The Washington times., 1910-11-21
Reunion AT Longworth
House Moves Lawrence
Murray TO Talk.
INCIDENTS
NEVER TOLD BEFORE
Some Hitherto Unwritten Strenuous
History of the Wel1-KnoWn
Tennis Cabinet.

Colonel RooseveIt's return 70 Wash
inguon, after an absence Of nearly two
years, served TO recall the strenuous
lie he led during his seven years oc-
cuDancy Of the White House. During
his brief stay at the home Of Nicholas
LongwoTth he recalled the old days
with Some Of the men with whom he
spent nearly all Of his spare moments,
and these "reminiscences brought 20
light some stunts Of the former PresiA
dent which have never before seen the
HSnt Of day
Of the members Of the once famous
but now almost forgotten Tennis Cabi-
net, who remain in the Government
service Lawrence D. Murray, Comp
troheT OF the Currency and BeekIlaH
Winthrop, Assistant Secretary OF the
Navy, are the most prominent When
Colonel Roosevelt was greeting his old
friends at the National Press Club he
almost exhausted his vocabulary OF ad-
Jecuves when he caught sight Of Mur-
ray approaching him WIKI OutsLreLChed
hands Later the colonel and Mr. Muir
ray got together 10 talk about the
strenuous days Of the Roosevelt 40
nninistrations which conversation served
70 put M Murray IN a reniiuiscent
frame Of mind
4 am not likely to forget ny intro
ducdon Tn the Tennis Cabinet said 8r
Murray. During my second game a.
the White House courts an unusually
heavy rafnstorm came I'D. The Presi-
dent said the rain would spoil our
raqUefs and suggested q walk Besides
the President and myself, Secretary
Garfield and Assistant Secretary Win
throp were in the game
90 r.
the sleeves cut or at the elbow. q pair
Of flannel trousers and a pair OF low
tennis shoes. Although unfamiliar with
the Presidents habit about starting of
On a walk took Il for granted that
We would 20 into the house and don
more substantial clothing 70 protect Us
from the rain, and stout boots You
can Imagine I was somewhat surprised
when the President tossed his raoueL
aside and started out the rear gate OF
the White House grounds IN the direc-
ton OF the swamp which Is now re-
placed By the beautiful Potomac Drive
He was dressed IN Just about the same
style as the rest OF rs and none had
q hat.
before I recovered from my amaze
ment I found myself following the
President into the most difficult morass
have ever attempted 70 penetrate II
seemed to please him immensely TO plOd
along IN the mud, which was ankle
deep, and 70 watch the discontinue Of
the men who were following him
Run Home the Finish.
Finally, when We were 50 mud
despatched that 10 one would recog-
nize Us, the President headed for the
banks Of the river. There he found a
big hat-bottOmed boat owned by the
/ Government, and IN which there was a
/ big plank After we were al aboard
the President used the board TO pole
US across TO the Virginia side. and when
| the water got too deep for polling he
/ used II as q paddle
He walked I'D the Virginia shore, and
! when we reached the Bureau Of En-
/ craving and Printing, the President
waited until We were punched together
/ and announced that the right way 20
| finish of the afternOOn's Fun was 70 T1n
/ the rest OF the way TO the White House.
He started - At a. pace which vr>sIid
! have done credit 10 q member OF q track
| team in perfect trim for long distance
I running By the time reached the
4 Monument I was ali IN and I slow
/ down to a walk. while the President
1 Garfield ard Winthrop kept on 10 the
/ White House. They cid nct miss ne
4 until they we're ready 70 so IN. and
when they did they came ba OK for ne.
1 That was my Introduction 70 the
| strenuous times Of the Roosevelt Ten
mis- Cabinet continued Nj Murray
| hut II was not a circumstance 20 some
/ Of the stunts the President went through
as I grew older IN membership IN that
/ organization
Took Life N His Hands.
| I remember that on one occasion he
did something that gave me visions Of a
nation mourning its Chief Executive, and
! something which, By the way, no other
member Of his party dared TO do We
had gone out 20 Rock Greek Park, the
favOTite stamping ground OK Co! one
I ROosevelt, and the place where ne took
/ great risks.
.sFSev- who look 81 the colonel would
realize that he has the agility Of cat
| I do not believe there is better noun
/ tain climber IN the world
| There Is one spot in the park where
the colonel was particularly 1onG OF
| climbing. It IS perpendicular Val. a
| The President went up the face OF ma
/ wall in Jig time, grabbing q rock Win
his bare hands here, ana nelpins NH
/ self along by getting a fOOIno!d theES.
| when about fifty feet from the
/ ground whicn was solid rOck.ne step
ped out on 4 small abUtmenJ- ABOUT
| three or four feet away rom MIN were
the tonrnosr branches OF g heniOck tree
| Before We suspected what ne was aOout
he IeaDed from the rock into TIE
| branches Of the tree and before ne
| S+sTfed TO descend TO the ground he
/ mildly suggested that we follow nm
Garfield, winthrop, and I, who a,gai lIl
made up the party, decided 20 20 down
Inv q safer route, and we DID 50.
Roosevelt as an Anchor
ctr was while climbing the side Of a
rock in Rock Creek Park. which was
o,,ite as steep as the one just described,
+bat the President came TO my rescue
on another occasion,
.-TT. had climbed from the ground 20
/ the TOP OF the rock using a series Of
! foot and hand holds Winthrop and
! Garfield followed. but for some reason
/ 7 got stalled about half way UP. did
not seem TO be able to reach the next
| bsnd-hOId above lme and did not dare
try TO descend. because ] could not safe
/ " release my hands. I appeared to be
in 4 bad TX until saw the President
/ throw his arms around the root OF a tree
I and lower himself over the side OF the
I rock He tlsu asked Winthrop 70 use
4 his legs as = sort Of safety rope and
descend. and : 5Tfie1d came down toward
me. hanging on TO the colonel and
Winthrop as he felt for the fOOthOldS-
THE colonel, therefore, was acting IS
the anchor for Garfield and Winthrop,
and when GarieId's legs came within
/ reach I grabbed them and began to
climb ID. using the three bodies as ban
isters while I searched for the footholds.
70 which I was not accustomed
s~wadinC through the creek was one
Of the Presidents favorite amusements.