Eggs From the Farallones -- May 23, 2021

 

San Francisco Call, 20-June-1895

William A Coulter did many maritime drawings for the San Francisco Call. The article from the 20-June-1895 San Francisco Call describes an operation which collected eggs on the Farallons, a group of islands about 30 miles off the coast of San Francisco. The rampant collecting of eggs threatened the survival of the birds on the island, so President Theodore Roosevelt created the Farallon Reservation in 1909. Clam Johnson is a great name.

EGGS FROM THE FARALLONES.

Clam Johnson and His Sloop Trial.

The little sloop Trial, which is known along the water front as the egg boat, leaves this morning for the Farallon Islands. This will be her third trip this season. On the first trip she brought back 805 dozen eggs and on the last 1045 dozen. The owner and navigator of the Trial is the celebrated Clam Johnson, who has been running out to the islands for several years. The eggs are a species about three times the size of the household article, and are known as seagull and Farallon chicken eggs. They retail at about 25 cents a dozen and are used mainly by bakers and restaurant-keepers in the manufacture of pastry, etc. They make very good pies and puddings, Captain Johnson says, and one egg will make an omelet for three.

Happy Presidents' Day 2020 -- February 17, 2020

Theodore Roosevelt, the Trust Buster, the Hero of San Juan Hill, TR. One of my favorite Presidents.

Our Teddy -- February 19, 2019

Moving Picture World, 01-February-1919

Belated happy Presidents' Day everyone.  Yesterday I was participating in a blogathon.

Former president Theodore Roosevelt died at his family home, Sagamore Hill, near Oyster Bay, New York 100 years ago last month, on 06-January-1919. He was only 60 years old. Vice President Thomas R Marshall said "Death had to take him in his sleep, for if he was awake there'd have been a fight."

Perhaps it is cynical of me, but I'll bet the producers of The Fighting Roosevelts, a movie about TR and life before the presidency, were not prostrated by the news. It probably helped business.

Moving Picture World, 01-February-1919

Across the top, we see photos of the real TR giving a speech.  Below we see scenes from the movie, including:
Roosevelt in the Legislature at twenty-three 
Roosevelt applying the law as New York Police Commissioner
Roosevelt selects future Admiral Sims
Roosevelt becomes a democrat among democrats in the far West
Roosevelt tenders Pres. McKinley his resignation as Asst. Sec'y of the Navy and goes to command the Rough Riders
Roosevelt floors a desperado

Moving Picture World, 01-February-1919

"The biggest box-office attraction since motion pictures began."

Moving Picture World, 01-February-1919

Moving Picture World, 08-February-1919

"The public will think it is a war picture..." so they changed the title.

Moving Picture World, 08-February-1919

I like this suggestion for a series of advertisements.

Moving Picture World, 22-February-1919

CLEAN UP CAMPAIGN FOR OUR TEDDY

Manager Shackman, of New York's Eighty-first Street,

Demonstrated the Value of Showmanship in Putting

Over Big Feature in House with Neighborhood Location

APPROXIMATELY five thousand new patrons of the class who rarely attend a motion picture theatre, four days of capacity business in a house seating twenty-four hundred, and a special Saturday morning matinee for school children which brought crowds so great that a detail of nine policemen was required to preserve order, are the results obtained by S. A. Shackman, owner and manager of the Eighty-first Street Theatre, at Eighty-first, street and Broadway, New York City, from an unusual campaign to put over "Our Teddy," the six-reel screen version of the life and accomplishments of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, made by McClure Productions, Inc., and distributed by First National Exhibitors' Circuit.

Mr. Shackman changes his program twice a week. This gives him a three days' run for the first half, and four days for the second half of each week. "Our Teddy" was booked to open on Thursday and to close on Sunday night, making a four days' engagement. His theatre is in the heart of a thickly settled district, populated by well-to-do families, in the upper West Side.

Moving Picture World, 22-February-1919

Going Out for New Patrons.

