MERRITT, MAN ArlD WARRIOF
General Mcrrltt, who rocs lo the Phil
Ipplnes as military governor of thai
Island empire In the Pacific, Ib the nee
ontl in command of our nntlonal army
He won fame and honor as Bheridnn'i
chief officer In the great battles o:
the war. He wan nn unrelenting war.
rlor, once fighting nine battles in tcr
nuccesMve Oiiya.
Ills mllltnry career la mere or lesi
on record, but of his private life llttli
has been given to the public.
General Weley Merrltt'a father, Joht
Willis Mcrrltt, was a New York lawyer
having an office at 134 Nassau street
when the boy was born, December 1
1836, at 67 North Moore street. H
was one of the eight brothers. Twentj
months later the law ofllce was at I
Bpruce street, the family having re
moved to Brooklyn,
GENERAL WESLEY MERIUTT.
Wfcen Wesley was 4 venrs old hl
father. Imvlntr a lurcp nmi inp-nnin
family, abandrned law for mrrlniitnrp
and bought a farm at "Looking Glass
rrnlrle," near Belleville, III., not farl
from St. Louis. Younw Merrltt attended
the school of the Chrlstlon Brothers, a that Fighting Bob Is n famous cook. He
Catholic Institution, at Belleville. The knows more about the science of cook-
Mcrrltts were not of that fauth, but cry than any other man In the Unltea
they sent the boy thither because It wne States navy.
a good school. Later he worked on the I It Is said that no person living Is
farm for three years, helping his better acquainted with the art of pre-
brothers raise corn and pork, for which paring terrapin, and his skill with tbt
that section has alwnys been famous, canvasback duck Is notorious. But t
MKRRITT A FARMER, dl8n fo,r, wh.,.ccn no, '" mo ",!ebrJ!,te1
,, ... . .. . one called "Spanish omelet,' which
Young Merrltt often drove the farm a very elaborate affair Indeed, Involvl ..
tenm seventeen miles i to town, getting tne employment of tomatoes, eggs a
only cents a bushel for his corn. a )arB0 variety of other Ingredlei
Everything thnt a farmer produced In known only t0 righting Bob.
those days wns aB cheap us d. rt, and ,v....i: ,.'t . -. , nnmm,n.
there being little money In elreuYatlon WHT1NO B0B AS A SPORTSMAN
pasteboard checks circulated between Bob belongs to the Alibi club of
"merchants and farmers In some locall- Washington. This Is nn exclusive soc'.r
ties, and their merchandise seemed J organization, being an offshoot of I"
high because it took so much corn fashionable Metropolitan club. It i
and nork to pay for It. ' cepts in Its membership list no n
Being a lawyer and a man of n lit- who Is not a dead-game sport. T
crary turn of mind, the boy's father purposes of the Allbl club are pok
aspired to do something besides raise good thlngB to ent, and everything t
corn. He started a local evening paper may be termed epicurean,
nt Belleville, called the Advocate, and No Invitation Is more highly prized
later a weekly of the some name at than one from the Alibi club. Mem
Lebanon. Both were DouglaB demo- bers who know how to cook are called
cratlc organs, and, like most of the Jon to display their abilities In this
democratic Journals of that dny, were line, and the most conspicuous bons
for territorial extension, the annexation vlvnnts of the national capital gravitate
of Texas and the settlement of the naturally Into this gastronomic and
vexed and formidable "Oregon ques
tlon" by taking possession of the coun.
try clear to the Pacific ocean.
Young Merrltt helped his father and
brothers publish this kind of a demo
cratic newspnper. He mastered the
business of running n country news
pnper, taking his turn In looking after
imjier, iiiKiuK inn turn in iuurihr unci ... ,.i..ii ,..n ti.,0otlnM
r' su if-i?? jl"s? xKiiiarheTSW r- rsKt
while but n boy,
At the age of 16 he went to rend law
In the office of Judge Haynle In Salem.
