Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-09-10
SOME ONE BLUNDERED|
President Roosevelt Forgot Rifle
 victorS' Visit.
DIDN'T HkyE AUTOS AT DEPOT

Champion Shooters Pay cabmen $s
 For Ride to Sasamore HilI-Pres-
 ident Pushes Reception to Stick to
 Programme.
 Oyster Bay,. N. r., Sept. 1O-The fif- teen American rifemen who won the coveted Palma trophy in Ottawa last Saturday from the picked sharpshoot- CTS of Great Britain, Australia and Canada returned to New York almost speeches. with chagrin and indigna- tion.
 They had journeyed to Oyster Bay especially to meet President Roose- welt. The president was so pleased with their victory that when it was suggested by General James A. Drain, president of the American Rife asso- citation, that they be received at Saga more Hill the suggestion was adopted instantly. President Roosevelt first sent congratulatory message and then directed Secretary Loeb to wire General Drain and Colonel N. B. Thur ston and arrange to have the team come on the train which arrives in Oyster Bay at 3:10.
 Although it was not expected that more than an hour would be consumed i'll the presentation of the team 70 the president, the introduction broke in on rigid programme which the presi- dent had laid out for himself and which is to continue until Sept. 25.
 General Drain received a telegram from Secretary Loeb saying that the party would be met at the railroad station by automobiles and would be driven to Sagamore Hill This was to have as much time as possible for the visitors as we'll as for the president.
 No Autos For Them.
 When the train pulled into the sta- tion and the riflemen, headed by Gen. eral Drain, alighted they were sur rounded by the village hackmen. who iinportuned them to ride. William Delano, the special messenger of the executive offices, was on the plat form with two secret service men to receive Surgeon General Rixey and Mrs. Rixey, who were on the same train. Mrs. Roosevelt had been driven to the station by her own coachman to meet them.
 Dr. Rixey and his wife entered the brougham with her and were driven off at a smart clip. They were halfway to Sagamore Hill before General Drain and his party began to grow impa- tient. There were no automobiles in sight. The secret service men and the special messenger left the station i'm mediately after the departure of Mrs. Roosevelt and the family physician.
 At the expiration of twenty minutes Major Winder of Ohio and Captain Corbin of New York went to the tele- phone booth in the railroad station and called up the executive offices. MT. Loeb was not there. None of the clerks knew where he was, but it was subsequently learned the presidents secretary was out in one of the gov ernment automobiles which had been intended for the accommodation of the rihemen, but whose arrival had been forgotten entirely.
 Somebody Bundered."
 When half an hour had passed and no guide or escort had appeared Gen. eral Drain entered into negotiations with the hackmen. Five dollars a hackload was the best terms, each hack to carry four men. So, after waiting ten minutes longer fin a fruitless ef- fort to get into telephonic communica- tion with Mir. Loeb, the party started off, nearly three-quarters of an hour behind time and by conveyances that would take them more than twice as long as automobiles.
 As a consequence the reception at Sagamore Hill was cut almost in half because the delay interfered with the presidents working schedule. All the pleasant things were said in less than fifteen minutes. Why the automobiles were forgotten and why Secretary Loeb went out fin one of them and let the visitors cool their heels on the sta ton platform has not been explained.
 Somebody blundered," said General Drain. That's all there is to it."