shington on April 1 for a tour to last until
June. In that time he was to visit more than twenty States, and make
over one hundred stops. The people in the West awaited his coming with
much pleasure.

The President was justly entitled to this outing, for the nation was now
at peace with the entire world, and never had business been so
prosperous. More than this, our affairs with other nations had been so
handled that throughout the entire civilized world no ruler was more
popular than was Theodore Roosevelt. In England he was spoken of with
the highest praise, and the regards of the Germans had already been
shown in the visit of Prince Henry to this country. He was known to be
vigorous to the last degree, but it was likewise realized that he was
thoroughly honest and straight-forward.

The first stop of the President in his trip West was made at Chicago,
where during the day he laid the corner-stone of the new law building of
the University of Chicago, which university conferred upon him the
degree of LL.D. (Doctor of Laws). In the evening he addressed an
unusually large crowd at the Auditorium building, speaking upon the
Monroe Doctrine.

From Chicago the President journeyed to Milwaukee, and then to St. Paul
and Minneapolis. At the first-named city he made a forceful address on
the trusts, giving his hearers a clear idea of how the great
corporations of to-day were brought into existence, and what may be done
to control them, and in the last-named city he spoke on the
ever-important question of tariff.

It was an eventful week, and when Sunday came the Chief Magistrate was
glad enough to take a day of rest at Sioux Falls, South Dakota. From
there he journeyed to Gardiner, Montana, one of the entrances to that
greatest of all American wonderlands, Yellowstone Park.

It was understood that President Roosevelt wished to visit the Park
without a great following of the general public, and this wish was
carried out to the letter. Mr. Roosevelt had with him the well-known
naturalist, Mr. John Burroughs, and for about two weeks he enjoyed
himself to his heart's content, visiting many of the spots of interest
and taking it easy whenever he felt so disposed. It was not a hunting
trip, although big game is plentiful enough in the Park. It was just
getting "near to nature's heart," and Mr. Roosevelt afterward declared
it to be one of the best outings he had ever experienced.

[Illustration:

CORTELYOU. PAYNE. MOODY. HAY.