The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-09
Cracks a Joke and Tells
a Lively Story.
POSSESSES GOOD TEMPER
In That Respect He Is Very Much
Like Admiral Sampson.
HE IS A CONTINUOUS STUDENT.

NEW YORK, May Especial Though
Commodore Dewey is neither O native nor
resident of this town, New York may
almost lay claim to him as a son by adop-
tion since bo is a member of the Univer-
sity club, where no has many wa-m friends
and enthusiastic admirers
There thcy say he is much such man
as Admiral Sampson, with this difference:
Sampson never jokes and, In fact, hardly
seems to know joke from funeral yarn,
while Dewey not only recognizes jokes
when he hears them, but Is constantly
perpetrating them on his own hook.
Moreover, his jokes arc really funny. which
is good deal more than can be said of
the alleged to DO humorous remarks of
most men.
Like Sampson, Dewey is a good looking
man--the Indies who know him say strik-
ingly so--and his good looks are much en-
hanced by his pleasant smile. In dress he
is particular and In person neat. In man.
ner he is the pink of courtesy. In style he
is counted the swellest officer belonging
to Uncle Sans navy, and he cuts good
deal of social figure wherever he is.
y
good time. He even likes to dance and is
genuine ornament to any ballroom floor.
He doesn't look his age by any means,
and not one of his friends here likes to be-
lieve him more than 55 or 81 at the out
side. He makes good speech and Is an
especially happy after dinner talker. He
spins yarns with the same facility that be
cracks jokes, and the best Of 1t is that
most Of his stories are new. When other
wise they always contain some new point
or unexpected twist which gives them all
the charm Of novelty, SO that AN old story
by Dewey is better than bran new one
told by most anybody else" as one Of his
friends put it to me this morning.
Personal Popularity.
81 don't want you to think Commodore
Dewey lacking In dignity from what
have told you. said the acquaintance from
whose talk I gathered the material for
these paragraphs, "for at the proper time
he is dignity personifled, and on shipboard
his enforcement of discipline is as rigid as
that of any other officer in the navy. Per-
haps 1t would not be out of the way to say
that he is the strictest disciplinarian
among Uncle Sans sea fighters. At the
same time 1t is not true, as some of the
papers have said, that he is mot overpop-
ular with the under officers and men,. As
matter of fact, while he insists on hav.
ing things exactly as he wants them, his
courtesy Is SO pronounced and his treat
ment of every one aboard ship from the
boys up Is SO uniformly fair that he is
really one of the most popular officers
afloat.
"Like Admiral Sampson, Commodore
Dewey Is remarkably close student, 7" the
speaker continued. His study of ord
nance and OF the laws governing explo-
sives has been especially profound. II
there's any man living who knows more
about the theory of gunnery, I'd like to
hear Of him. 1t isn't necessary for me to
say anything concerning his practical
knowledge of this subject. He has made
his own demonstration in this direction.
"Like Sampson, Commodore Dewey Is
man Of great determination. 1t has long
been a saying In the navy that when
Dewey sets out to do certain thing It's
going to be dono unless something breaks.
You see, he mixes brains with his deter
mination and, while he has sometimes
been spoken of as ono likely to take des-
perate chances the truth Is that the
chances are really in his favor before he
goes ahead, though they might be against
less ablo man in similar circumstances.
Not Blustcrcr.
"In still another respect Commodore
Dewey resembles Admiral Sampson.
Dewey Is no blusterer. In truth no is ap-
parently about the mildest man you'd
meet IN week. He never makes bluff,
and he never uses violent language. 1t
may be that he used a big, big ID or two
whilo tho fight was on at Manila, but
doubt It. / have known him fairly well
for nearly 20 years, and 1 hnvo never heard
him swear once. And never heard him
brag He Is about as different from Fight
ing Bob Evans as you could well imagine.
though don't mean any disparngement
to Evans when ! make this comparison.
Both are brave men and able officers, but
they are of exactly opposite types.
Unlike Sampson, Dewey Is quick both
In speech and movement but he Is mighty
careful to bo cure he's right before no goes
ahead, and, like Sampson, he Is man OF
unusually strong convictions on most top
ios. And thero isn't an officer in the navy
that Is jealous Of tho promotion OF either
to the rank Of admiral"
Dewey IL Fond of sport.
Commodore Dewey Is unlike Admiral
Sampson In being good deal OF sports
man. Dewey likes TO shoot game as well
as Spaniards, and fishing Is one of his
greatest delights. Ho is likewise an en-
thusiastic horseback rider, and, according
to recently published interview with his
son, grew TO have such an affection for bis
favorite saddle marc, Nancy, fino. high
strung creature in her youth, with the
bluest sort of blue grass pedigree, that
he refused point blank to sell her mt any
price when she grew too old to carry him
longer, turned her out to graze In the
summers and arranged TO have her ten
derly cared for In tho winters for the re-
mainder Of her natural life.