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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 22, 1904)
May 22, 1004. The Illustrated Bee. tublishcd Weekly by The I tee Publishing Company, Bee Building, Omaha, Neb. Dragomiroff, Russia's General in Reserve THE ILLUSTRATED BEE. I'rlce, Go. Per Copy I'er Year, $.'.). Entered nt the Om:i ha Postofllcc us Second Class Mail Matter. For Advertising Hates Address I'ubliHher. Communications relating to photographs or articles for publication rtvuld b; ad dressed, "Uditor The Illustrated Bee, Omaha." Ten and Picture Pointers I. MRU T 111 'It K KT'P lmu tnat . l I reived from the republican state " I rnnvenflun cfidursf tni-nl na u candidate for the L'nited States senate, an the result of a boom i .e without his knowledge or sanction, a r petition of the way his political career Was begun, by tbo allp of a cog In the I,an caster county republican machine, and up to thin time unwritten history. Hack In 1KS8, after Hurkett hal struggled along for three years an a member of the bar and general whooper-up for the repub lican of bin ward, the local machine had derided upon its candidates for the legisla ture, but needed to lieud off a man in Hurk ttt's ward to make Its delegation sure. Very softly a machine mun whispered to Hurkett the advUublllty of him brooming a candidal. Burkett did and never before had his ward seen such a campaign. He landed his delegation and that was all he expected to do, and Its endorsement all he expected to receive. The rilnht before the convention u caucus wan held, and fo dis interested wu' Hurkett ahoul bis own nom ination Unit ba was asleep long before the caucus had fairly started. One- uf the ma china's preferred candidates showed symp toms of being antl. Someone mentioned the name of Hurkett. It was taken up In a minute, and Hurkett was made. He found It out tho next morning. Th n eamo the campaign and Hurkett grew from a ward to a county pi o oh tlo:i. He proved so effective on the h Mi m p that When the legislature met he wiih alieady recognized as one of Its foremost debaters. Ho only served one term, been use Lancaster next year proposed him for congreks, and lie has been there ever since. Purine this time he has made a reputa tion of being on the right Fide of every proposition and getting on the right ildo In such a genteel way that In' viry Bcldom makes an enemy. '1 hey tell It on Mm that to muke friends of everybody has always teen his fort, and they cite an incident that happened In his tlrst campaign for congress to prove It. When BurkoU's name was first mentioned there were a good many people who didn't know about this "young man Hurkett," and It was a proposition that would re quire the greatest diplomacy and taut to lar.d the place. Hurkett was out In the east end of the county counting ch ci ens and kissing babies for the mothers, for that Is whut they had to do back In lh.e days, when ho ran Into a neighborhood row. The hogs of one farmer hud rooti d up a forty acre field, more or less, of corn belonging to a neighbor. Tho hogs had eruwied through a division feme owned by both men. Tho man with the corn handed out his grievances to Hurkett just about tho time Hurkett got busy with his heart-to-heart talk. Around the corn man were half a dozen man waiting for hl'ii to side one way or the other. How he did it no one knows, but In less than an hour those two formers that hiul threatened to go to law over the matter and law for the rest of their born days, were out here fixing up that fence and Hurkett got tho solid delega tion from that precinct, it wan just Uurk ett's way of doing things. According to the reporters who frequently Interview him, Hurkett hus always been a "good Indian" and always full of a s ory, except about his senatorial candidacy, aud even In that he Is bo idnceie abuut saying "I've Just got back here, and wall 1 don't know much about the situation. I um a candidate for congress, though, by the way, we had an interesting session tlds winter. Speaker Cannon, said." Of course the re porter la backed off the boards, but Hurkett docs It o nice that abuut three-fourths of the newspapers of the state have endorsed Lint and there are few that have said things against him personally. But the newspaper boys and the farmers are not tho only peoplo that Hurkett Im presses and makes friends of. It was Speaker Cannon, then the bead of the ap propriation committee, who asked that tho young Nebraskan bo made a membei of that committee. This favor was usked by Mr. Cannon because he knew the need of a debater to push thiough congress the recommendations of that committee. That Hurkett filled the bill there is no doubt, aud If there was a doubt bis endorsement by the republicans of Nebraska