He was making rapid progress when
Governor Blssell, then a member of
congress, Becured him a cadetship for
West Point.
Said General Merrltt: "Up to that
time I had no Idea of ever becoming a
soldier. My ambition was to be a
good lawyer and politician, and enter
public life. I believed that my forto
lay In the direction of dlBcusslon and
public speaking. However, when my
rather pointed out the great advantages
of a West Point educntlon, a careful
consideration of the subject In the light
of his experience and argument con
vinced me of his wisdom. 1 .accepted
hlB views and entered west Point. At
that particular time the course of Btudy
nt the military academy was five years.
I got along very well. I did not stand
high In my class except In English: was
rnther slow In mathematics. I think 1
was In the only full five year clnss ever
graduated from that Institution.
General Jierrltt has no family. His
favorite nephew. Eaton Merrltt, he Is
educating at n Connecticut school, with
a view of sending him to West Point.
'Genernl Merrltt was married In 1871, In
Europe, to Miss Caroline Warren of
Cincinnati. She died In 1S9S. at St, Paul,
and was burled at West Point, where
the general was superintendent ror nve
years.
Of General Merrltt's military history
much has been written. He had many
narrow escapes from death a notable
one at the battle of Beverly Ford In
1863, when he was attacked by a con
federate officer and a desperate hand
to hand encounter followed. He was
sabred over the head, and would have
been killed but for the soft felt hat
which he wore, containing a big army
pocket handkerchiefs. In this engage
ment he was surrounded and his troops
nearly captured. He fought with a cour
age and desperation that won a great
victory. The newspupers of the day
were filled with his exploltB In that
particular engagement, and on the
earnest recommendation of General
Buford he was made brigadier general.
THE RIDE OF HIS LIFE.
Perhans the greatest ride of his life
was his famoUB dash through the Rocky
mountains, when he rode night and day
to the rescue of Major Thornburgh's
command, hen med In by the Ute In
dians nt the time of the White river
massacre. The soldiers were surrounded
and being plowiy shot and starved to
death. A single man managed to crawl
out one night and escape, and after
Incredible suffering reached Rawllngs
station on the Union Pacific railroad,
nearly 200 miles to the north. A "hurry"
telegram was sent to General Merrltt.
then colonel of the Fifth cavalry at
Fort D. A. Russet, near Cheyenne. After
reaching the nearest railroad point to
the White River Indian agency. Gen
ernl Merrltt hnd to ride four days and
nights continuously with a light supply
of food and ammunition. Thornburgh
wbb dead and his men were on tlu
point of starvation, wounded nnd barely
able to cling to their guns behind theli
IntrenchmentB. Merrltt anived at tlu
break of lay, advanced with yells and
scattered the Indians, who were wait,
ing like wolveb for the t-oldlers to die
or surrender. Genernl Merrltt's wild
ride through the Rocky mountains will
long challenge the record. It Is con
sidered remarkable that he did not kill
a horse or u nan during his mountain
march.
THE U
tSHmSSsKill!. in pjgyfej
ncinuTiun') ono cuiuo nniiutiuncD nc tuc inuiA
riunnnu uud cihiio, uumninnuLii ur nil iuiih,
"JuBt wait a bit and Dob Evans will
make a Spanish omelet next time." The
man who said It was a navul officer
of distinction who knows the famous
captain of the battleship Iowa Intl-
mntoly,
In n word, It was Flghtlnif
Bob Evans himself, whose guns on the
Iowa fired the first shots Into San Juan. ,
That this Interesting remark may be
understood It Is necessary to explain
sporting fold. It Is ndmltted. however.
that Bob Evann Is the best cook: corn
In a different sphere of life or would
become a chef of celebrity.
FIGHTING BOB A DEAD SHOT.
Bob Evans Is a man of extraordinary
versatility. He does ever so many
marksman with a shotgun In the United
Stttes. That was one reason why Mr.
Cleveland appreciated his merits so
highly.
