Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-05-30
PAUL JONES' CAREER.
He Was tho First to Hoist the
American Flag.
Ha Had . Peculiarly Fascinating Way
with sailors-A Tirslsss Letter. Writer
and IN Inditsf Of Sentimental
Verses 70 Women

with galiors-A Tirsless Lettsr'Writcr
and IN Inditsr Of Sentimental
Verses 70 Women
On December %, ITS, was made the
beginning Of the American navy; and
from this point the true history Of Paul
Jones begins. He was then twenty
eight years old, Of the middle height,
his figure slight, but graceful, and Of
70 dashing and oficer-like appear
ance." His complexion, writes Miss
Molly Elliot Seawell In Century,
was dark and weather beaten; his
black eyes very expressive, but melan-
choly. Ills manners were easy and
digniAed with the great, and he was
without doubt fascinating to women.
he often fancied himself In love, and,
like Washington, sometimes even
wrote bad verses to ladies'; but It Is un.
likely that any woman ever had the
real mastery Of his heart. He was not
deterred Nv tho oreatness Of "the
|.,rn =. ~ os,,ad them when thev
pleased him. and made love- TO vsrv
great ladies' quite as boldly as when
with the wretched Bon Homme Rich
ard he laid aboard the stout Scraps.
He had q peculiarly persuasive way
l.
wished 10 enlist a sailor would walk
nm and down the pier with him bv the
hour and he never failed to Get his
mar. He VIVA a tireless letter.writer.
and ,yhen paul Jones wrote rs PAM
.Jones smoke nothing could exceed The
force and simnl,citv of his stvle But
he was subject 10 attacks Of the literary
dov,l and H. nroductions then were
intolerablv Nne Tie wrote and smoke
French resnectablv and bis hnndwrit.
inc Grammar and smelling are all much
above the average ~ h,s dav
U,s Arst dutv was ma f3rst lieutenant
~ tha AIfred Commodore HonLins, fac
shin On this vessel he boisted for the
f,rst time the original fac Of the revo.
,rt,on-tha rottlesroLe aar Tn a LIST.
ter 10 Robert Morris In 17s3. PauI
Jores soys.
"It was NV fortune rs the senior Of
IN. frst lientenants. to hoist. myself,
the aao NJ America II chose to do Il
With nv own hands, tho frst time /,
,yo. d,sn,aued Tbouob tb;s was but n
l;obt circumstance. vet. I feel for rs
.o,, ,ora thor th;rl should h,vo
ta,t baJ n not 90 bonnenedn
Tho sorv;oos Ia was an oo,od +, ,rd,,
commodoro uonl,rs ,yero f.r from
hr;lliant Tba commodorc Ind stronc
Naturalization N 40 ..in borm,s wovre
IN nse a favoritc exnression n Ioul
Jones-ord within n vcar was dismissed
tho r,vr paul Jonss' arst co,n,nond
VOC ,;tt,a Glow ~ wor ,bo provi.
dorco. and from n memorondum umono
h;v noners in tbe handwriting If me
socro,arv ~ the conrrcss wc lanrn tLat
his un;forn wos. "lslue cloth with r,l
lannels slash cuffs siand.un collar
aat yellow buttons bluc britches rod
waisteoat with narrow ln.,er Tho mi.
form for the ;unior of,iccrs vus al,o
nrescr;hcd and nil were commanded 10
wear .bluc britches" rhe marine az.
cers bow,vcr werc I, wear "britcl,. s
cdged with rreen. blacl uniter anl oar.
ters
pnul Jones conduct during the cruise
he made in the Providence md aftsr.
ward in command Of n small souadron
in 177e won him preat credit c,nepiul.
" with washington. His employment
was the conveying of men and stores
from Rhode island to WASHINGTON ot
New York. Long Island sound swarpae.
with the cruisers of Lord IIowe's fley,.
md paul Jones' address IN clu,lin,
them. especially the Cerbcrus frigutc
which tracked him for weeks like Il
bloodhound. marked him as a man of
great enterprise. Ills next cruise with
a little SQUADRON maintained his rcpu.
tation and from that on the requests
Of officers who wished to serve under
him were frequent Paul Jones' replies
To these ara quaint reading. lie always
protests dissemination to "entice" Of.
fcers away from other commanders
but never fails to note the good points
NJ his own shin. and to give a forecast
of his daring schemes verv captivating
N an ambitions vounr officer.
There WINS great confusion In the ia.
bias Of rank first adopted In the navy
md thence proceeded a grievance TINT
paul Jones never ceased to protest
against bitterly. until in 1881. MANY
ysar. afterward he became bv the
unanimous election Of congress. the
rsnlino officer Of the American navy
nv ths nersonal carelessness Of presi
dsnt Hancock. Paul Jones' orioina1
co,rm,s.,on no conta,n-tbe Arst com
mission granted under "the United
ota'es-was ios'' "nen ncw ont