For appeal to this class of patronage he has found that dignity and a certain element of conservatism are essential. His regular advertising mediums include car cards on the Broadway surface lines, five line insertions daily in the New York Times as the morning newspaper, and the Evening World for the afternoon publication, with larger space in the Sunday editions of both ; advance slides, and a variety of lobby display cards, hand lettered and arranged by himself. Supplementing these is the house program of sixteen pages, containing current and advance announcements. Occasionally he uses blotters for distribution to out-going patrons and among the apartment houses in the neighborhood. Window card displays in a dozen choice locations complete the list of regular methods of advertising and publicity.

"Here is a chance," Mr. Shackman said to his assistant, Mr. Gerard, after he had booked the Roosevelt picture, "to bring new patrons to the theatre. I believe that this production will appeal not alone to the 'regulars,' but to the thousands who still believe that motion pictures are beneath average amusement standards. There is the opportunity in 'Our Teddy' to interest them in screen entertainment. The possibility of results easily is worth the effort."

Made Study of Subject.

He then proceeded to analyze the production for novel advertising ideas. He had just been advised that a song had been written under the title of "Good-bye, Teddy Roosevelt, You Were a Real American." After reading the verse and chorus he hit upon the first of a series of new promotional plans that added five thousand potential "regulars" to his clientele.

The concluding scenes of "Our Teddy" show Colonel Roosevelt and his four sons in double exposures over a service star. The action pictures the part taken by each of the four boys in the world war.

With this for his premise Mr. Shackman began a search for a quartet of wounded soldiers. Commanding officers at several Base Hospitals in New York were consulted and four wounded men were finally located at Bast Hospital No. 1. They had sung in the hospitals in France during their convalescence.

Put Novelty in Lobby Display.

Beginning with the matinee on the Sunday preceding the opening of "Our Teddy," Mr. Shackman introduced them as "Pershing's Overseas Quartet.". Specific reference was made to the Roosevelt picture, and then the quartet sang the song while announcement and scene slides from the film were thrown on the screen. This was repeated at every performance.

Variety and novelty were sought for the lobby display. The idea finally approved by Mr. Shackman provided for a display portrait of Theodore Roosevelt, hung from the marquee and facing the street. In an apartment house opposite he placed a spot light which threw a strong light on the portrait after dark each night.

Made Use of Spot Light.

This received a great deal of attention from pedestrians on the opposite side of Broadway, and from a heavy automobile and surface car traffic. A similar portrait, draped with flags, was hung in the center of the marquee above the sidewalk for the attention of passers-by on the theatre side of Broadway.

He used a different style of lobby display, alternating the arrangements of material in the cards so that it appealed both to his regular patrons and to the new clientele he was seeking. Some of the frames contained lobby display photographs, while others were mounted with newspaper and magazine clippings, surrounding large portrait photos of the former President. These latter displays were given preferred position in the frames facing the streets at either side of the lobby.

School Campaign Well Planned.

The public schools were considered for a semi-educational and semi-entertainment appeal to the pupils. Mr. Shackman learned that within a radius of ten blocks of the theatre were schools with a registration of ten thousand children. A personal appeal was made to the principal of each of nine schools, and permission was obtained from them individually for the distribution of ten thousand blotters, announcing a special school children's matinee at 11 :30 o'clock Saturday morning.

To add interest to the occasion he extended an invitation to the New York Council of the Boy Scouts of America for its members to attend the special matinee as his guests. The New York Council has a band. He sought the leader, and arrangements were made for the band of thirty-five pieces to give a short patriotic concert as an overture for the picture. This fact was made a part of the copy on the blotters sent to the schools.

"A surprising feature of the school plan," said Mr. Shackman, "was the marked willingness of the principals to co-operate with me. They looked upon the production as something that every school pupil should see, and the fact that I was arranging a special matinee seemed to them to be the ideal way of presenting the picture to the children." There is an established rule in all New York public schools prohibiting the distribution of advertising matter of any character to the pupils, either outside the school or in the class rooms. Mr. Shackman's blotters were given out in the class rooms, at the direction of the principals, by the various class monitors.

Used Blotters to Advantage.

A cartoon by R. M. Brinkerhoff, picturing in entertaining style his impressions of the production, was the illustration used on the blotters, which were printed in two colors. The blotters were distributed on Tuesday, two days before the picture opened its four days' engagement. There was a practical legitimate purpose in this. Mr. Shackman was confident that every pupil would preserve the blotter for personal use, and that every one of the ten thousand would be certain to tell their parents about the matinee.