When the present commander of the
Iowa was secretary of the lighthouse
board of the treasury he could make
what use he pleased of a dozen or
more lighthouse tenders, which are
Ideal boats for hunting and flBhlng
expeditions. Just at present they are
absorbed practically Into the navy, but
hitherto they have not been employed
for kilting anything more notable than
ducks. Mr. Cleveland nnd Fighting
Bob used to go after duck quite fre
quently on bonrd one or another of
these little vessels.
Bob Evans' Is" equally famous as an
angier. In this difficult brnnch of sport
he Ib hardly excelled by any man In
the country. With n trout or a tarpon
he Ib equally efficient. There Is noth
Ing In the way of sport that Evnns
misses if he can help It. Horse races
are u fad of his.
HOW "FIGHTING" BOB GOT HIS
TITLE.
if you want to make Evnns angry
address him as "Fighting Bob." He will
answer to the name right away by
knocking you down. Probably nothing
In his life has annoyed him so much
us thnt epithet, which some thoughtless
newspaper applied to him originally
after a certain little episode at Valpara
iso, where he vindicated the quality
of American manhood In a striking way
thnt has been well remembered.
This memorable Incident, half humor
ous and half tragic, has been garbled
to a considerable extent In the various
uccountH of it printed. The facts, simply
stated, are that he was in command
of the United States ship Yorktown at
Valparaiso at a rather exciting period,
and some Chilians on shore, having an
Inborn hatred for Yankees anyway,
took a notion to be imprudent to the
sailors of the Yorktown.
Captain Evnns nnd occasion to send
a boat ashore, and the Chilians would
not permit the men to land. Evans
then sent a steam launch and gave
notice thnt If he waB Interferred with
further he would "make hell smell ot
garlic." It Is hardly necessary to say
that the trouble ended right there.
HOW FIGHTING BOB GOT HIS LIMP.
Fighting Bob Is about 5 feet 10 Inche.
In helght.sturdlly built, and weighs per
haps ISO pounds. He parts his hnlr
In the middle, and his face is clean
shaved and round, like a full moon.
Occasionally he has been mistaken for
an nctor.
Anybody would call him a good-looking
man. though not exactly handsome,
one would judge him to be younger than
he really Is. His eyes are blue and his
hair Is brown; his dress Is always mod
est. Now and then he uses a little pro.
faulty when stirred up.
Evans has a bad limp; he walks with
one knee bent. The damage was done
during the attack on Fort Fisher, thlr
ty-five years ago. On that occasion he
wns shot In the knee and fell on the
sand. A comrade named Hoban Sands,
who Is now commander of the cruiser
Columbia, came to his rescue and piled
up nn embankment of sand In front cf
him to protect him against more bul
lets. FIOHTING BOB AN ALL-ROUND
SALIOR.
Evans Is one of the best practical
seamen In the navy. He has a thor
ough knowledge of the art of sailing
a boot, and when in command of the
I old frigate Saratoga he maneuvered
5.
BATILESHIr? IOWA,
:.
her In a way tfctt astonished the mer
chant sailors. It ic nld that no Jack
tar In the service can tie so many
kinds or knota.
Captain Evnns Is the son of a Dr.
Evans of Virginia, who was a well
known man In his day. He was a
rough and tumble sort of boy,
Born
near Chrlstlnneburg, he was nnmed
Robley Gungllson, after the man who
edited the famous dictionary of medi
cine. FIGHTING BOB'S FAMILY.
He hns three children. One of them.
Taylor, Is an ensign In the navy, and
Is now on bonrd of the battleship Mas
sachusetts, hnvlng been graduated from
the nnval academy at Annapolis ahead
of time, owing to the outbreak of war.
Oddlv enouch. the same thine hannened
1 to the father.
The other two children are daughters,
and their names are Charlottee and
Virginia. One of the daughters Is sin
gle, nnd the other Is the wife of Lleu
tennnt Charles Marsh, now on the
.rulser New York. Both of the young
women are now at Hampton Roads,
Va., learning to be war nurses.
