The Dickinson press., 1904-03-19
More About The Roosevelt Ranch.

SA~oA ~ SA~ ~ IN oFFSoAS IA l
the PRESS last spring when President
Roosevelt and party we're in Dickinson
and Medora and last week this person
undertook to discredit the statement of
Elizabeth Roberts, wife of Commissioner
Frank Roberts of Billings county, who
was reared at Medora and still lives
south of that place. Witherowicertainly
does not know what he is talking about
and the Forum as we'll as other state
papers should lose nj opportunity to re-
pair the damage that he did in trying
to discredit the work of our St. Louis
commissioners in this regard.
Here is what Joe and S. M. Ferris and
Howard Eaton, personal friends Of Presi-
dent Roosevelt, who have lived at Me-
dora since 80 and SO, have to say about
the matter:
A question having arisen as to whether
the Maltese Cross ranch on the Little
Missouri was ever occupied as a resi-
dence by Theodore Roosevelt, the St.
Louis commission has taken steps to
prove its genuineness. While the CON-
mission has never been in doubt of its
position in purchasing the cabin. for the
satisfaction of the people at large the
following statements have been obtain
| ed:
In the first place Senator Hansbrough
showed President Roosevelt a photo OF
the cabin before it was torn down for re-
moval to St. Louis. Upon seeing it the
president said: "Joe and Sylvane Ferris
can tell if it is the ranch house. 1t looks
like it. 1t was theirs and l lived in it in
SO and part of "a, while ranching On
the Little Missouri" The doubt in the
presidents mind when he said at
looks like it," probably arose from the
fact that the shingled roof on the cabin
when he occupied it had been changed
for a sod roof, as explained in the state
ment to follow by Sylvane Ferris. The
president shows his faith in his old friends
Joe and Sylvane Ferris and leaves the
question as to its genuineness entirely
in their hands. Therefore, any state
ment by them ought to settle the matter,
and here is what they have to say:
Sylvane Ferris: "In 1882 my brother
Joe and l had a hunting shack on prac.
tieally the site of this building. That
fall Minnesota parties put cattle on the
range there, their brand being the NAL.
tese cross, which gave the name to the
ranch among the cattlemen. In the
early fall of 1883 Theodore Roosevelt
came to Medora in search of big game
and Joe took him south on a buffalo
hunt. l now have the Sharp rifle Mr.
Roosevelt did his hunting with. 1t was
while or this hunt Mr.. Roosevelt un
doubtedly realized the value of the "Bac
Lands" as a stock country, as upon hi:
return he sent for Merrifeld and me anc
arranged for US to handle any cattle he
might place on the range, and then he
bought the maltese cross herd, whic CHI
with other cattle, we handled for him
The shack we occupied was a pretty
poor affair and Mr.. Roosevelt suggested
something better as he intended to spenc
some time with US, SO we built the los
house now owned by the state. Mr.
Roosevelt remained on the ranch
occupying a private room in the house
in question, until late in the fall or earl,
winter, the rest of US sleeping in thu
attic, which was gained through a hole
in the kitchen ceiling.
:. MI. Roosevelt returned in the spring
of "a and remained all summer and fal
living in this house during that time, ex
cept while absent on a hunting trip il
the Big Horn Mountains, and while h
was east at election time. He RENAME,
t until after Christmas as remembe
it. He returned in May 1885, and &C
, %companied me in the capacity of !
cowboy. to the roundup, he insisting tina
no favors over the other help be show
him because he was cattle owner, conse
quently he shared all the hardships in
cident to such employment. He re
manned at the Maltese Cross ranch 70
two months after the roundup, when, a
he expressed it, he desired more "quiet,
and had built, by Sewell and Dow, oil
Maine hunting friends of his, the NOR
/ %pretentious house on what he called tn
, Elkhorn Ranch, %thirity-ive miles mort
= of Medora, at which place he mad
headquarters, until he abandoned til
d country. This latter house has lon
n since been torn down.
"Mr. Roosevelt was a great lover {
nature and the proximity to the Ma
! tese Cross ranch Of the butte known a
"Chimney Butte" prompted him to ca
the ranch by that name, but it being th
cowboy fashion to name ranches afte
r the brand used by the owner, the plac
was, and is today known as the Maltes
4 Cross or Roosevelt ranch. While ther
Mr.. Roosevelt did much literary wor
Z and his book "Hunting Trips of
Ranchman was dated from "Chimne
:, Butte Ranch"
o "The old house e~ventully became til
1 property of Jack Snyder and about thre
= years ago he replaced the shingled ro'
s. with one of sod on the theory that it WI
warmer.
Neither l nor my brother have ha
S. any financial interest in this proper,
for years and have therefore nothing
:. gain by its sale. There is absolutely r
- question about Mr.. Roosevelt's residene
in this building the major part of b
- stay in this section, a time dear to a
old timers. who learned to love tt
man whose sterling worth won biz
friends in all ranks 81 our pione'
society"