More About Teddy B. and Teddy G., the Roosevelt Bears

Chapter I: Part 1

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“From noon till night they let things go,
In sky above and on earth below.”
]

MORE ABOUT
Teddy B. and Teddy G.
THE
ROOSEVELT BEARS
Being Volume Two Depicting their further Travels and Adventures.

_By_
Seymour Eaton
(PAUL PIPER)

Illustrated by
R. K. Culver

EDWARD STERN & COMPANY, Inc.
PHILADELPHIA
MCMVII

Published September 1, 1907

MORE ABOUT THESE BEARS

When in the autumn of 1905, I created the characters of TEDDY-B and TEDDY-G I builded better than I knew. I brought these bears out of their mountain den in Colorado and started them on their tour of the East to teach children that animals, even bears, may have some measure of human feeling; that the primary purpose of animals is not necessarily that of supplying sport for the hunter. That this lesson has been abundantly taught is proven by the overwhelming welcome given the Teddy Bears by the boys and girls of the United States; and it is safe to say that the traditional “bear will get you” has now and forever lost its frightening significance.

This book is a sequel to “The Travels and Adventures of the Roosevelt Bears,” and completes the story of the tour of TEDDY-B and TEDDY-G from Colorado to Washington. The third volume will report in jingle and picture the tour of the Teddy Bears abroad.

ATH-DARA
Lansdowne, Pa.

LIST OF COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS

Page “To ride bare-backed in the hurdle shute, Or join a band with drum and flute.” Cover

“From noon till night they let things go, In sky above and on earth below.” Frontispiece

“With bags on backs and sticks in hand, They started their tramp across the land.” 11

“They climbed up ladders in clouds of smoke, And lifted hose and windows broke.” 22

“‘Good afternoon,’ said TEDDY-B, ‘Is this Buster Brown and Tige I see?’” 35

“Dressed and ready for hours of fun, With cavalry horse or battery gun.” 49

“TEDDY-B threw the monkey and made him yell, And caught him every time he fell.” 60

“‘We’ve sailed before,’ said TEDDY-B, ‘We hit Chicago down a tree.’” 73

“As Dublin Mike and Pat from Cork, They came on the stage to look for work.” 87

“Across the sand in running dash, They struck the breakers with a splash.” 98

“At the Liberty Bell they took a try, And hoisted it up both good and high.” 111

“‘You mind these things,’ said TEDDY-G, ‘Our breakfast hour is half-past three.’” 125

“They met a lad on his way from school, Whom they stopped to question about a rule.” 136

“Said TEDDY-B, ‘Pay up the fares, We’ll pass to-morrow as millionaires,’” 149

“When Teddy Bears would rulers be, And hunt for men in cave or tree.” 167

“With outstretched hand and smiling face, He gave them welcome to the place.” 178

How The
Roosevelt Bears
reached
NEW YORK

The Roosevelt Bears were born out West
In a big ravine near a mountain crest,
Where they lived as cubs and had such play
As Teddy Bears have every day.
But they learned some things as years went by
Of cities great and buildings high,
And trains that run at rapid speed,
And schools which teach folks how to read,
And circus clowns and phonograph
And other things which make folks laugh,
And big hotels where meals they say
Are served in style both night and day.
They had heard of men of great renown
Who lived and died in Boston town;
Of rulers brave and statesmen bold
And millionaires with barrels of gold;
Of men who work just day by day
For boys and girls and daily pay;
And of one they heard who works for fun:
The President at Washington.

These bears some travel books had found
Which told them the world is round.
They made up their minds that they would see
And learn about geography
And visit cities everywhere
And introduce the Teddy Bear.
They found some gold in a cave one day
Which they could use to pay their way.

“_They found some gold in a cave one day._”
]

So one bright morn they said good-bye
To cave and creek and mountain high,
To an old bobcat with a bandaged knee,
To a young cougar and squirrels three,
To a big-horn sheep and a mountain deer,
And to other friends that lived quite near;
And with bags on backs and sticks in hand
They started their tramp across the land.
The black bear’s name was TEDDY-B;
The B for black or brown, you see.

And TEDDY-G was the gray bear’s name;
The G for gray; but both bears came
For “Teddy” because
Children called them Teddy Bears.

The “Teddy” part is a name they found On hat and tree and leggings round, On belt and boot and plates of tin, And scraps of paper and biscuits thin, And other things a hunter dropped At a mountain camp where he had stopped.

The story tells how these Teddy Bears Scattered forever all blues and cares, And made fun and frolic and mischief too, And did some tricks for bears quite new;

And how some boys, the stories tell, Liked these two Teddy Bears so well That they made a million for the stores to sell: Some quite little, for children small, And some as big as the bears are tall;

The brown ones looking like TEDDY-B, And the white as funny as TEDDY-G.

“With bags on backs and sticks in hand,
They started their tramp across the land.”
]

The story goes on to tell how far These two bears rode in a Pullman car, And the tricks they played on folks that night When the colored porter put out the light;

And how TEDDY-G wouldn’t sleep upstairs “On a shelf,” he said, “too small for bears.” He wanted a window; he wanted to see; And he kept folks awake till half-past three.