Captain EvenB wife Is a slsted of
Captain Harry Taylor of the battleship
Indlann, now with Admiral Sampson. It
Is a fighting fnmlly, you see. She was
a daughter of Frank Taylor, who many
years ago kept the biggest book store
In Washington on Pennsylvania avenue.
The old man was not an ordinary book
shop keeper, however, but was a littera
teur, and famous for his learning.
Into "Fighting Bob's" life came his
romance after he was wounded at Fort
Fisher. When he was slowly recovering
ne raci wie jjreny uuukiiiit ui v.uiiniii
Taylor at that officer's home. He had
none of the graces of the ball room
with which to woo his sweetheart, for
hlB poor, wounded limb prevented that.
But he won her by the mnnl'er arts of
the soldier, by the simple tales of the
battles he had fought.
HOW FIGHTING BOB FOUGHT THE
GOVERNMENT.
When Bob Evans was secretary of
the lighthouse board he got permission
to put up a residence on the lighthouse
reservation at Old Fort Comfort. This
reservation was the property of the
war department, from which the treas
ury had obtained by courtesy a con.
cession tor the establishment of a light
house. Subsequently the trensury demanded
thnt he move his dwelling on the reser
vation, but he refused, saying that the
"and belonged to the war department.
The war department ordered him to
go, but then he claimed that the reser
vation had been granted to the treas
ury. So by working this scheme back
and forth he has managed to keep his
house where It Is, and he is not likely
to be disturbed.
Evnns Is president of the Fish and
Game Protective association of the Dis
trict of Columbia.
HOW AMINE FIELD IS ATTACKED
More than the usual amount of at
tention Is being given now In the
United States navy destroying sub
marine mines. The recent operations
of Admiral Dewey before Manila have
proved conclusively that It Ib possible
under cover or uarkneBs, to "run a
field of mines without Injury. The
harbor of Havana, however. Is far
better protected, and, It Ib argued, the
experience of the Spanish at Manlln Is
likely to Induce them to make Improve
ments In the submarine defenses of
Havana harbor.
Three different methods of destroying
a mine field are known to the navy.
The one most frequently used Is n pro-
ess of countermining. The other meth
ods are known ns "sweeping" and
"creeping." "Sweeping," as a rule, Is
only cnrrled out ut night, or when the
shore batteries are silent. Counter
mining can be done under fire, and
frequently Is. "Creeping" can be done
from a small boat, and frequently has
been accomplished under fire.
Countermining consists In the destruc
tion of n field by laying a fresh line of
mines across It nnd exploding them.
An ordinary line of countermine con
sists of twelve 500-pound mines of the
same pattern as those used by the war
department for "observation" mines.
The cable to which they are attached
and by which they are fired consists
of a main line 1.440 feet In length, Into
which are forked six branches. As a
rule the countermlulnes are placed
aboard an ordinary service launch
which Is towed by a fast Bteamboat,
not Infrequently a torpedo boat. As
thlB work generally Is done In full view
and range of the enemy, It Is designed
to be done automatically as possible,
so that neither nervousness nor casual
ties may interfere with Its successful
operation.
Accordingly the Btenmboat towing
the lanuch proceeds at Its full speed,
being steered on a prearranged bearing.
As soon bb the mine field that Ib to
be attacked Is reached a buoy attached
to the end of a cable is thrown over
board, while the boatB rush on. The
countermines have been hung along the
thwarts of the launch and are arranged
so that when n certain tension Is put
upon their fastenings they are released
automatically and nre allowed to drop
Into the sea. When the entire line has
gone overboard the towing steamer
hoists a red flag, or, If at night, fires
a rocket.
This 1$ the signal for the firing batter-
les at the two ends of the cable to be
joined. A second and similar signal In.
dlcates the pressing of the firing key
by an officer on the steamer, and the
consequent explosion of the line ot
countermines. Almost Invariably It Is
found that the force of the explosion
has been sufficient to break the connec
tions of the enemy's line of mines. This
nutomntlc principle of countermining
shows Its chief usefulness In the fact
that no one need be on board the lauch.
