The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-17
SlpE HIGHS

90 Wv boy Dewey was Aiy"ysfond
n. fight.
n Acting Rear Admiral Dewey
80 victory in the east has thrown
n. r,are OF the Sorld's calcium full
,.oa bin. develop many little peculiar
w., that, while they do not jlbe with
y. generally accepted theory OF what
10 make up m ideal fighter. mark
H. a, a peculiar sort OF genius, And
80 shows that naval heroes from
t'V line Of Nelson have been peculiar
N,HS3mething IN their trade seems to
tt Tss deal sea dog, for instance, does
s,,Ter from sea sickness, yet from
~ Sorlest days In the navy TO the
nj ,Imr, Dewey has never started
ssa voyage after a vacation ashore
y. hat he suffered severely from nal
eu "sr II was so when ne left Annap-
et ~ and men who have served with
es IN late years say that the afliiction
n, stuck 10 him:
~ IS n rough and ready chap, who
wv mon clothes as iisefu. to keep one
WE. 'r, and from being arrested. caring
W. how he looks in or out OF an action.
Ssrey, however, gives this theory tho
Sy for he Is stylish almost to dtidish-
and once distinguished himself
, ,,J,r The civil war by going into nc
~. 20 n tuN dress suit. This. however,
" strictly proper, as the engagement
~. an evening function.
When Dewey was serving on the old
,d'Ssspm he was known as DANDY
S.s..v" because of his weakness for.
t,Ss lie never appeared on deck. even
Sndnr an engagement, without kid
gloves
rsmber OF a guns crew on the Missis-
I'm and the vessel vas ms day In an
.r%rarenert on the Mississippi river in
mi 1852. The two forts, Fort St.
psIEips on one side and Fort Jackson
a, The other, kept up a strong fire on
,ss vessels OF Admiral Farragut's feet,
~ which the Mississippi, sloop OF war.
~,s one, The battle ragged with fury
md the Mississippi was sending both
s,i;a shot and shell into the forts when
d. shot from Fort st. Phillips tora
,brourh a portfolio OF the vessel, took
| ne head completely off one OF the gun.
rsrs and went through the shoulder Of
another.
| fay fee; from Lieutenant Dewey when
| ttey fell 10 rise no more. Jones was
4 ssr!ng the same gun and had every
| eprortuuliy Of witnessing the conduct
| of The young lieutenant. who remained
a, rool rs IL he was on dress parade,
| tra issued his orders to the gunners to
give It to 'em, boys" Dewey wore h,o
Ed gloves In this engagement and
smoked his cigar with as much ulcon-
fsrp as II reclining on the quarter deck
In tine Of peace.
And who ever heard OF Paul Jones or
Stewart or Farragut smoking cigar
cites? Yet Mr.. Dewey Is said to be very
fond Of the little paper-covered rolls.
This fact will do much to destroy his
value as q model fortthe youth Of the
COUNTRY, but in extenuation 1t may be
e,6 that he does not smoke the ordl-
ra.y brands Of cigarettes and 1t must
lie remembered that material heroes
IKE poets have O certain amount Of
license.
These habits. however. are all ac-
CURED ones. while that trait which
makes him OF interest is O natural one.
Nr. Dewey being a natural born fighter.
Up In Vermont, where he came from
originally, they say that as q boy he
was fond Of n good scrap, and ever since
be entered the naval academy he has
teen known as a man who would not
,un away from trouble. When a year.
ling at Annapolis he made n reputation
for himself as a uervy young fellow
who could be depended upon to take
care Of himself, and since that time no
one has given him really good provoca-
ton without %regretting 1t. An incident
that goes to prove this occurred while
he was stationed at the Kittery navy
yard Going Into Portsmouth one day
he met q marine who, full OF! prohlbi-
t!on whisky, was longing for O chance
10 arenge himself upon the admiral for
some tarcled wrong. He would not 90
about his business when advised to do
80: he wanted nothing but fight
Dewey, always an accommodating man,
finally forgot that he was the mans
superior and sailed in, giving him q
most beautiful drubbing. A fresh po-
lcenaa saw the incident and the next
day Judge Plaisted, o relative o. the
only Democratic governor Maine has
Lad IN many years, fined him SIS for the
Job. Dewey paid his assessment with
out a murnur. afterwards explaining
to the Judge that 1t was worth that sum
TO teach the surly marine that his su-
pe.ior officer Is always to be respected.
The marine vas not court-martiale6,
Dewey holding that he had been pun
ished enough.
Now money cannot buy the docket in
which the case is recorded.
When the late war broke out Dewey
was assigned to service on the Colorado
Is executive officer. The Colorado was
IN many respects like the mosquito fleet
e!as present day, being manned large
~ BY men from the merchant marine.
WHO we're thorough sailors. One of
hese men was Lieutenant King, who
now resides In the city OF Lynn. and as
he tells It Dewey was always in trouble
with these men, who insisted that their
experience was worth more than his
theory. But he was q shrewd chap
.tays King. land when he had been six
months aboard he had assimilated
enough Of our knowledge to make him
Inc master Of every mar aboard.
"A popularity Of tho man Is he never
sees nor hears Of anything In his line
iaat he does not understand without at
once proceeding to learn all about II.
ether by questions or hard study.
reasonably, he Is n OF the best EEL
" living; better company one never
mao aboard ship. and he Is Very gencr-
.r.. -----.