The new age. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1896-1905, 1906-01-13
ROOSEVELT AND A BOY.
They Had q jolly Informal Cha
AhOuf Outdoor Sports

| About Outdoor Sports.
! One boy-one of many-who had
the honor of meeting the President
now acts as If Mr. Roosevelts eyes
were constantly on him, says ST. Mich
olas. This lad was not a small boy
when he was presented; he was big
enough to play baseball with skill and
energy and on ordinary occasions he
was a naughty sophomore. This boy
wanted to see the President, but his
outward calmness was disturbed by
the intimation from his sisters that
he would have to make three bows as
he approached the President and say,
your excellency." The courage that
had stood six hours exposure in u
heavy sea on the keel of an upturned
boat weakened before this prospect.
A benevolent friend corrected the
alarming suggestion of the sisters by
telling him that he would simply be
expected to say, "Mr. President" to
stand until everybody was seated and
to go when the President should rise.
This seemed easy; still, it was evil
dent that the fearless athlete was rev.
erently practicing Mr.. President" with
his lips as he approached the White
House. All uneasiness disappeared
however, when the President, catch
ing sight of the boy stepped forward
and called him by his surname. "Sit
4 ha hn :
talk about a subject dear to the
lads heart-the recent races at
Poughkeepsie. Etiquette was forgot
ten; the boy held fast to "Mr. Presi-
dent" when he thought of it, in the
delight of talking with somebody who
really knew" all about the ms ana
outs Of intercollegiate races, but
sometimes he forgot and merely said
you"
The boy was panied for a moment
to discover that the President could
not play baseball. To a near-sighted
man who must wear glasses a base
ball flying at large is much worse
than a bullet The lad admitted this
and said afterward that IF Thack-
cray were alive and played baseball
instead Of cricket he would have had
the same difficulty" The President
showed him a very scientific jiu-jitsu
grip. And this was followed by an in
terchange of lore on this interesting
Japanese science of physical culture,
x1rifh IN fraf IN wi
entirely forgot his fear Of the "court
presentation" and talked and acted
with entire respect, but entire free
dom. The boy seemed to think that
American muscle was a match for
oriental skill, but he was plainly con-
vinced that the President had both.
Questions Of boxing and riding came
up and the President spoke as an ex-
pert and the boy listened and talked
as one who understood but felt his
limitations. Young Theodore, who has
this year entered Harvard, was Aan
at school; but every now and then his
father culled a bit from his sons ex-
perience in out-of-door sport. 1t was
plain that through sympathy In these
matters, he had the same point Of
view as his sons. During all this in
terview the President was as enthu-
siastic on the various subjects dis
cussed as the boy and he seemed to
enjoy it as much as his boy visitor
did:
The talk drew out Of the President
his knowledge of the games that boys
love.
when it comes to boxing or rid
ing" he said, with conviction, Il
think that my boys and l can hold
our own" And several times the
I'VE" was repeated in a way which
showed that Mr.. Roosevelt and his
sons were to be considered a happy
family of boys thoroughly in, accord.
1t is not convenient to take his large
hoy family" on his western and
southern bear hunts, but the Prest-
dent does the next best thing. Every
summer he goes Into camp" with his
boys a few miles from his summer
home at Oyster Bay.