The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-17

ais hung from his breast. medals that
had been awarded him for bravery. !
committed the solecism OF admiring one
OF these which hung separately, the
other four being attached to one bar.
To express admiration for anything IN
the possession Of a Spanish gentleman
IL wrong. as I learned subsequently.
Etiquette demands that the article
which has been admired must be pre-
scented 10 the person who has adj
mired a..
The next day I was somewhat sur
prised to receive at my hotel a small
package containing the medal. accom-
panied by "A note from Colonel san
Martin. begging ne to accept IL as a
slight token of his esteem and express
ing the hope that ! should always re-
m the donor. ] again visited the
barracks to thank him In person. and
was more than ever impressed by the
pathos of the old rams position.
In the meantime | had met quite a
number Of our own officers. and the
case of Colonel San Martin was a mat
ter Of frequent conversation. Finally a
scheme TO aid him was preached, and
! was permitted to asst In carrying IL
out.
Letters were received from General
Brooke. Colonel De Russy and other
officers prominent i'm the Porto Rican
campaign. explaining IN minute detail
all the military maneuvers and show ng
the futility of any course other than
that pursued by Colonel San Martin.
These letters were gladly furnished,
for the fate Of the old Spanish warrior
had made a deep impression upon our
officers.
ON oct. 22 Colonel San Martin sailed
for Spain on the transport Montevldeo.
Despite the fact that he was armed
with the letters from the American OFF,
GERS. ] know he felt his case to be ut
terly hopeless. ! could see Ii i'm his
face as he bade me farewell before go
Ing aboard the vessel that was to bear
him 10 Spain. I had further evidence
of II when 7 returned to my hotel.
There I found a bundle awaiting me.
and on opening II I found the Old colo
nel's gold braided coat. with the four
remaining medals still pinned upon its
breast. | had been enabled to do him
n service. he wrote. and he hoped !
would do him the honor tn accept his
coat and medals. That waN all. But
IL clearly showed that he felt he was
going home to die the death of a trail
tor.
The majority Of the medals worn by
officers in the Spanish army are pur-
chased by themselves. The govern
ment has an economical system of sim
ply giving for conspicuous bravery a
certificate emitting the bearer TO wear
a iitudi VI ~ ttilhin utEIft. anu lt
officer. II he is wealthy enough. pur-
chases IL.
The diamond shaped medal was given
in 1873 for bravery in the Cuban Ten
Years War. The one surmounted by
the laurel wreath Is of unusual value
1t Is the insignia Of the order of Isa-
bel the Catholic. which dates back to
the days OF Columbus. and is only
awarded for conspicuous services. 1t is
always awarded personally by the king
or queen. The separate pendant is OF
the order OF Ferdinand VII. and ranks
third i'm the scale OF honor.
This veteran of spain goes back to
his native LAND TO be made a sCapseoaT
Of by his superior officers at san Juan.
our " officers In Porto Rico are anN-
iously hoping to hear that their efforts
in his behalf have borne good fruit. and
that the sentence of the court martial
be averted.
But. in view Of what has transpired.
7 fear their hopes will prove i'm vain.
They have their own way Of doing
things in Spain. and even now the
bones of the old warrior may be mould
ering i'm "A ~dishonored grave.