Banjo Paterson and Kermit Roosevelt Egypt 1918
Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2018 6:01 am
For those ABPA members with an interest in Banjo Paterson, here is a book in the Collection that is at least interesting.
Rio Grande and Other Verses
It is inscribed by Banjo Paterson to Kermit Roosevelt, son of Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt.
Signed and presented during Paterson's time in charge of the 2nd Remount Unit in Egypt.
This Paterson-Roosevelt book inscription reads :
"To Kermit Roosevelt with best wishes of the author A B Paterson "The Banjo" Major Australian Remounts Egypt 10/6/18". (see attached photo).
Kermit Roosevelt was the second son of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States who had joined the British Army before the United States had entered WWI.
A city in Texas is named after him. The town of... Yes!.. Kermit.
His biography is on Wiki and makes interesting reading.
Kermit actually wrote a book about his WW1 experiences entitled "War in The Garden of Eden" 1919 (Mesopotamia is modern day Iraq)
In it he details his encounter with the famous Banjo Paterson!!
This is also the historic meeting where he was gifted this very book, Rio Grande, by Major Paterson!!!!
Truly Amazing.... also remarkable that we have this enormously important book here in Australia in my possession. This sort of stuff is highly sought after by American collectors who love their presidents.
Kermit takes up the story in his 1919 book...
"When I left Mesopotamia I made up my mind that there was one man in Palestine whom I would use every effort to see if I were held over waiting for a sailing. This man was Major A.B. Paterson, known to every Australian as "Banjo" Paterson. His two most widely read books are The Man from Snowy River and Rio Grande's Last Race; both had been for years companions of the entire family at home and sources for daily quotations, so I had always hoped to some day meet their author. I knew that he had fought in the South African War, and I heard that he was with the Australian forces in Palestine. As soon as I landed I asked every Australian officer that I met where Major Paterson was, for locating an individual member of an expeditionary force, no matter how well known he may be, is not always easy. Every one knew him. I remember well when I inquired at the Australian headquarters in Cairo how the man I asked turned to a comrade and said: "Say, where's 'Banjo' now? He's at Moascar, isn't he?" Whether they had ever met him personally or not he was "Banjo" to one and all.
On my return to Alexandria I stopped at Moascar, which was the main depot of the Australian Remount Service, and there I found him. He is a man of about sixty, with long mustaches and strong aquiline features—very like the type of American plainsman that Frederic Remington so well portrayed. He has lived everything that he has written. At different periods of his life he has dived for pearls in the islands, herded sheep, broken broncos, and known every chance and change of Australian station life. The Australians told me that when he was at his prime he was regarded as the best rider in Australia. A recent feat about which I heard much mention was when he drove three hundred mules straight through Cairo without losing a single animal, conclusively proving his argument against those who had contested that such a thing could not be done. Although he has often been in England, Major Paterson has never come to the United States. He told me that among American writers he cared most for the works of Joel Chandler Harris and O. Henry—an odd combination!"
He may not have all his facts right but his enthusiasm is impressive. I have a first edition of this book of Kermit Roosevelt's.. "War in the Garden Of Eden" (Iraq) 1919. It was previously owned (bookplated) by Frances Parkinson Keyes, a very famous American lady author.
Anyway... score one to Australia for having this fantastic book... and not our US cousins.
It has a pretty big WOW-factor. One person I showed it to was actually moved to tears so I thought that it might be worth mentioning it to Bush Poetry Association members who I know share my passion for such things..
Rio Grande and Other Verses
It is inscribed by Banjo Paterson to Kermit Roosevelt, son of Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt.
Signed and presented during Paterson's time in charge of the 2nd Remount Unit in Egypt.
This Paterson-Roosevelt book inscription reads :
"To Kermit Roosevelt with best wishes of the author A B Paterson "The Banjo" Major Australian Remounts Egypt 10/6/18". (see attached photo).
Kermit Roosevelt was the second son of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States who had joined the British Army before the United States had entered WWI.
A city in Texas is named after him. The town of... Yes!.. Kermit.
His biography is on Wiki and makes interesting reading.
Kermit actually wrote a book about his WW1 experiences entitled "War in The Garden of Eden" 1919 (Mesopotamia is modern day Iraq)
In it he details his encounter with the famous Banjo Paterson!!
This is also the historic meeting where he was gifted this very book, Rio Grande, by Major Paterson!!!!
Truly Amazing.... also remarkable that we have this enormously important book here in Australia in my possession. This sort of stuff is highly sought after by American collectors who love their presidents.
Kermit takes up the story in his 1919 book...
"When I left Mesopotamia I made up my mind that there was one man in Palestine whom I would use every effort to see if I were held over waiting for a sailing. This man was Major A.B. Paterson, known to every Australian as "Banjo" Paterson. His two most widely read books are The Man from Snowy River and Rio Grande's Last Race; both had been for years companions of the entire family at home and sources for daily quotations, so I had always hoped to some day meet their author. I knew that he had fought in the South African War, and I heard that he was with the Australian forces in Palestine. As soon as I landed I asked every Australian officer that I met where Major Paterson was, for locating an individual member of an expeditionary force, no matter how well known he may be, is not always easy. Every one knew him. I remember well when I inquired at the Australian headquarters in Cairo how the man I asked turned to a comrade and said: "Say, where's 'Banjo' now? He's at Moascar, isn't he?" Whether they had ever met him personally or not he was "Banjo" to one and all.
On my return to Alexandria I stopped at Moascar, which was the main depot of the Australian Remount Service, and there I found him. He is a man of about sixty, with long mustaches and strong aquiline features—very like the type of American plainsman that Frederic Remington so well portrayed. He has lived everything that he has written. At different periods of his life he has dived for pearls in the islands, herded sheep, broken broncos, and known every chance and change of Australian station life. The Australians told me that when he was at his prime he was regarded as the best rider in Australia. A recent feat about which I heard much mention was when he drove three hundred mules straight through Cairo without losing a single animal, conclusively proving his argument against those who had contested that such a thing could not be done. Although he has often been in England, Major Paterson has never come to the United States. He told me that among American writers he cared most for the works of Joel Chandler Harris and O. Henry—an odd combination!"
He may not have all his facts right but his enthusiasm is impressive. I have a first edition of this book of Kermit Roosevelt's.. "War in the Garden Of Eden" (Iraq) 1919. It was previously owned (bookplated) by Frances Parkinson Keyes, a very famous American lady author.
Anyway... score one to Australia for having this fantastic book... and not our US cousins.
It has a pretty big WOW-factor. One person I showed it to was actually moved to tears so I thought that it might be worth mentioning it to Bush Poetry Association members who I know share my passion for such things..