And the story tells of other tricks In the dining car, and of a mix When TEDDY-G pulled a rope on top And brought the train to a sudden stop;

And how the two were put off the train On a Kansas farm in a shower of rain. The fun they had from that time on Fills every page of Book Number One.

They started by learning the famous trick How farmer boys get ahead so quick.

But the things they did would take your breath, For they scared the farmer half to death.

The horses were put at gathering eggs,
And pigs walked round on two hind legs,
And sheep were given the corn to hoe
And potatoes to plant and wheat to sow.

The story tells how an angry bull Made a pasture field look pretty full And chased the two bears round a stack And over the top and down and back.

From there to a district school they went, On mischief and education bent, Where things were done by TEDDY-B, Who hit the desk and said that he

Would make letters dance and figures fly And good boys laugh and bad boys cry; The questions he gave; and the boys, their look; They had never seen them in a book:

If a camel can go without water a week How long can he go if he owns a creek? And this, to bound the moon and sky, And name the capital of by-and-by;

And a hundred more as hard and tough, Till the children said they had enough; But when they left the school that day The children were happy, the farmers say.

The story tells how in railway style
They ran an engine for a mile
And spent a day at a county show
And helped the boys to make things go;
How they walked on ropes drawn good and tight
And jumped through hoops and landed right;

And of the ride in an old balloon Which took them half-way to the moon; And things that happened in the sky that night And the way the world went out of sight; And how they landed in Lincoln Park In Chicago town just ’fore dark,

And the big hotel on a busy street
Where waiters brought them things to eat.
How they rang for bell boys, just for fun,
To give them a quarter and see them run;
And the fun they made in vaudeville;
Children are laughing about it still.

And the bargain sale; TEDDY-G got lost; And the things they bought and what they cost; And their trip to Niagara Falls that night, And what they thought of Niagara’s height, And the picnic boys and the boating stunt When they shot the rapids in a punt; And how the boys made cheering go When the train pulled out for Buffalo.

The story tells of their further jaunt
And of TEDDY-G at a restaurant;
How he missed his train and lost his mate;
For TEDDY-B had risen late;
And the jolly crowds the bears to greet
To cheer them all along the street

As they rode from station to Common green In Boston town like king or queen; And of the home on Beacon Hill Where Priscilla Alden and her brother Will Entertained them gladly days and nights While they were seeing the Boston sights.

But the things they did in Boston town Are done in picture and written down In Volume One by Teddy’s paw, The jolliest book you ever saw. It tells how they captured Bunker Hill And worked like soldiers with stubborn will; And how they got lost in Boston squares Where criss-cross streets run everywheres;

And the time they had at Plymouth Rock When trying to make forefathers talk; And the auto ride to Lexington Which nearly cost them all their fun, For TEDDY-G would chauffeur be And he ran that car like sixty-three; It didn’t run; he made it sail And landed himself and his mate in jail.

The story tells of their Harvard tricks, Where they got themselves in another mix In getting degrees, a double-L-D, Which didn’t fit well on TEDDY-G; It tells about the talking machine, The funniest thing they had ever seen;

How they danced a two-step and sang as well
And heard Uncle Josh his stories tell;
It tells of the time when they went to see
Where the Boston patriots made good tea
In seventeen hundred and sixty-three;

And then of their sail in a little skiff, And how a storm hit them a biff And sent them out on the ocean wide, Half-way across to the other side; And how at noon there came in sight A tower of ice all glistening white;

And how they met away out, there On this iceberg white a polar bear; And the stories he told of a northern pole Which was never seen by a living soul, But it carried a flag both night and day, The stars and stripes of the U. S. A.;

And the story tells of the rescue made And how the steamer crowds hurrahed As “Yankee Doodle” the brass band played; And then it tells, this jolly book, How reporters met them at Sandy Hook And asked them questions and pictures took; And of New York and its buildings high, And how the bears made money fly, And dressed in style to see the town, To do Fifth Avenue up and down;

And the guide they hired, wee Muddy Pete, A lad whose home was on the street, And his little dog, a terrier white, Pete’s boon companion day and night. The story tells of the circus show Where the two bears helped to make things go;

How like heroes of a hundred fights The Roosevelt Bears in colored tights Stepped in the ring to dance or sing, To ride or tumble or anything.

So these Teddy Bears are here to stay: They came from the West one summer’s day And journeyed East from town to town And gathered fame and much renown.

Book Number One (boys know it well)
The pictures show and the stories tell
Of how they crossed the U. S. A.
(And made folks laugh both night and day)
To New York City, there to be told
That Teddy Bears in the shops were sold.
But the bears in the shops are only toys
Made to please good girls and boys.
These Roosevelt Bears, TEDDIES-B and G,
Are as full of mischief as you or me;
They laugh and talk and sleep and eat
And go around on two hind feet
And ride on cars and wear good clothes;
And the things they do, dear only knows,
For they read from books and music play
And lose themselves nearly every day.
But the story here and these pictures new
Tell things about them just as true
As the things that happened, children say,
From West to East along the way.

The
Roosevelt Bears
put out a
FIRE

One day the Bears took trolley rides With Muddy Pete and Cribs for guides. The car was open; they enjoyed the air; They helped the conductor collect the fare,

And pulled the bell to start or stop,
And fixed the trolley pole on top,
And put on the brakes and rang the gong
When teams in front didn’t move along.

