The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-31
ROOSEVELT DUE
TO PASS THROUGH
HERE TOMORROW
EVENING

LuLyuvO
Col. Roosevelt will probably be
through Lakeland tomorrow night.
arriving here at 1880 from Punta
Gorda and leaving at 1920 for
Washington. The invitation from
the Chamber of Commerce has never
reached Mr.. Roosevelt. a wire from
Eoca Grande this afternoon stating
that he was on the water and could
net be located. and therefore he will
not make an address here. AS he
comes on Sunday. he will. Of course.
not be asked to speak on his arrival.
as no one wishes to conflict in any
way with the church services. He
will no doubt be greeted by large
crowd after the church services. as
he will be here until 1920.
The report that Col. Roosevelt was
drowned was strenuously denied by
that gentleman. as the following
from yesterdays Fort Myers Press
indicates:
You may say" said Colonel Theo-
dGre Roosevelt laughingly To u party
calling on him from Fort Myers last
night, "in the words of Mark Twain
the news of my death has been great
ly exaggerated. "
The party was gotten up by W.
Stanley Hanson, who representing
Senator Charles A. Stadler. carried
| an invitation to the former president
10 visit Fort Myers, Accompanying Mr..
, Hanson were w. p. Franklin, pres
ident of the board of trade, County
Judge Williamson, +. w. Ashmead.
manager of the Fort Myers Ice and
Electric company. and Tom Colcord.
In the speed boat Choosum Of Prof
Perry. navigated by Mr.. Colcord, the
party left Fort Myers at 6: so o'clock
arriving at the Coles camp, of which
Colonel Roosevelt .is the honored
guest, at 9 o'clock
Colonel Roosevelt was found busily
debating to his secretary. He. how
ever. received the visitorsc ordially
and when handed Senator Stadler' $
invitation to visit this city sad. upon
reading 1t. that awning to having made
engagements that would take up all
of his time. after leaving the camp,
ii would be impossible for him to ac-
cept the senator's invitation. He,
however, sent Senator Stadler, who Is
warm personal friend, his regards
and promise to visit him later.
The former president was handed
a bundle OF newspapers, among which
was the Fort Myers Press containing
the rumor that was current of his
having met death by drowning. 1t
was then that Colonel Roosevelt made
the remark as to his being very much
alive.
Colonel Roosevelt will leave Cap
tiva Saturday and will be in Punta
Gorda Sunday There he is to be
/ entertained after which he will 20
north and will be in Washington for
the meeting of Congress on April End.
John NJ. Boring, county farm dem.
onstration agent. who was guest of
Russell Coles party since Sunday, re-
turned to Fort Myers Wednesday
evening.
Mr.. Boring stated that, while Col
onel Roosevelt had only come to
Florida to watch Mr.. Coles catch devil
fish. his pugnacious spirit had gotten
the better of him and he was in at
the death of two fine specimens, the
argest OF which measured Is feet s
inches.
Mr. Boring. too. had extended an
invitation to the Colonel to visit Fort
Myers and. in expressing his regret
Mr.. Roosevelt stated that at the rate
he had been receiving invitations IT,
by giving three a day for IL months,
with the one just extended from Fort
Myers, he would 500 behind and
there were new ones coming in all
the time.