The Washington times., 1908-11-08
ROOSEVELT HIKES
INTO CHILLY WATER
Follow Your Leader" Game
Makes Warm Drinks Popu-
lar With Army Heroes.
SIXTY OFFICERS LED
ON A MERRY CHASE
Through Rock Greek They
Go on Rapid Walk, Then
Into the Icy Depths.
SOME FALL FROM
A SLIPPERY LEDGE
Roosevelt Shows Uniform Wearers
How to Cover Ground on Foot.
It's So Popular Now.
SOME FALL FROM
A SLIPPERY LEDGE

President Roosevelt put one over on
a few OF his friends yesterday after
noon.
he caught them on their guard and
treated them 10 about as rough a piece
Of pcdestrianism as a man cares TO en-
duTe just for ful. - sake. When he got
through with them, and they were not
so few after all, numbering about sixty
army officers and civilians, they bade
him a hasty farewell. and took the
shortest routes TO clubs and Turkish
baths. From all indications the next
time the President suggests a hike, a"
a lot Of people Will know what time the
next train leaves Tor Baltimore, and
they Will have some urgent business
over there.
The officers who predominated in the
Presidents party. wish their COM
mander-in-chief and Gen. j. Franklin
Bell, chief Of stan. would not try TO be
so Confoundedly practical about their
physical development schemes. It's all
right, don't you know, TO have the gen
eral demonstrate 10 you how Billy Null
doom puts one IN condition, Just as he
did at the War College last Friday. but
this thing of asking an officer TO hike"
for fifteen miles, with a variety of
stunts thrown in for good measure. isn't
q bit chubby not a bit
Cook Up the Scheme.
When the President was at the war
College Friday, he and General Bell
cooked up the scheme Of trying out
some of the officers on a bit OF a
hike, don't you know. Sixty officers.
with visions of more or less brisk
walk. and an opportunity for a more
intimate acquaintance with the Presi-
dent, accepted the invitations which
were extended to them through General
Bell yesterday.
Now they're sorry.
They We're afraid TO 90 home in the
dark Some Of them looked like McGiu-
~ after he had Inhabited the bottom Of
the sea.
The invitations TO the unsuspecting
victims OF the Presidents rank were
told to meet him at BOulder's bridge,
Rock Creek Park, at 8 O'Clock, yester-
day afternoon With the President were
Secretary Garfield, General Bell. Cen
eral Wotherspoon, General DuvaIl. and
General Murray. The President gave
the word and they We're off, with the
boss hiker in the lead. No one tried
to beat the barrier. and the faYOri'a had
no difficulty keeping the rail: the Jthers
traiIed, The President has a liking for
water, as one or two Of his pedestrian
Cabinet officers can testify. So-the
bunch had settled down to their stride
when the leader pulled up short at the
water jump-the same being the pretty,
babbIng but terrihcaIIy chilly stream
which flows through Rock Greek Park
these cool November days.
Come On In, It's Fine!
"Au in" shouted the President. and
he plunged in himself. just TO show how
It should be done. They followed. every
man Jack OF them. but. as was re-
marked before, they didn't think it a
bit chubby to be asked to take TO water
right at the very outset of the hike.
They feared that their clothes would
dry on them and they might catch cold.
But the President soon dispeiled their
fears in this direction. He didn't pro-
pose to have their clothes dry on them.
Not he.
What's Che use OF wetting clothes fl
you're going 10 let them dry right Ut
Continued on Fifth Page.)