Your TR Source
President Roosevelt regrets that he cannot do as Francis J. Romanes, son of George John Romanes, asks. He is unable to write articles for any magazines at the moment.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-02-06
President Roosevelt invites Lawrence F. Abbott to the White House for lunch. He also extends the invitation to Abbott’s father, Lyman Abbott, and asks Lawrence to thank Lyman for his note about Roosevelt’s two lectures.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-01-16
President Roosevelt declines Caspar Whitney’s proposal to either author or authorize an account detailing the plans for his upcoming trip to Africa, as he claims it has already received enough publicity and that it is a “scientific trip” above all else. Roosevelt also does not wish to publicize his exact whereabouts and plans prior to the trip.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-01-07
President Roosevelt apologizes to Finley Peter Dunne, as he does not think the Taft party will be able to bring magazine writers along with him on his trip to the Panama Canal. Roosevelt is interested, however, in having Dunne write an article like he has proposed, and invites him to come to Washington, D.C., to attend either reception or dinner, and then to additionally have lunch with him the following day where they would be able to speak.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-23
While preparing for his African safari, President Roosevelt asks Robert Bridges for help in determining the best writing pads and instruments to obtain. William Loeb suggests bringing indelible pencils rather than worrying about fragile ink bottles, and Roosevelt asks if the pencils will work for making duplicate copies with carbon paper.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-26
President Roosevelt sends Lyman Abbott, editor-in-chief of The Outlook, two more articles on which he would like feedback, and which he expects will be the last ones he sends. Roosevelt will do his best to have criminal libel suits brought against the New York World and the Indianapolis News. While Douglas Robinson or Charles P. Taft had clear cases for libel suits, it is difficult for private individuals to proceed against newspapers, which is why he is taking the lead.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-15
President Roosevelt apologizes to William H. Rideing, as there is no way he can write the article Rideing desires. He cites the “multitude of requests that [he] has to refuse.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-04
President Roosevelt tells Lyman Abbott that his reason for wishing that the letter not be made public was so that it did not seem like he was challenging the matter. He thinks that as long as Abbott omits some sections of the letter no harm could come from publishing it. Roosevelt also requests that Abbott send him a proof of his article on socialism, as he might have some portions to add to it.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-27
President Roosevelt informs Robert Bridges that he has arranged with Lyman and Lawrence F. Abbott to have the materials he has already written for The Outlook published within six months of his departure from the United States. He hopes to have several articles ready for Bridges within the first few months of his arrival in Africa.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-27
President Roosevelt thanks John Graham Brooks for the list of books and for the article. Roosevelt appreciated the suggestions for changes to make to his article. He has worked with Lyman Abbott to rewrite it into two smaller articles, discussing when it is possible to work with socialists and when it is not. Roosevelt believes that if socialists give up “what is wicked and crazy in their old doctrines” and turn their movement into one for social betterment, then he will support them even if they still call themselves socialists.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-26
President Roosevelt encloses his article on socialism with the changes that Lyman Abbott suggested. Roosevelt would like it to appear in The Outlook immediately after he leaves the presidency. He would also like all of the articles he writes to appear within six months of when he leaves America, in case things change in the time he is gone. He does not want to risk “accidental circumstances” that would make the articles seem improper.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-23
President Roosevelt has considered Lawrence F. Abbott’s letter in which he proposed a business deal, and is pleased to accept. Roosevelt liked the proposition in the letter better than the conversation that they had previously, as the letter did not specify the number of articles he would produce per year. He will try to write more than twelve per year, but likes the fact that he does not have the pressure to write articles simply for the reason of having something to publish. Roosevelt does not think the deal should be announced until after the election. He asks if Abbott and William Bailey Howland could come have lunch with him on July 25.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-14
President Roosevelt tells Howard Allen Bridgman that he is not planning to write anything next year outside of his African trip. Roosevelt would like to do anything Bridgman asks but does not think he could write that article. He muses that the fact he goes to church is a stronger appeal than anything he could write asking people to go to church.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-15
President Roosevelt thanks Herbert Keightley Job for the book—probably The Sport of Bird-Study, which was published that year. Roosevelt is pleased to hear of a feature that Job is writing for Outing magazine, and he looks forward to receiving a set of pictures Job took on a recent trip.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-15
President Roosevelt is greatly pleased by Charles D. Walcott’s letter, and is glad to be going on safari on behalf of the Smithsonian Institution. They will arrange details when they meet, but Roosevelt says that the only thing he wants understood is that no one else will write anything until after his articles have been published.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-02
President Roosevelt is sorry that he did not connect his presently planned hunting trip with Robert J. Collier’s previous offer. Scribner’s Magazine has handled Roosevelt’s past hunting trips, so he naturally thought of them first. Roosevelt is glad that Collier did not make his present offer when he first visited, as Roosevelt would have had a much harder time making a decision between the two magazines. Roosevelt hopes to be able to give Collier articles in the future, and hopes to meet with him and Mark Sullivan in person soon. In a handwritten postscript, Roosevelt assures Collier that if he were going on a world trip, as Collier initially proposed, he would definitely have turned to him first.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-09
President Roosevelt is distressed to hear that Julian LaRose Harris’s father, Joel Chandler Harris, is still not well. Roosevelt is pleased that Harris like the article that Roosevelt wrote, and explains his reasons for writing it. He believes in Harris’s magazine and wants to see it succeed, but he is also glad that the magazine will use the article to promote an idea Roosevelt wants to draw attention to.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-06-26
President Roosevelt writes to Robert Bridges of Scribner’s to apologize for not being able to give the magazine any of his articles that he plans to write during his African safari. Collier’s offered more money for the articles, and as the safari promises to be expensive, Roosevelt did not think he could turn the offer down. He still hopes to give Scribner’s the rights to publish his book.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-06-30
President Roosevelt contacts Robert Bridges regarding the articles he plans to write on his upcoming African safari. Roosevelt asks if Charles Scribner’s Sons would pay him $50,000 for all serial rights of his African trip and 20% on the book. He has been receiving offers from other magazines, but would prefer to deal with Scribner’s if they can offer the deal he mentioned, even though he has been offered more money elsewhere. If the difference is extreme, however, Roosevelt may have to instead sell his articles to McClure’s or Collier’s.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-02
President Roosevelt has received David Decamp Thompson’s letter, and regrets that he must refuse his request. If he agreed to write a brief article for Thompson, he would either be obliged to write hundreds of other articles, or risk offending other people. Roosevelt suggests that he take an extract of something he already wrote about Abraham Lincoln and send it to Thompson.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-06-10