The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-10-28
cOLONEL'S BIRTHDAY
Receives Many Congratulations on
54th Anniversary.

New York, Oct. 28.-Yesterday was
Theodore Roosevelt's 54th birthday
and he celebrated 1t quietly indoors
with his family at Oyster Bay. Mrs.
Roosevelt, Miss Ethel, Theodore, Jr.,
and his wife and Quentin sat down at
the table of the family. Kermit, Ar
chic and Mrs. Nicholas Longworth
were unable to be there. In the after
noon, the Emlen Roosevelts dropped
in to extend their congratulations, and
Oscar Straus, progressive candidate
for governor of New York, and Mrs.
Straus went from New York by au-
tomobile. Col. Roosevelt asked Mr..
and Mrs. Straus to stay for tea, but
they felt it would be better for the
colonel to rest, and remained only a
few movements.
Col. Roosevelt did not leave the
house yesterday. His walk Saturday
tired him so much that it was thought
best for him to have complete rest.
Yesterday afternoon DR.. Alexander
Lambert and Dr. George E. Brewer
went from New York to dress his
wound. and found that their patient
was continuing to improve. Birth
day kilograms came in all day long.
One of them was from John l.. Sulli-
van. Every good wish to you on
your Saith birthday" the former pu-
gilist wired, land Gods blessing as
well, all your life" The colonel wir-
ed back: Good luck, John"
Automobiles by the score, filled
with sightseers, climbed Sycamore
Hill from morning to night. At one
tima the road at the foot of the hill
was blocked with motor cars, each
driver awaiting his turn to go up the
hill for sight of the house.
Of all the birthday gifts which
came to him from many parts OF the
country Col. Roosevelt was especial
ly proud of painting of bull moose
By a New York artist. The painting,
which is six feet square, was present
ed to him by August Hecksher of the
neighboring town of Huntington.
The gift most peculiarly given came
from a woman whose name is not
known to the colonel or his family.
The woman, about 60 years old,
dressed all in black with large
bundle under her arm, stepped from
the noon train and inquired the way
to Sycamore Hill. She walked the
three miles through the village, along
the shore of the bay and up the hill.
When Col Roosevelt's butler fJim' ,
came to the door in answer to her
ring, she gave him the bundle.
Il didn't come to see him." she said
81 have come from Boston to give him
this present on his 54th birthday"
With that she turned away and start
ed down the hill Jim" opened the
bundle and saw that it was small
oil painting. He carried it to the
colonel. Its value was not ascertain
ed. The woman was seen as she
trudged back to the station to take
the next train for New York. She
refused to give her name or any in
formation about herself except that
she was from Boston. 1T is moth
ing" she said. Il just came from Bos-
ton to leave the painting for Col.
whom | admire very great
ly. Now / am going back to Boston
The continued improvement in Col.
condition was reported by
his physicians in the following bulle-
tin: Col Roosevelt's wound shows
marked progress in healing. There is
no reasonable doubt that he Will
speak on Wednesday night. There is
some oedema of the chest muscles
which makes it necessary to forbid
lim shaking hands. Col. Roosevelt
will return to Oyster Bay immediate
" after the meeting" The bulletin
was signed by DR.. Alexander Lambert
md DR. George f. Brewer. Dr. Lam
bert explained that by the term oede-
ma was meant a bad bruise due to
ha tba f,onanf of the hullpt