Letter from President Theodore Roosevelt to E. A. Hitchcock

This item contains letters regarding the payment of Old Chief Joseph's expenses.

Extracted text

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WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON. Personal March 8, - 1904. The Secretary of the Interior: Old Chief Joseph will have to have his fare paid back from Washington. He needs not only his ticket but some money to pay his expenses. Please have this done; and send for him and talk to him through an interpreter and tell him that he must never come on here again unless the Secretary of the Interior sends for him, and that never again will his fare be paid. He is a great old Indian, a really noteworthy man, and I want to show the old fellow consideration this time. The sooner he and his party have the bill paid, the quicker the expense will come to an end. I think it is now over $400. Heodore