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Show ROOSEVidLl AND J He NEGRO. Of all the friends Theodore Roosevelt has made since he became President there is none' so loyal and devoted as the black man of the South. No other Chief Executive of the Nation has so won the hearts of the colored people who live beyond the Mason and Dixon line. One and all they are for the "man on horseback," through thick and thin. And every day brings to 'light some little incident tin throws a sidelight on the love the negro bears for Tresident Roosevelt. Only 4his week James Atkinson, At-kinson, a former slave, sent the Executive a wonderful won-derful cane as a token of his "love and friendship." Atkinson in sending the cane to the President asks with polite humility, that the Chief Executive "will please stoop so low as to allow me to present you this cane as a New Year gift.' How long the aged man' was engaged in carving the cane is not known, but probably several years. lie sent along the knife with which-he did the work an ordinary knife that would cost'about 25 cents. On the cane, which is a rather large one, are 103 images. Twelve of the images are of persons and a number of them are good likenesses. These images begin at the top of the cane and include Oeorge Washington, President Roosevelt, Queen Victoria, Mrs. Ida McKinley, the widow of the late President, and Christ on the cross. There are fifteen fowls, three dogs and six houses on the cane. The other images include a butterfly, honey bee, house fly, bear, ox, hare, monkey, chair, pot, ax, hand and balance, cannon, seven small guns, ship, four flags, horn, three, shrubs, pocketknife, a sea dog, pig, goat, reindeer, head, mule's head, sword, shoe, book, turtle, giraffe, fislii rose, three links (insignia of the Odd Fellows), chipmunk, sheep's head, squirrel, Masonic badge, . heart, atar, moon, umbrella, six figures, six letters, snake and rope. This cane waa probably the aged ex-slave's greatest treasure. It represented many wery days of toil perhaps all he possessed save the clothes on his back. How gceat must be his affection af-fection for the man to whom he surrendered it? And there are many James Atkinsons in the South negroes ne-groes who see in "Teddy" Roosevelt a second Abraham' Abra-ham' Lincoln. In Mr. Roosevelt more than in any other American is the power to work out the salvation salva-tion of the negro. With the influence he wields over the colored man he stands in a position to do the race uplimited good. If he is wise in exercising this power he may nrcomplish what others have failed :in, by HBohvinr the negro problem of the South. |