The Columbus journal., 1908-07-15

1t seems to be generally accepted
as definite plan of President ROOse-
welt that with the close of his term of
Office next March he will go to Africa
to try his spOrtsman's skill upon the
big game of the Dark continent. Hav-
ing conquered all the known varieties
of wild animals in America. our siren
uous president would search out the
biggest game to be found in the world,
and try his luck with lions, tigers. ele-
plants. rhinOcerOses. etc. Time was
when Sir George Gore came to the
Rocky mountains to get the ultimate
thriller" in the way of a hunting expedi-
ton. Now our western country has
lost all its prestige, with its stupid
bobcats and inoffensive coyotes. since
1t is conceded that the most wary
hunter is he who can shoot a prairie
dog without knocking it over into its
own impregnable hole in the ground.
A prairie dog is such trophy as once
the ferocious grizzly was thought to
be. And, besides, the president has ex-
hausted all the possibilities of his own
uuutluS SrOuuQS.
Unless something not now anticipat-
ed transpires on his political or per-
sonal horizon. President Roosevelt will
set sail the first Of April next for the
north coast of Africa, thence to make
a trip of something over 1000 miles.
partly by boat, partly by the Cape to
Cairo railroad, the rest of the way on
foot. on horseback and any other way
possible 1t is his intention to take
his son Kermit with him, and he may
also be accompanied by several
famous hunters: but it is distinctly I'M
derstoOd that there are to be no news
paper men and no camera fiends. If
anything now unforeseen should arise
to prevent the cOnsummatiOn of this
plan next April, it will be carried out
at a later date The president has his
heart set on hunting big game in cen
trail Africa. and nothing but the un-
looked-for failure of his great vital
ity will ultimately deter him from
gratifying this ambition.
1t is asserted that he will go to So
maitland. A glance at the map is
rather discOncerting when one at
tempts to satisfy his mind as to the
exact location of Mr.. ROOsevelt's out
ing There is SO much territory that
is occupied by Somali tribes under
one protectOrate or another, that a
year and half seems all too short to
hunt all over this land. Later infOr-
nation has it that the hunt Will be in
Uganda.
In the era of Greek power it was
without any visible source. that it had
rushed inland and hidden it's head in
the earth when PhaethOn, that imper-
tinent son of Apollo. precipitated the
sun down into the desert of Sahara.
Now it is known, in a vague sort of
way. that Father Nile has as many
heads as an hydra, although they are
even yet pretty successfully hidden.
1t is to the vicinity of these enormous
lakes that the president will go in Or
der to put himself on record among
the mighty NimrOds of history. 1t is
generally conceded among hunters
that a man has really not hunted at
all until he has tried his hand in AT
RIGA, and it is the consensus of opin
ion among African hunters that the
cream of the sport is to be had in
Uganda.
The first of the journey, after |
landing at Cairo, will be made by
boat and rail as far as Khartoum, |
in the heart of the Egyptian Sudan. |
From that point south the Nile is q
thoroughly navigable stream with reg
ularly scheduled boats that make the |