Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1883-08-31

II
Something more than ten years age
8 man jumped from a Cunard sieanieI
In mld-ocean during 4 heavy storm, ln
tho niicmpt 10 save sailor who had
fallea overheard. Ihesail0 went down
before the wuuld-be rscuer could gvach
him; bat the latter swan about for an
hour until be was picked up hy Che
steamers orcw. Ne showed no slgns
u exhaustion, and that was the begin.
ming Of bis career a. long.disianoe
swimmer, whose name was 10 become
known The world over for endurance Ia
the water. For the daring attempt 81
save fellow.crcalure's lie be- received
from the Duke of Edinburgh the hrsl
gold medal ever given by The Royal HUI
mane Society. That act was bravery.
The mans name was Matthew Webb
Last week a man Jumped from asmall
boat into the rapids of the Niagara
River below the Falls. llismrpose wa
10 swim the rapids, which no human
being has passed through In that way
and come out alive. This was the
reason for his trslpg ito do what mo-
body had ever done sciorc him The
warnings Of the many victims 0f Tho
whirlpool rapids aud Of irienda were Of
no avail. Within twenty minutes from
the time the man dove into the water he
had been carried more than q mile down
the stream; had thrown up ine arm as
In despair and had disappeared in the
whirlpool 10 be seen alive no more.
This act was foolhardiness. The man
was the same Matthew Webb.
II Is important 10 draw the line be-
tween the foolhardy .nd the brave. IN
the minds of many the line seems to be
very indistnct. A good deal Of fool
hardness parades under the banner OF
bravery, and gets th, applause due 10
bravery alone. The Naiers of the daily
newspapers have BEEN informed that
the spectators ON the baLks Of the river
cheered the brave man as he dis
robed for his fatal effort. He was a
brave man when he faced death TO save
another He was a f0olhardy man
when he faced death siIaply to show
what he could moi do. 1t was brave
thing the other day at Atlantic City
when a man jumped from pier into
the surf to try and rescue two Young
girls who were struggling for life there.
1t was a foolhardy thing when two edi-
tors down in Virginia stood up to let
each shoot ut the other. II was a brave
act when Engineer Scedi dashed into
the flames that euyelopGd his engine
cab and stopped the engine, at the cost
Of his own life, but to the saving Of the
lives Of many others II was a fool
hardy act that was purposed by the
man who wanted to jump from the
bridge into the East River, to
prove that he could do it without kill
ing himself
The line is very plain, one, When
life is risked in behalf Of other lives.
that is brave, noble, heroic, and risesto
the greatest height of which human ma
Iure is capable. When life Is riskel ut
he post Of duty, that is bravery, liv-
ngstone, in his efforts to open up dark
continent to civilization and Christiani-
'lf was ulNNN man. ~ 0AuuA uiHA
against persecution and sneers and
requires bravery I'M Christ
an man and woman. To be good and
rue in any sphere requires bravery.
But to risk life merely to make an eX-
libition of " bravery - and for nobody's
,eneiit or rescue, that is foolhardiness.
'aptain Webb possessed bravery, there
5 no question as to that; but when he
vas not contented to use his endurance
nd skill for the good OF others or use
nj ends, but must be ever reaching ont
oward more and more difficult feats,
which simply served to show off what
Ie could do, he passed over from bray
nv into foolhardiness. Ii we pity him,
is that man who might have been
o useful and put his courage to good
ccount, should have proved so foolish
nd thrown his life away for worse than
othing.
Bravery is one of the noble traits.
'oolhardiness is as ignoble as coward
,e, and is wicked The world needs
rayery; it is always overstocked with
N T. Examiner