The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-08-06

| American battery, miStaking the vessel | for an enemy, opened fire, none of the | shots taking effect. Farragut said that this experience taught him that 1t was | not always dangerous to face battery. He certainly remembered this youthful | lesson in after years, Scarcely was he
 ashore when Porter sent him to a
 school at Chester. The pedagogue, who
 had been one of Napoleon's old guards,
 did not believe in textbooks, but re- quired strict attention to lectures. Drill, swimming and climbing were
 well taught, and many a long walk
 with open-air instruction in mineralogy
 and botany delighted the boys. Farra-
 gut needed outdoor rambles, for, after
 the battle, he had seen enough ghastly
 work among the wounded to crush even
 hoyish spirits. Porter had done great
 deal for him, but they were soon to part and F'arragut learned the value of his guardian.
 Less than fourteen, young Farragut messed with a wild set of midshipmen, | whose counsels and ideals were very
 different from those of Captain Porter
 The reader of Marryat can imagine the
 state of affairs. However a good first
 lieutenant, an older midshipman and
 other useful friends did great deal to
 guard the boy from the evil influences
 on which he afterward looked back
 with horror Serving in vessels of diff
 ferent classes, Farraguts knowledge
 broadened, He saw much to interest
 him in the Mediterranean, but Porter's
 rational discipline inspired him with
 abhorrence for the brutality there so
 common on board men-of-war. Ban-
 bridge said that he had known marti-
 nets to go through drills so elaborate
 as to throw men into catarrh in cold
 climates and into fever in warm lati-
 tudes. It is painful even to think of
 what was once not merely tolerated
 but defended. Farragut held to the
 nobler creed, that the golden rule ap-
 plies even on board ship.
 After Porter, the best friend of Far
 ragut's youth was the Rev. Charles
 Folsom, chaplain, who became our
 consul at Tunis. The gentleman pre-
 vailed on Commodore Chauncey to al-
 low Farragut to spend some time in
 study and travel under his care. All
 sorts of odd incidents marked their
 journey. The natives wished to mur-
 der the Christian dogs and would
 have done so had it not been for the
 protection of guard of soldiers fur
 nished by the Bey. At every inn or
 lodging place. if the supper was not
 satisfactory, the soldiers bastinadoed
 the cook. The travellers had to endure
 plague quarantine. Farragut drove
 back an assassin with his pistols, and,
 While near Fl Jeon, received sum-
 stroke. The pleasant features of the
 trip, however, outweghed the annoy
 ances. Farragut learned great deal
 about books, nature and mankind. In 1865 his old tutor was still living, and wrote him letter of congratulation on , his achievements.
 The young officer was one of those who are always at school. When his , eyes troubled him he delighted in hear- ! ing others read aloud. If he entered a foreign harbor he studied its decks and
 batteries, with view to possible war fare. After leaving the Mediterranean he passed some time in Mexico and in the West Indies, cruising after pirates,
 vending his way through swamps, ex- ,, ploring shoals and doctoring yellow fe- yer patients. On the South American coasts he saw the rise and fall of revo- lutionary governments. The war be- . that a host of naval details had changed since Porter and Hillyar
 fought off Valparaiso. Even a hurried , glance at Farraguts letters and jour- l, nals will show that he moved with his ! profession and sifted the wheat of gen. uine improvement from the chaff of 2 mere empirieism. Frequent service in courts-martial brought out the reflect ing and judicial traits of his character.
 A cordial letter from the veteran Com , modore Porter proves that the junior Y had been respectful and grateful to the preceptor of his early years.
 When our war with Mexico began , few officers were more hopeful of lau- , rels than Farragut, and none was more
 bitterly disappointed A plan of his for
 taking the castle of San Juan de Ulloa , was rejected by the Navy Department;
 he was under the displeasure of his Il commodore; he was exposed to much a hardship in blockading duty; he nearly died of yellow fever; two-thirds of his crew were down with the same disease 2 and he was worried nearly frantic by e drunken officers. Yellow fever was fol- . lowed by cholera, and his death was considered certain; but for two years I | though unIlC TOT SSd SeTVlce, ne laDoreQ f zealously in the cause of improved ord n nance. He was almost equally fond o1 gymnastio exercises and of scientific o lectures. He applied to the navy de-
 partment to be sent abroad to observe n the management of the Crimean war and had his request been granted his = report on the foreign navies might s have equalled McClellan's book or a "The Armies of Europe" Farragut s was not sent to Europe, but was as- signed to the important duty of found o ing a navy yard at Mare Island Cal O Here, we may say, he learned how tc . rule New Orlens. The Golden Gate !. was wild place, the outlaws were des- 7. perate, the vigilance committee only g lesser evil. No telegraph brought in- ,. structions from Washington. Pro- - blems had to be solved on the instant r Firmness, discretion, physical bravery
 moral courage, tact, knowledge of law r were all necessary to the commandant r of the Mare Island navy yard. Anoth- s CT cruise along the coast of Mexico fol- !. lowed and hasty visit to New Or - leans refreshed Farragut's memory ot :. the great river he was to enter in com. r mand of a fleet.
 t Our war records show what the great = l admiral did. These facts show how h,