The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1896-08-06

10 Ass&Nz%k4AzN won. with inches,
4 A0E1N<If n lsin the national
sid 10 sssfn 70 foA Ii, Il pantheon at last,
but there win never beaanothef Gordon
TO die in the breach Marvellous tales
have been told Of Chinese Gordon before
he accepted martyrdom at Khartum, all
lagorical tales, in fact, for. the most
part, seeking. to portray him as more
than mortal Some eulogists- claim
credit for q god because he outstrips
mere mortals in Fheroism, as though it
were not his elect calling to do so. But
Gordon was not q supernatural being, a
knight of the Holy Grail, surrounded
by supernatural agencies He was a
natural man with redeeming vices. In
an age of selfishness and materialism he
lived and died hero.
A we'll stained battle sword was the
heritage Of Charles George Gordon. His
great grandfather fought against the
pretender at Preston Pans, while his
grandfather served in the colonial army
in America. He was one of the heroes
Of Louisburg and fought under the gall
LIANT Wolfe on the plains Of Abraham.
When the Revolution broke out, he was
too old for service against this republic,
and his son., the father of Charles
George, was not born until after peace
was declared This Gordon became a
distinguished soldier and died holding
the rank of lieutenant general. The
sword of the lieutenant general, Henry
William Gordon, may be said to have
descended. to the hero of Khartum, for
although an elder son served in the ar.
my it was on staff and bureau duty,
not as leader of troops in battle
One Of Chinese Gordon's fulsome
biographers admits that as cadet the
hero didn't pose as saint. 'He was
always up to any kind Of fun and had
a turn for mischief. Some Of his boy
ish mischief he did not blush to recall
for the entertainment Of his nieces
.whens he had gray in his beard. For one
thing, while living with his fathers
family in the officers quarters Of the
Royal arsenal, he and companion
caught all the mice in the building, and.
watching their chance, quietly opened
the door Of the comnandant' house OPP
posite and set the troublesome guests
free. Among their playthings were
some .yefy sstrphg bows which were
grand for screws One Sunday after
noon ~ panes Of glass were broken in
the arsenal windows by being bored
through with screws fired from those
strong bows Other pastimes were bell
ringing. which kept the servants busy,
and when the excitement began TO flag
one Of the boys would be pushed through
the opened door to take punishment for
the crowd, while the door was held on
the outside to prevent his lescape. After
young Gordon had won inahy honors in
] the Royal military academy he Lost
them all BY running head first against
. corporal who was attempting to pre-
vent rush Of the cadets from the din
ing hall ThErurpuTnlyn sstruck in the
pit Of the stomach and hnrled down q
flight Of stairs and through glass
window at the foot Of it. Then it was
that the authorities predicted that
Charles Gordon would never make an
ofieers ndlAs&A@aAssa tfi4 <1is~
Could those idle prophets have look
ed forward 80 years this is what they
would have seen: eil5 4,0i
"A aheleaguered city approaching its three
hundredth day Of anxiety; provision rapidly
and srreiy! rnnning short shot. shell and mus.
ketry IRE raining upon the place; men. women
and children dying OF starvation; soldiers,
/ SOME TOO week. fcr Autys sthers compelled q
leave their posts III search ~ fpod treachery
4Enowhl to 81 q .olR Within: NO oersain II