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President Roosevelt appoints Admiral Capps to represent the Navy Department on a committee that will report on the organization, condition, and needs of the Executive Government.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-08
President Roosevelt inquires if Annie Montague Alexander will allow Edmund Heller to accompany him on his African safari. Roosevelt intends to make the trip a scientific one and collect samples for the United States National Museum.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-08
President Roosevelt has given a letter to Charles D. Walcott and J. A. Holmes, both from the U.S. Geological Survey, to present to Senator La Follette to explain why he has chosen to withdraw coal lands from entry. Roosevelt states that there will be great opposition to La Follette’s bill because it will significantly impact the states that are affected. Roosevelt has given Walcott a draft of a bill to show La Follette which supports the essentials of La Follette’s bill and leasing natural resources in the public lands, but leaves some matters up to the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-23
President Roosevelt encloses to Secretary Root two letters he has recently sent to Director of the U.S. Geological Survey Charles D. Walcott regarding the break and repair of the Colorado River in Southern California and Mexico. Roosevelt also includes a message from Union Pacific Chairman Edward Henry Harriman, which appears to indicate “a very satisfactory condition of affairs.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-20
President Roosevelt tells Secretary Hitchcock that his order was intended to “withdraw the coal lands from coal entry merely,” and had been fashioned after consulting with Forest Service Chief Gifford Pinchot and Geological Survey Director Charles D. Walcott. He notes that the ordered has been misinterpreted at some point I the Department of the Interior’s chain of command to forbid all homestead and other land entries, which was not his intent. Roosevelt asks Hitchcock to correct the order so that it only pertains to coal lands in Alaska and other states and territories, and asks him to issue the order to relevant land offices on Monday morning.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-15
President Roosevelt asks Secretary Root for his opinion regarding a recent telegram from Union Pacific Railroad Chairman Edward Henry Harriman regarding a land matter in Southern California. Roosevelt asks Root to consult with Director of the Geological Survey Charles D. Walcott regarding the issue. Roosevelt states that he has already consulted with California Senator Frank P. Flint on the matter; Senator Flint recommended purchasing lands from Mexico to solve the problem. Roosevelt desires Root’s opinion on all the aforementioned matters so that they can begin drafting a message to congress on the issue.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-13
President Roosevelt asks for Senator Perkins’s opinion on a recent telegram from Union Pacific Railroad Chairman Edward Henry Harriman, which he has enclosed. Roosevelt feels the government “should help in the matter,” and notes that the Director of the Geological Survey Charles D. Walcott feels the matter is of great importance for thousands of residents in Southern California.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-13
President Roosevelt asks for Senator Flint’s opinion a recent telegram from Union Pacific Railroad Chairman Edward Henry Harriman, which he has enclosed. Roosevelt feels the government “should help in the matter,” and notes that the Director of the Geological Survey Charles D. Walcott feels the matter is of great importance for thousands of residents in Southern California.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-13
G. W. Woodruff, Chief Law Officer of the Forest Service, reports on a controversy concerning Secretary of the Interior Ethan Allen Hitchcock. President Roosevelt withdrew ten million acres of land from disposal under public laws to protect the coal it contained, but asked that no land be withdrawn until he received Geological Survey field reports. Hitchcock claimed that he did not know which lands were inside the reserves and “materially misquoted the President’s clearly expressed intention.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-17
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.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-02-09
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.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-07
Theodore Roosevelt explains to F. L. Seely that Dr. Walcott cannot alienate Congress, and he is making as much progress as he can with the appropriations he has been given.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-02
Theodore Roosevelt encourages Emma Baker Kennedy to consider establishing an endowment in her husband’s memory at the Smithsonian Institution, in order to allow the museum to publish works based upon its collections, research, and expeditions. Roosevelt explains how beneficial J. Pierpont Morgan’s similar endowment to Princeton University has been in allowing the school to publish scientific and artistic works. Roosevelt explains that the Smithsonian is interested in creating a publication fund for specifically American work, so that it “may take the same lasting and beautiful form” as foreign work. The Smithsonian “gets nothing from Congress,” so all publications are privately funded.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-04-28
Theodore Roosevelt believes that Edmund Heller should go on the hunting trip to northern British East Africa, unless he feels strongly that he should not. (Heller had been reluctant to go because it would delay a report on mammals that he is writing following Roosevelt’s 1909 safari.)
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-02-03
Theodore Roosevelt has had Edgar Alexander Mearns detailed from the army and under the direction of Charles D. Walcott of the Smithsonian Institution. Larger animals on the expedition will be shot by Theodore or Kermit Roosevelt. Roosevelt is interested in adding reptiles and freshwater fish to the specimens collected. The curing and transportation of the specimens will be paid for by the Smithsonian.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-01-03
Theodore Roosevelt asks Edgar Alexander Mearns to tell J. Alden Loring and Mr. Heller that they are not allowed to publish anything related to the expedition until after Roosevelt’s articles and book have appeared. They must also make sure that letters to families or friends are not published.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-01-03
If J. Alden Loring wishes to join the expedition to Africa, President Roosevelt will inform Charles D. Walcott, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. However, he advises Loring that no member of the expedition party will be able to write about the trip until after Roosevelt has published his own articles and book as per his agreement with Scribner’s. The big game hunting will also only be done by Theodore and Kermit Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-01-02
President Roosevelt is pleased that Edmund Heller has agreed to join him and his son Kermit Roosevelt on the African safari. Heller will be joining J. Alden Loring and Edgar Alexander Mearns to work as a naturalist and collect zoological samples on the trip. Roosevelt clarifies that only he and Kermit will be shooting big game, as two rifles is the limit for a good hunt. Roosevelt also discusses the itinerary for the trip and the supplies that Heller, Loring, and Mearns will need to acquire for themselves.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-24
President Roosevelt thanks Annie Montague Alexander for her letter and her kindness. If she will be in Washington this winter, he would like to see her. He has written to Edmund Heller and will have Charles D. Walcott write Heller as well.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-24
The snake man turned up, but the snake did not actually have a sting. Theodore Roosevelt lets C. Hart Merriam know that Charles D. Walcott closed with his offer and that Congress will not have to give any funds.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-06