The Everything Theodore Roosevelt Book (44 page)

Roosevelt enjoyed a long relationship with the
Outlook
. His final article, “The Wild Animals of North America,” appeared in the November 1918 issue. Between 1895 and 1918, TR wrote almost 200 articles for that one magazine. His experience there provided him—and America—with a new outlook on a wide range of topics, some of which have remained relevant long past TR’s heyday.

QUIZ

17-1 American novelist Jack London was:

A. a pioneer in the increasingly popular field of commercial magazine fiction at the turn of the twentieth century.

B. one of the first fiction writers to gain an international celebrity status.

C. among the first writers to earn a large fortune from his fiction.

D. on the opposite side of the fence from Theodore Roosevelt in the “Nature Faker” argument.

17-2 The American Historical Association grants an award occasionally to honor a public official or other civil servant who has made extraordinary contributions to the study, teaching, and public understanding of history. The award is named in honor of two former U.S. presidents. Ironically, TR shares the name with another president with whom he did not have the most cordial relationship. Who is it?

A. William Howard Taft

B. William McKinley

C. Woodrow Wilson

D. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

17-3 How many books did TR write in his lifetime?

A. 28

B. 10

C. It depends on who is counting

D. 51

17-4 TR wrote all the letters included in the 1919 book
,
Theodore Roosevelt’s Letters to his Children, to
his children
.

A. True

B. False

17-5 “Yellow Journalism” is:

A. writing about health-related topics.

B. a style that exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers.

C. a journalistic approach that concentrates on one color in the rainbow.

D. news reporting that focuses on facts.

ANSWERS

17-1. All of the above

17-2. C

17-3. C. Some people list different volumes under one title as a single book. Others list them all as individual books. At least two of the books attributed to him may have been written or edited by someone else. In any event, he wrote somewhere between 40–50 books.

17-4. False: As editor Joseph Bucklin Bishop explained, he wrote most of them to the children as “messages of constant thought and love, for they were never for a moment out of his mind and heart.” But he wrote a few others to friends or relatives to brag about the children, of whom he was extremely proud.

17-5. B. The term became popular around 1900 to describe some major New York City newspapers competing for circulation. It is applied today to describe negatively any journalism that presents news unprofessionally or unethically.

CHAPTER 18

The People Who Helped Shape Theodore Roosevelt

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood …” From Theodore Roosevelt’s speech “Citizenship in a Republic”

TR was not a completely self-made man. He epitomized the ideal that no individual can be successful without the help of the right friends and champions. Throughout his life he had a knack for befriending and working with the people who could best guide him through specific situations. The process began with his father and siblings and continued throughout his lifetime. It was not always the same people at his side when he needed them. The cast may have changed at times, but their allegiance to one another did not.

Forming Friendships

TR was always candid about his relationships with other people. He stated that his father was the greatest man he ever knew, and he spoke of his warm relationships with his brothers, sisters, and children. His long-lasting relationships with his family extended well beyond their inner circle—and not only with people who were alive.

TR had a penchant for “taking advice” from characters from literature and history. He was an avid reader who learned a great deal about life from historical figures. His letters and books are replete with references to kings, presidents, and other significant personages in history, many of whom in one way or another helped him solve problems or create solutions.

Abraham Lincoln was one of TR’s favorite mentors. He told his son Kermit in an October 2, 1903, letter: “It is a great comfort to me to read the life and letters of Abraham Lincoln. I am more and more impressed every day, not only with the man’s wonderful power and sagacity, but with his literally endless patience, and at the same time his unflinching resolution.”

TR’s friends fell into two categories: professional and social. He maintained some relationships on a professional or advisory basis only, such as those with politicians, artists, and naturalists. Others, like those with Seth Bullock, Henry Cabot Lodge, and Leonard Wood, were business-like when necessary, but social as well.

Some of his friendships and relationships lasted for decades. One in particular dated back to his early childhood, led to his second marriage, and changed his life forever. That was his marriage to and friendship with Edith Carow.

Overall, the list of people who he numbered among his closest friends and champions is long. There were several people among them who bear special mention because of their ability to help shape his thinking and make decisions on a variety of issues. They were his sounding boards, whose advice he sought and valued.

Benefits of Listening

There is little doubt that the people with whom TR associated had a significant impact on his philosophies of life and their application to make sure things got done. Not only did he listen to his friends, but he integrated their advice into his endeavors. That is evidenced by the constant appearance of certain people’s names throughout TR’s political and private lives.

Names like Seth Bullock, Gifford Pinchot, and Henry Cabot Lodge appear frequently in accounts of TR’s life. They entered his life at different periods; many remained friends until they or TR died. Others moved in and out at crucial periods in his life.

Regardless of when they entered and exited TR’s life, numerous people helped shape his careers in the many fields he worked—and as a human being. That was because TR learned early a salient lesson about life: listen to what other people have to say, apply that which is practical, and pay them back in kind.

The book
Theodore Roosevelt’s Letters to His Children
is a prime example of TR’s penchant for sharing experiences and providing advice to his children. It also demonstrates his lifelong practice of seeking guidance from other sources as a way to steer his own destiny.

In retrospect, TR’s greatest accomplishments would not have been possible without the advice of his close friends and associates. Or they would have been diminished significantly. That is true of every phase of his life.

Seth Bullock

TR and Seth Bullock worked together on conservation and military projects for about thirty years. They met in the Badlands during TR’s ranching phase. Even though Bullock was about eleven years older than TR, they had one significant common bond: they were both lawmen. Their friendship lasted throughout their lifetimes. (Both men died in 1919.)

Bullock was an effective and feared lawman. He was named the sheriff of the newly organized Lawrence County in March 1877. Bullock did not brook any nonsense from local “bad guys.” He cleaned up the county, for which he earned TR’s—and practically everyone else’s—respect.

Bullock and TR met in 1884. TR had nabbed a horse thief whom Bullock wanted. Later, on a business trip to Deadwood, South Dakota, TR and two friends met Bullock. The trio had been on the trail for two weeks. Bullock thought they were gamblers and stopped them for questioning. They shared some stories about the thief’s capture. Their meeting was the beginning of a long friendship.

The pair crossed paths often during their later years. They traveled together through national parks, served in the Spanish-American War—although not together—and honored one another’s achievements. Captain Bullock enlisted as a member of the Rough Riders, but he remained at a training camp in Louisiana with “Grigsby’s Cowboys.”

After the war, when TR was president, he appointed Bullock as U.S. marshal for South Dakota. Bullock retained the position for nine years.

They shared the same political philosophy as well. Bullock served as a member of the Montana Territorial Legislature between 1871 and 1873 and later on with the Republic Central Committee in South Dakota in 1888. One of their closest ties was a mutual appreciation for conservation. Bullock played a significant role in creating Yellowstone National Park—the first such park in the United States.

Bullock and the Family

Bullock was drawn into the Roosevelt family circle as their friendship developed. TR sent his children to Bullock’s ranch in South Dakota on occasion to give them a taste of Western life, and the two men socialized along with their wives. TR considered Bullock one of his most valued friends—and vice versa.

Bullock was devastated when TR died in 1919. As a true measure of the friendship, Bullock worked with the Society of Black Hills Pioneers to erect a monument to his deceased friend. The monument, located a few miles outside Deadwood, was dedicated on July 4, 1919. It was the first memorial erected in TR’s honor in the United States.