Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-28
VERY FINE LETTER
But BADLY SPELT
Jacob Riis' Comment on a
RooseveItian Note.
OPENING OF A NEW GYM
Mistress of the White House Sends
Some Roses.
BIAS RELIEF OF THE PRESIDENT
Thru the Head of the Settlement the
President Hopes the Children Will
Thoroly Enjoy Themselves.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


NEW YORK. October 27-President
Roosevelt sent letter in reformed spelling
and Mrs. Roosevelt sent flowers to the
opening of the new Roosevelt gymnasium
in connection with the Jacob A. Riis neigh
borhood settlement yesterday afternoon.
The flowers. large bowl of pink and white
roses from the White House gardens, were
placed on the speakers platform. Presi-
dent Roosevelt's letter read
My Dear Rils-May I thru you send a
very warm welcome to the children of the
East Side? l wish 1 could be with you at
the opening of the gymnasium in the Henry
street settlement. As / cannot, may / thru
you extend my heartiest good wishes to the
boys and girls of the settlement? That
they may thoroy enjoy themselves while
young and grow into useful men and women
and true American citizens Is the earnest
wish of their friend.
(signed) THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Did Not Like Spelling.
The gymnasium is built in the rear of the
settlement house at As and 80 Henry street.
A tablet bears bas-relief of President
Roosevelt and this inscription This gym
nasium was built by the friends of Theo-
dore Roosevelt, citizens of New York and
President of the United States and given
to the children OF the Jacob Riis neighbour
hood house on his forty-eighth birthday,
October 81, 1906
Mr. Riis, in his short address, told some
thing of the work Of the settlement, and
concluded:
II wrote the President that 1 thought his
letter fine and his spelling vile
Bishop Potter and Mayor Mcclellan We're
asked :. be present, but neither able.
Seth Low. the principal speaker, said that
although he had no authority from Mayor
Mcclellan, ne believed he could say the
city was delighted with the work of the
settlement.
Speaking of the admiration of Mr.. Riis
for President Roosevelt, Mr. Low said: II
think Mr. Riis agrees with the President in
everything except spelling. Mr.. Riis does
not believe in spelling badly any more than
in doing anything else badly"
The Pursuit of Amusement.
Miss c. B. Spence. representing number
of uptown private schools, whose pupils
have promised to support the gymnasium,
said of these more fortunate children: The
temptations are many to pursue amuse-
ment as though to have a good time We're
the chief aim of life, to waste time to COM
grade, to become artificial. superficial self
willed, snobbish-the temptation to believe
in the efficacy and power of material pos
sessions, to believe in the value of external
things, houses, clothes, jewelry; to be
tempted to judge a mans worth by what
he has and not by what he is-these are
the many disadvantages with which the
boys and girls whom 1 represent have been
surrounded
The Rev. Robert l.. Paddock, who dedi-
Gated the gymnasium, raised a laugh by
asking his hearers most Of whom were
women, Has Mr.. Riis ever put his arms
around you? I'm not ashamed to ask it.
Your husbands, brothers and lovers ought
to rejoice If he has done So A general
overhauling and furnishing of the settle
Ynent house has accompanied the finishing
OF the gymnasium.