He was right. They did both; more effectively than he had dared to hope.

As a further effort to win the "once-in-a-whiles" Mr. Shackman increased the size of his newspaper space in a four days' campaign, starting on Wednesday, and continuing until Saturday. He used ads two columns by two inches in the Times and the Evening World. The copy was written to interest all classes of readers. Small line cuts of the situations drawn in cartoon by Brinkerhoff were used to illustrate the text.

Moving Picture World, 22-February-1919

Making Music Do Its Share.

Walter Davidson, musical director for the Eighty-first Street Theatre, arranged a musical score which included the "American Patrol" for the overture, various other patriotic airs, including "A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight," and an orchestral accompaniment of "Good-bye, Teddy Roosevelt, You Were a Real American." The enthusiasm of the audiences during the first half of the week satisfied Mr. Shackman that the "Pershing Quartet" would contribute to the atmosphere of the production by singing this song as an introduction, and again with the closing scene.

Got Capacity Opening.

The production started on Thursday to capacity business. On Friday the treasurer notified Mr. Shackman that the advance sale for Saturday and Sunday was far above normal. On Saturday morning, with the special matinee scheduled to begin at 11 :30 o'clock, Mr. Shackman arrived at the theatre at 9:30 o'clock to find the lobby and street jammed with children.

Moving Picture World, 22-February-1919

By 10 o'clock the crowd had grown to such proportions that it was becoming unmanageable, and he telephoned to a police station for assistance. Nine policemen responded, and they were kept busy for nearly two hours.

Sees Hundreds of New Faces.

"The production proved a truly wonderful attraction," said Mr. Shackman. "Mr. Gerard and I watched carefully at every matinee and evening performance, and we saw hundreds of new faces in line at the box office, people whom neither of us could remember ever having seen in the house before. I had arranged the remainder of my program so that these new patrons would be thoroughly pleased with the entire show. I wanted to convince them that the Eighty-first Street Theatre would be well worth their future consideration.

Children Were Home Advertisers.

"Undoubtedly the blotters distributed in the schools sent into the homes of thousands of families the news that the life of Colonel Roosevelt would be told in motion pictures at my house. I am positive that hundreds of fathers and mothers and older brothers and sisters of the school children came to the theatre before Saturday to satisfy themselves.

"It is too early yet to say how many new patrons will result from the campaign and the production, but I am satisfied that the number will be sufficient to more than justify the attempt."

Theodore Roosevelt 100 Years -- January 6, 2018

Webster City Freeman, 06-January-1919

Former president Theodore Roosevelt died at his family home, Sagamore Hill, near Oyster Bay, New York 100 years ago today, on 06-January-1919.  He was only 60 years old.  Vice President Thomas R Marshall said "Death had to take him in his sleep, for if he was awake there'd have been a fight."

ROOSEVELT IS DEAD!

(By the ASSOCIATED PRESS)

New York, Jan 6 -- Theodore Roosevelt died suddenly and unexpectedly this morning at 4:15 o'clock at Oyster Bay.

Heart trouble, superinduced by inflammatory rheumatism, from which he had suffered a long time, caused the death of the former president. 

He suffered a sudden attack New Year's day and had been ill since. News of the death of Colonel Roosevelt was first received in New York by Miss Josephine Striker in a telephone message from Mrs. Roosevelt. Mr. Roosevelt died in this sleep, no one being present with him at the time.

EX-PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT DIES IN HIS SLEEP EARLY TODAY AT HIS HOME ON SAGAMORE HILL -- FOUND BY HIS WIFE

(BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Oyster Bay, N. Y., Jan. 6. -— Colonel Theodore Roosevelt died in his sleep early today at his home on Sagamore Hill.

The colonel suffered a serious attack of rheumatism and sciatica on New Year's day, but none believed his illness likely to prove fatal.

The former president sat up most of Sunday and retired late last night. At about 4 o'clock, Mrs. Roosevelt, who was the only member of the Roosevelt family at home, went to his room and found him dead.

Blood Clot on Lung.

Pulmonary embolism -— enlargement of the lung from a clot of blood -— was the cause of death.

