Monday, Apr. 02, 1928

Investigator

By some channel of friendship or finance, Personality, six-months-old pet magazine of potent Publisher Frank Nelson Doubleday, obtained, and last week brought to light, excerpts from the childish diary of a puny boy who, born 69 years ago, was destined to grow strapping strong, fearlessly articulate and world-famed as Theodore Roosevelt.

The excerpts, from a year when ten-year-old Theodore was traveling with his parents, included the following:

"1869 May 29th Liverpool

"We all went with our cousins to Southport and had a ride on donkeys. We had great fun for they galloped so funnily and it was so nice. In jumping over a fence I cut my leg a good deal."

"1869 June 8th Edinburg

"Bamie Mama, Papa and I went to Abbotsford in the cars. We saw his (Scott's) clothes, study rooms, roman pots and petrified things and amour and curiousities and went."

"1869 June 25th London

"We went to the zoological garden in the morning and to riding school in the afternoon. I have a tendency to headaches. I had a socialble time with mama and papa."

"July 15th belgium

"A walk round Antwerp. The names, The Courrier Ferret, Conie, Ellie and I.

"We had received a message from Papa tc Ferret to tell him to take us to a park where we could play on the grass but he would not understand us and took us down to the rivers band where there is nothing but stone. After a great deal of talking he took us to the Botanical gardens. At there we had a bad time at the first part but finelly we had a game."

"July 16th Hauge 1869

"We went to the museum where we saw a great many Chinese things such as weapons, crockery and also models. We saw the jacket in which the Prince of Orange was killed and maney other things. We then drove through a park to the summer palace which was very Elegant and we saw the queen. After dinner we saw the winter palace (magnificent but cold) and a bazar and a shop. This is the first city that has horse cars in it."

"Sunday 1869 August 1st Sunday

"I took a walk all around the town investigating maters and petted a beautiful black pussey who as soon as I went away would run after me untill I peted her. I saw a sculptor shop. Learnt bible verses. We then played with boats on a pond with the commerce of stones for myself. . . ."

"Ouchey August 3d 1869

"We went to the castle of Chilon by steam and row boat. We saw the gloomey dungeons where the prisoners of yore were kept. We saw Lord Byrons name. The place where the prisoners were kept the night before they were hung. The place where hung. The modern baracks and prisons. We saw the prison where Boulden was kept and the stone worn away by his footsteps."

"September 12

"We went to church in the morning and in the afternoon we went to the villa Colata. I strayed from the rest and now in the wood around the villa Colata, which is on Lake Como with no sound save the waterfall and the Italian breeze on my cheek. I all alone am writing my journal."

"Sept 15

"Let the anniversary of the morning of the day as one of the greatest humiliations and losses of my life. I lost my watch to day. We first went down the lake. Then to Milan in the cars. At Milan we did all we could to recover my watch but it was useless."

"September 18

"To Venice by railway . . . read a novel (I suppose we have read 50 since we left America). . . ."

"Sept 26 (Sunday)

"I was sick of the Asthma last night. I sat up for 4 successive hours and Papa made me smoke a cigar."

"October 15th

"I was rubbed so hard on the chest this morning that the blood came out. . . . We all went to a picture gallery. The principal pictures were "The Sixteen Madonna" and "La Notte" both of which I was disappointed in but they were beautiful."

"November 8th

"At supper Mama laughed at me a great deal and made fun of me because I always say "pretty Papa, Pretty Mama and made me feel (and I feel now) verry cut and ashamed of myself and I don't feel natural though Mama and Papa both tryed to make it up when they saw what she had done."

"November 22

"In the evening mama showed me the portrait of Eidieth Carow and her face stired up in me homesickness and longings for the past which will come again never alack, never."*

"1869 Dec. 7th Niece.

"We saw a beautiful conveyance of lambs. They were tied by the legs and swung across a donkey's back. We saw also a young vilain who swung a poor animal round. AFter dinner Ellie and I went out for a walk. I bought a beautiful piece of christal for a momento.:

"Dec. 17 1869

"We saw St. John the Baptists chapel where no woman was allowed to enter because Herrodeus had had his head cut off. I saw a thing suppoed to be his coffin and the chaine with which they said he was bound. I may mention it was quite new."

Jan. 4th 1870

"I went out and was given by Papa what in my wildest dreams I had never thought to have a Roman vase and coin! Just think of it!!! "

Jan. 31st Rome 1870

"I went to Dickeys house and then we met Ellie on the Pinchen. . . . Dinner. Went out and played with a lot of Dickeys. We saw the Pope and we walked along and he extended his hand to me and I kissed it!! hem!! hem!!

March 17 1870 Paris.

"We saw the Emperour. My boat went swell and having a little boat attached to it looked quite nicely. Papa had visitors to tea.

"1870 March 23rd Paris

"Took a short walk played with soldiers and then a horrid french boy came. We had a horrible time with him."

"May 25th 1870

"This morning we saw land of America and swiftly coming on passed Sandey hook and went in to the bay. New York!!! Hip! Hurrah! What a bustle we had geting off. We met all our friends and had such a nice time."

*In 1886, "Eidieth Carow" (Edith Kermit Carow) married Theodore Roosevelt.