But they got in trouble when TEDDY-G
Climbed on the roof of the car to see
The working of the electricity.

“_But they got in trouble when TEDDY-G climbed on the roof of the car
to see the working of the electricity._”
]

“They climbed up ladders in clouds of smoke,
And lifted hose and windows broke.”
]

What it was that hit him he didn’t know,
But it hit so smart TEDDY-G let go
And tumbled off a dozen feet
From the trolley top down to the street.

The car was stopped; TEDDY-B got out To see what the trouble was all about; The conductor gave expert advice; Muddy Pete replied with words not nice; While Cribs stood round as if to say “Let us try it again some other day.” “The thing that struck me,” said TEDDY-G, As he walked to the curb on hand and knee.

“Struck me all over, outside and in,
At every place like a prodding pin,
And burned like fire and did all so quick
I hadn’t time to learn the trick.”
“Let the car go on,” said TEDDY-B,
“We’ll stay right here this town to see
And get some lunch and look around,
And walk up that hill to that college ground,
And climb that pole on the public square
And show the children playing there
That the Roosevelt Bears have been to school
And know A B C by rote and rule.”

“You may go yourself,” said TEDDY-G, “And see the town, but as for me, I climbed one pole to-day before And it left my bones a trifle sore. I’ll stay right here and rest a bit The several places where I got hit.” While thus they talked Muddy Pete and Cribs Went off to buy some roasted ribs And fried potatoes and muffins hot And three cups of coffee in a pot.

As they ate their lunch they heard a ring,
Both quick and loud: ding! ding! ding! ding!
“A fire! fire!” cried Muddy Pete,
And off the four ran down the street.
TEDDY-G forgot about electricity
And ran as fast as TEDDY-B.

They found the fire in a dry goods store
And making its way towards three or four
Of the largest shops on the busiest street:
A clothing house and a store with meat,

And a great big grocery on the right
And not a fireman yet in sight.
The firemen’s hall was across the street
And in half a minute Captain Muddy Pete

Had told some boys that the job was theirs And had given orders to the Roosevelt Bears

About the wagons and reel and hose, And hooks and ladders and firemen’s clothes.

_Muddy Pete._
]

“I’ve seen a thousand fires,” said he, “And I know this thing from A to Z. Slap on those togs: they fit you slick; Boost out the reel; get busy quick;

Hitch up that rubber to that spouter there;
Twist round the stopper and let ’er tear.
Hang on to that nozzle, you TEDDY-G,
And point it straight at the fire you see.”

“_Up to a roof with hose in hand
And on the ridge to take his stand._”
]

“Now let ’er go!” and with swishing stroke
The water struck the fire and smoke.
In sixty seconds the Roosevelt team
Were pouring water, a steady stream,
On the blazing store and the crowd near-by,
Making women run, and children cry.

_TEDDY-G._
]

Captain Muddy Pete took full command And told the Bears just where to stand, And what to do and where to go, And to point the nozzle high or low.

They climbed up ladders in clouds of smoke, And lifted hose and windows broke, And carried goods out to the street, And burned their ears and scorched their feet.

They saved two boys from the highest floor
Who were in a room and had locked the door.
The wind was blowing both hard and high,
And it carried fire to roofs near-by.

TEDDY-G was ordered by Muddy Pete
To carry a ladder across the street,
And go up to a roof with hose in hand,
And on the ridge to take his stand,

And turn the hose all round about
Till every fire he could see was out.
And thus they worked like trained firemen
Till there wasn’t a spark where the fires had been.

_TEDDY-B._
]

The man that owned the dry goods store Took the Bears to his home for an hour or more And Cribs and Pete for cream and cake And offered them cash which they wouldn’t take.

He ordered a carriage with coachman swell, To take them back to their hotel, And promised to print in the local press Their pictures large in firemen’s dress.

And a full report of the fire that day
And the things he heard the towns-folk say
About bravery shown and the speed they made:
Captain Muddy Pete and his fire brigade.

Said TEDDY-B, in their room that night,
“One fire a day is enough to fight;
I’m stiff and tired and burned and sore;
I’m going to sleep a week or more,
And read in bed and play I’m sick
Till I get tired of doing the trick.”

Said TEDDY-G, as he put out the light, “You fought one fire; I had two to fight; But I’d rather play with a house afire Them fool again with an electric wire.”

But long before they went to sleep
They outlined plans next day to keep:
The Hippodrome and the Wax Musee
Were things they surely had to see.

The
Roosevelt Bears
see the
WAX MUSEE

At eight o’clock the following day
The postman left, the bell boys say,
A hundred letters for each Roosevelt Bear,
From East and West and everywhere:
Letters from friends at their mountain glen
Telling of trouble with hunting men.

A letter from the teacher of the Kansas school With sums worked out and giving a rule For answering the questions which TEDDY-B Had given the class in geography.

A letter from the farmer where they spent a day
Asking them sure to return that way.
It said that the bull which scared them blue
Would be tied by the nose when they came through.
A lawyer wrote demanding cash
For the old balloon that went to smash.

“_A hundred letters for each Roosevelt Bear, from East and West and
everywhere._”
]

A Niagara lad sent local news
And an envelope filled with Niagara views.
A sophomore wrote to TEDDY-G
To ask how he liked his L-D degree.

