Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-14
Roosevelt As Sportsman
Favored Strenuous Games

"The president got ~ md walked
over TO me with his hand held out,
just the way he used to do years be-
fore.
I'm glad to Sc you. Mr.. Dono-
van he said. How are you Fine |
replied, and can tell you I'm glad
to see you again
al know you are, says the presi
dent Let's get on the gloves.
That's his way, always to the point.
our bouts always started by the
president declaring. Don't he afraid to.
cut loose. Hit me as often as you can
and / don't care how hard they come
either
"Oh, of course we didn't get in ana
slug like men in a match explained
Donovan in this interview But we
exchanged some pretty solid thumps.
He didn't try to knock me out but |
didn't get in the way of any If his
punches | could avoid. Whenever he
Handed a good one he was always
tickled so that he laughed And, for
that matter, he laughed just as much
when / got in a punch, He likes 10
feel a good. hard blow almost as we'll
as to land one"
Between rounds of these White
House bouts described by Mike Don
ovan, the colonel used to receive visl-
tors, Once Texas delegation dropped
in to call and the southern visitors
were so startled at the president
scurrying around his study with his
| boxing instructor that they took
refuge on top of tables.
| During this period colonel Roose-
| welt was ee-lighted 10 receive Bat
| Nelson, who. then in his heyday'
! would chide his host that his ring
earnings were greater than the salary
! of the president
| Colonel Roosevelt, IN one of his
writings, relates how Bob Fitzsim
mons made him penholder out OF
| horseshoes and presented 1t with TINS
| inscription: Made for and presented
| to President Theodore Roosevelt by
| his friend and admirer. Bob FltZslm-
mons" r K. wrote that he carried
this token throughout his South
African hunting trip, and that IL
| brought him luck.
These anecdotes of Donovan. Mel
son and Fitzsimmons are typical OF
/ the high esteem for Colonel Roosevelt
| held by many prominent sport fls-
ures.
Mr.. Roosevelt, while expressly keen
for boxing, used to put in some tiitle
at wrestling. iiu jltsu. tennis, single
! sticks and horseback riding during
,bis admins.ration. from 1901 to 1909.
| An, one who could give the colonel
athletic action was welcome ct the
! White House General Leonard Wood
wac his constant opponent at 81 gle
sticks The Roosevelt youngsters
were usually their fathers com
panions for the daily gallop. When
| tho number ran low for boxing and
| lin iitsu onponents, husky young
army and navy officers were hastily
! summoned to the presidents gym.
colonel Roosevelt lost the sight of his
LOFT eve as the ,asult of one of these
imnromptu bouts,
In 1906 Colonel Roosevelts weight
went over 900 bounds. AS a reducel
there was sharn development of
! tennis on the White House grounds.
The president would over more coul
and nlay harder than amy one else,
not only because he ielt that way but
he felt something drastic must De
! done Ia reduce the nging waist lire.
"Rully." was the eaVori.i express
! s;on after a strenuous Sc, and "Bri!y'
/ became the coloners pet way Of de-
claring his enjoyment At anything .hat
/ nlcased him,
swimming, rowing. horseback rid
inc r r loved TO take out guess
both Mt oyster Bay ana me White
House and bake" them, Ennl re-