Elands

President Roosevelt has heard that William Northrup McMillan is one of the best resources in East Africa for hunters. He describes his plan to hunt for six or seven months in British East Africa, starting next April, killing only specimens for the National Museum and meat. Roosevelt would greatly appreciate if McMillan could advise him on where he can, with certainty, obtain lion, elephant, buffalo, and eland. He hopes his inquiries do not bother McMillan.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-19

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Charles D. Walcott acknowledges a letter from Theodore Roosevelt from earlier in the month regarding collections from Roosevelt’s African safari and the American Museum of Natural History, addressing some of his questions and concerns specifically about white rhinoceros specimens and a research paper on giant elands. Walcott agrees with Roosevelt that the collections should be used by the museum and may send Waldron DeWitt Miller to discuss things with Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-13

Creator(s)

Walcott, Charles D. (Charles Doolittle), 1850-1927

A. J. Sage congratulates President Roosevelt on escaping from the accident and hopes to see him next year when Sage is traveling to the United States. He thought that Roosevelt would be interested to know that there are plans to introduce African eland into Australia.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-09-07

Creator(s)

Sage, A. J.

Edmund Heller spoke with Charles D. Walcott, Secretary of the Smithsonian, and decided at the last minute to join Paul James Rainey’s expedition to Africa on behalf of the National Museum. He did not realize that Theodore Roosevelt had intended to write to Walcott requesting that Heller not go so that he could focus on writing reports on the specimens collected from his own African expedition. Heller explains that no other qualified man is available to go, and lists the ways that this expedition will assist him in finishing his work with Roosevelt’s collection. The paper on the white rhinoceros will be published before Heller goes, and he assures Roosevelt of his dedication to the work.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-09

Creator(s)

Heller, Edmund, 1875-1939

Theodore Roosevelt expresses his joy that the giant eland and netted giraffe are being mounted at the Smithsonian Institution.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-03-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt asks Charles D. Walcott if he knows when Edmund Heller is set to publish a certain study based on what the group discovered on a recent trip, as Roosevelt is anxious to make a permanent record of their travels. Roosevelt also asks when Walcott will send a pair of rhinoceros to the American Museum of Natural History where they will be displayed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-05

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt thanks Harry W. Dorsey for the letter from Edmund Heller but wishes he had also sent Heller’s report on the giant eland.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-08-18

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt sends C. H. Stigand a pamphlet he wrote on protective coloration in animals. He hopes Stigand enjoyed his trip with Frederick Courteney Selous and that the latter got good specimens of the giant eland. He discusses the differences between the ordinary eland and the giant eland and contemplates the coloration of Mrs. Gray’s waterbuck. Roosevelt makes “a special plea” to Stigand, asking him to write another book that includes his personal experiences, such as the time a lion mauled him.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-08-15

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt found R. J. Cuninghame’s recent letter “extremely interesting” and was particularly amused at the Swedish scientists’ decision to leave the elephants alone. The description of elephant behavior was intriguing. He is glad the Holland rifle worked and hopes Cuninghame likes Stewart Edward White. Edmund Heller recently wrote about Paul James Rainey’s success hunting lions with dogs and sent his pamphlet about white rhinoceros. However, Roosevelt is irritated that Heller did not describe the giant eland specimens. Roosevelt sends his pamphlet on animal coloration and expresses concern about Leslie J. Tarlton’s and V. M. Newland’s health. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-08-11

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt will send the letter and enclosure to Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson. Roosevelt does not understand why Edmund Heller has not published pamphlets on the white rhino or eland.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-06-07

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt writes Charles D. Walcott that Andrew Carnegie does not want any further information from Roosevelt on the subject of art. Roosevelt is excited that Walcott will mount the giant eland and white rhino at the Smithsonian. Roosevelt would like to lunch with Walcott before his trip to the Rockies.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-05-12

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt was very interested in Edmund Heller’s letter, as was Kermit Roosevelt who happened to be visiting when Heller’s letter arrived. Roosevelt wishes that the three of them could take another trip together, but he cannot foresee any such opportunity. The information Heller relayed about the eland and its similarity to the bongo was particularly interesting to Roosevelt, and he is happy that Heller’s pamphlet on the species will soon be published.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-04-21

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt assures Edmund Heller of the regard he and Kermit Roosevelt have for Heller. Roosevelt is glad that Heller will be able to write the piece about the giant eland.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-14

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt says that Edmund Heller has his blessing to go to Africa. He tells Charles D. Wolcott that he would prefer for Heller’s pamphlet on the giant eland to be published before he leaves.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt gives Edmund Heller his blessing to go on another hunting expedition to Africa with Paul James Rainey. He strongly wishes that Heller could publish a pamphlet on the giant eland before he goes because he is worried that another naturalist will end up being first to publish about it. However, he wishes Heller luck on the trip and asks him to send his regards to Rainey.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt was glad to see Edmund Heller on Sunday. He hopes that after Heller finishes the pamphlet on the rhinoceros, he will write one on the giant eland next. Frederick Courteney Selous is procuring eland for the British Museum, and Roosevelt would like Heller’s pamphlet to come out before any others. He lists other pamphlets he hopes Heller will write after that.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-07

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt asks F. R. Wingate several questions regarding his upcoming African safari, including where to find the best game, the best way to travel up the Nile, and when the best time would be to start writing to make arrangements for hunters, equipment shipments, and so on. Roosevelt emphasizes that he expects no special favors or treatment and that he is “no game butcher.” He intends to get hunting trophies for the National Museum of Natural History and perhaps a bull elephant of his own if “entirely proper.” Roosevelt is eager to see how the British are governing Egypt and East Africa, having recently read Modern Egypt by Evelyn Baring Cromer, and sympathises with the difficulty of colonial rule.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt thinks that the eland can be domesticated and believes that the potential introduction of eland into Australia would be a great service.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-06

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Charles D. Walcott informs Theodore Roosevelt that Edmund Heller’s pamphlets on the white rhino and giant eland will be mailed soon. Walcott tells Roosevelt of his sons’ future endeavors in the West and his wife and daughter’s summer plans in the East. Walcott is glad the political climate feels like “old times.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-05-16

Creator(s)

Walcott, Charles D. (Charles Doolittle), 1850-1927

Edmund Heller greatly appreciated Theodore Roosevelt’s kind wishes for his latest safari in Africa, but Heller is sure that his experience will not be as good as the time he spent with Roosevelt during Roosevelt’s safari. Heller provides some thorough remarks about the physiological differences he has found between the giant eland and the common eland, as well as white rhinoceroses and black rhinoceroses.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-27

Creator(s)

Heller, Edmund, 1875-1939

Recipient

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919