The
Roosevelt Bears
arrive in
Philadelphia
The Bears went out to a country place
To see a machine take its trial race;
Invented by a New Jersey man
And made to fly on a novel plan.
This trial trip was to prove that day
That machines that fly have come to stay.
When the hour arrived to cut the cord
There wasn’t a man who would go aboard.
The Bears said they would make the trip
And every racing record whip
If they only knew how to steer the ship.
“We’ve sailed before,” said TEDDY-B,
“We hit Chicago down a tree
From an old balloon that brought us there
From a Missouri town at a county fair.”
“I’m not afraid,” said TEDDY-G,
“I’d like to go to the moon to see
If the man up there charges entrance fees
And what he does with all the cheese.”
But as they talked the machine got wise
And with buzz and whiz it began to rise
And broke the ropes that held it tight
And went towards the clouds and out of sight
With TEDDY-B and TEDDY-G
Grabbing at anything they could see:
The one on a bar beneath the sail
And the other on a rope to make a tail.
They started so quick and went so high
They hadn’t a chance to say good-bye.
They had ridden before and lively too,
On cow-boy horses and in frail canoe;
In an old balloon and a ’mobile car,
But this ride that day beat those by far.
Copyright, 1907, by Edward Stern & Co., Inc.
“‘We’ve sailed before,’ said TEDDY-B,
‘We hit Chicago down a tree.’”
They went over town and farm and creek
In one straight line like a lightning streak,
And it wasn’t forty minutes when
They came in sight of William Penn
Looking so wise and straight and tall
On the top of Philadelphia’s city hall.
TEDDY-B called out from where he sat,
“There’s a man ahead; I see his hat;
His hand is out; he means to try
To catch the rope as we go by.”
And TEDDY-G in cow-boy style
Let out the rope, nearly half a mile,
And as it coiled he pulled with might
And William Penn he lassoed tight.
A crowd of children down below
Looked up and saw the Bears let go
And come from the clouds like sailors bold,
With not a thing but the rope to hold,
“They came from the clouds like sailors bold, with not a thing but the rope to hold.”
And land all right on the old man’s hat,
Where both sat down to have a chat
And look about and view the town
And ask each other how they’d get down.
They looked over the brim to see Penn’s face
And ask him questions about the place:
What would happen if they should fall?
And how long it took to build the hall?
And what it cost and if he thought it nice
To pay so much for expert advice?
And one thing sure they’d like to know
Why this Quaker town was considered slow?
A crowd soon gathered round the square;
Police and engineers were there,
And business men and children too,
And each one wondering what to do;
For how to get the two Bears down
Was soon being asked by half the town.
The Mayor came out with megaphone
And called aloud up the tower of stone
And promised Father Penn a dime
If he’d give the Bears a high old time.
Not very far from where they sat
A door was opened in the Quaker hat
And a man put out his head to say
That the Roosevelt Bears could come that way,
But the door was small and it wouldn’t do
For neither Bear could be crowded through.
Said TEDDY-B, “Go to the street
And bring a rope six hundred feet
And William here will hold one end
While we to the square below descend.”
This plan was tried and in half an hour
The Bears had landed from the tower
And had shaken hands right then and there
With every child around the square.
From there they went, the papers say,
To a Broad Street bank to draw their pay,
Or to cash a check which TEDDY-G
Had got in New York as their circus fee.
When they asked for money the man inside
Said, “You’ll have to be identified:
Perhaps your names are what you say,
But prove it you must some other way.”
“Is that check good?” said TEDDY-B,
“Well, if it is, I’ll let you see
That G is he and B is me.”
But before he had time to act the bear
The check was taken and the cash was there.
To a shop they went on Chestnut Street
And dressed up new from head to feet
And got the bill and paid the fee
And started out the town to see.
Two little lads named Jack and Will
Had bought four tickets for vaudeville;
Four seats up front at a children’s show
That was given to help poor boys to go
To a training school where men are paid
To teach young lads a useful trade.
The boys had heard of the Roosevelt Bears
And they spent their money for the extra chairs
That very day on Chestnut Street
To give the Bears this special treat.
The boys had followed the Bears a square,
Intending to ask if they would care
To use up their time that day to go
With two little lads to the children’s show.
Jack was bravest and walked close behind
To see if the Bears were really kind.
“You speak to TEDDY-B,” said he,
“And I’ll put the question to TEDDY-G.”
“All right!” said Will, and he stepped ahead
And this to TEDDY-B he said:
“Mr. TEDDY-B, will you come with me
Right now a children’s show to see?
I have your ticket; it’s paid for too;
I bought it specially for you.”
“That was good of you; of course I’ll go,”
Said TEDDY-B, “to the children’s show;
We’re here to make the jolliest kind
Of fun for every child we find.”
“Me too,” said Jack; ’twas all he said;
His courage wasn’t in his head;
“But TEDDY-G to answer Jack lifted him high up on his back.”
But TEDDY-G to answer Jack
Lifted him high up on his back
And danced a jig right then and there
To show the crowd that a Roosevelt Bear
For serious people didn’t care;
They lived for fun and their fun they’d share
Free of expense and everywhere.
But the things that happened to Jack and Will
That afternoon at vaudeville
Were not on the program of the children’s show;
For the Roosevelt Bears, folks say who know,
Made the biggest hit of their lives that day
And put up an afternoon of play
The like of which was never seen
By old or young, by king or queen.