to march tip higher as a reward for good service well rendered, would dispel It. Trobably Hur kett' greatest effort in congress was his debate on the bill establishing a per (Copyright, 1904, by K. H. Warner.) T 18 commonly said that General Kouropatkln, the commmder of tho czar's armies In the far east. Is the greatest Russian soldier of today, but such is not the feel ing in Russia. There Is one man In the Rus sian army who stands In relation to Kou ropatkln very much as Grant stood to wards Sherman a man wh'sc military reputation in higher than Kouropatkln's, and who Is even more thoroughly trusted by the soldiers and the ration. That man la General Dragomiroff, who was a general oincer In command of a dlvldon as long ago as the Husso-Turkish war. "Dragomiroff Is our general In reserve," aald a former officer of the Russian army now residing 'n New York. "Just as Iord Roberts, England's most trusted veteran, was sent out to the Boer war when Huller failed, so Russia will send DragomirofT to the far east If Kouropatkln does not suc ceed. In the meantime he has been re called to (St. 1'etcTkUurg from bis governor ship nt KiefT, in order that he may be at tho right hand of the czar and the war council.' You may be sure that the strategy of the great campaign which Is sure to open In the spring will be largely devised by him. In Russia the men who hold great official positions are not always, or . even usually, tha men who possess the real jower For example, Count Lims dorff, although foreign minister, had until recently far Lis to do with Russian for eign policy than tbo unofficial M. Rczo brazoff. Similarly, General SakharolT, the minister of war, may be regarded as a sub ordinate of General DragomirofT a at the present time." Men who served with Dragomiroff dur ing tho Russo-Turklsh war tell thrilling stories of his courage and fine generalship. During the hottest fighting In the Shlpka pass, where so many gallant Russians and Turks fell, tho leading battalion of his division recoiled before a hailstorm of Turkish bullets. The general was at that time a very stout person he has grown thinner since then. He wore spectacles, had the general appearance of a peaceful German professor, and looked as if he could never grow excited over anything. Hut when he saw his men recoil, he rode to the firing line like a streak of flame, dismounted from his horse, and walked slowly to and fro along a ridge swept by the enemy's bullets.. He was a hundred yards In udvance of the men, occupying tho position they bad abandoned. After staying there for a while without being touched, although many bullets whistled by him, he shouted back to tho amazed battalion: "Whut are you doing, you gerse? Did you think there wus danger here? I don't find any." They responded with a roar of cheers, doubled up to him, and charged so fiercely under his leadership that tho Turks had to retreat. One of DragomlrofT's greatest achlever ments was the forcing of the passage of the Danube at Stmnltza in the face of a strong Turkish' army. Tho late Archlhnld Forbes, the famous Kngllsh war correspondent, who was present at the time, told the writer that it was the bravest ami coolest deed of arms he ever witnessed. "DragomirofT did not do as most generals would have done under the circumstances,",, said Forbes. "He did not stand on the bank, surrounded by his staff, and direct the movement from a comparatively rafe position. No, he stood for an hour or more In the bed of the river, up to his waist in mud and Icy water, exposed to the hottest fire of the enemy's sharpshooters, and act ively leading every now and then an attack upon the opposite bank. "Ho well deserved tho reward which he received soon afterward front the csar In manent census bureau. He was against the proposition which had all been spI to pass. After his famous speech, familiar to read ers, such men as Grosvennr and others equally as prominent changed their votes and the measure was defeated. In his short career Hurkett has been the hero of many stories, some of which have been printed and many that will never bo printed. He has a knack of remembering faces about as well an any man In public life, but on one occasion, so his friends are telling now, ho lost a vote and made doubtless a life-long; enemy by forgetting one. He wus down In the southeastern part of tho stste, so close to Missouri that not to know every man, woman and child is almost a crime. Riding along the road he stopped to jolly a boy who looked abont to rust his first ballot. "How are you, old fellow." said the con gressman in his best way, "suppose you will come out and help the party next week?" "Bet your life;" was the answer, "will give my first to Hurkett." "Good for you. old fellow; I won't