Mrs. Roosevelt sent a telegram to Colonel Ender, cousin of the former president, and he came to the Roosevelt home immediately. Telegrams were immediately dispatched to the colonel's children in other parts of the country.

Two Sons in Service.

Two sons -— Major Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., and Captain Kermit Roosevelt —- are in service abroad. Captain Archie Roosevelt and wife left New York last night for Boston, where his wife's father is seriously ill. Mrs. Ethel Derby is in Akin, South Carolina.

Telegrams Pour In.

Telegrams of condolence and even pithy have been pouring in from all parts of the country today, as news of the death of the former president became known.

The former president came home to Sagamore Hill from Roosevelt hospital Christmas day, but a week later suffered an attack of rheumatism and sciatica, affecting his right hand.

Three physicians attended the ex-president at Roosevelt hospital when he was taken there seven weeks ago. They were: J. A. Faller, Oyster Bay, and J. H. Richard and John H. Hartwell of New York.

Sorrow General.

Washington, D. C-, Jan. 6. -— Flags were lowered to half mast at the White House, the capital and on all public buildings upon the announcement this morning of the death of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt.

Secretary Daniels and General March ordered flags to fly at half-mast on every ship on shore duty and at army posts and camps at home and abroad.

The death of Colonel Roosevelt as a shock to all citizens. Regretat the passing of a great figure was heard on every hand. Profound sorrow is felt by many who knew him personally and political friends and those antagonistic to him joined in expressions of regret.

Workmen on a new building here were quickly heard to be discussing his death.

Died About 4:15.

Oyster Bay, N, Y., Jan. 6. -— The time of the death of Colonel Roosevelt was about 4:15.

A minute «r two before, Sam Amos, young colored man, who has been the former president's attendant since he left the White House, noticed that he was breathing heavily and went to summon Mrs. Roosevelt, but when he returned with her, he was dead.

His Last Illness.

New York, Jan. 6. — Colonel Roosevelt suffered an attack of pulmonary embolism, which nearly cost him his life three weeks before in Roosevelt hospital, which he left for his home on Christmas day. the day before Christmas, before leaving the hospital here, he felt fine.

Miss Josephine Striker, his private secretary, said that Mr. Roosevelt suffered a slight pain intermittently, but that his illness was far from serious. So much improved was his condition that Mrs. Roosevelt, who at the beginning remained with her husband, was implored by him to rest. She went to their home at Sagamore Hill, returning several times a week, bringing him table delicacies.

Two separate blood/ tests confirmed the decision that the Colonel was free from any organic disease. His only trouble was rheumatism. This primarily affected his left leg but at times affected his hand and arm.

On the Sunday previous to his departure for home he dictated articles for the Kansas City Star and other papers. He ate well and slept like a child.

His last illness was in February, when he was taken from Oyster Bay to Roosevelt hospital when he suffered an operation on his ear.
Lived Wonderful Life.

Theodore Roosevelt, aged 60, the 26th president of the United States, was born in New York City Oct. 27, 1858, his ancestors being Dutch on the paternal side and Scotch-Irish on the maternal side.

He graduated from Harvard university in 1880. From 1882 to 1884 he was a member of the legislature of his state and gained wide reputation because of his work for reforms. In 1884, at the age of 26 years, he was chairman of the New York republican delegation to the national convention and two years later was the republican candidate for mayor of New York City. In 1880 he was appointed by President Harrison as a member of the national civil service commission and served as president of the board until 1895, when he resigned to accept the presidency of the board of police commissioners of New York, a position he filled with great credit to himself, proving a terror to lawbreakers.

In Spanish-American War.

In 1807 he was made assistant secretary of the navy by President McKinley, but on the breaking out of the Spanish American war in 1898 he resigned and organized the First United States volunteer regiment of cavalry, popularly known as the Rough Riders, of which he was lieutenant colonel. He won distinction at the battle of San Juan Hill and was promoted to the rank of colonel for conspicuous bravery in action.

Elected President.

In 1808, after the close of the war, he was nominated and elected governor of New York. At the republican national convention In 1900 he was nominated for vice president on the ticket with William McKinley and at the death of McKinley in 1901, he succeeded to the presidency. He was nominated for president by the republicans in 1904 and was elected by the largest majority ever accorded a presidential candidate.