Priscilla Alden sent a little note
Which said she was glad their little boat
Carried them through the storm so nice
And landed them safe on the berg of ice.

“_But TEDDY-G went straight ahead, while the machine by TEDDY-B was
fed._”
]

Letters in dozens from girls and boys
Sending them books and candy and toys
To give away when they wanted to treat
Deserving lads like Muddy Pete.

The last letter opened by TEDDY-B Was an invitation to the Wax Musee, To visit the show that day at three.

“I’ll hire a machine,” said TEDDY-G,
“And answer my mail by electricity.
There’s one at work on the floor below,
Where you feed in letters and let it go.

I’ve seen the writing of this machine,
Like a printed page in blue and green;
And the girl who owns it said that she
Would give a typewriting lesson free.”

“‘Good afternoon,’ said TEDDY-B,
‘Is this Buster Brown and Tige I see?’”
]

Said TEDDY-B, “I’m afraid you’re wrong,
But if you want to try I’ll go along.”
So down they went to try their luck
At printing letters like a book.

The girl was out; the machine was there;
TEDDY-G sat down on the little chair
And started in with all his might
To pound the keys and make them write;
While TEDDY-B at every call
Fed in a letter, envelope and all.

“This machine writes Greek,” said TEDDY-B, As he picked up the letters the type to see; “At least the language is new to me: Chicago is spelled without a C, And Boston has neither S nor T;

And Priscilla Alden would make you sick, She’s like a problem in arithmetic; And that Kansas teacher is doing some tricks With question marks and the figure 6;

And that farmer man, no one will blame If he shoots us both when he sees his name. You wrote this lawyer about the old balloon In dollar signs enough to buy the moon.”

But TEDDY-G went straight ahead While the machine by TEDDY-B was fed Until every letter that both Bears had Was answered some way, good or bad.

’Twas three o’clock when they left to see The mysteries of the Wax Musee.

They found Buster Brown in the entrance hall
And a cat climbing up the building wall
With Tige below looking up at puss
And Buster’s mother trying to stop the fuss.
“Good afternoon,” said TEDDY-B,
“Is this Buster Brown and Tige I see?”
(Tige gave Buster a knowing wink
Which put him wise and made him think.)

“The Roosevelt Bears! I’ve heard of you;
TEDDY-B and G! How do you do!
You’re the jolliest bears I ever saw.”
And Buster shook each by the paw
While Tige seemed glad that he was near
And put on a smile from ear to ear.

“You come with us,” said Buster Brown, “We know this place, upstairs and down; There are people here in smiles and tears Who haven’t changed for a hundred years. We’ll make those laugh who look so sad And the merry ones we’ll make them mad.”

But Buster’s mother made him stay Right where he was in wax and clay; And Tige looked round for a place to hide As the Roosevelt Bears passed on inside.

They saw the eagle which stole the child
And carried it up in the mountains wild.
They stopped for a moment to see the King
And to ask Madame Patti if she would sing.

They saw Emperor William in a soldier suit,
But to all their questions he was deaf and mute;
So TEDDY-G, to make him look gay,
Turned the tails of his moustache the other way.

At the Roman Forum, TEDDY-B spoke out
And asked Mark Antony what ’twas all about:
This Roman crowd and Cæsar slain
And why they were doing the thing again.

And thus they went from place to place
Looking at people of every race
And crimes committed and prisoners hung
And no complaint from any tongue.

At the lions’ den TEDDY-G was wild; A lion had killed a little child: “I’ll go right in and smash his face.” But a man who was there to guard the place

Spoke up and said, “That lion in there Is not afraid of a Roosevelt Bear;

He’s made of wax, and that savage look He wears all the time like a picture book.”

But TEDDY-G replied that he, If he owned the place, would let folks see That lions who did such things as they Shouldn’t live at all in wax or clay.

Then on they went upstairs to guess
How Ajab played his game of chess.

Said TEDDY-G, “See if you can
Play checkers with this wooden man;
And while you play I’ll take off the lid
And find out where the man is hid.”

“_TEDDY-G looked at him from head to heels, and his side door opened
to see the wheels._”
]

Three games were played and TEDDY-B
Won every one so fast that he
Made the wooden eyes flow free with tears,
The first time in a hundred years.

TEDDY-G looked at him from head to heels,
And his side door opened to see the wheels,
And the man’s mainspring and his wooden heart
He examined with care and took apart,
But he couldn’t find out high or low
How this man of wood made the checkers go.

TEDDY-B was polite and said “Good-bye;”
And the man got up and wiped his eye,
And held out his hand as well ’s he could,
(It had several pieces all made of wood)
And said, “Your playing was pretty good.”

As the Bears passed out of the Wax Musee
A paper was handed to TEDDY-G
Which read like this in printing bold:

“Resolved, _That mothers should never scold, For boys are wax and scoldings stick And impressions can’t be rubbed out quick._

Resolved, _That the world was made for play, And that boys and bears should have their way, When fun is needed the blues to down._”

Signed by Tige and Buster Brown.