forget th.it. By the way, how U the old tnaaT" aid tho candidate front of the whole army. Dragomiroff tried to salute and kneel to his monarch when be was called tip to receive thanks, but the czar grasped him cordially by tho hand, greeted him as 'brother' and stopped his attempted obedience by folding blm in his urtus in a hearty embrace." Dragomiroff bus always shown n, re markable capacity for leading nun. The Russian soldiers Idollste him. They might say of him, as they used to pay of Skobe leff, "We would rather fight and die with Dragomiroff than fight and live with an other general." His deeds of personal bravery In action lire too numerous to record, fur he is the hero of a hundred desperate tights and has won all the decora tions which the czar can bestow In reward of heroism, Including the coveted cross of St. George. Personally, he Is a kind hearted, genial old man, and a fine type of the Russian gentleman. Like most Russian officers, he prides himself on being a "good fellow." There is no phrase more commonly "Used In the Russian services, no Ideal which Russian officers are more anxious to live up to. Even veterans like Dragomiroff and Kouroptakln are prouder of being able to sing a good song and tell a good story than of their military exploits and their drawcrful of medals and decorations. Dragomiroff, although so kind hearted personally he has taken a leading part In organizing societies to rcpresii cruelty to children and dumb animals In Russia be lieves, with General Sherman and most Russian officers, that "war Is hell." Ho used formerly to lecture to the cadets in training at St. Petersburg, and he was fond of telling them that the speediest and most humane way to finish a campaign was to strike hard and ruthlessly. He has put himself on record as approving General Kaufmanu's notorious older. In one of the Central Asian campaigns, to give quarters to no Turcomans man, woman or child. A war conducted by Dragomiroff would undoubtedly be ruthless, but his troops would not get out of hand. They would not loot or massacre any more than he considered desirable. During the Rushj Turkish war his dvli-lon entered Bulgaria and occupied the town of Saphla. He gave strict order3 that there was to be no looting, under penalty of d"ath, as the Bulgarians were allies of the Russians and It would bo bad policy to antagonize them. Looting had been winked at In Turkish territory, and one unfortunate Cossack did not appreciate the force of the change of policy. He wanted a chicken, and he took it, us ho had been accustomed to do. He waa caught in the act and brought before Dragomiroff, who ordered a drumhead court-martial and had him hanged Inside of half an hour. Tho Cossack officers were furious. They protested that the enemy and the enemy's property had been reckoned fair game by them from the earliest times when they fought under the Russian flag, and that. In any ease, the theft of a chicken was a trivial offense. "That Is so," replied Dragomiroff. "I don't care if the men steal all the chick ens In Bulgaria, provided they have my leave to do so. But disobedience of my orders at the present time is a capital offense, and you had better let your men indendand that." They did understand It, and there was no more looting. Although he Is a stern disciplinarian. General Drngoinlroff is very popular with the rank and file of the Russian army, because he looks personally after their comfort, will never allow them to be un justly oppressed by their officers, and bears the reputation of never having thrown away any man's life needlessly In time of war. Then, too, he has, in a marked degiec, that genial, familiar man- "He'a dead. Get up," and the boy drove on. The next dny, eomlnjr along a different road, Hurkett met a boy. Ho began on tlds young man about the same way he did on the one the day before by winding up with "well, how's the old man. Haven't seen him lately?" "He's still dead," was the answer. "Get up." Hurkett got up too. $ In Washington Mr. Burkett has been the recipient of many honors at the hands of his colleagues and In many ways they have have shown blm their esteem. And as n result of one of these nice little delicacies the First district came very near losing a congressman and starting a fight for sen atorial endorsement that would have shaken the timbers. It was the first time on record that tho good-natured congressman came very near "cashing In." He had been to a dinner party nnd there some of his Inti mates had presented him with a magnifi cent match safe, which to be of immediate use was filled with matches. While stand ing In a corridor at the capltol greeting numerous friends the matches caught fire In his pocket and almost Instantly Bur kett's clothing was