President Roosevelt.

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 14, 15 November 1904, Page 2

President Roosevelt.

The Man of the Hour

President Roosevelt., who lias been elected President of the United States baft large majority, is a mail of parts. Ho shoots weil, can sit a broncho like an Indian, is a hunter of big game, a writer of strong books, and essentially—to use colonial slang—a “ white man.” Here is an episode allowing Roosevelt’s nerve in an hour of danger. We take it from the excellent, little sketch of him which has just been published by Mr. Murat N. Halsted. It was during a solitary bearhunting excursion in Idaho that Mr. Roosevelt underwent the “ most thrilling experience in his life,” when a grizzly which he had wounded rushed at him. Here is the story in the President’s own words“ The great bear turned with a harsh roar of fury and challenge, blowing the bloody foam from his mouth, so that 1 saw the gleam of his white fangs: and then he charged right at me, bo that it waß bard to aim. I waited until he came to a fallen tree, raking him as he topped it witjh ball which entered his chest and wont .through the cavity of his body; but he never swerved or flinched, and at the moment I did not know whether I had struck him. In another second he was almost upon me. I fired for his forehead, but my bullet went low, entering his open mouth, smashing his lower jaw and going into his neck. I leaped to one side almost as I pulled the trigger, and, through the hanging smoke, the first thing I saw was his paw as he made a vicious side-blow at me. The rash of his charge carried him past. Then he tried to pull up, but as he did so his muscles seemed to give way, his head dropped, and he rolled over and over like a shot rabbit.”

The President recently toured the western States, when an amusing incident happened at a border town at which the President’s train had stopped. “Two bullies of the town brought up the bandmaster,” says Mr. Moore in the “Pall Mall Magazine.” “ The crowd had finished cheering, the crowd had finished wrangling with 1 Hail to the Chief,’ ‘ My Country, ’tis of Thee,’ and ‘The Starspangled Banner,’ President Roosevelt had finished speaking, and was shaking hands with ‘ Americans of all Nationalities,’ as they surged around the back of his car. ‘ Do you know this man, Mr. President?’ asked the men who were supporting the bandmaster in the gaudy uniform, which had had a hath especially for this occasion; ' he’s been boastin’ about knowin’ you ever since he struck this here town; now he’s got to prove it,’ The crowd had.opened a way to let the political bosses—as they were the representative men of the town —get to the President. The President screwed his head to one side to get the sun out of his glasses and shaded his eyes. ‘Bill Sewell I” he cried, throwing his hand

down to the man Llid gripping the bandmaster’s with an hcLesfc delight he seldom shows his guests at%he State balls diplomacy demands. He held the man’s hand for a minute. The man caught the President’s eye, and dropped his head like a bashful schoolgirl. * What is the matter with you ?’ asked thdajresident; ‘ afraid of me ? Why, I am fellow I was on the ranch.’ ‘ 1 took your advice,’ he stammered; ‘ I got married, I’ve got six children, . . .’ He got no further. All within hearing burst into laughter. The President recovered first, partly in consideration for his old cowboy. * Good,’ said Roosevelt; ‘ I Lave the same 1’ ”