The Detroit times., 1913-06-05
JOHN BURROUGHS
PRAISES WILSON
AND ROOSEVELT
Famous Naturalist Says Presi-
dent Has Some Qualities
Which Colonel Lacks
AGED CELEBRITY VISITS
IN HIGHLAND PARK
Chats Interestingly of Walt
Whitman. Whom He Knew
Intimately

John Burroughs. the weil-known
writer and naturalist. and former
friend of Whitman and Emerson. takes
an active interest in current AFFAIRS
OF political and social character az
well AZ keeping up his study Of ma
ture, In spite Of his 76 years.
Mr.. Burroughs, who arrived III De-
troit. Wednesday morning. 10 visit In
the home Of Glen Buck, No. 70 Connec-
ticut-ave.. Highland Park, followed
closely the recent libel suit OF former
President Roosevelt against Editor
Newett, In Marquette.
II have been with Col Roosevelt a
great DEAL" he said to The Times.
land know that he drinks no strong
liquors. never saw him drink any
thing unless, perhaps. some cham
paigne at banQuets. I WAS with him
In the Yellowstone trip Of 1903 and
have visited In his home many times.
Among his many other accom-.
plishments-and he IL the most-ail-
round American we have--he Is a
born naturalist Once he took me
down to his place In Virginia which
he calls Pine Knot In a few days
there we identified 81 kinds Of birds
He showed me two new ones and
showed him the same number
When the honors were even he
saw Now I'll show you the Lincoln
sparrow but although we lay In wait
for II in weedy field q long time.
the Lincoln sparrow didn show up.
SO neither OF us came out ahead He
can hardly know as much OF the small
domestic birds as l. who have made
such close study OF them. but he is
familiar with the large game birds in
way that | am not.
Altogether he Is a great man, aud
If had the making OF him over again
away some or his pugnacity, tor he
Is fighter all through. Fighting rs
all right, but you don't want it every
meal. The only plank in his political
platform with which don't agree is
high tariff, and / think he'll learn bet
ter on that sometime
Mr.. Burroughs mas a wide acquaint-
ance among celebrates In all lines,
and as he talks YER. interestingly or
his experiences their names frequent
ly creep In. He knows President Will
son personally and Is an admirer OF
him.
Wilson," he said, has some good
qualities which Roosevelt has not and
he has backbone. He Is doing well
and II he can handle that bunch rs
Edison calls the professional politi
clans Of Washington, he will make a
fine record
On being shown again a letter from
Walt Whitman which he had given
Mr.. Buck, the naturalist recalled the
days when In 1864. during the war
he and Whitman worked together In
the treasury department in Washing
ton. The letter ends, Il shall return
the 800 you let me have sometime
soon.'
reminiscently, money never would
e''r'' ~ him, though he spent q very
little on himself He had no self
indulgences like smoking or drinkins
and could make meal on the sim
plest OF food but he was always Civ
ing to old soldiers and others whom
he thought needed II more than him
self"
Two years ago. Mr.. Burroughs for
SOCK his famous home "Slabsides." "a
summer residence, and went back e
his native meath In Roxbury. N. Y.
and built "Woodchuck Lodge" There
with his workrOom in a hay NOW. nt
says, he has done more work than II
any other two years OF his life.
His "Barndoor Outlook" which an
peared In Harper's was written look
ing from that study, as was most o.
his other recent works.
Mr.. Burroughs has learned to rur
an automobne In the last wear. an,
be told laughingly Of the mishap wher
he ran into tree, and the story
went all over the country that the
machine had upset and injured hin
seriously. II was upset." he said. "tc
the extent of having my hat shaken
on. but II kept me busy for two days
answering letters to tell my friends
all over the country that / wasn't hurt
How II happened was that | looked
back whne going through gate tc
see II ! were going to miss the post
all right. The machine struck tn,
tree before saw II. You must never
ok back when you drive an automo
bile"
Mr.. Burroughs recalled his one
former visit to Detroit when he pass
ed through In 1856 on his way to IL
diana to teach school. He was In the
west only few months. Detroit no
says was then a small. dull place II
which he found little OF interest.
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