Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-01-10
COL, THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Interesting Phases Of a Strenuous
Life
SOLDIER, STATESMAN and PATRIOT

Won High Distinction as Young MAJ
and Continued to Do Things All Hi
Life-Younsest President of tn
United States-Fought in the Wa
With Spain and Wanted to Take
Division to Europe.
Called to the White House in 19O
after President Mckinley had been as
sassinated, Colonel Theodore -Roose
Welt, AZ years old, was the younges
president the United States has eve
had. Three years later he was elect
ed as president by the largest popula
vote a president has received.
Thus Roosevelt, sometimes called
man of destiny, served for seven year,
as the nations chief magistrate. In
subsequent decade the fortunes Of pol
itics did not favor him, for, again
candidate for president-this time
leading the Progressive party which
he himself had organized when h
differed radically with some Of tn
policies Of the Republican party il
1s12-he went down to defeat, to-
gether with the Republican candidate
William Howard Taft. Woodrow Will
son, Democrat, was elected.
Colonel Roosevelt's enemies agreed
with his friends that his life, his char
acter and his writings represented
high type Of Americanism.
OF Dutch ancestry, bern in New
York city on October 27, 1858, in
house in east Twentieth street, th'
baby Theodore was a weakling. HI
was one of four children who came t.
Theodore and Martha Bulloch Roose
velt. The mother was Of southern
stock and the father of northern, 6
situation which during the early years
of Theodore, Juniors boyhood wa:
not allowed to interfere with the fam
lily life of those children during th'
Civil war days.
Was F'raiI Boy.
So frail that he was not privileged
to associate with the other boys in hi
neighborhood, Roosevelt was tutoreC
privately in New York and during
travels on which his parents took th'
children abroad. A porch gymnasium
at his home provided him with physi
cal exercise with which he combattet
a troublesome asthma. His father, {
glass importer and a man Of means
was his constant companion; he KEEP
a diary; he read so much history ant
fctional books Of adventure that HI
was known as a bookworm; he tool
boxing lessons; he was an amateur
naturalist; and at the age Of II n
entered Harvard university. There h
was not as prominent as some Others
In an athletic way. as 1t is not re-
corded that he made" the baseball
and football teams, but his puny bod.
had undergone q metamorphosis ant
before graduation he became one o
the champion boxers Of the college
This remarkable physical development
was emphasized by something which
took place shortly after he left Har
ward in 1880. He went to Europe
climbed the Matterhorn, and as a re
suit was elected a member Of the AL
pine club Of London-an organization
of men who had performed notabl
feats of adventure.
A few months after his graduation
Roosevelt married Miss Alice Lee o
Boston. She died in 1884, leaving on
child, Alice, now the wife Of Repre-
sentative Nicholas Longworth Of Ohio
ii 1886 Roosevelt married Miss Edit
Kermit Carow, of New York, and t
them five children were born-Edith
now the wife Of DR.. Richard Derby
and four sons, Theodore, Jr., Kermit
Archibald and Quentin.
The public career of the man VIII
was to become president began no
long after he left college. His profes
sion was law, but the activities tina
were to come left him no time Il
and 1884 he was elected to the Ne1
York state assembly, where his effort
on behalf Of good government and civ
IL service reform attracted attention
When the Republican national conven
ton Of 1884 was held in Chicago, h
was chairman Of the New York stat
delegation.
After this experience he droppe
out of politics for two years. Coin
west, he purchased ranches along tn
Little Missouri river, in North Da
kota, and divided his time betwee
outdoor sports, particularly hunting
and literary work. Here he laid tn
foundation for his series Of book
"The Winning of the West" which wa
published from 1889 to 1896, and c
other volumes Of kindred character.
Seeks New York Mayorship.
Returning to New York he becam
the Republican candidate for mayo
in 1886. He was defeated. Presider
Harrison in 1889 appointed him
member of the United States civil sci
vice commission and President Cleve
land continued him in this offic
which he resigned in 1895 to becom
New York's city police commissioner.
"a thing that attracted me to tn
office" Roosevelt said at the time
accepted this appointment, was ths
it was to be done in the hurly- -burl,
for don't like the cloister life" Hor
esty was the watchword of this admir-
istration, and the two years Of his OF
cupancy became memorable throug
the reforms he inaugurated, attrac
ing the nations attention while holc
ing a position which was obscure
comparison with the events to com
Illicit liquor traffic, gambling, vice
general-of these evils he purged tn
city in the face of corrupt political OF
position, and the reputation he estat
lished as a reformer won him the pei
sonal selection by President McKiI
ley as assistant secretary Of the nav
in 1897. A year later the Spanish