Influential Citizen.

At he conclusion of his term as president he retired as the most popular man since Lincoln, because of the fine record he had made.

In 1912 he was again a candidate for president but was defeated in the national convention. Soon afterward he organized the progressive party and was Its candidate for president in 1912. He was defeated by President Wilson. Since then he has taken active part in political discussions and at his death was probably the most influential private citizen In the United States.

Roosevelt's Son Killed on Marne In Aeroplane Combat -- July 14, 2018

Chattanooga News, 17-July-1918

Quentin Roosevelt was the youngest child of former President Theodore Roosevelt.  Quentin volunteered to join the Air Service.  100 years ago today, on 14-July-1918, his Nieuport 28 was shot down in a dogfight and he was killed. The Germans buried him with honors. The articles are from the 17-July-1918 Chattanooga News.  Below I included a photo of a Nieuport 28 in the Museum of Flight near Seattle, which is painted to resemble Quentin Roosevelt's airplane.  

ROOSEVELT'S SON KILLED ON MARNE

Lieut. Quentin Roosevelt, Youngest of Teddy's Family, Falls Hun Victim

IN AEROPLANE COMBAT

Over Chateau -Thierry Sector. Was Third Flight of Gallant Young Officer.

COL. ROOSEVELT'S TRIP TO NEW YORK CANCELED

Oyster Bay. N. Y., July 17. -- Col. Roosevelt learned that his son Quentin was missing through press dispatches this morning. He said he had nothing to say at this time, but would make a statement later. The colonel had planned to visit New York today, but canceled his visit when the news came that his son was missing.

---

London, July 17. -- Lieut. Quentin Roosevelt, son of former President Theodore Roosevelt, was shot down and killed on the Chateau Thierry sector of the Marne front on Sunday, according to an Exchange Telegraph dispatch from Paris today. According to the dispatch Philip Roosevelt, from his station in the trenches, saw the young American aviator fall a victim to a German air squadron.

According to the dispatch Philip Roosevelt, from his station in the trenches, saw the young American aviator fall a victim to a German air squadron.

Lieut. Roosevelt, the dispatch says, was returning from a patrol flight when he was attacked by a German squadron.

It was seen that Roosevelt suddenly lost control of his machine, having probably received a mortal wound.

---

Quentin Roosevelt was the youngest son of the former president and shot down his first German airplane in a fight north of Chateau-Thierry one week ago today. This was his third flight over the fighting front.

Lieut. Roosevelt received his commission in the aviation service on July 14. 1917, after being graduated from the Mineola, N. Y training school.

---

Dispatches Unquestioned.

Washington, July 17. The war department today was without any official confirmation whatever of the London reports that Lieut. Quentin Roosevelt had been shot down behind the German lines while in combat with a German machine. Officers, however, did not question the accuracy of the press dispatches. They said they would beat official confirmation by many hours, as Gen. Pershing would not report on the matter until all of the details had been obtained. Officers of the air service expressed the most keen regret over the loss of the gallant young officer, of whom great things had been expected. The last reports received dealing with him indicated that he was on duty about the section where he is said to have met his death.

---

Gravely Quiet.

New York. July 17. Col. Theodore Roosevelt was momentarily stunned when informed-over the telephone that his son Quentin was reported a victim of a German airplane on the Chateau-Thierry sector in France.

The colonel had just finished breakfast at his Oyster Hay home when the dispatch was read to him.

He was gravely quiet and listened without interruption. When asked if he had anything to say. he said:

"Nothing at all; nothing at all."

Col. Roosevelt said, however, that the press dispatch was the first intimation he had received that anything had happened to Quentin. Me left for New York shortly after receiving the message.

On April 13. 1917. Roosevelt, then a sophomore at Harvard university, came to Washington with letters from Representative Longworth, his brother-in-law, and Senator Lodge, of Massachusetts, asking that he be allowed to enlist in the aviation section of the signal reserve corps, that he might train for a commission. He was examined at Walter Reed hospital the same day and easily passed the physical tests. He was enlisted the following day and assigned to the flying school at Mineola, L. I., where he attained the rank of sergeant. He took final examinations for a commission on July 2, and was sworn in as a first lieutenant on July 7. He left almost immediately for overseas and after a short course at a French aviation school was, on Sept. 13, of last year, admitted as a fall-fledged aviator.

