Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-05-03

in his literary l&iection by sending
MIN marked copies of articles and ed.-
torials that they have written. THESE
1t may be remarked, are generally,
If not Invariably, pieces of reading
matter that are friendly to the presi-
dent. The unfriendly criticisms usu'
lilly reach the president through 9th.
or channels. Enemies of the men
who write them send them conspicu-
ously crayoned to the white house.
Friends Among Others.
The wild western friendships OF the
president have made great many
newspaper columns during the last
three years, but little has been said
about his regard for author folk.
Whenever Seth Bullock visits Wash
ington and breaks bread with the
president it is recorded with flaming
headlines. Nothing is said, however,
when Owen Wister author of 'Thc
Virginian," comes for visit to the
white house. Stewart Edward White,
author of the "Blazed TRAIL" "Con-
jurer's House" and number of other
stories dealing with the woodlands of
the north, is another frequent house
guest at the home of the president,
and his coming and going excite no
comment. The president edited"
1.-The virginian," as Mr.. Weiser ac.
knowledges in the preface of that
widely sold novel and has a high re-
gard for the author. When President
Roosevelt took his long western tour
in 1903 he invited Mr.. White to join
him during the time he travelled
through southern California. On his
fv,sp fnvry he I@r~
fore. he was Winston Churchill's
guest at one stage of the Journey in
New Hampshire, and up in Maine
made a point of hobnobbing with Hol-
man F. Day, the humorist-poet of the
Pine Tree state. His friendship for
Senator Lodge, now cemented by long
years of congenial association, was
originally a purely literary attraction.
Jacob Riis, the worker for better con-
aitions in the Sums, is numbered
among the presidents fastest friends.
And so the list might be extended.
The president has warm spot in his
heart for all who write, and especially
for those whose writing proves that
they think. He has little use for think
less writer's as he has for do less
men in the government service or pri-
vate life.
Whenever the president runs across
anything in his reading that particu-
larly appeals to him he likes to write
the author a letter, whether he knows
him or not. He will frequently die
tate two-page typewriter missive
telling the writer Of the book or the
| article his theories of the problem in
volved. 1t was an incident of this
kind that started his now famous
race suicide" crusade. Probably the
president himself would have been
very much surprised had he been told
two years ago last New Years day
that letter he had dictated that
morning would in such brief time he.
come known to the world as the most
notable message to mankind.
! The Race Problem.
| A few minutes before the start OF
the annual reception on that day,
President Roosevelt came into Sec.
rotary LOeb's Office with the letter
in his hand. II have just been read
ing Mrs. Van Vorsts Woman Who
Tolls" he said to Secretary Loeb
and a couple of newspaper men who
happened to be in the room, land /
am greatly impressed with what she
says. In this magazine, which con.
tains her story of association with
working women, I find another arti
Gle which gives what seems to be
a truthful view of the other extreme
of society-the idle rich. The Won
an Who Tolls cannot afford to beal
children, and the idle rich woman will
not, because maternity interferes with
her social pleasures. If both the up
per and lower stratum of society take
this view of the propagation of the
species in America, it will not be very
long before We are in bad way.
have written Mrs. Van Worst letter
calling her attention to the fact thai
her working women and the women Of
wealth seem to have the same mis-
taken idea as to their duties to the
race"
The president would probably have
written similar letter to the author
OF the other article in the magazine
had his or her name been given, bu
1t was not signed. After "The WON
an Who Tolls" had been printed il
serial form the publishers gathered
the articles together in book form ant
used the presidents letter as an intro
ductory. 1t is to be doubted if the
president was greatly pleased will
this use of his private correspondence
and as he is not a man who says
thing without meaning it in pubic :,
private, he did not register a pro
test.
The books that the president ha.
read since assuming the highest place
in the peoples gift would fill large
case. Tey comprise almost every de
partment of literature, and are callet
from almost every language. The
president reads much of German ant
French in the original.
Hot Weather Piles.