The Washington herald., 1907-10-17

There is an interesting and vivacious
story behind the action of President
Roosevelt in directing the suspension Of
the pilots license Of Capt Clarence /.
Nichols, of the steamboat Fred Hertweg.
Part Of the story has been told, but only
the smaller and uninteresung part Peo-
pie who have returned to Washington
from the Inland Waterways convention
and who went down the Mississippi with
the fleet Of steamers which conveyed the
Presidents boat. filed in the details yes
terday
Back here in the East nobody has had
even the faintest idea OF the strenuous
time there was on the broad bosom Of the
Father Of Waters during the twenty-six
hours consumed in the journey of the
Presidents fleet between Cairo and Mem
phis. 1t was at Cairo that the Fred
Hertweg Joined the fleet. She was plas-
tered with great signs telling that the
Commercial Club of Pittsburg was on
board, and that Pittsburg was the zenith
city Of the keystone State and that there
would be a 17-foot channel clear from
4 ltNobn45 10 1AAltf VI kliE AtltAll4NA Ad4
Club would bust
When the parade-fourteen or fifteen
vessels in all-started from Cairo with
the Mississippi, President RooseveIts
flagship, in the lead. the Fred Hertweg
steamed joyously alongside her and pro-
ceeded TO give the President a faint
imitation of how he would be welcomed
10 "Our fair city" if he ever visited it,
Then the PittsbuTgers got their lungs
TO work. and, as they spied the President,
they addressed him Familiarity even
fondly. They called him Teddy"
Doesn't Like Teddy"
Now anybody who knows Mr.. Roose-
welt even fairly well is aware that he
does not like 90 be called Teddy" There
is a popular misconception to the con-
trary. but the President never could abide
the nickname. The PittsbUrg Commercial
Club became more and more unpopular
aboard the Mississippi.
The captain Of the Mississippi grabbed
his megaphone and said some things
through It to the captain of the Fred
Hertweg. What he said was that the
Fred Hertweg would better return TO
her place in the line or there would be
trouble. The Pittsburgers heard the mes
sage and il gave them great gladness.
They told the captain of the Mississippi
10 chase himself and do other things i'm
possible of accomplishment. and they
grew more clamOrOus 10 the Mississippi's
guest Of honor.
The Fred Hertweg hung close 10 the
Mississippi. and the closer she hung the
r11aTFar eH do
dents vessel. Finally. a ruse was re
sorted TO- with the object of shamtng
and diSconcerting. and blocking the Fred
HertWegs progress.
Daybreak showed the Fred Hertweg
stiI escorting the flagship. She gave an
occasional voluntary on her siren, 20 let
the Presidents party know she was
there. When the President awoke he
issued instructions for the steamer Alton
70 come alongside the Mississippi The
Alton carried the governors of seven
teen States and Territories. and Mr.
Roosevelt wanted particularly 20 have
TWO Of them, Gov. Curry. of New Mex
leo, and Gov Franz. Of Oklahoma. 10
come aboard the flagship
Alarm on the Alton.
There was some uueasiness ON tho
-Altoh wien II became known TO them
that Gov Curry and Gov Franz had
been summoned to the Presidents pres
ence. a nightgoWn parade OF State exec
utives, participated in by all except two
of them, had taken place on the Alton
the night before, and the fear was ex-
pressed that the President had heard an
exaggerated report of this function. and
was going TO create a new administra-
tion society, with membership limited %
fifteen, along the lines of the Anannias
Club. The President had heard of it
How, nobody was able 10 ind out, but
he was not WTdthtUL
Instead ne was inclined to be merry over
the spectacles of fifteen diguihed State
executives awakened from a sound sleep
by false alarm OF fire and emerging from
their staterooms in pajamas and night
gowns All he wanted of Gov. Franz and
Gov Curry was % have them photo
graphed with him for the sake of old
times. They had been officers in his
Rough Rider regiment.
When the two Territorial governors
had returned TO the Alton and the pro-
cession started ahead again, the Fred
Hertweg still stuck close TO the AIissis-
sippi Then it was that the President
wrote his order that the pilot of the Fred
IIprtWap he stgspended for ninety davS