"Sweeping" Is perhaps the most un- '
reliable method known of clearing a
mine field, but If It Is cnrrled out care- I
fully Is frequently effective. When the
federnl fleet during the civil war Balled
Into Mobile bay It was found t)int the
harbor and river were planted so
thickly with Improvised mines nnd tor
pedoeB that the safety ot the ships In
the attacking squadron wns menaced I
An attempt was made to remove them '
by ordinary means, but It result..' J in
the destruction of the ship empKyod
In the work. The method of counter
mining was well enough known at that
time, but the unrellablltly of electrical
firing devices In those days wnj such
that all attempts to operate a line of
countermines failed. Tn despair of l rc
Ing the defenses of the harbor the gov
ernment sent to New York for Captain
E. R. Lowe, an experienced diver.
DANGEROUS WORK, THIS. '
Captain Lowe tried for some time
to remove the mines and torpedoes bv
means of his divers, but falling lo nc.
compllsh the work he was reduced to
the necessity of dragging the bottom
of the harbor with a hawser cf steel
wire. The Urpedoes were pulled from
their moorings, and although two tug
boats were blown up In the efforts, the
harbor was cleared so that federal ships
were able to attack the forts with
comparative
ease. This experience
showed the government that while
divers were often of great use In plac
ing mines, they were of no nlue nt
all In removing them.
Two or more boats are employed In
the manipulation of a "sweep." Several
kinds of "sweeps" nre used In the ser
vice, ranging from the wire cable used
by Captain Lowe to on arrangement
which Is practical! a small counter
n -ne. The one generally used in the
United States navy Is composed of
about twenty fathoms of two-Inch rope
or wire cable, with charges of gun
cotton at each end nnd fitted with arms
to catch the mooring ropes of mines It
is suspended by lines from three floats
or bouyB attached at the centr and
ends. The floats selected for the mon,
pulatlon of a sweep are generally those
drawing the least possible amcunt of
water, so as to reduce the pjss'bl'lty
of their colliding with a mine to a mini
mum. Each boat carries an electrical
firing battery.
When the boatB arrive at the passage
which It Ib Intended to sweep cloar of ,
mines each boat takes an end of the
cable and, separating, proceeds to drag I
It behind them. As soon as resistance
Is felt the boats gradually approach one
another and the position of tjie obstruc
tion is determined. This having bven
done, the line Is pulled so as to bring
the nearest charge of gun cotton In con
tact with the mine, and the gun cotton
is discharged. This process Is rep'-atod
until the channel Is considered clear
of mines, when it Is swept once mote to
make sure that none has been missed.
"Creeping" Is considered the mos: ef
ficacious method of destroying mines.
as it Ib directed solely against the cable
connecting the mine cable with the
shore batteries. Once this Is destroy
or cut the mines are considered harm
less. Two "creeps" are used by our
navy. One Is a sort of explosive grap
nel, consisting of a charge of three
pounds of guncotton surrounded by
three large hooks turned outward; the
other Is simply an ordinary grapnel,
used for fishing up the cable when U
Is encountered.
In use one or both of the grapnels Is
dragged behind the boat which Is doing
the "creeping." When an obstruction
Is encountered the operator on the boat
pulls the grapnel line taut and fires the
charge attached to the hook. This
usually destroys the shore connections.
In using the non-explosive grapnel the
cable Is caught and pulled up to the
boat. Then It Is cut. a battery attached
and the entire field of mines la exploded
harmlessly from the boat.
Although "creeping" cannot be car
ried on with any degree of succesB on
a rocky bottom. It Is the method usually
adopted In warfare. When whole mine
fields have to be cleared countermining
Is the preferable method, but It Ib prac
tically hopeless under the flre of bat
teries on shore. The tactics taught In
the United States navy are that when
circumstances nre so urgent that a
passage must be forced through a mine
field at once nnd at nil hazards tht
best course Is for the ships to follow Ik
single column six cables apart, the
least valuable vessels leading. Th
small ships can tow drags or sweeps.
