I wonder of friends.
I place a short note of Theodore Roosevelt before you, for an interesting proof of who the man was. No matter his station in the White House, there before him with lunch was his old hunting guide, John Willis, and none other than Buffalo Bill Cody.
Theodore Roosevelt never forgot anyone on his way up, nor after he reached the zenith, whether it was royals or old hunters he had prowled the west with.
It says a great deal about the character of a human who gives credit where credit is due, and never forgets a friend no matter the station in life.
Buffalo Bill was at lunch the other day, together with John Willis,
my old hunter. Buffalo Bill has always been a great friend of mine. I
remember when I was running for Vice-President I struck a Kansas town
just when the Wild West show was there. He got upon the rear platform of
my car and made a brief speech on my behalf, ending with the statement
that "a cyclone from the West had come; no wonder the rats hunted their
cellars!"
As personal note to his son, never being written for public display, Theodore Roosevelt sums up his view upon being raised to the Presidency from Vice President and what it truly meant to him.
How the election will turn out no man can tell.
Of course I hope to be elected,
but I realize to the full how very lucky I have been, not only to be
President but to have been able to accomplish so much while President,
and whatever may be the outcome, I am not only content but very
sincerely thankful for all the good fortune I have had.
From Panama down I have been able to accomplish certain things which will be of lasting
importance in our history. Incidentally, I don't think that any family
has ever enjoyed the White House more than we have. I was thinking about
it just this morning when Mother and I took breakfast on the portico
and afterwards walked about the lovely grounds and looked at the stately
historic old house.
It is a wonderful privilege to have been here and to
have been given the chance to do this work, and I should regard myself
as having a small and mean mind if in the event of defeat I felt soured
at not having had more instead of being thankful for having had so much.
In politics things at the moment seem to look quite right, but every
form of lie is being circulated by the Democrats, and they intend
undoubtedly to spring all kinds of sensational untruths at the very end
of the campaign.
I have not any idea whether we will win or not. Before
election I shall send you my guess as to the way the different States
will vote, and then you can keep it and see how near to the truth I
come. But of course you will remember that it is a mere guess, and that
I may be utterly mistaken all along the line.
In any event, even if I am beaten you must remember
that we have had three years of great enjoyment
out of the Presidency and that we are mighty lucky to have had them.
Yes politics have not changed, but only become far more destructive........but old friends appear and continue to be known by men who are a different form than stations in life.
The other day while Major Loeffler was marshalling the usual stream
of visitors from England, Germany, the Pacific slope, etc., of warm
admirers from remote country places, of bridal couples, etc., etc., a
huge man about six feet four, of middle age, but with every one of his
great sinews and muscles as fit as ever, came in and asked to see me
on the ground that he was a former friend.
As the line passed he was introduced to me as Mr. White.
I greeted him in the usual rather perfunctory manner,
and the huge, rough-looking fellow shyly remarked,
"Mr. Roosevelt, maybe you don't recollect me. I worked on the roundup
with you twenty years ago next spring. My outfit joined yours at the
mouth of the Box Alder." I gazed at him, and at once said, "Why it is
big Jim." He was a great cow-puncher and is still riding the range in
northwestern Nebraska.
When I knew him he was a tremendous fighting man,
but always liked me. Twice I had to interfere to prevent him from half
murdering cowboys from my own ranch. I had him at lunch, with a mixed
company of home and foreign notabilities.
nuff said
agtG
