In November 1902 the then United States of America President Theodore Roosevelt who was the leader of the Republican Party was invited to a bear hunting expedition. He was popular for his ‘cow boy’ personality and was a self confessed hunting enthusiast. The expedition was set to take place near the Smedes town in Mississippi.
The big day came, his Excellence the 26th President of the USA was out with his hunting party or team. It turned out to be a bad and unsuccessful day. The hunting guide Holt Collier was however determined to find a solution as the President’s reputation was at stake. With the help of dogs Holt tracked down a 235-pound bear. He managed to club it overhead from a waterhole. He then tied it to a nearby tree and the messenger was sent to call the President. All the dirty work had been done and it was left to Roosevelt to pull the trigger on the poor animal.
On arrival the President felt remorse for the powerless, bleeding and worn out bear. He refused to shoot the bear or let anyone do so. However, the dog ravaged bear had still had a sad ending. His Excellence order went on to order the liberation of the animal from its pain and misery with a hunting knife.
Reporters and members of the hunting team began to spread the dramatic news nation wide. The story touched many American souls. Above all it inspired the cartoonist and a couple owning a shop in New York City.
Clifford Berryman was a political cartoonist of a publication known as the Washington Post. Typical of artists, he also got the inspiration to produce what turned out to be the most popular cartoon. The cartoon showed Roosevelt standing and without interest to shoot the helpless and tied up bear.
The cartoon went on to inspire a shop owning couple, Morris and Rose Michtom. Rose went on to produce two staffed bear toys and displayed at the shop window for sale. The couple claimed to have written to the President requesting for permission to name the toy after him.
His Excellence the President Theodore Roosevelt was popularly known as ‘TR’ to the public and ‘Teddy’ to his friends and those closer to him. The bear hunting incident brought about the name of what has become a popular token or present among love birds on occasions such as Valentines’ Day and anniversaries to name.
Normally if its not chocolate or flowers ladies receive the bear toys from the guys. The fluffy toys normally made up of a soft cushion-like fibre in the mould of a bear got its name from the combination of Roosevelt’s nickname and the animal’s name ,all inspired by the hunting expedition. It became and even today its known as a ‘Teddy Bear’. a name that the Michtom couple is believed to have been the first to use. However the original ‘Teddy Bear’ was given to the Smithsonians by Roosevelt ‘s grandson Kermit.
5 comments:
I'm a slow person by nature or otherwise.I think its gud that you're blogging.the story is most inspirational
Thank you khutjo ,i was inspired too where i heard abt such a story
Khotjo thanks bro, i wish i could do much better as far as getting those inspirational stories but stay intouch for more ,i promise i will try to keep them bubbling and flowing
bra,you have good ideas and if you could use them in the right way you could go places,but now try to be more specific in your blogs,and let us know what you talking about,REMEMBER, you writing to inform us not to impress us with your big words,we don't come to the I-centre carring dictionaries okey,so go easy on us then you will see comments flowing in
Point taken Anonymous will make sure i write blogs and try as much as i can to distance it from the poetic side of me. Thank you very much i promise you wont need a dictionery next time you when you listen to my loud silence.
Post a Comment