The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-24
WOODSMAN VISITS
ROOSEVELT'S GRAVE
Aged Bill Sewall Is Silent i'm
Grief-Later Dwells Upon
Feats of Old Friend.
RECALLS RANCHING DAYS
To Tell Memorial Committee
To-day He Favors School
of Americanization.


terday to the last resting place OF his
friend. Accompanied by his daughter
Nancy he visited Oyster Bay and stood
for while beside the grave in the
Roosevelt plot In Youngs Memorial
Cemetery. If memories crowded fast upon
him-members of first lessons in wood
craft to slight young college graduate,
OF campf1res in the North Woods. OF
their ranohing experiences together in
Dakota and then of dinners and meet
ings as occasion served with Presi-
dent of the United States-the old
woodsman made no parade Of his grief
His shoulders were little stopped but
It was with the weight Of 10 years filled
with the toll Of the woodsman. and his
eyes we're as clear and blue and keen as
the eyes Of man must be TO read the
story OF the woods. He stood silent and
paid his friend just the tribute that his
friend would have desired.
A wreath OF red. white and blue flow
ers. tied with ribbons in the tri-color
common to the allied republics Of France
and America, lay on the grave. II had
been placed there earlier in the day by
Gen. Traufiieb Of the French army.
Visits House on Sycamore Hill.
Then he turned away and walked over
now, and renewed acquaintance with
Charlie Lee, who off1ciated as coachman
at the White House during the Roose-
welt Administration, and with Algon-
quin, the pony upon whose back Quentin
and Archie and the other boys galloped
around the White House grounds and
which Quentin once rode into the house
and up the stairs TO the room where
Archie lay i'll in the boyish hope that the
sight of the little animal would make
him better.
Mr.. Sewall walked about the grounds,
observing the elk horns on the gable In
front. souvenirs. he recalled, of the
Dakota ranching venture which he and
Col. Roosevelt made back in "a. and
the bird houses which rest among the
limbs OF so many of the trees. He
strolled. too. through some OF the paths
on the estate where the Colonel was
accustomed TO take his daily tramps, and
visited Christ Episcopal Church. where
the simple funeral services for his friend
had taken place
And then he returned TO the city. TO
dine in the evening with a group Of
the Coloners old friends at the Lotos
Club. Sitting in the lobby Of the Com
modore Hotel. ne recalled with simple
pride IN his friendship and without a
trace OF any other emotion than the
frank pleasure OF the recollection a hun
dred anecdotes or the Colonel-recoilec-
lions OF his grit OF his lack of tolera-
ton for smut. of his consideration for
others.
'He"-when Sewall said "IIe" there
was no need to ask to whom reference
was made and he never designated Col.
Roosevelt by any more personal title in
moro than an hour OF reminiscence-
He lost lot of money in the ranch
at Medara, North Dakota. You see,
when We came back after twenty-four
months out there. the men he left in
chsrge-well, they didn't have much 10
lose except their time. Cattle were at
the lowest price they've ever been before
or since and the next year about hal.
of them died-and 1 guess It was his
half that died
He was the most particular man in
his conversation, about women, mean,
that l believe I ever knew. OF course
out there among the cowboys you didn't
hear much else. but they soon got to feel
his attitude about II, though 1t wasn't
good policy for us to say any thlng be-
cause that would have just made them
that much worse"
Col. Roosevelt, Sewall declared had
never been the rugged man that popular
fancy painted him. In the woods and
on the ranch ii was his indefatigable de-
termination to see the thing through
rather than bodily strength, that en-
abled him to keep up with stronger and
sometimes younger men. He had at
least one severe heart attack, Sewell
said. at Medora.
Il remember it very WELL" the old
woodsman said, because he kept quiet
for several days aderward, and this was
something mighty unusual for him."
showed Grit in Maine Woods.
Sewell recalled another instance of the
Colonels grit in the Maine woods I'VE
had to cross Wissataquonik. Creek and
the current was very swift. In crossing
he slipped ana lost one OF his shoes-we
were carrying our shoes to keep from
getting them wet. All he had to wear
the rest of the way was a pair of thin
moccasins. not the regular Indian moe
casins. but a thin pair he used to wear
around camp. Well he got there. but
with his feet cut and bleeding and he
never said a word"
did Col. Roosevelt ever talk politics
with you IN the woods" Sewell was
asked.
Every seldom. You see, we agreed on
politics. But he put that behind him In
the woods. Ana when / visited the
White House, too. from the way he
talked OF the ranch and our trips, it
seemed to me as IL he had Just forgotten
that he was President"
What were Col. Roosevelt's prefer
ences in the matter or hunting" one OF
the little audience asked. What kind
OF hunting did he specially enjoy?"
Wen. most ANYTHING. but the bigger
ne game the better he liked il. He
wrote me though. after his African trip
that the hunting there didn't come up
to our woods. He said there was too
much game-a man could shoot almost
anywhere and be sure of hitting some
thing. He said II was too much like
shooting INTO herd Of cattle"
Recurring to the Coloners early days,
Sewall said that when young Roosevelt
first visited the woods under his tutelage
he was cautioned not to allow the young
man to overexert himself Later. he said
Roosevelt himself told him OF an inter-
view which he had with a doctor by
whom he had been examined just after
leaving college. The doctor advised him
to get into some occupation which would
give him very little physical exertion
In fact he went 80 far as TO say that II
would be dangerous for him TO run up