They almost nsuredly will be sunk by
the mines, but they will have cleared
the track for the oawesnips wnicn
follow.
A woman I know, srtys a writer in
the Washington Post, has a brother In
camp at Chlckamauga, and fired by the
older women's stories of how we used
to send comfort boxes to the soldiers
more than thirty years ago, she wrote
to her brother asking him what he and
his comrades stood most in need of.
His answer came Thursday. It wos
brief, but full of meaning to every
officer who has suffered from the mod
ern girl's brass button craze.
"Dear sister." It ran. "send me safety
pins. I've just met fifteen new girls."
SCHLEY UNDER FARRAOUT.
Captain Schley Is described as G feet
J Inches In height, with blue eyes, a
mustache and Imperial, both gray; his
hair Is growing very thin on top, but
he artfully brushes It ro ns to hide the
bald spot; he weighs about 170 pounds,
Is restless In manner, walking up and
down nnd nil nrnund the person to
whom he Is talking, Is modest In dres
and democratic In all things. In the
civil war Schley had command of a
gunboat under Admiral Fnrrngut nnl
they tell this story to Illustrate how
he fights:
Farragut summoned him one morning
and, pointing to a confederate fort,
enld:
"Do you see that place, Schley? Go
knock It to pieces."
Schley went nnd was hammering the
fort to plsces when his qunrtermaster
rushed up to him and said:
COMMODORE SCHLEY.
"Captain, the admiral has signaled
us to stop and return to the fleet."
"To with the signal; I won't see
It," answered Schley.
He kept on pounding away at the
fort until It was In ruins. Then he
returned to the fleet. Farragut was
angry and summoned him. Before all
the officers of the flngshlp he gave
Schley a fierce drlsslnc down for not
obeying the recall signal.
"I didn't see It," protested Schley.
"You must have shut the eye that you
put the glass up to," raid Farragut.
After again raking him fore and aft
for his disobedience, the admiral took
him Into the cabin out of sight of the
other officers and gave him a drink of
the finest liquor aboard.
Puritan Points.
One of the warrant officers of the
bimi-u amies monitor Puritan, which
Is with the blockading squadron off
Cuba, gives in a letter to a friend In
this city some Interesting observations
on the Puritan's work.
"We are all convinced." he writes,
"that the Puritan under proper circum
stances, Is the finest fighting boat In
the navy; but she has restrictions.
There Is no question about the high de
fensive lualitles of the monitor type
for harbor work. Our low freeboard
makes us a small target for the enemy
and our vwelve-lnch guns make us
very dangerous to an enemy. Captain
Harrington and Lieutenant Commander
J. Russell Selfrldge have worked our
crew Into fine condition, and there Is i
no question as to the loyalty of the
men or their skill with the big guns.
Our low freebcard. however, precludes
any possibility of our coaling nt sea
with safety, and as our coal cupaclty
Is ao comparatively small, unless a lee
is affored. so that the monitor may
open up er deck scuttles with safety,
we mUBt return to a coaling station.
Such was the case off Matanzas, where
there Is an open sea to windward and
no protection. The Puritan did good
work at Matcnzas, as you probably
know, and our guns were very effective.
I notice that some of the newspapers
commented or. the fact that our fire
was slow. That was according to or
ders to prevent waste of ammunition.
We didn't v ant the gun cap:a:ns to
throw away their ammunition in the
first brush. Everything on board moved
like clockwork and our men behaved
splendidly."
Manila Is Healthful.
Dr. W. M. Vandervort of Independ-
on., TTnnana tvhn hnH nrtpnt rnnsldpr.
able'tlme in Manila, stated that he put
.,, 3 , l. -... .11..- .
very unit; ureueiite in iuc intra um
patches to the effect that Manila was
unhealthy. Dr. Vandervort at one time
was a sailor before the mast and Man
ila was a port of entry which he visited
often.
