The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-09-16
BEGIN HERE TODAY

l O1uAGN uCHC lODA1
Robert Foran, newspaper CORE.
spondent, accompanies the Theodore
| Roosevelt expedition into Africa in
1909. They arrive at Mombassa, the
gateway of British East Africa
and then make the railroad journey
to their first camp on the game
crowded kapiti Plains, 2S8 miles
from the coast. With Colonel Roose-
welt are his son, Kermit, and three
scientific members of his staff
Major A. Mearns, Edmund Heller and
]. Allen Loring.
Incredible good luck comes to the
| rifles of Colonel Roosevelt and Kerr
nit during the first two weeks of
their sojourn. At Nairobi a recep-
ton is given in honor of Colonel
! Roosevelt by Sir Frederick Jackson,
the acting governor. While Eoose-
welt and Kermit are mingling with
the guests, Foran goes to look for
the three naturalists.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
They were nowhere to be seen in
the ballroom, SO l wandered out into
the beautiful gardens that surround
the official residence Of the COVER
nor. l knew that they would most
probably be found searching for
birds and small mammals. My dag
nosis was quite correct. They were
finally discovered enjoying the still
night and eagerly hunting for new
specimens for their collection. Social
functions bored them; but natural
history did not. They never allowed
any opportunity to capture new
species to escape them.
Mearns was standing beneath a
big tree trying to catch the dulcet
notes of birds who had been awak-
ened by the military band. Heller
and Loring were intently engaged
upon catching some of the many bats
which lifted hither and thither in
the moonlit ground Of Government
House. The regulation evening
clothes Of civilization made their
efforts appear somewhat. incongru-
GUS, perhaps; but neither scientist
appeared to be aware of the fact.
On another night, the Roosevelts
accompanied the Government House
party to an amateur performance,
the "Nairobi FoIlies," in the Railway
Institute in the center of the town.
The program consisted Of two parts
the first, minstrel entertainment
with topical songs, all written by
local officials of the government,
with many humorous illusions to the
guest of honor; and the second, a
playlet entitled "Bluebeard in East
Africa which had been written by
local dramatists. Theodore Roose-
velt's hearty laugh was frequently
heard we'll above that of the re-
mainder Of the audience, and he ap-
peared particularly to enjoy the
many topical songs that related to
himself.
Two of the songs are we'll worth
reproducing. The words were writ
ten by Benjamin Eastwood, the chief
auditor of the Uganda Railway, in
conjunction with A. ]. Monsoon, the
chief secretary of the government.
The first one to evoke Theodore
Roosevelts laughter, was sung to the
tune Of "A Gay Tom-tit" from the
"Geisha" and was entitled "Felis
Leo" The words were as follows:
A lion lurked in his lonely lair,
AS African lions do,
For he liked to be where he could
get share
Of nice little buck, with stroke
Of luck,
In our wonderful natures zoo.
His large inside he nightly fed with
zebra or hartebeeste instead.
"There isn't a scrap Of doubt said
he,
tThis diets exceedingly good for me
"For / grow fat, fat, fatter,
"What on earth does it mat, mat,
matter,
"lf the way that I creep on the
beasts in their sleep,
"Makes the poor things scat, scat,
q. scatter?
He hunted game in the moonlight
bright,
With never a thought of harm;
But he got quite fright, when
there hove in sight
Teddy armed to the teeth with a
knife and sheath,
And rifle beneath his arm.
The Colonel plugged him with Il
laugh,
While Kermit took his photograph.
C0 kn VNon
would cry
IF they knew how near I'd been to
die.
"Oh, this country's bull, bull, bully!
Give enjoyed it full, full, fully,
"For it euchres the BEST they can
show in the west,
chats so wild and wool, wool,
woolly!"
Another topical song that evening
had reference to the general COM
ment locally at the well-aired disap-
pointment of some visiting members
Of the American press at not having
been able to accompany the ROose-
yelts on their hunting trips.
This particular song was entitled
"B. E. A. with apologies to Rudyard
Kiplipg)" and was rendered to the
tune of "Mandalay." The words Of
the chorus follow:
Yes he shut out all the press
And he left them there to guess.
They raved, and growled, and grum-
bled,
They were left in such mess.
But that's all passed and done with,
For they were not far away;