With Patrol of Thirteen.

Lieut. Roosevelt was last seen in combat on Sunday morning with two enemy airplanes about ten miles inside the German lines In the Chateau-Thierry sector. He started out with a patrol of thirteen American machines. They encountered seven Germans and were chasing them back, when two of them turned on Lieut. Roosevelt.

---

Glad of Boy's Play.

Oyster Bay, N. Y., July 17. -- "Quentin's mother and I are very glad that he got to the front and had the chance to render some service to his country and to show the stuff there was in him before his fate befell him."

This was the statement issued by Col. Roosevelt today after press dispatches had furnished confirmation of earlier reports that his son, Lieut. Quentin Roosevelt, had been killed in an aerial battle In France.

---

In July, 2010, we visited the Museum of Flight near Seattle. I took this photo in the Personal Courage Wing, which features airplanes, mostly fighters, from World War One and World War Two. The museum's Nieuport 28 is an original. It is painted in the colors of Quentin Roosevelt, the son of Theodore Roosevelt, who died in a Nieuport 28.

Happy Presidents' Day 2017 -- February 20, 2017

Theodore Roosevelt, the Trust Buster, the Hero of San Juan Hill, TR. One of my favorite Presidents.

News of the Week May 8, 1915 -- May 8, 2015

The 08-May-1915 Motography featured "News of the Week as Shown in Films," with items from current newsreels.

"Ex-President Roosevelt on the witness stand at Syracuse, New York.  Copyright 1915 Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  Newspaper publisher William Barnes, Jr sued Theodore Roosevelt for libel after Roosevelt called him "a political boss of the most obnoxious type."  Roosevelt eventually won.   

"Opening of masters tournament at Manhattan Chess Club.  Copyright 1915 by Pathe News."  The Manhattan Chess Club started in 1877 and went out of business in 2002.  This tournament started on 19-April-1915.  The top prize was $250.  Cuban Master José Raúl Capablanca won first prize, winning 13 games and drawing 2. 

"American peace conference delegates sail for The Hague.  Copyright 1915 by Universal Animated Weekly."  The Women's Peace Congress met in The Hague, hoping to find a path to a negociated solution the Great War. 

"Serbian Red Cross officials greet Sir Thomas Lipton's party at Belgrade.  Copyright 1915 Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  British yachtsman Sir Thomas Lipton, founder of the tea company, tried to win the America's Cup five times between 1899 and 1930, always with a boat named Shamrock.  He never won, but he was widely respected for his sportsmanship. He did much work for the Red Cross during the war.    Notice that the magazine has started using "Serbian" rather than "Servian." 

"Australian troops near the Egyptian pyramids.  Copyright 1915 by Pathe News."  Troops from Australia and New Zealand did much of the fighting in Egypt and the Middle East.

"Russian steamer destroyed by Turks at Sebastapol, Russia.  Copyright 1915 by Universal Animated Weekly."  Turkish ships, often led by Yavuz, the former German ship SMS Goeben, and commanded by a German officer, attacked Sevastopol on several occasions. 

Happy Presidents' Day #5 -- February 18, 2013

 

This article, from the 25-August-1895 Los Angeles Herald, talks about future president Theodore Roosevelt during his time as a New York City police commissioner, when he made a big impression on the force and on voters across the nation. Note that it says he has no political ambitions. "Well heeled" below means armed. 

TEDDY, THE DUDE COMMISSIONER

The Combination That Has Turned Gotham Up-side Down
A DAY WITH MR. ROOSEVELT

What New York's Most Talked About and Most Hated Man Does in Twenty-four Hours -- Hated by Many

Teddy Roosevelt, the man who has ripped the police department of New York wide open and turned it upside down in a very short space of time, has no political ax to grind. He is not working for future recognition when fine offices are to be distributed. In fact, he says that just as soon as a man begins to consider the effects of his actions on his political future he loses all his usefulness.

