Former President Teddy Roosevelt Makes Stop in Alton, 104 years ago today ..... COLONEL TEDDY ROOSEVELT GIVEN RECEPTION AS TRAIN STOPS IN ALTON Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, October 12, 1910 Col. Roosevelt was given a small reception this morning when his train stopped for a few minutes at the C. & A. depot, on the way to Peoria. The time of the arrival of the special train was not announced, and this accounted for the smallness of the crowd, probably fifty being on hand. Col. Roosevelt was on the back platform and there he shook hands with the people who were waiting for the train. The people seemed as enthusiastic as Roosevelt, and when he began shaking hands, many in the crowd called Teddy, and he made no protest. He responded to the name, taking the familiarity in the way it was intended, as a manifestation of affection for him on the part of the people. Someone asked Roosevelt how he liked his ride on an aeroplane yesterday. Bully, said the Colonel, its the only sport I know that beats horse racing; its the best sport in the world. Then he added, It was the first time in my life they ever got me up in the air. Mrs. S. Demuth was the first one who showed her appreciation of the dignity that attached to the ex-president. She shook hands and said, God Bless you Colonel Roosevelt. He seemed to appreciate her good wishes, as he grasped her hand harder and thanked her kindly. Miss Irene Gallagher, one of the few ladies who shook hands, afterward declared she would not wash her hand for a week. George Cutter told Roosevelt that he was an old engineer. Shake hands again, the Colonel said, I am an honorary member of the enginemens union. A telegram was handed him between handshakes and as the train was pulling out. He did not have time to answer it, and told the messenger boy so. The train pulled out with Col. Roosevelt still on the rear platform, waving his hand at the people who were watching him. [Note: Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States (1901-1909).] COL. MOORE AND COL. ROOSEVELT - ALTON MAN RECOGNIZED BY FORMER PRESIDENT AFTER 28 YEARS OF SEPARATION Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, October 12, 1910 Col. Frank Moore of Alton, who travels for the McPike paper company, and Col. Theodore Roosevelt had a reunion at St. Louis yesterday. Twenty-eight years ago Col. Moore was post trader at Ft. Meade, in the badlands of Dakota. He had a cinch there of all the trade in a territory forty miles square. A young man called on him one day, introduced himself as Theodore Roosevelt, who was looking for land to be used as a cattle ranch. Col. Moore, the Indian trader, helped Roosevelt to get his quarter section and introduced him around. Roosevelt stayed with Moore for several weeks, and later he made Moores office his visiting place, and the two men became very good friends. Tuesday Col. Moore laid in wait for the ex-president at the Jefferson hotel, and managed to catch his eye. Instantly Roosevelt recognized him, and with effusive greetings, inquired how Frank was doing, how his family were, and expressed the deepest regret that a completely filled up program precluded his having an old time camp-fire with Col. Moore and a recalling of old time stories of the bad lands when Roosevelt was a young rancher. Col. Moore went away feeling that of all the men in the United States, Col. Roosevelt would rather have met him than anyone else, and he doubtless was right.
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 16:45:03 +0000
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