“_The four took hands to skip and sing and to dance around in a jolly
ring._”
]

The four took hands to skip and sing, And dance around in a jolly ring. Folks crowded near inside and out To see what the fun was all about. A thousand shoppers on the street Paused as they passed the Bears to meet.

A speech was asked from TEDDY-B
As he stepped to the door the crowd to see:
“The U. S. boys and girls are ours;
They’re made of sunshine, love and flowers,
We’re bound with them to scatter blues
And we’re here to-day to spread the news.”
When TEDDY-B these things had said
He Buster’s Resolution read,
While Tige and Buster inside the door,
Became wax again as they were before.

The
Roosevelt Bears
visit
WEST POINT

The day was fine and the Bears were free
To take a River boat to see
The Palisades and Tarrytown
And to view the Hudson up and down.

A request had come from a young cadet Of West Point school, whom the Bears had met, To dine at the West Point Army Mess, And to see the boys in their army dress, And to sleep on an army barracks cot, And to try their luck at a target shot,

And to ride bare-backed in the hurdle shute, Or to join a band with drum and flute, Or to hear good stories of army fights After taps are sounded to put out the lights. So they sent a wire to the cadet to say That they would call that very day.

“_To ride bare-backed in the hurdle shute, or join a band with drum
and flute._”
]

They made the trip with but one mishap:
The wind blew off a newsboy’s cap
As he walked around on the steamer deck
Calling out the news of a railway wreck
And selling his papers and chewing gum
To the crowd of tourists “going some.”

TEDDY-G made a jump as he saw it go And he and the cap went down below. Like a diver he struck the water right And quick as a wink was out of sight.

“Man’s overboard,” was called aloud; And a cheer went up from the tourist crowd As they saw in the water in a little while The face of a bear with a pleasant smile.

The boat was stopped and a rope thrown out, And in answer to the captain’s shout TEDDY-G called back, “The water’s fine; I’ve got the bait; pull in your line.”

“Dressed and ready for hours of fun,
With cavalry horse or battery gun.”
]

“_Like a diver he struck the water right and quick as a wink was out
of sight._”
]

It didn’t take them long to get
TEDDY-G on board, all dripping wet;
The children laughed, he looked so queer,
With the newsboy’s cap hung on his ear.
He bowed to tourists left and right
And said something about his appetite.
He asked the steward to bring on some meals
As the steamer band played “Silver Heels.”

“_The children laughed, he looked so queer, with the newsboy’s cap
hung on his ear._”
]

At West Point landing the Bears were met By a double carriage with the young cadet And a cavalry mount to escort them round To see the buildings on the ground. They drove about for an hour or less, Then went to their barrack rooms to dress In soldier suits for the evening mess. TEDDY-B said he’d be Colonel’s aide And inspect the boys on dress parade, While TEDDY-G said he’d march or stand As leader of the soldier band.

The parade dismissed and the supper through,
The Bears had nothing else to do
But to roll themselves in barrack wraps
And to put out the lights at the sound of taps.

At reveille at six next day They were wide awake and bright and gay And dressed and ready for hours of fun With cavalry horse or battery gun.

The boys had fun when TEDDY-B Rode a cavalry horse down a shute to see How to jump the walls and the hurdles take Without a tumble or balk or break.

The horse was tricky, but the Bear was game And he made him clear each thing that came, Whether wall or water or brush or bar. TEDDY-B would have tried a railway car

Or a barn or a tree or a load of hay
Or any old thing that came in his way.
The finest riding, the officers say,
That was done at West Point for many a day.

TEDDY-G took his turn at soldier fun
When he loaded and fired a battery gun.
He charged in powder and cannon ball;
“So simple,” he said, “it’s nothing at all.”

He asked a cadet his hat to keep
Till he stepped to the muzzle to take a peep
To see if the ball was in all right,
And if things in front were out of sight.
What happened next no one can tell,
TEDDY-G was lifted in air a spell

And whirled around so quick in space He didn’t remember just what took place. “I caught that ball, all right,” said he, When the officer questioned TEDDY-G;

“But I don’t like catching balls like that; My place I think is at the bat. Next time you pitch don’t throw so quick; You struck me like a load of brick.”

Said the officer, “For bravery shown We’ll give you a title all your own; You can drop your Harvard L and D And be known as Colonel TEDDY-G.”

The boys got out the fife and drum And made things all around them hum As they marched ahead of the Roosevelt Bears In army step down the flight of stairs

To take the ferry at half-past four Across the river to the other shore, Where a train was waiting to take them down The eastern bank and back to town.

“Let us go to-morrow,” said TEDDY-G, “And a first-class game of baseball see; That ball they pitched at West Point school Had hardly time enough to cool; It struck my paws so fiery hot I thought for a minute that I was shot.”

The
Roosevelt Bears
play
BASE BALL

The Bears were invited by Muddy Pete To go with him to an East Side street To visit children who never see Either grass or field or flower or tree. They loaded up like old Saint Nick With bundles piled on high and thick; Bouquets of flowers for children sick And toys and candy for those at play, And a hundred other things, folks say, Who saw them on the street that day.

They went around from door to door,
Where bears had never been before;
Climbed flights of stairs and bumped their heads
To cheer up lads who were sick in beds;
Threw bouquets into windows high,
And picked nice toys and let them fly,
And candy boxes and twigs of green,
Wherever boys and girls were seen.

