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roperty。
Against these redoubtable competitors； the Independents and Republicans pitted Roosevelt； hoping that his prestige and personal popularity would carry the day。 He made a plucky campaign； but Hewitt won； with Henry George second。 In his letter of acceptance he went straight at the mark； which was that the government of the city was strictly a business affair。 〃 I very earnestly deprecate；〃 he says； 〃all attempts to introduce any class or caste feeling into the mayoralty contest。 Laborers and capitalists alike are interested in having an honest and economical city government； and if elected I shall certainly strive to be the representative of all good citizens； paying heed to nothing whatever but the general well…being。〃* When Tammany reverses its hide； the Republicans in New York City need not expect victory； and in 1886 Henry George drew off a good many votes which would ordinarily have been cast for Roosevelt。
* Riis； 101。
Nevertheless； the fight was worth making。 It reintroduced him to the public； which had not heard him for two years； and it helped erase from men's memories the fact that he had supported Blaine in 1884。 His contest with Hewitt and George set him in his true lighta Republican by conviction； a party man； also by conviction； but above all the fearless champion of what he believed to be the right； in its struggle against economic heresy and political corruption。
The election over； Roosevelt went to Europe； and on December 2； 1886； at St。 George's； Hanover Square； London； he married Miss Edith Kermit Carow； of New York； whom he had known since his earliest childhood； the playmate of his sister Corinne； the little girl whose photograph had stirred up in him 〃homesickness and longings for the past；〃 when he was a little boy in Paris。 Cecil Spring…Rice； an old friend （subsequently British Ambassador at Washington）； was his groomsman； and being married at St。 George's； Theodore remarks； 〃made me feel as if I were living in one of Thackeray's novels。〃
Mrs。 Roosevelt's father came of Huguenot stock； the name being originally Quereau； the first French immigrants of the family having migrated to New York in the seventeenth century at about the same time as Claes van Roosevelt。 Like the Roosevelts； the Carows had so freely intermarried with English stock in America that the French origin of one was as little discernible in their descendants as was the Dutch origin of the other。 Through her American line Mrs。 Roosevelt traced back to Jonathan Edwards； the prolific ancestor of many persons who emerged above the common level by either their virtue or their badness。
After spending several months in Europe； Mr。 and Mrs。 Roosevelt returned and settled at Oyster Bay； Long Island； where he had built； not long before； a country house on Sagamore Hill。 His place there comprised many acresa beautiful country of hill and hollow and fine tall trees。 The Bay made in from Long Island Sound and seemed to be closed by the opposite shore； so that in calm weather you might mistake it for a lake。 This home was thoroughly adapted for Roosevelt's needs。 Being only thirty miles from New York； with a railroad near by； convenient but not intrusive； it gave easy access to the city； but was remote enough to discourage casual or undesired callers。 It had sufficient land to carry on farming and to sustain the necessary horses and domestic cattle。 Mrs。 Roosevelt supervised it； he simply loved it and got distraction from his more pressing affairs； if he had chosen to withdraw from these he might have devoted himself to the pleasing and leisurely life of a gentleman farmer。 For a while his chief occupation was literary。 Into this he pitched with characteristic energy。 His innate craving for self…expression could never be satiated by speaking alone； and now； since he filled no public position which would be a cause or perhaps an excuse for speaking； he wrote with all the more enthusiasm。
Although he was less than seven years out of college； his political career had given him a national reputation； which helped and was helped by the vogue of his writings。 The American public had come to perceive that Theodore Roosevelt could do nothing commonplace。 The truth was； that he did many things that other men did which ceased to be commonplace only when he did them。 Scores of other young men went on hunting trips after big game in the Rockies or the Selkirks； and even ranching had been engaged in by the enterprising and the adventurous； who hoped to find it a short way to a fortune。 But whether as ranch man or as hunter； Roosevelt was better known than all the rest。 His skill in describing his experiences no doubt largely accounted for this； but the fact that the experiences were his； was the ultimate explanation。
Roosevelt began to write very early。 He thought that the instruction in rhetoric which he received at Harvard enlightened him； and during his Senior year he began the 〃History of the Naval War of 1812；〃 which he completed and published in 1882。 This work at once won recognition for him； and it differed from the traditional accounts； embedded in the school histories of the United States； in doing full justice to the British naval operations。 Probably； for the first time； our people realized that the War of 1812 had not been a series of victories； startling and irresistible； for the American Navy。 Nearly ten years later； Roosevelt in the 〃Winning of the West〃 made his second excursion into history。 These volumes； which eventually numbered six； are regarded by experts in the subject as of great value； and I suppose that in them Roosevelt did more than any other writer to popularize the study of the historical origin and development of the vast region west of the Alleghanies which now forms a vital part of the American Republic。 One attribute of a real historian is the power to discern the structural or pregnant quality of historic periods and episodes； and this power Roosevelt displayed in choosing both the War of 1812 and the Winning of the West。
In his larger history Roosevelt had a swift； energetic； and direct style。 He never lacked for ideas。 Descriptions came to him with exuberant details of which he selected enough to leave his reader with the feeling that he had looked on a vivid and accurate picture。 Here； for instance； is a portrait of Daniel Boon which seems remarkably lifelike； because I remember how difficult other writers find it to individualize most of the figures of the pioneers。
The backwoodsmen； he says； 〃all tilled their own clearings； guiding the plow among the charred stumps left when the trees were chopped down and the land burned over； and they were all； as a matter of course； hunters。 With Boon； hunting and exploration were passions； and the lonely life of the wilderness； with its bold； wild freedom； the only existence for which he really cared。 He was a tall； spare； sinewy man； with eyes like an eagle's； and muscles that never tired； the toil and hardship of his life made no impress on his iron frame； unhurt by intemperance of any kind； and he lived for eighty…six years； a backwoods hunter to the end of his days。 His thoughtful； quiet； pleasant face； so often portrayed； is familiar to every one