In his report to the Brazilian Government,
which had made the expedition possible by its aid, Mr. Roosevelt
was able to say:
"We have put on the map a river about 1500 kilometers in length
running from just south of the 13th degree to north of the 5th
degree and the biggest affluent of the Madeira. Until now its
upper course has been utterly unknown to every one, and its lower
course, although known for years to the rubber men, utterly
unknown to cartographers."
The Brazilian Government renamed the river in his honor, first the
Rio Roosevelt, later the Rio Teodoro. Branches of it were named in
honor of other members of the party, the Rio Kermit and the Rio
Cherrie,--the latter for the American naturalist, Mr. George K.
Cherrie.
CHAPTER XV
THE MAN
What did Theodore Roosevelt do during his life that raised him
above other men? What were his achievements? Why are memorials and
monuments raised in his honor, books written about him? Why do
people visit his grave, and care to preserve the house where he
was born?
First, because he helped the cause of better government all his
life, as, while in college, he said that he was going to do.
Second, because he had a good influence on politics, upon
business, and upon American life generally. Dishonest and shady
dealings which were common when he left college, became very much
less common as a result of his work.
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