The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-01-06

Civil War days,
So frail that he was not privileged
to associate with the other boys in
his neighborhood, Roosevelt was tn.
tored privately, in New York and dur
ing travels on which his parents took
the children abroad A porch gym
nasium at his home provided him with
physical exercise with which he com
batted a troublesome asthma. His
father. glass importer and man OF
means, WAS his constant companion;
he kept a diary hN .ad so much BIS.
tUiy and fictional books of adventure
that he was known as a bookworm;
he took boxing lessons; he was an
amateur naturalist and at the age OF
II he entered Harvard University
There. he was not as prominent as
some others in an athletic way, as it
is not recorded that he made" the
baseball and football teams, but his
puny body had undergone meta
morphosis and before graduation he
| became one OF the champion boxers of
the college. This remarkable physi.
! cal development was emphasized by
something which took place shortly
after he left Harvard in 1850. He
went TO Europe, climbed the Natter
horn. and as result was elected a
! member of the Alpine Club of London,
/ an organization of men who had per.
formed notable feats OF adventure.
i A few months after his graduation
Roosevelt married Miss Alice Lee OF
Boston. She died in 1884. leaving one
child. Alice. now the wife of Repre-
sentative Nicholas I.ongworth OF
Ohio In 1886 Roosevelt married
Miss Edith Kermit Carow. of New
York, and to them FIVE children wer5
born-Edlth, now the wife of Dr.
Richard Derby. and four sons. Theo
dore, Jr., Kermit, Archibald and Quen
tir
The public career Of the man who
was to become President began moi
long after he left college His profes
sion was law but the activities thai
were to come left him no time IN
which to practice It, In 1882, 1885,
and 1884 he was elected to the New
York State Assembly. where his ef
forts on behalf of good government
and civil service reform attracted at
tention When the Republican Ma
tional Convention of 1884 was held
In Chicago, he was chairman Of tn,
New York State delegation
After this experience he dropped
out of politics for two years. Goin
west. he purchased ranches along tn
Little Missouri River, in North Da
kota, and divided his time betwee
b outdoor sports, particularly hunting
and literary work. Here he laid III
foundation for his series OF books
I "The Winning of the West whic
J. was published from 1880 to 1896, an
o of other volumes Of kindred character
e Returning TO New York he becam
l. the Republican candidates for Mavo
}. IN 1886. He was defeated Presidel
u Harrison in 1889 appointed him
member of the United States Civ
J Service Commission and Presidel
5. Cleveland continued him in this oilic
y which he resigned in 1895 to becom
y New York City's police commissions
e "A thing that attracted me to tn
T. cfiice,' Roosevelt said at the time 1
q accepted this appointment. was TIL
1t was TO be done in the hurly-burl
ID for don't like cloister life Hone
r. " was the watchword of this admin
tration. and the two years of his o
cupancy became memorable throul
W the reforms he inaugurated, attraC
ing the nations attention while hol
10 ing position which was obscure
ie comparison with the events to CON
to Illicit liquor traffic, gambling vice
e' general--of these evils he purged Il
m city IN the face of corrupt polite
a opposition. and the reputation he ,
RS tabished as rerormer won him Z
as personal selection by PRESIDENT n
m Knlcy as Assistant Secretary of {
ne Navy IN 1897 A year later {