The Iola register., 1896-12-25
i KANSAS CUBAN SOLDIER
Ehe Varied and Picturesque Career Of
Frederick Funston.
some Letters to His Parents and Friend
Editor scott Of lola Tells of the
stuff of Which the Young
kansan Is Made.
From the Kansas City Star:

FTOO6TlCk + unsbou. hdusde HI gen
eral, Captain of Cuban Artillery and
staff officer in the army of the dead OF
alive Maceo, ia particular. That is
the latter part of the picturesque ca.
reer of Kansas boy who was raised
oh farm mile from the town OF
Carlyle i'm Allen County. When one
has seen Carlyle one wonders that SC
active spirit could have grown up
in it, but, then, Fred Funston's al
most continuous absence from Carlyle
probably accounts for his past and
present absence from stagnation.
A letter from Funston dated on the
field of battle. was published in the
Star November Is. 1t told of stirring
occupations and aroused much interest
in the young Kansan who had cast
his lot with the half negro, half
Spanish insurgents, fighting tor their
independence in All island little
known to Americans, save as the
home of the ever-fragrant and to be
grateful for clear Havana cigar. How
he came there, and why, is apparent
ly little known.
A reporter for the. Star journeyed
to his Kansas home to get further
tidings of him. The father of Fred
Funston was once upon time Kan
san of note, known 10 the world as
''Foghornn Funston, congressman 10y
grace of God and sundry majority
votes in the days when Kansas sent
Republicans to Washington. Now
the ex-congressman faIms 240 acres
of good Kansas soil linear Carlyle. The
name Carlyle sounds imposing enough
but the sight OF II, even on a balmy
sunshiny day, is depressing. When
the train .Opped at Carlyle tall
man with queer, sun-faded whiskers
took the enaciated aud habby mail
sack from the car and walked up the
road towards one OF the four buildings
which, with small, dazzingly white
No, be didn't know whether or not
a team could be- hired to carry a tuan
to FunstOn's. No, there was no place
at which TO get supper. No, there
was no hotel in which a weary travel
er might rest uutIl the pa~>eug.r
train, Kansas Cityward, passed the
station at 3 o'clock in the morning.
No, he didn't care damn for any
thing or anybody. Happy Kansan,
with the queer whiskers.
Funston's house is pleasant, home
like abode, white, with, green
blinds. 1t rambIes over the ground
in several LIS aud has bay window,
looking to the south, full of green
things aud bright blossoms. The
yellow y ard is sadly eloquent of suIh-
mer flower beds and cacti, the latter
brought from Mexicn and other south
ern places by the Cuban captain of
Ex-Congressman Funston came to |
the door ia les Spouse 10 a twist of the
bell. He is sight for eyes tired of
puny, thiuch lied ana pale men. He
is giant His big head is fitted for
q short nose, under which is d white
cropped close and quite
young aud jauuTy loOking. Whole
some, big-vOiced and bundering is
Farmer FunstOn, with welcome for
3 newspaper man learned in Washing
ton. If he doesn't look like Stanley,
the African explorer he looks like
pictures of him. He was clad in a
mixed dark gray suit of cloths and a
pair OfcOwhid boots that came halfway
up his calves. Ga his shoulder was a
handful of broken straw and hayseed.
"T've been looking after the cows
ne explained without the asking Il
olowed yesterday. hut I'm not very
rood a-foot any MORE"
A woman with a baby IN her arms
FASTENED from the room, and young
armer, whose horse was hitcbed at
he gate, nodded greeting.
ga bout Fred" said Farmer Funs-
on, "reaIIy, we don't know muck
bout him, except what we saw in
The Star the other day. His mother
,ot a letter from him back in October;
don'treckOn there's anything private
q it." Then began a search tor Cap
ain Fred's letter through the big
amily Bible But the old man could 1
lot find il, aud called ia his daugh
er, cOmely young woman of Is or 10
ears, to discover it where he had ,
'assed it bv several times.
This is the letter from the young
older, dated from Los Angeles plan
alton, PROVENCE of Camaguez, Cuba {
August .:
Dear MOther-I have not time to
7rite you much of letter, as i'm a
hort time "A courier will leave the
amp To take letters to the nearest !.
OgtOffic0 / shall r,nIV say that I am |