Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-05-19
KNEW HE WOULD WIN
COMMODORE DEwEY'S PROUD SON
EXPECTED VICTORY.

EXPECTED VICTORY.
For He Knows His Father Believes eff a
Things Worth Doing, It's Worth Doing
Well"-The Commodore's Love For AMI
mails and Faith In the Navy-His Tastes
OF all the proud citizens of the United
States the proudest is young George
Goodwin Dewey, son and only child of
the acting and active rear admiral who
smashed the Spanish feet at Manila.
Young Dewey literally worships the
deck his father walks on. And besides
his natural pride in his gallant fathers
achievements, the young man has the
most delightful confidence in his parent,
the kind of supreme confidence you see
when very small boy clasps his IA
theirs hand and, full Of love for him
and trust in him, toddles along by his
side.
"When I heard the feet had sailed
for the Philippines, said young Dewey
the other night, 81 knew my father
would win. knew before the battle he
would win. I know linn SO we'll, you
know-his determination. OF course
I'm delighted and proud that he did
win, but it doesn't astonish me-"
This young Dewey who so believes
in his father is perhaps 20 years old.
He is we'll set up fellow of medium
height, with fine white teeth, an aqui-
line nose and jet black hair and mus
tache. He has piercing eye that looks
straight at you-an eye like his ia
theirs, of which the old Vermonter said,
"Would look through stun post.
1t was only Dewey's proud affection
that overcame his natural reticence the
other night and induced him to talk of
his father. Understand that the young
mans mother died when he was very
young, and of course he has not seen as
much of his father as have other young
men. But separation has only endeared
him.
'The last time I saw my father, -
said young Dewey, twas last year,
! when he was president of the board of
inspection and survey Of the navy. He
was made one of the board to go on the
trial trip of the Iowa, and he was away
! on her for As hours. He had then al
ready been put in command of the
Asiatic squadron, and when he went
away FROM New York we shook hands
at the depot and said:
'Goodby, father. You know hope
you will have most successful cruise.
He said: oh, yes, George, I think I
will. You know, I'll be the first COM
modore to command the Asiatic squad
ron since Perry. There ought to be
something in that. And he laughed,
shook hands with me again and went
away on his train" Then young Dew
ey laughed frankly, happily, and said
"You know, admirals have commanded
the Asiatio squadron since Perry made
us acquainted with the Japanese. Well,
father left the United States from San
Francisco on Dec. last and sailed to
Nagasaki, where he hoisted his flag on
the Olympia on Jan. l.. got letter
from him in which he said he had been
presented to the emperor of Japan and
afterward to the empress. He said he'd
had long interview with the emperor.
He's very fond Of Japanese, and in his
letter he praised their enterprise and
progressiveness. He greatly admired
the efficiency of their navy, and he told
me he would write me longer letter
about them. But the next letter I got
from him was mighty short. He said
he was very busy"
every busy!" The Spaniards now
know why Dewey was every busy"
IF there is any one man who believes
in the navy, it is my father, tell you.
He knows the men, and he knows the
ships, and he thinks there is none bet.
ter of either. He is strict disciplinari-
an too. A man can't disobey him with.
out being punished for it. But on til.
other hand, if he is wrong he is very
quick to say so. have heard great
many nice things about my father, and
l must say have never heard him say
a bad thing about any man in the
navy
Young Dewey was getting warmed
up to his subject, was forgetting his reti-
cence. 81 must tell you,' he went on,
his fine teeth showing in smile, "that
fathers mighty proud Of his state, Yer
mont. If any glory or credit comes to
him, he will want Vermont to share it.
l wouldn't be surprised if Lieutenant
William Winder would share it too. ]
hope SO. Lieutenant Winder is my
cousin, my aunts son. He's navigator
of the Raleigh, of fathers fleet. Father
thinks him good officer and a skillful
navigator.
"And you want to know something
about father on shore, eh? Well, the
one thing be loves to do on shore is tc
ride horseback. He always has saddle
horse. For long time he had mare
named Nancy. She had blue grass
pedigree, and father was very fond OF
her. But he is fond of all animals.
Don't let him see you beat a horse OF
whip dog. He'd never let old Nancy
go faster than walk over asphalt OF
cobblestunes. Nancy got SO old that he