The mirror., 1919-10-09
PILGRIMS SEE ROOSEvELTS GRAVE
Visitors From Every Part of the Nation journey to Burial
Place in Long Island Town
Earl Boldso;m Thon,as

lFdY@5l MODEST grave, on the
IGMgN ridge of q hill in the local
I4sS(R1 cemetery of a small Long
ulAVlgg Island town, has become
place of pilgrimage for all the
world.
Upon it's unpretentious length
are heaped each day fresh flowers,
daisies from the adjoining fields,
roses and formal flowers from the
florists; set pieces from associa-
tions all over America. There is
no headstone to mark the spot, not
even the conventional railing that
surrounds the other plots in the
ancient burying ground; a lone
locust tree. its strong limbs thrust
ing its sparse foliage against the
hot downpour of the summer sun,
stands as Natures single sentinel
upon the plot itself. sheltering
alike the simple mound and the
armed guard who watches over it.
More than 60. 900 persons have
journeyed to Oyster Bay to visit
the grave of Theodore Roosevelt
since the body of the former pres
ident was lowered into its resting
place in Young's Memorial ceme-
terry last January. There was no
path to the grave then; the brown
winter stubble covered the ridge
and ran down to the entrance of
the grounds just as in the foregO-
ing fall and summer the grass
formed a green carpet to soften
the tread of the occasional mourner.
Since January, however the con-
slant stream of pilgrims to the
cemetery has worn a broad, smooth
road from the entrance gates to
the plot, the thousands of foot
prints of the ceaseless chain of WIS.,
itors have trampled the stubble
into q Qrassless clay path, and in
stinctively one steps into the trail
and follows its length to the NOR
tai grave of The Great Ameri-
can" who so recently entered upon
his final trail.
Like many such burial places in
New England and Long Island, the
cemetery has sedate, rather than
a mournful aspect; its sunken
stones lined with age and scanned
with the ravages of generations
storms, are softened by the
presence of trees and climbing
vines and blossoming bushes.
A burst of deep red roses. from a
towering bush, greets the visitor
as he moves beside the boundary
hedge of Norway spruce, and steps
beneath an overhanging tree,
around a bend and thus up a gen.
tie slope to the goal of his travel.
East and West. North and South.
practically all the states of the
Union and the countries of the two
hemispheres are represented in the
addresses signed by visitors in the
register, established by the graves
guardians.
Alexandra, Egypt" reads one
inscription; Bombay, India, y two
others of different date; New Zea-
land" another. Havre and Paris,
in France; London, England, the
South American republics capitals
are written down by travellers from
those far points.
Invariably they come to stand
and ponder over the simplicity of
the grave and thoughts inspired by
memories of Theodore Roosevelt.
to register. survey with apprecia-
tion the pleasant environment of
the locality, and to murmur some
sentiment of their deep-felt regard
to the guardian on watch.
Orioles and song sparrows in
habit the locust woods nearby and
perch atop the locust on the plot,
chirping and chattering and scold-
ing, or fly into the leafy recesses
of the wild cherry trees that are
scattered through the cemetery.
A flash of color tells the passage