Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-03-21
TALES OF ROOSEVELT
HOW 7. r, BROKE 4 eTEEL CAR.

S----rrn-s-------
HOW 7. R. BROKE a Steel oAFF-
HOOK.
(Contributsd by Russell J. Coles,
DanviIIs, Va.)
Copyright, 1919, by Roosevelt Per-
nianent Memorial National Com
mittee.)
In March, 1917,s Colonel Roosevelt
came to my camp in Florida to hunt
devil fish with me. Starting from
my floating camp 80 miles down the
coast from Punta Gorda, the morn
Ing after we arrived we were out on
the waters of the Gulf OF Mexico.
1t was not long before the lookout
sighted a devil fish swimming rapidly
toward us. Colonel Roosevelt climbed
out on the top Of the launch with
harpoon raised, and ]. with another
harpoon. got UP by his side. All was
in readiness. We ran full speed
ahead. gave the order to strike.
Roosevelt had never before balanced
himself upon his feet on the top Of a
small boat jumping in o choppy sea.
He had never before cast a harpoon
at a living creature. Yet the cast as
he made it was perfect, and the iron
went true and drove two feet four
inches clear to the socket through the
heaviest and toughest structure of the
fish.
AS the irons left our hands / yelled
"Down!" and down he went, holding
as l had directed, and in an instant
the fight was on. Fighting devil fish
is a sport SO filled with thrills and
dangers that even of trained harpoon-
ers few ever engage successfully in
it. The fight was short and Sharp;
with cool precision he delivered the
death blow.
The fish was quickly lowed the half
mile or more to the beach, and we re-
turned, and after bigger fight, killed
a bigger devil fish, and towed it to
the side of the first.
The heavy work of getting the devil
fish firmly fast on the beach then
began. For this purpose 1 had pro-
vided several heavy steel gaff hooks
which l had myself forged and which
have sustained strain of 1000
pounds. I was hauling on one and
had two of |my strongest men on
another next to me, while the colonel
and others were pulling in other posi-
tions. Failing to move the fish, I
changed the two men, and the colonel
took their gaff hook. -
waited for the aid of SILL
wave, and gave the order "Now!" At
the word. heard snap and fall.
Colonel Roosevelt had turned a COM
plete back somersault on the hard
beach; he had broken the gaff hook.
The four men of my crew. who had
lived their lives among hard, strong
men, had never before seen a feat of
strength such as this. To them, to
whom feats of physical prowess stood
as the highest virtue, Theodore
Roosevelt after that. appeared as a
titan and superman.
Tho Roosevelt Permanent Me.
mortal National Committee 10 coll
lecting and publishing character
istic stories Of Theodore Roose-
velt's personality and career. IT
you know any interesting and au-
thentic stories, the committee will
be grateful If you would send
them to the national headquarters,
Ons Madison avenue, New York
City. Contributions to the me-
mortal fund may be sent to tho
same address. Checks may be
made payable either to the COM
mittee or to Albert n. Wisgin, Of
the Chase National bank. Every
penny giw.n for a memorial will
be spent for a memorial. Expenses
Of collection and administration
will be covered by special gifts
of personal friends Of Colonel
Roosevelt.
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