The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-04
In One Day Col. Roosevelt Visits
15 Towns
And Travels 15O Miles Through h
the Anthracite Region.
HE is A GOOD FELLOW
With the Men, Woren and
Children En- Route.
John Mitchell Proves to Be
Peoples Real Hero.

Wilkesbarre, Pa, Aug. 4.-Tbeodore
Roosevelt Travelled for 150 miles
wednesday among the mountain min
ing towns in the Wyoming valley. He
mingled with people of all stations in
life. from the breaker boys who earn a
feT dollars week. to society women
who are spending the summer at Glen
| Summit Springs Late last night he
started back to Oyster Bay.
! An incident typical of the days hap
peningsr occurred at wyoming. min
ing hamlet a few miles above Wilkes
| barre. An old Irish woman stepped Up
| to him, and, thrusting out her hand,
| exclaimed:
Hello, Teddy. You're looking fine
| The former president grinned with
delight, and said he was glad to see
| her.
You're looking fine, too." he said.
''Yes, indeed said she. I'm strong
as you are, and you're fine lump
| In all the colonel passed through fif-
teen towns. John Mitchell, former
of America; the Rev. Father j. J. Curran
of Wilkesbarre and the Rev. Father ].
]. O'Donnell of Stowell, rode in the
automobile with him. At Brookside
| there was one woman in the crowd
who appeared to weigh about 275
3.
who looked as If she would not tip the
beam at 100. The large woman brought
up six children, which she said were
hers, every one. and she introduced to
the colonel. Then she turned to the
small woman and said:
"Ain't he handsome, Minnie?
The colonel heard her. but looked as
though he did not believe the compi-
ment was meant for him. Then ne
gave the signal to the chauffeur and
amid chorus of Good bye, Tedoy'
the car shot away
A Mother of Five.
At Pfttston an elderly woman pushed
through the crowd until she managed
to reach the colonePs side
"I'm the mother of five children,
said She Fine. fine" Col. Roosevelt
exclaimed. He grasped her hand hard.
ened by years of heavy work, peered
into her faded blue eyes and said:
ssDon't you know my opinion is that
the average American is always a
pretty good citizen. but many times his
wife is better one"
At Duryea which is populated almost
entirely by miners, the neat appear
ance of the settlement pleased Col:
Roosevelt Immensely. AT the home OF
Mrs. Frank Kowalce1eck he found SIX
women already there and a good many
about to leave after talking to the wo-
men of their home life he turned to
one and pointing to John Mitchell, VINO
was at his side, he said:
DO you know who ne Is? ne Is
John Mitchell
name Of the man who is idolized by SO
many miners Then she forgot -oi-
roosevelt completely: with cry, she
fell on her knees before the miner
again and again Mr.. Mitchell raised
rer to her feet. shook her mana anu
backed out of the house.
r R Zerbv manager of the mines at
Edvardsville, decided that the town
vould celebrate whatever Col. Roose-
velt nlans were. To that end he shut
dewn the mines for the rest OF the day
and everybody in town, except the post
master knocked off work ana Went 10
the public square. When Col Roose-
velt arrived he found the croWo 1eady
for him. His automobile was slrrouPo-
ed and the town orator delivered an
address of welcome. Then they set on
two charges of dynamite such as tne
miners use as q salute. The colonel
standing in his automobile, gave a III
tie talk to the crowd.
From Edwardsville Col. Roosevelt
,totored to Pittston, where he spent
more than an hour among the 1oreisn-
ers who work in the mines. Thence he
drove to Kingston, Duryea anu NyoIn-
irg. The barracks of the state consta.
bulary are in Wyoming and the colonel
inspected them. The party returned to
the reetory and with the priests who
had BEEN invited by Father Curran took
luncheon. At o'clock Col Roosevelt
started out to visit Nanticoke and Ply
mouth
A Girl of is.
The colonel stopped a little girl, An
ME Trykowkski. He asked her her
age and she said was Is. She didn't
look 1t. Annie was mighty proud when
she informed the colonel that she work
ed in the silk mill. not as a Oobbin girl,
which is the kindergarten step of the
trade. but as a winder. She told the
colonel she worked from $50 o'clock
in the morning until 5:45 O'Clock in the
evening. and was well paid for her la
tor. Roosevelt shook hands with her
and walked on with Miss Sanville and
Miss Cochran. Lawrence Abbott trdiled
along behind
The first person of real picturesque
type the contributing editor encounter
ed was Jake Kavanaugh. miner. kav-
auaugh was grimy and dirty. On his
head was his miners cap and lamp. The
colonel hailed him and began to talk.
In about two minutes Roosevelt and
Kavanaugh were fastening to the min
er's house a half of a mile away. The
colonel bombarded his new friend with
oil sorts of questions. They stepped
cn the front porch and Roosevelt play
ed with the two little kiddies while
Jake kavanaugh Ioio MS wire &c CUT
cut her dishwashing and be sociab1e.
Jake, however, had not the slightest
idea his guest was the ex-president OF
the United States.
With the kayanaughs the colonel
talked about social conditions. The
miner volunteered the information
there were no amusements calculated
to entertain young folks. and said he
regarded it as disgracefu1 The colonel
remarked that the dance halls connect
Ell with the saloons were bad IhingF
for young women. He remained at
Kavanaugh's half an hour, told him
who he was and went away. leaving
them ilahhergasted That was just ex-