The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-04-12
They First Turned Roosevelt to
Study of Nature.
HIS INTEREST NEVER FLAGS
Story Of tho CoIoneI's 6ird-Song De.
bate with John Burroughs and
How He Made That Vet
eran Yield.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

Of Washington and the Potomac river.
the scientists are working away on
the pelts of the African animals which
fell before the rifle of Theodore Roose-
velt. The scientists presumably take
interest in matters of national con-
Germ, but they are concerning them
selves more today with the Roosevelt
African trophies than they are with
the Roosevelt American politics. In
fact, the article which follows is
largely about Theodore Roosevelt. but
there will be no politics in it. ::%
One of'the men who is at work In
the National Museum has told sew
eral stories of the interest of Colonel
Roosevelt in natural history, how it
was born and how it has lived and
hourished. 1t is said today that there
Is as much natural history talk in the
editorial Office on Fourth avenue, New
York city, where the colonel does his
writing, as there is political talk, and
this, of course, Is saying a good deal.
AS the story goes, 1t was the meadow
lark which first turned Colonel Roose-
velt's attention to nature study. The
lark is appealing enough in its habit
of life, in it's personality and In it's
spring and fall songs, to stir anybody
to interest who is not beyond the
reach of things appealing. The lark
started Mr.. Roosevelt in bird study
and he has kept it up all his life and
is still keeping it up, down Sycamore
Hill way. There are two meadow
larks, the scientists say, the eastern
and the western bird. They look
alike, but one is little larger than
the other and the western bird Is
said to be the more accomplished
singer. 49,,
His Debate with Burroughs.
There is a story told OF a trip which
Colonel Roosevelt made to the west
In late May some years ago, trip on
which he was accompanied by John
Burroughs. When the train reached
the state Of Indiana early in the
morning the sight of scores OF meadow
larks flushing from the fields started
a discussion between Mr.. Roosevelt
and Mr.. Burroughs that lasted through
the breakfast hour, during all of which
time the larks were In constant sight
of the two distinguished disputants.
1t was on the matter OF the :lark's
song that Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr. Bur
roughs disagreed. Mr.. Burroughs held
that the song of the eastern lark was
fully as well sustained and as sweet
as that of the western lark. Mr..
Roosevelt held to the contrary. 1t
was agreed that when the home OF
the western form OF the bird was
reached the dispute should be settled
by visit to the prairie to hear the
bird in full song -
When the western prairie was
reached the evidences Hunter" and
The Sage of Slabsides" left the train.
went into the field and settled the
mooted matter of the meadow Iark's
song. It is said that Mr. Burroughs
after listening to the bird a while WILL
1ngly admitted that it was a more ac-
complished musician than it's eastern
brother *
Bjrd.Lover When In College.
Mr.. Roosevelt has as occasional
companions today, when he goes in
the fields to study birds, men who
were fellow members years ago OF
what was called the Nuttall Orinitho-
logical club in Cambridge, Mass. The
colonel was then student at Harvard
and he joined the club because of his
interest in bird life. The surviving
members of the club tell today of an
earnest young fellow wearing big
glasses who, when his turn came,
would talk on the birds that he had
studied in the Adirondacks or in the
Maine woods. The Nuttall club finally
became the American Ornitholog1sts'
union, and it has standing today with
the scientific organizations of the
world. Many of the members fol-
lowed ornithology as life pursuit,
and among them are several of the
high officials OF the biological survey
OF the agricultural department
There is in the Smithsonian Institu-
ton today q collection OF bird skins
which was presented to the institution
years ago by then unknown young
man named Roosevelt. AS is usual in
such cases, the scientists went through
them with view to finding IL there
was anything new and Of value to sci
ence. Inasmuch as the collecting
ground which young Roosevelt had
gone over had been covered thorough
ly by ornith0logists at different times
from the beginning of the nineteenth
century, there was little hope that
anything new would be found. Some
thing new was found, however, . bird
which showed that it was a marked
variation from species already
named. The variety is now we'll known
and the credit for its discovery Il
given. not to Theodore Roosevelt. SOL
enlist, hunter and one time president
OF the United States, but to Theodore
Roosevelt, boy student Of New YORK
state.
Careless.
Husband sick?" asked one woman.
Not seriously replied the other.
after the rest Of the family had Sone
to bed h atavad down 4, a. .-,,....