Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-04
HIS NAME COMES HIGH
Presidents Autograph Valued
at One Dollar.
NOT DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN
Collectors Bull Market Not Easy to
Explain.
DEARER THAN PREDECESSORS
Secretary Loeb Has Regular Printed
Forms and Almost Any One Can
Obtain Much-Sought Signature.
DEARER THAN PREDECESSORS

As assessed by the general public the
value of President Rooseveits autograph is
81 That price is higher than ever before
was paid by collectors for a living Presi-
dents signature. 1t is regarded as odd, too,
that the price should be so much because
comparatively little difficulty is experienced
by any one who proceeds in the right way
to get his autograph.
Since Mr.. Roosevelt became President It
mas been his practice to grant proper re-
quests for his autograph. Indeed. Secre-
tary Loeb has had prepared white bristol
CARDS, bearing the insignia of the White
House, on which, practically every day the
President places his signature on request
from somebody. During the presidential
campaign he autographed thousands of
photographs of himself for friends or ac-
quaintances and for people connected with
the campaign in various capacities through
out the country. Since his election to the
presidency the demand for his autograph
and for autographed photographs has d.
mlnished somewhat, but It still is active.
strangely enough it has increased during
.ue past Two or three months in an almost
phenomenal way. Scarcely a single mail
passes over the desk of Secretary Loeb that
Goes not contain one or more requests for
the Presidents autograph and many re-
quests Tor his photograph also are re-
ceiYed
Young Woman Not Disappointed.
Almost the last thing President Roosevelt
did before he left the White House last
Saturday night to go to oyster Bav for
the summer was to autograph a pictorial
postal card on the request of a young wo-
man visiting In Washington The letter
from the young woman was received by
ooh 1,f g..
prettiiy written and beautifully worded
appeal that the President should sign his
name TO post card, which was inclosed
with the note. The picture on the card
was representation of the White House
The writer said she desired to send the
card to her sister, who was too i'll to make
the trip to Washington with her She in
closed IN the note one-dolar bill to pay
Tor the trouble the securing of the auto
graph of the President might occasion to
the secretary. Although the President had
been signing his name almost constantly
during the day to laws, to commissions, to
appointments and to other forms of official
and state documents and his hand was
cramped from holding pen, he said that
young woman should not be disappointed
He wrote his name on the post card and
with II pretty little sentiment that the
recipient, in her sick bed somewhere in
this broad land, viii treasure probably
above all of her possessions. The card
was sent to the young woman and the
dollar bill was inclosed with it, an expla-
nation making 1t clear to her that the
President, in the circumstances. was glad
to give1her the autograph, and that there
was, OF course, no charge for it.
Illustration of the Demand.
This is simply an Illustration of the de-
mand for the Presidents signature Scores
of people send similar requests to the
White House. and the great majority of
the requests are accompanied by one dol
lar or two-dollar bills to pay for the au-
tographs and for the trouble in mailing
them. Invariably the money is returned
to the sender, although in some cases the
autographs are not forthcoming The
sending of the autographs depends entirely
upon the nature of the request.
Senators and representatives in Con-
gress frequently request the Presidents
autograph for one of their constituents,
and sometimes the President sends to the
person an autographed photograph of him
self. Such requests coming from members
of Congress are not declined.