"Manila itself Is healthy," said he
yesterday, "and the plague, if it ever
visits the Island, Is carried there by the
Chinese from Hong Kong. The sani
tary regulations, like everything that Ib
Spanish, are poor. The government af
ter once securing control and establish
ing a quarantine service, can rest as
sured that the health of the troops
will be protected, and even without
quarantine It Is superior to Havana aB
a health resort. The bay Ib five miles
wide at the point where Manila Is Blt
uated and the town slopes back gently
to the Interior. The streets are paved
I with Beashells, and when the setting
sun has full sway these streets become
. kaledoBcopIc in their many hues.
I "In the Philippines the birds have
the brightest plumage and are very
rare. The natives are docile and easily
governed, but have been oppressed so
that a spaniara is lime iea iimn u
master. The Malayan race hates the
Spaniard as the devil hates holy water.
The cathedral there Is one of the finest
In the world and the saint Images which
adorn the walls are of gold and studded
'with preclouB stones. The priests live
In luxury and this luxury Is shared by
, the Spaniards.
"Under the American form of govern.
1 ment the Island of Luzon could be made
l n. -., 1,1 snnn hf filled With
u iwinuicc, ""-.V , -... i nn
Americans anu wouiu uc tuuuu b
place to live In."
Senator William E. Mason always has
been a Joker, sayB the Chicago Journal.
Even when a school boy he never let
a chance pass without having his fun
at the expense of some one else. When
he wns a public school pupil the boys
knew as much about "cribbing" as they
do now and It was nothing new for
them to conceal needed information on
their cuffs or inside their watches. One
day when Willie Mason was taking an
examination the keen-eyed teacher ob
served him taking out his watch every
minute or two. The pedagogue grew
suspicious. Finally he strode slowly
down the aisle and stopped In front of
Willie's desk. "Let me see you watch,"
he commanded. "All right, sir," was
the meek reply. The teacher opened the
front lid. He looked somewhat sheep
ish when he read the single word:
"Fooled." But he was a shrewd man.
He was not to be thrown oft tho-scent
so easily. He opened the back lid.
Then he was satisfied. There he read:
"Fooled again."
ADMIRAL SAMPSON.
"What kind of man Is Sampson?" II
hear constantly asked of the comman
der of the United States squadron Ini
Southern waters, that man with whoim
history will have to do In long, strong:'
paragraphs.
"The ablest man In the navy," hln
friends answer.
"A fighter." his enemies reply. '
"An ordnance expert of the first de
gree," scientific men hasten to state
continuing: "His knowledge of explo
sives Ib thorough, his Inventive genlusi
extraordinary."
, "A Jolly fine tennis player," the?
knights of the racquet tell me, quoting:
recordB of his games with former Sec-
(&
m)
ADMIRAL SAMPSON.
retary of State Olney and two officers
on the Washington courts the quartet
frequented a season or two ago.
"Admiral Sampson," say the women?
"what kind of a man would we call
him?" they chorused at a fashionable
tea table lately where the afternoon
sun's rays cast Btrenks of red and bits;
of blue on their teacups through a great
flag that waved outside. "Indescribably
fascinating," and the only woman who
had not Joined In Indorsed their opinion,
by adding a relieved and logical, "That
Just describes him!"
A blond girl with nn English comr
plexlon exclaimed: "You see, it's dlfti4
cult to give those who haven't met hlm
an Impression of Cap Admiral Samp
son. He Is a student, without a shado
of pedantry, quiet ns he Is learned, re
served as he Is courageous, talks little,.
Bays much the kind of man one feels 1$
to be depended upon."
