The Washington herald., 1918-07-18
MischIe,oas Youngster.


. Some ten years sgO-it seems almost
e yesterday TO older government
employees and newspaper correspond
I eu.4-Quentin Roosevelt was a mis-
chicvous youGstcr in the old colonial
+ halls of the Executive Mansion. He
, was the joy and the worry of the
Gignitied guards who through every
/ hour of the day watched over the
I family of the President When the
news came Yesterday that little Quen-
| tin. the hoy whose pet snakes and
humble bees had more than once up
| set the staid customs of the White
| House, had gone to his death fight
| ing the foes of liberty. there were
many tear-filled eyes among the gray
haired men of the government service.
Oficial confirmation of the death of
| young Roosevelt was lacking at the
War Department. Pending the receipt
of it, officials at the White House
and the department withheld COM
i ment. There is faint hope that he
may still be alive and a prisoner.
Correspondents Remembered.
In the correspondents room at
the Executive offices of the White
House yesterday men who have de-
voted many of the best days of their
lives to the study of the men chosen
to head the nation, talked quietly of
the days when little Quentin romp-
ed about among the staid official
scenes, as welcome as a bright ray
of sunlight on a gray, old winters
/ day.
| For as he is remembered in Wash
| ington, Quentin Roosevelt was an
American boy. Petted by beribbon-
ed diplomats, coddled by stern
guards and smooth-spoken office
seekers, he came through his boy
hood days without taint or weak
ness and in early manhood held to
that genuineness of character and
| disposition which so truy repre-
sented the ideals OF America.
Quentin was the baby OF the
Roosevelt administration, and his
pranks at the White House and at
the school he attended soon were
: sources of almost continual joy to
| those who lived in the circle of his
| life.
Born Here.
J He was born in Washington when
his father was Assistant Secretary
of the Navy. Washington has al
ways claimed him as her own.
| Soon after he came to live at the
| White House, strange animals began
to be found by ths guards about the
! spacious White House grounds. 1t
| then was found that Quentin was
their master. that he was born
naturalist and that with great care
and attention he was gathering a
| collection OF his pets.
The broadcast story Of the escape
! Of his pet snake and how he searched
for It under the feet Of guests await
| ing to pay their respects to his
! father, won him the attention Of the
| country in a night, and soon after
| ward boys and girls. old .trappeFs~ and
I friends Of his father began to ship
7 him a strange assortment of pets.
! Took Pony Into White House.
One OF his favorites was a beauti-
ful pony which had been given to
his brother, Archie, by Secretary of
the Interior Bliss. One time when
Archie lay III in the White House his
Inquiries about the welfare of the
pony led Quentin to believe that a
sight of the pony would cure Ar
chie's illness. - .---s--.
Avoiding the guards and the at
! tsndants. he managed TO lead the
pony into the private elevator OF the
White Houss and carefully, transport
ed him TO the bedside OF his brother
/, One Of the most exciting incidents
OF his young life came on the day
that crowded street car discovered
that he was carrying a hive OF bum-
bIsbees 10 the White House from
the home Of n. boy admirer.
Among the boyb he was always a
leader. His fHaons hand OF Indians
which vas. wont TO sromp ACROSS the
White Iiouse grounds ssrbed in
feathers and leather Ieggins and
paint vas one Of the stxhts Of the