New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-01
And How 1t Was
First Printed
And Pub.
lished I

We should like to keep the orig
inal in our safe until after the
story's publication. We will be re
sponsible for its safe return, and
pay. an additional fifty dollars for
it's loan"
A second hike to Jersey and no
little diplomacy ended in the
''Life's" return to town.
personally conducted it-for six
continuous weeks it had slept under
my pillow-to the editorial office
while editor and free lance stood
solemn witnesses of its semi-comic-
tragic interment!
"What next?" 1 mentally oueried
1t was not long a-coming.
"The editor wishes to see you at
once" came over the phone.
found the editor in smart sport
toggery nervously pacing the floor
and tossing off a cigarette a min
ute.
"Our photograph plates Of the
Roosevelt letter are destroyed" he
began. "Now we want the plates
from which we're made the prints
you brought to US, and which we
returned to you. If Mr.. Roosevelt
learns that the letter exists, and
that it has been photographed for
reproduction, he could be ugly if
he chose. He could put the Secret
Service on its trail and give us no
little annoyance. Can you get the
plates and bring them here?"
Alarm vibrated on every side
alarm we did not share.
Mr.. lockwood over his midday
bottle Of buttermilk grasped the
situation, and, opening his safe, he
lifted out the eight glass negatives,
four and one-half by seven. They
made a hefty bit!
Cautiously, discreetly, as if they
had been Krupp dynamite, I car
ried them to the Duane Street Office.
The editor was still pacing the
floor, nerves taut
With early Victorian courtesy, I
solemnly delivered the negatives
into his hands. 1t was worthy of
comic opera.
Each negative was duly examined.
Satisfied that the right goods had
been delivered, there was sigh OF
relief. Then with grace of Greek
athlete and fury of authority unac-
customed to being thwarted, he
smashed plate after plate, until a
miniature Eiffel Tower cluttcred
the Office floor.
To sign or not to sign the story
was now the question.
eff it displeases Mr.. Roosevelt"
was the editorial argument, che
will always associate your name with
1t, and to your injury"
Signature was withheld-a second
lrreparable stupidity-for to be un-
pleasantly known to ones ideal is
surely better than not to be known
at all.
On the scheduled September dates
The London Illustrated News" and
the Paris Illustre" came out with
the Life and my explanatory note.
II have bone to pick with you"
said the American editor, brand
lshing "The Illustrated News"
Here is the Roosevelt letter with
nasty reflection on our tardinessw
Meanwhile, the daughter of the
owner Of the original letter had
married an Albany newspaper man
close to the Colonel in his guberna-
torlal days. He took his bride to
Europe for the honeymoon While
waiting in London to ship for home
the bride came upon the November
magazine.
See. Here's daddy's letter from
Colonel Roosevelt" she cried.
1t suggested to the groom to round
out the honeymoon with a visit to
Washington and a call upon the
President at the White House.
The bride, a June type of Ameri-
can womanhood, was an expert ten
mis- player. President Roosevelt had
just had his tennis game with the
Bishop of London He was bub-
bling with it. When he discovered
that his fair caller was up in it
the five-minute interview stretched
to twenty.
s"Mr. President interrupted the
groom, "you saw your letter in the
- magazine?"
"Yes, yes, saw it," laughed the
President
at was to my wife's father you
wrote it"
"You don't tell me-" and he fell
to recalling the circumstances I'M
der which he had written it.
81 am sorry it was not better cap
! italized and T wiSb ~ had bod less