aflame, It was only ner toward the enlisted men which Is characteristic of most prominent officers In a country where a grand duke will call a common soldier "little brother," and offer him a nip of vodka from his flask. A story is told of Dragomiroff which Illustrates this familiarity, and also give a good idea of the endurance of the Rus sian soldier. When marching one morning. In midwin ter, to attack the Turks In force near the Shlpka pass, his division was halted by a broad river, which was only covered by a thin skin of Ice, and had to be crossed by fording. As the men had to march and fight all day In the snow, It was Important that they should not get their clothen wet; and Dragomiroff accordingly ordered them to strip and wade naked through the Icy river, carrying their clothing on their heads. One of his staff officers found a small boat tied to the river bank and wanted him to take It, but he refused to do so, and ordered that It bo used for the wounded men, while he crossed In the same condition as the rest of the division. The men Joked and laughed about the experience, although they were chilled to the bone by a cutting wind as they put on their clothes upon the opposite bank. After the division had re-formed the general rode up to them and said: "Well, little brothers, how do you feel after your bath?" "Very well, thank you, your highness!" they replied that title being usually ap plied by Russian troops to general officers. "We didn't turn our feet coming over, did we?" "No, Indeed, your highness!" they grinned. And no doubt they fought much better that day than they would have done If he had simply given the order to march Instead of waiting a moment to Jolte with them. A few years ago Drago riroff had occa sion, as governor of Kleff, to inspect an infantry battalion. Riding down the line, lie heard the captain of one of the com panies abusing a sergeant for not acting smartly as a "marker." He was calling him a dog, a pig, and all the other un pleasant names which Russian officers are far too apt to npply to their men when they lose their tempers. DragomirofT reined up his horse In front of the captain and swore at him steadily for two minutes, calling him everything he had called the sergeant and a great deal more besides, In the hearing of the com pany. The captain listened quietly for a while, too am&zed to speak, and then drew the general aside and protested that he ought not to speak to him In that manner before his men, as he would destroy his authority over them. "You should have thought of that before you abused the sergeant," said the general. "I am only giving you a dose of the medi cine you gave him. ' You were doing your best to destroy the discipline of your own company, for he has to wield authority In It as well as you. Now you will perhaps understand how he must have felt." It Is said that General Dragomiroff, when summoned to St. Petersburg by the czar and ordered to state his views regarding the campaign In the far east, found fault with the entire scheme of operations, and criticized most searchingly all the naval and military dispositions. He even dared, according to the rumors In court circles in St. Petersburg, to nrgue with the czar him self In the war council and convince him that some of his ideas regarding the con duct of the war were entirely wrong. This Is the more crediblo because Nicholas II., when holding subordinate rank as czare vitch In the famous Preobrajensky regi ment, was under the command of General Dragomiroff, who largely supervised his military education. CHARLES S. WILLIAMS. by quick work on the part of himself and friends that he was not dangerously In jured physically, nnd only because of the fact that the odor from the burning cloth smelled not of Imported woolen that kept him from being killed politically. And with his fourtcrnis In congress, a nomination for a fifth aud an endorsement for Pnlted States senator, Mr. Burkett Is Just 37 years old, and be doesn't look a bit older. As a matter of course he began life us a boy and as fate would have It he started out in Iowa. He deserves little censure for that, however, for his early days were full of hard work, at least suffi cient to pay him for his choice of birth place. When he entered Tabor college he was the general bell ringer for that school, nnd that is how he made the money with which to pay his way along. He was grad uated from that institution In 1X90 and at once entered the University of Nebraska, where In 1893 he was graduated from the law department, and in 1S35 he received the degree of I.LM. In that same year he was elected a trustee of bis old college In Iowa. He began the practice of law In Lincoln In l?t'3 and is now a meinour of the firm of Burkett & Grculua.