The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1905-02-09
IN RO0sEvELT'S HONOR
Plan Of Texans to Welcome
President at San Antonio.
TYPICAL RECEPTION BY COWBOYS

Movement started Among Them to
Give Guest OF Rough Riders nt
Their Reunion Bfg Ovation-Cow
Punchcr Relates Experiences of
Hunting Trip with the President.
The people of Texas are preparing to
extend to President Roosevelt a royal
welcome next April, says special dis
patch from Austin, Tex, to the St
Louis Globe Democrat. There promises
to be picturesque time In San Antonio
during the rough riders reunion. In
addition to the gathering of that regi-
ment movement has been started
among the cowboys to give the presi-
dent big ovation. He Is admired by
the people of the Texas ranches, and
they want to show how much they
think of him by giving him typical
frontier reception. George Waite,
COW puncher on the Wilderness Lake
ranch, situated south of Uvalde, is in-
terested In the cowboy reception move
ment. He was Rooseyelt's companion
when he visited the Seven ID ranch,
near Uvalde, in 1892 and slaughtered
javelinas, or wild hogs. At the time he
made the trip Roosevelt was on the
civil service commission.
In April 1892, w. w. Collier, bank
er of Uvalde, found man dressed In
the garb of hunter sitting on the
steps OF his bank building Idly Tipping
rocks at an object In the street. The
stranger introduced himself as Theo-
dore Roosevelt and handed Mr.. Collier
q letter of introduction.
II have killed almost every kind of
game I'm this country except javelina,
and / thought would take a run down
here and try my hand at that sport"
he said to Mr.. Collier.
Mr. Collier says now that IL he had
ever thought the stranger would some
day be president of the United States
he would have accompanied him, but 1t
was busy time In the bank, and he
sent him down to the "77" ranch, on
the Neuces river. That was the last
Mr.. Collier saw Of Roosevelt. Here N.
4. Wilson. manager of the "71" ranch,
takes up the story.
II was very busy at the time the
stranger arrived at my ranch Mr..
Wilson said Il was making a big de-
livery OF cattle and had number OF
herds on the road / was so busy
wouldn't have stopped to entertain the
president himself. / had been up the
road with one Of the herds Of cattle,
and when / returned to my ranch |
found there rough and ready sort OF
chap who introduced himself to me as
Theodore Roosevelt. | learned that he
had been over ON the Tapota ranch,
near Segtin, Tex, having been inyit-
ed there to hunt javelinas. The hunt
had been without success | wanted
to join in the hunt, but that was out
of the question. 1t was easy to see
then that Roosevelt was no ordinary
man. / turned him over to George
Waite, cowboy, who knew the hog
country, and sent them over to the
Seven ID ranch, telling them to go
ahead and hunt as long as they pleas
ed. My recollection Is that they killed
about Il half dozen Jayelinas sonae
deer and four or FIVE wild turkeys.
AFTER the hunt Roosevelt made
present to Waite of the magnificent
rifle which he had used on the trip,
saying: Here. take this rifle and keep
1t. All the use had for 1t was to kill
these hogs I'm done with It now
Il saw very little of Roosevelt at
that time, and ] never saw him after
ward until the organization of the
rough riders In San Antonio One
night, while the regiment was at San
Antonio, one of my horses was stolen.
traced it up and found that 1t had
been sold to the government as cav
airy horse in the rough riders regs-
ment. determined to recover the ans-
NAL IL l could. / went to where the
regiment was camped and was taken
to Colonel Roosevelt's tent. AS we met
/ said:
81 suppose you don't recognize meT
Ellis answer was quick MS fash:
oh, yes, dldi l hunted hogs on
your ranch near Uvalde.'
THE government brand had already
been put on tho horse. and had to be
satisfied with getting pay for the anA
NAL"
George Waite, the COW puncher, who
was Roosevelt's companion on the hunt,
says that when he started out he
thought 1t would be another case OF
guiding tenderfoot round in search
Of game, but 1t did not take him long
to find out that Roosevelt knew as
much about ranch business and good
deal more about hunting than he did.
You mustn't tell me that that feller
Roosevelt is from New York." he said
to a group Of cowboys who Were gath
cred about him in Uvalde when hw
came In from the hunt. why, he
knows more about ranch than any OF
us fellers. He amt no more from New
York than / am, I'll bet. More than
likely he is a Texas ranchman. tried
to get him to tell me where he learned
so much about cattle but he didn't