A day with Mr. Roosevelt is about the busiest day that can be spent in New York these hot times. This young man, who has been called the "dude commissioner," knows no rest. The hottest day does not worry him. He goes right ahead working and showing his teeth.  This latter is no figurative bit of speech.  It is literal. His fine white teeth, which glisten and shine all day long, are known and feared by each one of the 3000 and odd of the police force. "Teddy and his teeth" is an awful combination in Mulberry street. It is a difficult matter to say when Mr. Roosevelt's day begins. Often be works right on from midnight of one day to the next. He has set a terrible example for the rest of the easy-going, luxury-loving, office-holding world of the city.  It was a strange sight in the old days if any police commissioner averaged throughout the week more than two hours work a day. Sixteen to twenty is Roosevelt's average.

An ordinary day is begun by this unusual president of the police board at 7 a.m., when he flashes into the building on Mulberry street. Like a streak of lightning the news darts into every ear, in every room, on every floor, that Teddy is on deck, teeth, eye-glasses, energy and all. 

The clerk who manages the mail of the most talked about man in New York has no sinecure. Roosevelt likes to begin the day by going over these letters.  There is as much excitement in them as in cow punching, a trade in which the head of the New York police excels. It's an off day when less than fifty threatening letters are received. These come mainly from the hangers-on of saloons and the small fry criminal classes (generally Roosevelt has driven the eight thousand and odd owners of saloons well nigh crazy by his Sunday crusade against them, and as each proprietor has at least six hangers on who swear by him, Roosevelt has a fine brigade of 5,000 men pitted against him. This, of course, represents only one division of the grand army of his enemies. In round numbers there are about 250,000 persons in New York who would smile if he were dropped into the river some dark night. But against this quarter of a million there are more than a million and a half of people who are with him up to the hilt.

In eight cases out of ten the letters received by Roosevelt are anonymous. That is the reason the threats do not worry him. It's a question whether they would cause him any disquiet if they were signed. He lived in the western country and with "bad men" on all sides of him for a long time, and always held his end up. He is an adept in the use of all kinds of fire-arms and a fine athlete.

Only the other day a stonemason, a big, brawny fellow, called to see him for the purpose of getting on the force.  Roosevelt used to box regularly every morning in an uptown academy, and soon outgrew the other members of the school. He put too much steam in his blows even for the instructor. So the stone mason was called in to spar with the coming president of the police board.

The craftsman had hard muscles and thought at first it would be great sport to polish off the dude. But it wasn't. The dude could fight. The stonemason soon learned to respect the slugging abilities of the dude. They fought each other early every morning for a long time. If the stonemason passes the regular civil service examination he will get on the force. If he doesn't he won't. Roosevelt likes him and would be glad to do him a favor, but influence, political pulls, etc., are things of the past.

There are hordes of callers every hour in the day upon the commissioner. All kinds of wrongs are poured into his ear.  His sudden prominence has caused many people to believe that be possesses every legal power from that of United States supreme court justice down to street sweeper. He sees all callers and disposes of them with terrific speed. One woman wanted him to come right away and arrest the woman living in the next house to her for throwing things in her back yard. Cranks who want to argue, the excise question with him call in droves and try to present elaborate arguments showing why the citizens of New York should have Sunday beer.

Mr. Roosevelt's position on this question is not generally understood. He says that he is in favor of more liberal excise laws and is not opposed to the sale of drinks on Sunday more than on any other day. But while there is a law in existence prohibiting the sale on Sunday he intends to enforce it. It is not within the scope of his duties to pass judgment upon the justice or injustice of the laws;.  all he must do is to enforce them.

A dozen times in the day Acting Chief Conlin, the present executive head of the department, has conferences with Mr. Roosevelt. Mr. Conlin is striving with might and main to hold the job from which Mr. Byrnes was ousted. Conlin is an old police officer who has been in the service almost as long as Mr, Roosevelt has been on earth, but he, like many others, has found that the newcomer can teach him something.

Roosevelt's main ambition is to show the people of New York that all reformers are not theorists, and consequently impracticable. He says he is a reformer, but he doesn't indulge in the luxury of theorizing unless honesty and sound business methods are to be classed as theoretic. He knew nothing about running a police department when he took the helm. He makes his plans as be goes along and learns. He is manipulating the machinery of the force to suit local conditions. This is the foundation of his plan. Find out the local conditions in each precinct and then adapt the police work to suit them. In many respects Roosevelt has shown the Byrnes regime to be a farce-comedy, particularly as to the suppression of disorderly resorts and the enforcement of the excise law.