"Yes, but he is good looking, you
know, too," protested a dark haired,
woman, with a bit of free Cuba rlbbon
knotted through the lapel of her covert
coat. And the blonde admitting thlss
with elevation of the eyebrows that de
cried all but the spiritual the brunette
went on:
HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
"Quite tall, you know. Stoops a trifle
the kind of stoop that comes from lean
ing above books. His eyes are duskyf
blue, with green wavellghts when he's
aboard ship, and set under strong
brows; refined features; hair and must
tache are gray. He is thoroughbred
looking, nnd his uniform should thank;
him for wearing It. He's been blown
up, you know. 'Way up!" she added Im
pressively. "It must have been awful
but we all contend he enme down In a.
dignified manner, though we weren't
there to see, for dignity Is a habit with.
Admiral Sampson, that not even dyna.
mite could overcome.
No man has been more In demand by
hls government, which appreciates sin
cerely his learning. Judgment and ex
perience. Petitions allotted him hava
been at various times superintendent p.f
the Naval academy, superintendent of
the naval observatory. In charge of
gun factory, commander torpedo 8ta.
tlon, chief bureau of ordnance, which
last post he left for the Iowa. He wa$.
actively Interested In reorganizing thq
navy, and was president of the Court
of Inquiry following the Maine disaster.
His knowledge of armor and armament,
together with his swift, safe reasoning
and decisive action In emergency, mak
him an Invaluable servant of the na
tion. HIb career In the service dates
from 1857, as midshipman at Annapolis,
appointed from his home. Palmyra,
New York.
HOW HE WAS BLOWN UP.
It was while executive officer of the;
Ironclad Patapsco that Lieutenant
Sampson experienced the blowing up
one hears constantly referred to. A
blockade was In effect, and the admiral
)rdered the Patapsco into Charleston'
harbor to remove and destroy the sub
marine mines and torpedoes with which
the water was filled. In bold execution
of orders, the fearless young lieutent
ant, with his men, was blown a hun-i
dred feet from the wreck by an exploj
slon from beneath that wrought deatli
and sunk his ship in the same moment.'
He was rescued with twenty-live of hl
crew. He wns In command of the Swa
tara In China In 1879, nnd the San Fran
cisco was at one time in his charge.
His home life Is made delightful by a.
lovely wife, who Is young, attractive
looking and an Interested worker in the
Woman's Army and Navy league. Mrs.'
Sampson Is now at Glen Ridge, N. J.j
with her two little boys, Ralph and).
Harold. Mrs. Smith, wife of Roy Smith,
U. S. N.; Mrs. Jackson, wife of Ensign
R. H. Jackson, U. S. N.: Misses Nannie
and Olive Sampson are daughters of
the distinguished sailor by a former
marriage
No man more opposite In tempera-.,
ment to the enemy he has gone out to
meet than Admiral Sampson could bej
intrlnp,!. Anclo-Saxon deliberation
tinges his every thought and movement
HIb brain Is charged with calculation
that annihilates.
"What kind of a man Is Sampson?"
asked of a gallant retired "salt" today!
"By Mars, sir, and by Neptune," was
the answer. "He's the right kind."
The democratic ways of the German
Prince Henry while In Hong Kong made
him a great favorite with the foreign
residents of that city. A correspondent
of the London Dally News Fald of Win
on that occasion: "He uses the Hong
club almost exclusively, finding there,
perhaps or English flatter themselves
so that cream of hospitality which
treats even a royal guest as a habitue,
and neither stares him out of counten
ance nor bores him to death with defer
ence. With what would seem the truest
courtesy he Is allowed to come and go
unnoticed. The prince seems very much
to appreciate this, and shows It by
making himself thoroughly at home.
The other day he entered the club bar
and called for a whisky and soda. The
'boy' poured out the usual modicum,
and was about to add the soda, when
the prince Inquired, 'What do you call
that, boy?' 'Whisky, sir.' 'Well, what
do you stop for then? Don't be afraid
of It, Go on till I say when.' And the
prince put down a 'three-finger' nip
with all the gusto of a genuinely thirsty
man."
If we cannot live bo as to be happy,
let us at least live so as to deserve It t
, Fltche.
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