TO comment WIN anndZeIneHt
upon what a memory James G. Blaine had
for faces and names and minor Incidents.
remarked a New York newspaper corre-
spondent who has been covering Oyster
Bay during the Presidents stay there this
past vacation. but it's case of hats on for
Mr.. Theodore Roosevelt when 1t comes to
the memory question, too. I don't think
that Blaine ever had anything on him in
the strength of his memory.
Before this past summer had only met
Mr.. Roosevelt few times. and before
was sent to Oyster Bay to help to keep
watch and ward over the affairs of state
at the summer capital I hadn't clapped an
eye on him since the year 1896 Mr.. Roose-
welt was a police commissioner of New
York then and l was attached to the Sun
day staff of one of the bug papers OF New
York, writing hasheesh stuff to fit with
the sprawling. idiotic pictures of pipe
looney artists
This saffron sheet had a tremendous
leaning toward those things called 'sympo-
siums-you know those punches of express
sions of opinions from all sorts of notables
on all conceivable topics. l was the sympo-
SUM victim of the paper-that is TO say.
sums
''One day the Sunday editor got into
very Lombrosoish frame of mind, and he
called me in and told me to go out and
certain noted female criminal-a murderess
who was at that time awaiting trial in
the Tombs. l was to find out from tho
bunch of notables what they thought of
this woman and her crimes. My list in
cluded slathers of noted New York men and
women-Cha uncey Depew, of course-Rob-
ert G. Ingersoll, Horace Porter, Frederic
Coudert Bishop Potter, Archbishop Corri-
gan. Commissioner Roosevelt and a Whole
lot of other celebrated folks that can't
think of now.
Il bothered the lives out of these un-
fortunates for Il couple of weeks, and
finally able to slap some sort Of a
symposium together by main force. They
were all getting pretty tired of digging up
that kind of slush for the bug paper but
all but used a piece of gaspipe on them,
and by such means l cOntrived to get most
of them to come to the front with some
sort of an expression of opinion as to the
idiotc subject that l presented for their
conSidera ton.
welt of the police department, however
MIR. Commissioner Roosevelt famed me in
great shape.
Il found him at his office in the Mulberry
street building, and he received me very
cordially. When l started to state my MS
sion, using a lot of Lombroso-Nordau
terms SOS to impress him and make hit
with him and cause him to see how famil-
lar l was with the subject he showed his
teeth with the greatest geniality imagina
BILE. He got up and leaned against the door
jamb and stuck his hands into his trousers
pockets. He kept right on smiling at me
when l had finished.
We'll. go ahead, Mr.. Commissioner
said l.
Go ahead and what?' he asked, still
smiling that way.
g Dig said 1. Cough. A hull lot of it.
I'll take it in shorthand. 1 need the space
No, son. said the commissioner, ami
ably but firmly. No symposiums for me
don't sympose,' and he laughed joyously.
He said 'sympose,' too. all right. 1 don't
want to appear in such swell company. And
l don't know anything about the subject.
anyhow. Nevertheless, l am vastly obliged
to you for asking me to join the symposium
elighted-er-good day, son-call again
when you really want to find out some
thing, you know-but no Symposiums,' and
then l found myself gracefully edged
toward the door. and out of 1t. That was
all. l didn't get Mr. Commissioner Roose-
welt into my little symposium.
"AS | say. that was the last time | saw
Mr.. Roosevelt until my paper-not a bug
paper this time-sent me to reside at Oyster
Bay when Mr.. Roosevelt began his vacation
there in June. l got to Oyster Bay after
rived and l saw Mr.. Loeb and presented
my credentials, and he took me in for
moments chat with the President.
Why, how are you? said Mr.. RoOse-
welt, grasping me cordially by the mitt. I
haven't seen you for years-where have
you been keeping yourSelf--in New York all
the time? And have you been going right on
getting up those weird sympos!ums? and he
leaned back in his revolving chair and
laughed heartily.
Il had come near forgetting that SYM
postum incident myself that had to cudge
my memory to recall it to mind, but he had
remembered it perfectly after seven years,
and had 1t on the tip of his tongue to pass
at me the minute he saw me after the lapse
of all that time. 1t as pretty a feat
of memory as have any knowledge Of"