Roosevelt usually remains at headquarters until 8 o'clock. Then, if it is to be one of his roaming nights, he starts for one of his many clubs, where he dines and reads until 10 o'clock. About this time the policeman is beginning to feel tired. There are fewer people on the streets and he can indulge in restful violations of the discipline laws with little chance of discovery. At least be could do so before Roosevelt adopted such unholy habits of prowling about all parts of the city at night unearthing the uniformed delinquents.

It may be in Harlem that the commissioner will strike like a bolt of lightning.  Or it may be the far west side or the down town slums of the East Side or perhaps in the turbulent quarter of Hell's Kitchen, where the occupants amuse themselves by dropping bricks and heavy household utensils upon the heads of passing policemen. It is safest to walk in the middle of the street at night time in this quarter, a fact which many policemen have learned. There is less danger of being ambushed by ambitious thugs. No one knows where the commissioner will strike, but he has already worked so much damage to heretofore spotless records that the policemen have created a system of signals by which they inform one another that tbe terror is abroad. What this system is has not been learned, but it is doubtless worked with the aid of saloon hangers-on, who are impressed as messengers and sent flying about the precinct on their mission of alarm.

On his first night's tour Roosevelt found only one policeman doing his  duty. Now it is hard to find one policeman not doing his duty. Whether it is the result of the signal system or an honest improvement in the work of the men is hard to say. It is probably a combination of both.

The police have not taken kindly to this prowling about of their chief, and their friends are even more indignant.  Roosevelt runs the risk of serious injury during his wanderings. Not long ago a man who looked like Roosevelt was mistaken for the commissioner by a crowd of Harlemites. They tried to mob him, but he escaped by fleetness of foot and catching an elevated train. But Roosevelt's nerve is good, and although he is not a big man, he is a fighter, and there is a general impression that when he is sleuthing at night he goes well heeled. 

Nickname #11 -- February 13, 2012

Theodore Roosevelt, the Trust Buster, the Hero of San Juan Hill, TR. One of my favorite Presidents.

From the Theodore Roosevelt Association's wonderful website: http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/

TR Takes to the Air -- April 3, 2010

Former President Theodore Roosevelt takes his first ride on an airplane, on 11-October-1910. The pilot is Arch Hoxsey, a member of the Wright Brothers' exhibition team. Hoxsey died in a crash on 31-December-1910.

Photo source: © 2002 National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution (SI Neg. 93-9672).

We went out to do some shopping this afternoon and saw huge waves pounding Rockaway Beach. We stopped at Mazzetti's Bakery to get Easter goodies.

Today is the 150th anniversary of the Pony Express.

Happy Presidents' Day -- February 16, 2009

Presidents' Day commemorates all Presidents, some good, some not so good.

Theodore Roosevelt has always been a favorite, even though he was a Republican. He was a good writer. He had great confidence, as shown in the accompaning 1904 Puck cartoon, "Terrible Teddy Waits for the Unknown." He waits for the Democrats to nominate their candidate, who turned out to be Alton Parker. It was no contest.

"Too much cannot be said against the men of wealth who sacrifice everything to getting wealth. There is not in the world a more ignoble character than the mere money-getting American, insensible to every duty, regardless of every principle, bent only on amassing a fortune, and putting his fortune only to the basest uses... Such a man is only the more dangerous if he occasionally does some deed like founding a college or endowing a church, which makes those good people who are also foolish forget his real iniquity. These men are equally careless of the working men, whom they oppress, and of the State, whose existence they imperil. There are not very many of them, but there is a very great number of men who approach more or less closely to the type, and, just in so far as they do so approach, they are curses to the country. (Forum, February 1895.) Mem. Ed. XV, 10; Nat. Ed. XIII, 9


Both the caricature and the quote come from the Theodore Roosevelt Association's wonderful website: http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/



In the morning we looked at a webcast of the Tour de California bike race, which had southbound One closed through town from 8-10:30am.


Still a lot of rain.


Louie Bellson died.