| Notes |
- Picture left to right: Indian Guide, John Whitaker Jayne, Whitaker Jayne, Henry Bunn, Theodore Roosevelt, with bear in the foreground.
(Research):Whitaker and Theodore
The following is from a newspaper item: "The death of the late John Whitaker Jayne ) of Lone Tree, Iowa has thrown an interesting sidelight upon the character of Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, through the medium of a letter found among Mr. Jayne's effects. It tells of the manner in which Mr. Roosevelt secured an increase in pension for Mr. Whitaker Jayne of Colorado, the son of John Whitaker Jayne. The two Jaynes, father and son, one a middle aged man, the other a mere youth, served thru the Civil War together in the same Regiment, until Whitaker Jayne was wounded at the battle of Shiloh, and was honorably discharged. It is with this arm that the Roosevelt story has to do.
When the President was on a hunting expedition in Colorado early during the present administration, he stopped for some days near the ranch owed by Mr. Jayne, and was an occasional visitor on his property. The first time Mr. Roosevelt came to the House, there was a demonstration in his honor by all the little folks in the neighborhood, armed with flags and flowers, singing and performing marches. Mr. Roosevelt had not met Mr. Jayne and had never heard of him, but as he came up he said, in his characteristic hearty manner: "I might have known an old soldier lived here. No one else would have arranged such a patriotic demonstration."
When the two men greeted, the president noted that Mr. Jayne extended his left hand. ''What is the matter with your right arm" he asked. The old soldier replied that it was shattered by a bullet at the battle of Shiloh & that the elbow was stiff. "Do you get a pension?" was the next query, and then, "How much?" "Don't you know, asked Mr. Roosevelt, when he learned the amount he said, "That if your right arm had been amputated above the elbow that you would have received a much larger pension?" Mr. Jayne knew it. The President continued, "So you have an arm & you haven't an arm, what you have is useless and you ought to get as much as you would if you didn't have it. Now I don't regulate the pensions, but I name the men "who do, and I am going to use my influence in seeing that you get the pension that you deserve."
The President did not forget his promise. Before he left he asked Mr. Jayne if he had any pension blanks, and receiving an affirmative reply, obtained one of them. The next Sunday Mr. Jayne went to church with his family. Mr. Roosevelt was there, and seeing Mr. Jayne on the other side of the building came over to him at once. "I sent the blank to Washington'', the President said, "And you can be watching out for your increase.
(A note of interest to this story by Leslie R. Jayne as related to him by Olive A. Jayne, the,wife of Morton Sterling Jayne who was the son of Whitaker, taken 25 Nov 1966.)
Mr. Roosevelt often visited the Jayne home after this time & became a staunch friend. At one time, before season, the Jayne family shot an Elk for meat and was having the first steaks prepared for dinner when who should arrive on the scene, unannounced , but the President himself. The meat was hurriedly hidden, but there was not time to prepare other sustenance and the President was invited to a steak dinner. After the meal President Roosevelt, with a twinkle in his eye said, "Mrs. Jayne, I believe that was the best beef I have ever eaten, now I wonder if I could have some to take back with me on my return." The Elk was hurriedly recovered and generous steaks were given the President. He warmly thanked Mrs. Jayne again for the beef dinner and the beefsteaks and with a twinkle in his eye left.
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1866 - 1942 (76 years)
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