The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-28
K|PL|NG'S READY BOTTLE,
The True Private MuiVaney
Says His Biographer Was
Liberal.
McMANUs' THREE WAR MEDALS
The Hero of the "Black Thrones"
Now an Expressman at Hayes
and Laguna Streets.

THE Calls exclusive publication Sunday
morning of the biographical sketch of
William McManus, who was undoubtedly
the original character from which Rud-
yard Kipling drew the inspiration and
material for his famous stories of Private
Mulvaney, has created something of sem
sation in the literary centers, both here and
in the East
The CALLS article was telegraphed to
the Eastern newspapers, and from there
much of the story found its way across to
London, even at the cost of cable tolls, and
not only have the literary centers been in
terested in the Calls international literary
SCOOP" but the thousands. almost mil
lions, of readers who have been fascinated
by the wonderfully clever character draw
ings and droll tales of Kipling's hero of the
Black Tyrones, have been almost equally
captivated with this strange but true story
of the real Private Mulvaney-who is now
q teamster by occupation, with head
quarters on the street corner at Hayes and
Laguna.
Everybody in the neighborhood knows
him, and every body who knows him likes
him as much as did Kipling, though none
His home on Alemany street is modest
little cottage, but it is neat and tidy with
in, showing that the real Dinah Shadd is
as neat and smart as her husband, and
Kipling has said that he sis the smartest
man on dress parade"
But she is not the Dinah Shadd of fic-
tion-Wllliam McManus Indignantly de-
MES it. alt is thrue [ was corp'ril in
thin days that Kipling tells about, but the
tale told him the night we lay in camp
when we ought to have been on helping
the Ghoorkhas was not my counting story,
but that of a chum in the same regiment.
1--WE knew Kipling was attacking notes
all the time, but there was a little news
paper in Central India that he used to
write them things for and l never thought
they would get any further"
- And Kipling himself tells of the sus-
picions aroused by his notebook. He men
lions it particularly in the Three Mus
keteers, after Mulvaney, OtheriS and
Learoyd, 'privates in B Company of a line
regiment, and personal friends of mine, :"
had told him how they prevented
''p'rades av Thursdays"
But young mon, what's t. notebook
for2" and Mulvaney answers:
'This time next month we're in the
'Sherapis.' IT'S immortal fame the gentle
mans goin' to give u.s."
And sure enough, Kipling gave him
more fame than even Kipling may have
dreamed OF in those days. They were the
days before Mulvaney, or McManus, won
his medals-the proudest emoluments of
a line soldier, and that years later should
win him place of honor in the dress pa
rade of the San Francisco Mcmahon
Guards They were all given to him at
the same time, after the campaign in Cen
trail India, when he re-enlisted against the
advice of Colonel Stewart
Before the regiment left Dungeree
: 7 Il
Manus last evening, 1.-the colonel sent for
me, and had no notion of what he wanted
of me until [ got there. Then he called
me inside and got out bit of a white box
and opened it.
Here are three medals for you, Private
McManus, he said and he pinned them
on. 1 remember almost the very words he
said.
This one is due for the Indian cam
paign, McManus, he said. Every soldier
of her Majesty who lands here and is
honorably discharged is entitled to it.
This one is for personal bravery in saving
the life of Colonel Shower at Jancey, and
this one is for good conduct in camp, in
barracks and in action And as he pinned
the last one his eyes winked a little /
thought to myself, and | always had
notion he knew / was devil at all times,
and no better conducted than [ ought to
be. Then he gave me the fifty rupees that
SdCn Iudu got as HIS SHARE III UdklIg Cne
treasure at Jancey.
"How much all the treasure was don't
know, but it was something immense.
know it was told that the Crown got thou
sands of pounds out of it, besides what was
given to the army. All the officers got
something. Their share was in proportion
to their rank, and the lowest officer got
more than twice what the private's share
amounted to. Then there were 1000 and
more native troops, and all of them got 80
rupees apiece"
"Bein' what l am" Private Mulvaney
once said to his famous biographer, vivid
no good-conduc' pay an a devourin
thirst" and then the private told his true
failing, and failing that has not abated
with his years, though compared to many
another man of his age William McManus
seems to be none the worse for this thirst.
And maybe it was this thirst that, when
assuaged by the contents of Kipling's bottle
OF quart of ale, Embossed a tongue that told
many a tale the whole world has laughed
or wept over.
"Kipling always had bottle with him, 4"
says McManus, (which was not strange at
all for that country, for man can't live
without the stuff down there. But Kip
ling's bottle or his cad of ale was always at
the service of any soldier he met, and I
used to think he liked to hear the stories
of the barracks-rooms just because they