Omaha daily bee., 1906-07-26
LIFE AT OYSTER BAY.
oddities and Incidents at the Preai-
dent,a SIMMER Hone.

oddities and Incidents at the Prssi-
dents summer Home.
oueerness-that Is the prevailing charao-
teristic OF the siEhtseers which the pres
ence Of the president brings to oyster
Bay. Overrun with odd specimens OF hu-
manity the town certainly Is during the
three months OF summer, says the oyster
Bay correspondent Of the New York Even
ing Sun. The majority OF those who come
simply desire to cast their eyes upon the
Queen Anne cottage in which the president
lives and, II possible. obtain a heetinR
glimpse OF the chief magistrate himself,
but there are others whom nothing short
OF a personal interview with Mr.. Roosevelt
will satisfy, and their disappointment when
they discover that the presidents time Is
too valuable TO permit Of his listening TO
their plans for providing rapid transit to
the millennium or to their long tales OF
petty grievances is at once ludicrous and
pitiful. They come armed with visiting
cards and self-importance. They depart
leaving behind them both their visiting
cards and self-importance in the custody
Of Secretary Loeb.
The women are, Of course, the most per-
sistent Only the other day one arrived
at the railroad station armed with a care
fully prepared treatise on the immortality
OF New York society which she desired
TO bring to the presidents attention. Her
researches. she said, had been inspired by
the Thaw case.
The secret service men last week we're
called upon to investigate the fell designs
OF an ancient, gray-hsired dame, whose
behavior at the railroad station was 30
violent and her utterances so denunciatory
that the station agent rushed to the tele-
phone and got hold OF the executive offices
and informed the secret service men who
are always kept on reserve there that
there was a very suspicious person in
town. Two sleuths traced the suspect
to the boarding house at which she had
elected 10 stop. There they found that
admittance had been denied her. In high
dudgeon she had returned to the railroad
station. where she was tramping up and
down the platform waiting for the next
train back to New York. When It pulled
in from the yards she climbed majestically
aboard. Then she turned and faced scorn-
fully the jeering crowd.
''It's back to Thirty-fourth street for
mine!" she cried. ct wouldn't live in
boarding house anyway"
women who come here is really worthy Of
admiration. While visitors are allowed to
| drive in the presidents grounds and
around his house, provided they do not
loiter on the way no one. unless a special
dispensation is first obtained from Secre-,
tary Loeb, is permitted to take a photo
graph. Naturally to snap a photograph,
therefore. is what every feminine sightseer
most desires. Shortly after the presidents
arrival from Washington two young girls
were driven up to Sycamore Hill by one of
| the hackmen who are always on hand to
convey strangers to Oyster Bays one great
| point of interest. When the presidents
house came in sight one OF the two girls
| produced a pocket camera and prepared to
| take a picture
! You can't do that ma'amr warned the
hacknaD in alarm, with a furtive glance in
the direction of the two secret service men
who were on duty on the lawn.
The only answer he got was the click of
the shutter At the same time one Of the
secret service men started toward them on
! the run.
THAT means goodby to your camera, /"
the Jehu grimly predicted discreetly rein
! ing in his spawned steed.
Quick as a wink the girl unlocked the
front Of the lace waist she wore and slipped
the camera behind its folds, She had barely
slipped the hooks In place again when the
painting sentinel hove UP alongside the di-
lapidated "carryalr' and came to a stand
still.
! "rl have to trouble you for that cam
era" he began politely.
"What?' inquired the damsel sweetly.
I'll have to trouble you for that cam
era" he repeated, cycling the spot where
he had seen 1t disappear.
'If you want It you'll have to come and
get It," the maiden coolly retorted without
tho culver Of an eyelash
The secret service man put one foot on
| the carryall's step. Then he hesltated. He
had been in difficulties before. More than
once his superiors had had cause to com
mend his cleverness and courage. But
there are some things TO which even the
! courage of secret service man is not
equal. He withdrew the foot he had ad-
vanced, and he became suddenly absorbed
| In the flight Of crow overhead. He was
quite sure the girl was laughing, but he
didn't dare to look and see.
Drive on!' he said. and fed.
Literature has many devotees In the sum-
mer capital There Is a woman's club