“They loaded up like old Saint Nick, with bundles piled on high and
thick.”
]

“TEDDY-B threw the monkey and made him yell,
And caught him every time he fell.”
]

But the jolliest sport of the day began When they met an organ-grinder man With a monkey trained to act the clown And pick up pennies boys throw down. TEDDY-G asked the man if he could go With his monkey band for an hour or so; TEDDY-B said he the troupe would join And see that rich folks shelled out coin.

He’d give the monkey double pay: Five cents an hour for half a day. And the organ man may go, said they, And join some other kind of play. “Or if you’re tired,” the two Bears said, “Go home for the day and go to bed; We’ll use your organ and monkey clown And pay you half a dollar down And two dollars more when we are through And return your band as good as new.

With help from Cribs and Muddy Pete
We’ll find our way from street to street.”
This bargain made, the Bears set out
To give the children round about
And old folks too along the street
The funniest kind of music treat.

TEDDY-G took the crank and just for fun Made marches dance and two-steps run, And polkas gallop and waltzes race And street-songs step at a lively pace. While TEDDY-B climbed up on top Of the music-box stood on its prop And threw the monkey and made him yell And caught him every time he fell.

A boy got a drum for Muddy Pete,
And Cribs danced round on two hind feet,
And all five laughed and cheered and sang
And made things go with slap and bang.

The crowd of children filled the square; Five hundred boys and girls were there; And scores of men stopped work to see The tricks of TEDDIES-B and G Nickels enough and quarters too And silver dollars, not a few,

Were collected that day by the players four To give a fresh air week down by the shore To boys and girls a score or more Who had never seen the sea before.

The afternoon was good and hot And the Bears sat down in a vacant lot To count their cash and rest their feet And eat some lunch with Muddy Pete.

They returned to the organ-grinder man His music-box and collection can And his monkey clown and some money too, Just as he bargained they should do.

They gave the monkey an extra dime
For working two hours over time,
And a box of nuts as a special treat,
The kind that monkeys like to eat.

Seven boys came over to where they sat With bags of sand and ball and bat And baseball gloves and masks of wire And asked if they the Bears could hire.

“We’re going to play,” a lad spoke up,
“The Bowery nine for a silver cup,
And we’re short two men; good players they;
But they couldn’t come to the game to-day.”

“And the Bowery nine,” another said, “Are bigger boys by half-a-head, And good at bat and quick to run; They beat us last time two to one.”

“They don’t play fair,” said another lad, “They count all balls both good and bad; They claimed a foul when I made a base And when I objected they slapped my face.”

“The Bowery nine,” said TEDDY-B,
“Is the kind of nine I’d like to see;
We’ll join the team and run the game
And win that silver cup just the same.”

“Give me some pointers,” said TEDDY-G, “This game you play is new to me.” The Bears were coached in every rule And they both caught on like boys at school.

The Bowery boys, in a little while,
Came on the lot in baseball style.
They read off rules to the other nine
And helped lay out the diamond line.

In size, they said, among themselves,
These Roosevelt Bears are number twelves;
But the Bowery captain bet his hat
That neither Bear could pitch or bat.

“This game,” he said, “is as good as won;
We’ll beat those fellows ten to one.”

A Bowery boy went to the bat
While the other eight on some lumber sat
To watch the play and wait their turn
And see the Bears their fingers burn.

TEDDY-B as catcher in mask and pad
Met every ball both good and bad
With snap and skill so sure and quick,
He seemed to know the baseball trick;

While TEDDY-G at the pitcher’s box
Put balls to bat like hammer knocks

And with curves so neat and twists so new
The fielders hadn’t a thing to do;
For not a boy could make a hit
And one by one the plate they quit.
Said Muddy Pete, “Their cake is dough”
As he marked the score, a great big O.
“It’s our turn now,” said TEDDY-B,
“We’ll let those Bowery fellows see
That the team that wins this game to-day
Will make their score by honest play.”
And of all the batting that was ever done
In games that lost or in games that won,
In timing hits and in making base,
And in running home in the wildest race,
This play that day of the Roosevelt Bears
Beat baseball records everywheres.

They knocked that ball so hard and high
Above the clouds up in the sky,
That while it tarried out of sight
The Bears went round with all their might

And scored so fast for that silver cup
That Muddy Pete could scarce keep up.
Nine innings each they didn’t get,
For the Roosevelt Bears would be batting yet
If the Bowery boys hadn’t stopped the score
At naught for them to sixty-four.

The
Roosevelt Bears
arrive in
Philadelphia

The Bears went out to a country place
To see a machine take its trial race;
Invented by a New Jersey man
And made to fly on a novel plan.

This trial trip was to prove that day That machines that fly have come to stay. When the hour arrived to cut the cord There wasn’t a man who would go aboard. The Bears said they would make the trip And every racing record whip If they only knew how to steer the ship. “We’ve sailed before,” said TEDDY-B, “We hit Chicago down a tree From an old balloon that brought us there From a Missouri town at a county fair.” “I’m not afraid,” said TEDDY-G, “I’d like to go to the moon to see If the man up there charges entrance fees And what he does with all the cheese.”

