The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-06

His transfer to the lighthouse service
was construed as a rebuke. 1t was not
until 1895 that he again received COM
mand of a ship. Schley wears a fine
gold watch. It was voted to him by the
Maryland legislature after his rescue Of
Greedy. More than this he values a
handsome ebony cane with gold head,
given him by the crew of the Baltimore
when he was relieved of the command.
The spokesman chosen by the seamen
on this occasion touched his cap and,
with a scrape of his foot, said, You
know, sir, that when you were an Off
Ger the regulations would not allow us
to give you present, but now that you
have given up the command of the ship
you are only a gentleman "
A Born Fighter.
He is born fighter. Wherever since
the war broke out there has been a
promise of trouble Schley has been pref
ty apt to be on the spot. He is resolute,
resourceful and daring quick to decide
in an emergency and confident in him
self. 1t would always be his instinct in
battle to take the offensive, to strike
the first blow. 1t is said that when he
was appointed to the command of the
flying squadron he went to the president
and begged permission to go to meet the
Spanish fotilla of torpedo boats and
torpedo boat destroyers which had start
ed across the ocean.
He urged that the approaching ar1na-
da could not be regarded otherwise than
as a serious menace. Spain in sending
it was to all intents and purposes COM
hitting an act of war. At the very least
it ought to be stopped and made to go
back. If 1t would not comply with this
command, then it should be attacked.
In 1868 Commodore Schley married
Miss Mamie Franklin of Annapolis, an
attractive young woman of good old
Maryland stock. She is a very jolly and
popular woman, and as ready to dance
or make merry as she was a quarter Of
a century ago. They have three chill
dren, Thomas Franklin, Virginia and
Winfield Scott. The only daughter,
Virginia, married, in 1890, Ralph Gran
vile Montague Stewart Wortley, a
nephew of the Earl of Wharncliffe. If
he cared to stay in England, Wortley
would be no end of a swell. Like young
Paget, W. G. Whitney's son-in-1aw, he
prefers to stay in this country. He is a
hustling American railroad man and
fnancier, with headquarters in New
York, and doesn It use all his names.
schIey Joker.
Several anecdotes are told of Commo-
dore Schley during his younger years
which convey a good idea of his sportive,
jovial character and his keen enjoyment
of a joke He was on the Niagara in
1860 when it conveyed the member Of
the japanese embassy to their home.
The vessel, on her way around Good
Hope, stopped On the coast of Africa,
where the japanese laid in a stock of
monkeys. Old Captain Mexican and the
officers did not object, for it was public
policy then to crafty every wish of the
Japanese. 1t was only Midshipman
Schley and his deck scrubbers who OBJ
jected The monkeys were allowed to
roam about the ship as they pleased.
There were all kinds of monkeys, big
and little. Several huge ringtails would
almost live in the rigging, making fly
ing leaps from footrope to backstay, al
ways catching firmly by their tails. The
monkeys were not pleasant creatures
about the decks and were a subject of
especial aversion to Midshipnan Schley.
One morning Schley had the early
watch, and with a gang of men was
scrubbing down. The monkeys were
full of mischief and were making the
rigging ring with their chattering mock
cry.
Bring me a bucket of slush, - said
Schley to captain of a top. and to an