4 Biographical Sketch 



and his love of fair play. After he returned to live 

 in the East, his fondness for hunting- took him to 

 the plains or mountains for his vacation every year; 

 and his hunting experiences are charmingly de- 

 scribed in two volumes, Hunting Trips of a Ranch- 

 man (1885) and The Wilderness. Hunter (1893). 

 Senator Wolcott, in his speech notifying Roosevelt 

 of his nomination for the Vice-Presidency, playfully 

 referred to these hunting stories with the remark 

 that "now that you are our candidate they will all 

 be believed"; but any one who enjoys or admires 

 manly sport such as requires courage, endurance, 

 hardship, and a contest with animals which are su- 

 perior to man in strength or speed will take the 

 stories on faith, regardless of political belief. 



Cattle raising did not prove financially success- 

 ful, though Roosevelt kept his ranch until 1896. 

 He returned to New York in 1886, married again, 

 and once more plunged into political life. A Mayor 

 of New York was to be elected that year. Abram 

 S. Hewitt had received the nomination from Tam- 

 many Hall and other Democrats; Henry George 

 was the candidate of the Socialists; the Republican 

 party decided to put forward a candidate, and se- 

 lected Roosevelt. There was but little chance of his 

 election, but he made a most energetic canvass, 

 speaking in three or four places every night during 

 the latter part of the campaign. Hewitt was elected, 

 George being second, and Roosevelt third, with a 

 vote of about 60,000 out of a total of 220,000. 



The next three years were devoted almost wholly 