But as they talked the machine got wise
And with buzz and whiz it began to rise
And broke the ropes that held it tight
And went towards the clouds and out of sight
With TEDDY-B and TEDDY-G
Grabbing at anything they could see:

The one on a bar beneath the sail
And the other on a rope to make a tail.
They started so quick and went so high
They hadn’t a chance to say good-bye.

They had ridden before and lively too,
On cow-boy horses and in frail canoe;
In an old balloon and a ’mobile car,
But this ride that day beat those by far.

“‘We’ve sailed before,’ said TEDDY-B,
‘We hit Chicago down a tree.’”
]

They went over town and farm and creek In one straight line like a lightning streak, And it wasn’t forty minutes when They came in sight of William Penn Looking so wise and straight and tall On the top of Philadelphia’s city hall. TEDDY-B called out from where he sat, “There’s a man ahead; I see his hat; His hand is out; he means to try To catch the rope as we go by.” And TEDDY-G in cow-boy style Let out the rope, nearly half a mile, And as it coiled he pulled with might And William Penn he lassoed tight. A crowd of children down below Looked up and saw the Bears let go And come from the clouds like sailors bold, With not a thing but the rope to hold,

“_They came from the clouds like sailors bold, with not a thing but
the rope to hold._”
]

And land all right on the old man’s hat, Where both sat down to have a chat And look about and view the town And ask each other how they’d get down.

They looked over the brim to see Penn’s face And ask him questions about the place:

What would happen if they should fall? And how long it took to build the hall?

And what it cost and if he thought it nice To pay so much for expert advice?

And one thing sure they’d like to know Why this Quaker town was considered slow?

A crowd soon gathered round the square; Police and engineers were there,

And business men and children too,
And each one wondering what to do;
For how to get the two Bears down
Was soon being asked by half the town.

The Mayor came out with megaphone
And called aloud up the tower of stone
And promised Father Penn a dime
If he’d give the Bears a high old time.

Not very far from where they sat A door was opened in the Quaker hat And a man put out his head to say That the Roosevelt Bears could come that way, But the door was small and it wouldn’t do For neither Bear could be crowded through.

Said TEDDY-B, “Go to the street And bring a rope six hundred feet And William here will hold one end While we to the square below descend.”

This plan was tried and in half an hour
The Bears had landed from the tower
And had shaken hands right then and there
With every child around the square.

From there they went, the papers say,
To a Broad Street bank to draw their pay,
Or to cash a check which TEDDY-G
Had got in New York as their circus fee.

When they asked for money the man inside
Said, “You’ll have to be identified:
Perhaps your names are what you say,
But prove it you must some other way.”

“Is that check good?” said TEDDY-B,
“Well, if it is, I’ll let you see
That G is he and B is me.”
But before he had time to act the bear
The check was taken and the cash was there.

To a shop they went on Chestnut Street
And dressed up new from head to feet
And got the bill and paid the fee
And started out the town to see.

Two little lads named Jack and Will Had bought four tickets for vaudeville; Four seats up front at a children’s show That was given to help poor boys to go To a training school where men are paid To teach young lads a useful trade. The boys had heard of the Roosevelt Bears And they spent their money for the extra chairs That very day on Chestnut Street To give the Bears this special treat.

The boys had followed the Bears a square, Intending to ask if they would care To use up their time that day to go With two little lads to the children’s show. Jack was bravest and walked close behind To see if the Bears were really kind. “You speak to TEDDY-B,” said he, “And I’ll put the question to TEDDY-G.” “All right!” said Will, and he stepped ahead And this to TEDDY-B he said:

“Mr. TEDDY-B, will you come with me
Right now a children’s show to see?
I have your ticket; it’s paid for too;
I bought it specially for you.”
“That was good of you; of course I’ll go,”
Said TEDDY-B, “to the children’s show;
We’re here to make the jolliest kind
Of fun for every child we find.”
“Me too,” said Jack; ’twas all he said;
His courage wasn’t in his head;

“_But TEDDY-G to answer Jack lifted him high up on his back._”
]

But TEDDY-G to answer Jack Lifted him high up on his back And danced a jig right then and there

To show the crowd that a Roosevelt Bear For serious people didn’t care;

They lived for fun and their fun they’d share Free of expense and everywhere.

But the things that happened to Jack and Will That afternoon at vaudeville

Were not on the program of the children’s show; For the Roosevelt Bears, folks say who know,

Made the biggest hit of their lives that day And put up an afternoon of play The like of which was never seen By old or young, by king or queen.

The
Roosevelt Bears
entertain
PHILADELPHIA CHILDREN

The theatre chairs were filled with fun, For a boy or girl was in every one Except the four which Jack and Will And the Roosevelt Bears had come to fill.

The band was playing the latest air And laughing children everywhere As the Bears walked down the central aisle In their summer suits cut Philadelphia style.

They looked so jolly and smiled so sweet That the children clapped and stamped their feet And waved their hands and stood on chairs And cried “Hurrah for the Roosevelt Bears!”

But the Bears were large and the seats were small And they found they couldn’t sit down at all; So they stood in the aisle to view the crowd, And thus spoke TEDDY-B out loud:

“Young ladies and gentlemen; children dear; And chairman too, if there is one here,

TEDDY-G and I have come to stay, To hear you laugh and to see the play,

And since we can’t very well sit down We’ll go on the stage and help the clown,

And stand and sit on wall or floor
And do some tricks we have done before,
And some quite old and some quite new,
And keep it up till the show is through.”

