The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-18
EXQUISITE GIFTS FROM WHOLE WORLD Hundreds of Valuable Presents
 for the Bride VALUE WAS EXAGGERATED Most Valuable Came From the Groom, and That From Cuba Was Among
 Those Which Involved
 Largest Outlay.
VALUE WAS EXAGGERATED

Washington, February 17.-Few brides not of so-called royal birth ever have been the recipients of as many and so valuable gifts as were received by Miss Roosevelt. For weeks these tributes of love and affection have been pouring into the White house. The bride and members of her family were almost overwhelmed by the number and character of the pres ents It was not that they were so valu- able intrinsically, although in the aggre- gate they represent great sum; it was the spirit which animated the givers which appealed strongly to Miss Roose- welt. Many of the presents were companied by oral or written express sions of the deep and sincere regard in which the bride is held by persons of all classes, not only in her own country but throughout the world.
 Weeks ago, on behalf of their daughter. the President and Mrs Roosevelt let 1t be known that certain proffered gifts could be accepted It was their desire that the wedding so far as the presents were concerned at least should be strip ped Of an official character. An intlma- tion was conveyed through diplomatic channels that it was the desire of the President that no gifts should be made to Miss Roosevelt on hebalf of foreign governments; that presents of such na- ture properly could be received only from the executives of the governments through the ambassadors or ministers credited to the American government. The only present therefore which may be said comes directly from nation is that of the Cuban republic. It was provided for prior to the receipt of the Presidents delicate intimation and in the peculiar circumstances could not be declined
 Hundreds of Remembrances.
 During the past week, hundreds of re- membranes so particularly precious in the eyes of a bride, have arrived at the White House for Miss Roosevelt. By far the greater number of them came from personal friends and acquaintances. Her joy was clouded in measure by the re- cept of presents from people of whom she never had heard. who followed the gifts immediately with requests for in- vitations to the wedding.
 Some of the gifts were costly, but those providently sent with the idea thereby of obtaining an invitation to the wedding were returned instantly to the senders.
 It can be said with perfect confidence in the accuracy of the statement, that while many of the presents received by the bride are very valuable, some of them being particularly so by reason of the circumstances surrounding them, the value of the gifts has been greatly eXag- gerated Many of those who remembered Miss Roosevelt with presents are by no means wealthy and it is quite certain they could not afford to make such pres ents as they have been credited with hav- Ing given The definite announcement or the President and Mrs. Roosevelt that no list of the bridal gifts would be made public, was approved cordially by trlenus of the families of both the bride ana bridegroom, but 1t has placed premium on the exaggeration so greatly deprecated by the President himself
 Caused Much Annoyance.
 So remarkable have some of the ac- counts of the presents been that their recention has brought to Miss Roose- welt much annoyance. Her mails for many days have been flooded with letters from women and men in all parts of the country urging her to give to them rom her plentiful store of duplicate gifts one thing or another. Some of the stories or suffering and deprivation they told really were pitiful Even in the time of her
 
 was made sorrowful by some of the ap- peals to her generosity or course, she was unable to gratify the writers because primarily. they had been misled by pub lications, which were quite inaccurate.
 In addition to appeals of charity Miss Roosevelt received as result of the ex- asgerated reports of the value of her presents, letters unsigned as a rule men acing in their tone No actual threats were made, but the letters contained sin ister intimations of future trouble per haps for the country through the pre- sentation to the daughter of an American President of gifts so costly as to be mere ly d display of the wealth of the givers.
 Nobody without the circle of relatives and intimate personal friends has been permitted to view the bridal presents. For two days they were placed in the library on the second floor of the White