ROOSEVELT, Theodore (1858-1919). African Game Trails. An account of the African wanderings of an American hunter-naturalist. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1910.

8vo. Photogravure frontispiece, map, numerous plates from photographs. (Free endpapers reglued.) Original gilt-stamped brown cloth (stains to upper cover, spine faded with tears and wear at ends, hinges starting). Provenance: Roscoe Conklin Mitchell, 1880-1928 (presentation inscription).

FIRST TRADE EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY, INSCRIBED BY ROOSEVELT in the year of publication: "To R.C. Mitchell, with the kind regards of Theodore Roosevelt, Sept 20ᵗʰ 1910."

[Tipped in:] Typed letter signed ("Theodore Roosevelt") to Mitchell, 2 July 1913. 1p., 8vo, on The Outlook magazine stationery, upper corner with the notation "Private", old folds.

"I DO NOT WANT TO BE A TAG TO EITHER ONE OF THE TWO MACHINES." In full: "I thank you for your letter. But I don't think it wise for us to get in the position of refusing to support any good man if the Committee of 107, for instance, should be heartily for him. We shall have to support either a Democrat or a Republican. I do not want to be a tag to either one of the two machines, but neither do I want to seem to stand as an obstacle in the path of good government for New York City. Sincerely yours, Theodore Roosevelt." Roscoe Conklin Mitchell was a newspaper journalist who wrote for a number of different papers and the Associated Press. In 1912, Mitchell was appointed as publicity agent of the New York headquarters for Roosevelt. He was also the Assistant Foreign Trade Advisor for the U.S. State Department during World War I.