The
Roosevelt Bears
visit
WEST POINT
The day was fine and the Bears were free
To take a River boat to see
The Palisades and Tarrytown
And to view the Hudson up and down.
A request had come from a young cadet
Of West Point school, whom the Bears had met,
To dine at the West Point Army Mess,
And to see the boys in their army dress,
And to sleep on an army barracks cot,
And to try their luck at a target shot,
And to ride bare-backed in the hurdle shute,
Or to join a band with drum and flute,
Or to hear good stories of army fights
After taps are sounded to put out the lights.
So they sent a wire to the cadet to say
That they would call that very day.
“To ride bare-backed in the hurdle shute, or join a band with drum and flute.”
They made the trip with but one mishap:
The wind blew off a newsboy’s cap
As he walked around on the steamer deck
Calling out the news of a railway wreck
And selling his papers and chewing gum
To the crowd of tourists “going some.”
TEDDY-G made a jump as he saw it go
And he and the cap went down below.
Like a diver he struck the water right
And quick as a wink was out of sight.
“Man’s overboard,” was called aloud;
And a cheer went up from the tourist crowd
As they saw in the water in a little while
The face of a bear with a pleasant smile.
The boat was stopped and a rope thrown out,
And in answer to the captain’s shout
TEDDY-G called back, “The water’s fine;
I’ve got the bait; pull in your line.”
Copyright, 1907, by Edward Stern & Co., Inc.
“Dressed and ready for hours of fun,
With cavalry horse or battery gun.”
“Like a diver he struck the water right and quick as a wink was out of sight.”
It didn’t take them long to get
TEDDY-G on board, all dripping wet;
The children laughed, he looked so queer,
With the newsboy’s cap hung on his ear.
He bowed to tourists left and right
And said something about his appetite.
He asked the steward to bring on some meals
As the steamer band played “Silver Heels.”
“The children laughed, he looked so queer, with the newsboy’s cap hung on his ear.”
At West Point landing the Bears were met
By a double carriage with the young cadet
And a cavalry mount to escort them round
To see the buildings on the ground.
They drove about for an hour or less,
Then went to their barrack rooms to dress
In soldier suits for the evening mess.
TEDDY-B said he’d be Colonel’s aide
And inspect the boys on dress parade,
While TEDDY-G said he’d march or stand
As leader of the soldier band.
The parade dismissed and the supper through,
The Bears had nothing else to do
But to roll themselves in barrack wraps
And to put out the lights at the sound of taps.
At reveille at six next day
They were wide awake and bright and gay
And dressed and ready for hours of fun
With cavalry horse or battery gun.
The boys had fun when TEDDY-B
Rode a cavalry horse down a shute to see
How to jump the walls and the hurdles take
Without a tumble or balk or break.
The horse was tricky, but the Bear was game
And he made him clear each thing that came,
Whether wall or water or brush or bar.
TEDDY-B would have tried a railway car
Or a barn or a tree or a load of hay
Or any old thing that came in his way.
The finest riding, the officers say,
That was done at West Point for many a day.
TEDDY-G took his turn at soldier fun
When he loaded and fired a battery gun.
He charged in powder and cannon ball;
“So simple,” he said, “it’s nothing at all.”
He asked a cadet his hat to keep
Till he stepped to the muzzle to take a peep
To see if the ball was in all right,
And if things in front were out of sight.
What happened next no one can tell,
TEDDY-G was lifted in air a spell
And whirled around so quick in space
He didn’t remember just what took place.
“I caught that ball, all right,” said he,
When the officer questioned TEDDY-G;
“But I don’t like catching balls like that;
My place I think is at the bat.
Next time you pitch don’t throw so quick;
You struck me like a load of brick.”
Said the officer, “For bravery shown
We’ll give you a title all your own;
You can drop your Harvard L and D
And be known as Colonel TEDDY-G.”
The boys got out the fife and drum
And made things all around them hum
As they marched ahead of the Roosevelt Bears
In army step down the flight of stairs
To take the ferry at half-past four
Across the river to the other shore,
Where a train was waiting to take them down
The eastern bank and back to town.
“Let us go to-morrow,” said TEDDY-G,
“And a first-class game of baseball see;
That ball they pitched at West Point school
Had hardly time enough to cool;
It struck my paws so fiery hot
I thought for a minute that I was shot.”