While on a hunting trip in Mississippi in 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt ‘came up empty.’ He was so disappointed some of his aides tied a bear to a tree so the President would at least get one bear. Roosevelt refused to shoot the bound bear because that would be unsportsmanlike.
The press loved it and political cartoons of Roosevelt with a cuddly bear appeared from coast to coast. Two stuffed animal makers, Morris and Rose Michtom, saw an opportunity and mass produced the “Teddy Bear” which is still popular today.
After Roosevelt left office, the next President, William Howard Taft, tried to ride the popularity of stuffed animals. The choice of his staff was the possum after Taft dined on one and stated “Well, I certainly like possum… I ate very heartily of it last night, and it did not disturb in the slightest my digestion or my sleep.”
Very few people are buying stuffed possum today.
BUY A SNAPSHOT OF HISTORY!!!
If you are a young woman, what do you owe your grandmother?
www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi
(I autograph all my books from this site.)
Why not take a ‘listen’ to the dark side of Alaska?
For free!!