Your TR Source

Railroad travel

161 Results

Letter from Jacob A. Riis to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from Jacob A. Riis to Theodore Roosevelt

Jacob A. Riis quotes a conversation he had with a fellow countryman, who told him of a time when President Roosevelt was leaving Seattle and had looked down on a crowd made up largely of Scandinavians, and seemed disappointed when they did not give him a sign of recognition. The man believes Roosevelt did not know that Scandinavians are “never demonstrative that way.” Riis also mentions Baron Hermann Speck von Sternburg’s poisoned face wound that will not heal, and recommends that he contact the Finsen Light Institute to seek treatment for it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-23

Letter from Victor Howard Metcalf to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from Victor Howard Metcalf to Theodore Roosevelt

Victor Howard Metcalf provides President Roosevelt with a series of correspondences regarding an immigration inspector, George C. Triick, who was accused of mistreating Mr. Chow Tszchi, a Chinese dignitary. The department agrees that the Government should provide the utmost courtesy to Chinese people but notes issues in proving citizenship or defining who could be classified as a Chinese laborer. Chinese merchants, teachers, students and bankers are welcome, but not laborers with falsified Chinese papers pretending to be of a higher class. A treaty written in 1904 sought to deal with falsified records but the Chinese thought it was too strict. Metcalf notes any concerns of harshness in the enforcement of exclusionary laws is necessary to combat those trying to skirt the system.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-06-07

President’s true position

President’s true position

“The Chief Executive thinks Senator Pritchard went too far in excluding qualified negro voters from the State Convention – he may give out a statement regarding the matter which will shock Blackburn and others who are declaring for the old order of things – Mr. Roosevelt shakes hands with 200 Asheville people.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-11-20

Letter from Quentin Roosevelt to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt

Letter from Quentin Roosevelt to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt

Quentin Roosevelt writes to his mother to describe the journey to Gallup and his difficulties meeting up with his friend Ben who had gone on a trip to the Grand Canyon. Once Roosevelt meets up with Ben, they head to Kayenta, Arizona for the night. Roosevelt then discusses his whole plan for his time in the area and includes a hand drawn map of their travel route. Roosevelt is hoping for good bear hunting and fishing. He closes hoping his father is keeping quiet and that he wishes he knew Belle, Kermit Roosevelt’s fiance, better but hopes they like his choice of a gift.

Collection

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Creation Date

1915-07-11

Letter from Quentin Roosevelt

Letter from Quentin Roosevelt

An excerpt from a letter Quentin Roosevelt wrote about traveling in France during the summer of 1909. He discusses seeing a flying show, Notre Dame, and the Louvre. He does not like French train travel and discusses subjects of photographs he has captured with his camera.

Collection

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Creation Date

1909

“Put me off at Buffalo!”

“Put me off at Buffalo!”

Passengers in a railroad sleeping car tell the porter to make sure to put them “off at Buffalo” so they can visit the Pan-American Exposition.

comments and context

Comments and Context

The humor in this non-political cartoon is noting the various social types flocking to the fair in Buffalo: society snobs, pretty girls, rural types, foreigners, cowboys, old maids, and children. A point of irony, certainly no prediction of any sort, is the brandishing of a handgun; within four months President William McKinley would be assassinated by an anarchist with a handgun at that very fair.

The old enemy of the canal at his old tricks

The old enemy of the canal at his old tricks

A huge man, representing “Transcontinental R.R. Interests,” holds many strings linked to members of the U.S. Senate to stall legislation on a “Nicaragua Canal Treaty.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

This cartoon is reminiscent of Puck‘s famous “Bosses Of the Senate” (1889) by Joseph Keppler Sr., showing many large figures representing the Trusts in the Senate galleries. Here, the Railroad Trust is depicted as manipulating the members on the floor in opposition to the proposed Isthmian canal (Nicaragua the likely route, in most speculation). Largely neglected by history is the opposition to the building of a canal by railroad monopolies that profited from coastal trade in the United States.