The children called for TEDDY-G, But he shook his head and said that he Could sing a song or dance a jig, Or sit on chairs either small or big,

Or talk to girls or with them dine, But to make a speech wasn’t quite his line.

The speeches through, a theatre page Took the two Bears back upon the stage.

As the curtain rolled up to the top
A man at the back asked the Bears to stop:
“Two clowns are on the stage,” said he,
“They have started their piece and I’ll let you see
That you can’t interrupt or make a noise
Or you’ll spoil this show for these girls and boys.”

“Your advice is right,” said TEDDY-B,
And out they went the clowns to see.
The clowns were scared when they saw the Bears
Step up behind them unawares,
And they ran for doors at left and right
And as quick as wink were out of sight.

“As Dublin Mike and Pat from Cork,
They came on the stage to look for work.”
]

But they were ordered back to earn their fee
And to take a turn with TEDDIES-B and G.
And from that hour the play went smart
For the two bears helped in every part.
They made those two clowns march and sing,
Jump over chairs and through a ring,
And climb up poles and ride a wheel
And do a clog-dance, toe and heel.
And when they finished amid loud applause
The Bears ran off on all four paws
With the clowns on backs with jolly noise
Throwing kisses back to girls and boys.
The orchestra played “A Boy called Taps”
And then appeared a troupe of Japs:
A dozen little men in tights,
The heroes of a hundred fights.

For a little while the Bears stood by
And watched the Japs their muscles try,
And saw them balance balls and bricks
On parasols and billiard sticks,
And climb up ladders out of sight
And fall again and land all right.

Then TEDDY-B said he’d like to do
A Western schoolboy trick he knew.
He made the Japs stand in a row
And take hold of hands and not let go.
Then he caught one end and with whirling clip
He showed them how to crack the whip.

The Japs went whizzing in the air
And whirled in circles everywhere;
But they did the trick so smart and neat
That every Jap lit on his feet.

A man with hoops was next to play
And he asked if TEDDY-G would stay
And help him show the boys and girls
How wooden hoops were taught their twirls.
But this trick with hoops put TEDDY-G
In so many circles he couldn’t see.

They came flying at him through the air
And rolling in from everywhere;
And try his best he couldn’t throw
A single hoop and make it go.

He was hooped around from head to paw,
The funniest sight you ever saw;
But he enjoyed the fun and said that he
Wore rings enough that day for three.

But the jolliest thing that day was when
The two Bears dressed as Irishmen:
A Dublin Mike and a Pat from Cork
Came on the stage to look for work;
TEDDY-G as Mike with workman’s hod
And TEDDY-B as Pat from Blarney sod;

With blackthorn sticks their foes to hit,
And filled to the brim with Irish wit.
Their Irish brogue in joke and song
Made the children laugh both loud and long.

The last part of the show that day
Was sleight of hand, the programs say,
But why it failed to work out well
The man who tried it couldn’t tell.

A trunk was brought, a solid mass,
With iron locks and bound in brass.
The Bears were asked to get inside;
The trunk was locked and with rope was tied
And the man announced that at his command
He’d slide a curtain and there would stand
The Roosevelt Bears outside and free
With the trunk unlocked by any key.

But it didn’t work; the Bears weren’t there, And it gave the man a little scare

To find he couldn’t do the trick, And the trunk was unlocked pretty quick

For fear they’d smother for want of air, But the Bears had gone no one knows where.

The trunk was empty; not as they feared;
The Roosevelt Bears had disappeared.
The Bears had gone, but no one knew
Just where to look or what to do.

Detectives hunted high and low
And questioned folks who ought to know,
And listened for the slightest sound
And hunted rooms beneath the ground,
And through the halls walked round and round,
But not a trace of the Bears they found.

At supper-time at home that night
The boys and girls told of their flight;
And the jokes they cracked and tricks they played
And the jolliest kind of fun they made.
And how they saw them locked and tied
So tight and fast that children cried.

Some little girls and wee boys too
Wouldn’t go to bed until they knew
How TEDDY-B and TEDDY-G
Got out of the trunk without a key;

But their papas told them not to mind,
That some one the Bears that night would find
And the papers sure the following day
Would explain in full how they got away.

The
Roosevelt Bears
spend a day at
ATLANTIC CITY

How the Bears got out of the box that day Was never known, the children say; But that afternoon, about half-past four, They engaged fine rooms on the seventh floor,

About half-way up and half-way down, Of the best hotel there was in town; And there they stayed, enjoying a rest

And eating things the very best, And seeing reporters and playing pool And learning things not taught in school.

“_There they stayed enjoying a rest, and eating things the very
best._”
]

Said TEDDY-B one morning bright, After spending a hot and sleepless night: “The weather’s warm and sticky too For fellows dressed like me and you; I move we take a little run Down to the shore for some ocean fun.

I’ve heard it said that the bathing there,
With sandy bottoms everywhere,
Is quite a fad with men of wealth,
Who go there simply for their health.”

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More About Teddy B. and Teddy G., the Roosevelt BearsChapter I: Part 1

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