The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-24
Thousands Cheer His
 Departure. TAFT SENDS TOKEN
 TO HIS PREDECESSOR Ex-President Loses His Hat in Rash
 of Crowd. From His Home at Oyster Bay To Tho steamship's Pier, The Ex-Presi- dent's Route Assembled .
 TriumDhal March

hearty farewell with his black slouch hat. his smiling face beaming in the | morning sunlight. as E. stood on the | captains bridge of the steamship Ham. burg. ex-President Theodore Roosevelt sailed today for his iong-pianned Afri- can "safari."
 He left amid the cheers of thousands | that swarmed the Hamburg American line pier, the whistles of countless river craft and the thunderous rever- berations of the ex-President's salute | of thirteen guns from Forts Hamilton l and Wadsworth. | Beside the happy figure of the for. | mer chief magistrate. as the bis steamship slipped out of her dock, | stood a young lad. seemingly dejected as he wfstfuily gazed at the cheering multitude on the pier below. It was Kermit Roosevelt. who accompanied | his father as official photographer. Fla. | ther and son. both clad in brilliant | buff-hued army coats. remained on the bridge on the trip down the bay and acknowledged with sweeps of theii hats the salutes of the vessels. 1 The ovation was unoficial in char acted. but many prominent in the af. fairs of the nation were pres. l ent The crowd in its enthusi- asm bowled over the lines of po- lioemen on the pier. surrounded the former President. while he was be- ing presented 8 bronze tablet by the Alien American Chamber of Commerce and before he was again safely back on the sheitering gang plank. knocked l his hat from his head and caused him l to drop a vacuum bottle which had been presented by some admiring Pittsburg friends. Fortunately Mir. Roosevelt was not hurt in the rush and he seem. ed to enjoy his experience with the crowd.
 True to his promise. Mr. Roosevelt made no statements regarding his com ing hunt in British East Africa other II than to say that he probably would be gone about A year and q quarter Mir Roosevelt eschewed politics to iu. quiring friends. and contented himsen with expressions Of pleasure and aps precfation of the kindly farewelis of those who came to see him on.
 One incident of the departure which touched Mir Roosevelt probably more than any other. was the presentatfon of a message and gift from Presiuent Taft. by Captain Archibald Butt, who was chief military aid to Mir. Roose- welt, and who occupies that position under President Taft Captain Butt had A difficult time in reaching MT. Roosevelt. It was imperative that he should so so, as he carried e message from the President. which required . reply. Finally. after MT. Roosevelt had boarded the ship . second time. Captain Butt reached htm Tn ms stato- room.
 orasping his former aide by the hand with a By George. 1t is good to see you again. Archie" Mir. Rooseveif drew the Presidents messenger aside to talk with him. Captain Butt then delivered the Presidents message witn a small package containing. ruler roo of gold with pencil attached. It Is . coIlapsible ruler, twelve inches long. when drawn out to the end of the pen oil On 1t Is inscribed:
 ITO Theodore Roosevelt. from Wfls liam Howard Taft. Goodbye and Good luck. Best wishes for safe re- turn"
 Gift from Taft.
 When Mir Roosevelt opened tht nackaxe and discovered the gift from his successor. he held 1t up and ex- claimed:
 "Well, now, isn't that just too fine"
 Turning to Captain Butt. he whis- pered 6 message for him to carry to the White House and said he would reply by wireless telegraph to the let fer MT. Taft had sent to him. One Of the last acts of Mir Roosevelt before sailing was to send a message to Pres ident Taft reading:
 Parting thanks; love and sincerity"
 
 l continuous ovation from the time they landed at the East River terminal of inc Long Island Railroad from Oys- ter Bay to the departure of the Ham burg for Gibraltar It's first port of call There was burst of cheers as the ferry boat landed at Thirty-fourtn street. and as the party whirled through the city streets pedestrians catching a feeting glimpse of the ex- President cheered. took on their hats and waved farewels
 Mr. Roosevelt took the keenest in- terest in his first trip through the Hudson tube, in a special, train, and took a position in the front car, so that he might inspect the underground bore. He shook the motorman's hand after the trip. saying:
 CT want to shake hands with the man behind the gun" Mir. Roosevelt start l ed the first train through the tunnel a year ago by pressing button in the White House.
 without number came aboard th8 Ham bure. Only those who were known to Douglas Robinson, brother r-in-law or MT. Roosevelt, were admitted to the suite where Mir. Roosevelt received his friends.
 An eleventh hour decoration in Mir. RooseyeIts main stateroom was the hanging on the walls the portraits of the several members of the Roosevelt
 families and pictures of the White House and Sagamore Htll.
 Departure Delayed. The departure of the Hamburg was , delayed until lI:06 o'clock by order of Captain Burmeister. so that Major Gen. , eral Wood and his stan might board , the steamship and bid goodbye to their former commander-in-c chief Ex- Judge Gary. Senator Elihu Root, form CT Secretary of the Interior, James R. Garheld, Robert Bacon. former Assist ant Secretary of State. Senator Lodge , of Massachusetts. siias McBee. editor nf The Churchmau: General Bingh am, Commissioner of New York police. and NJ Jusserand. the French Ambassa- dor. and wife. were noted among the more prominent visitors. From the forward gang-plank of ths