New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-20

r WAS a sickly, delicate boy, suffered
much from asthma, and frequently
had to be taken away on trips 10
find a place where l could breathe. one
of my memories is of my father walking
up and down the room with me in his
arms at night when l was a very small
person and of sitting up in bed gasping,
with my father and mother trying to help
me. l went very little to school. l never
went to the public schools. as my own
children later did, both at the Cove
school" at oyster Bay and at the Ford
school" in Washington. For few
months l attended Professor McMullens
school, in Goth street near the house
where ] was born. but most of the time
had tutors. AS l have already said, my
aunt taught me when l was small. AT
one time we had a French governess, a
loved and valued imam selle," in the
household.
When L was ten years old I made my
first journey TO Europe. My birthday was
spent in Cologne, and in order TO give me
thoroughly party feeling / remember
that my mother put on full dress for my
birthday dinner / do not think / gained
anything from this particular trip abroad.
| cordially hated il, as did my younger
brother and sister. Practically all the
enjoyment we had was in exploring any
ruins or mountains when we could get
away from our elders and in playing in
the different hotels. Our one desire was
to get back to America, and we regarded
Europe with the most ignorant chauvin-
ism and contempt. -Four years later
however, 1 made another journey 10 Eu-
rope. and was old enough to enjoy II
thoroughly and profit by it.
While still d small hoy l began to take
interest in natural history. 1 remember
distinctly the first day that / started on
my career as zoologist. / was walking
up Broadway. and as | passed the market
to which l used sometimes be sent be-
fore breakfast 10 get strawberries ] sud-
denly saw dead seal laid out on SLAP
OF wood. That seal filled me with every
possible feeling OF romance and advent
Gre. / asked where IL was killed ana
vas informed in the karbor. ! had al
ready begun to read some Of Mayne
Reds books and other boys books OF adj
venture. and felt that this seal brought
all these adventures in realistic fashion
before me. AS long as that seal re-
NAMED there haunted the neiShborhood
Of the market day after day l measured
II, and ! recall that. not having a tap"
measure, / had to do my best to get lts
girth with a folding pocket foot-iuie'
difficult undertaking. / carefully mace a
record OF the utterly useless measure
ments and at once began to write a nat
ural history OF my OVID On the strength
Of that seal This and subsequent nat
ural histories were written down in blank
books in simplifed spelling wholly unpre-
medItated and unscientifc. / had vague
aspirations of in some way or ah"ihci
cwring and preserving that seal. but they
never got beyond the purely formless
stage. / think, however. | did get ,he
seals skull, and with two OF my COUSINS
promptly started what we arbiuousiy
called the Roosevelt Museum OF Natura'
History The collections were at first
kept In my room, until a rebellion on '"e
part of the chambermaid received .'he
approval OF the higher authorities OF tue
house lold and the collection was mo'en
up 10 a kind OF bookcase in the back nun
ulgtairs. II was the ordinary man Doy
collection OF curios. quite ircongrucus ana
entirely yaiueless except from the s'a'o
point Of the hoy himself. My father anu
mother cncoura2 ed me warmly IN this' as
they always did In anything thai wou'"
give me wholesome pleasure o. hcip ~
deYe'"0 ma