The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-14
WAR SCENES Al KEY WEST.
Some of the stories which Are Being
Made and Told.


Key West Letter in New York Post
Those who expected that this war, from
the sensation it would awaken, must do
something for art and much for literature,
have had a foretaste similar to that expe-
Tienced by those who thought it was going
to be "a boon 10 business" There are here
on the scene. eagerly observant-some with
retinue of servants and a cavalcade, and
some with no aids TO comfort and more
daring than talent-many notabintes in IL
Illustrative art, storytelling, and historical
writing, hoping the sounds of battle and
sight of blood win give strong value 10
what they do; but, so far as one may judge
from published specimens and stray
sketches and pages of manuscript, either
the technical equipment is lacking or the
inspiration tarries.
Whatever issues from the campaign In
the shape of literature is evidently to be
much tlnctured with Kipling or with Capt
Charles King. In the bookstores of Tam
pa and Key West there are few volumes
of Kipllng left for, like most of the works
Of Capt. King they have been packed in
the grips of the correspondents and story
NfltefS. klpHnS is especially SLuQltus
his Soldiers Three" is known almost by
heart by the followers of the army, and
choice lines from his "Destroyers," which,
by the way is read with relish by torpedo
boat officers are scrubbed on the berths
of all who follow the navy
One who spent several days on a warship
was especially impressed with the "oppor-
tunities' yielded by the iacles. They are
unique, individual quite as interesting IN
character as the military Tommy Atkins
of Britain" he said; land they have not
been done Among the officers of the
navy there is the most perfect fearlessness
] can imagine and il communicates itself
to the jackes, who lake ventures by habit,
regardless of results. Let me tell you
something that concerned me closely, which
may illustrate this in a mild way. / was
climbing down the side of the New York,
when the rope 1 held to gave way where
H. was knotted.
Il felt ii loosen--it was quite distance
from where / was to the boat tossing
alongside below-and l shouted to the
jackie underneath to look out, get away,
l was falling He simply ducked his head,
stffened his back into a curve, and caught
me q weigh lS2 pounds full and fair, so
that l rolled into the boat unhurt
might have broken his back. But he was
ali right, and had perhaps saved my life
What should l say? What should ! do?
l couldn't thank a man like that
couldn't offer him money SO l just turn
"a az him, and in language he best under
stands said You - - fool don't you
know anv better than that? Why, your
sUn-of-a-gun, you might have been kill
ed And by his face / knew that my ac-
Acknowledgements had been fifty spoken
One can imagine the story-teller-who
prefers by the way, to be called a war cor
Notwithstanding this up so that Il
would appear rather fine; but to me, APP
preciatiyo as I am already of the quality
OF our jacl1ies, the interesting thing about
the happening is the glimpse il gives of
the quality of one of the most privately
pctted and publicly picked upon of Ameri-
can hcuonists. In the episode which an
other story writer described TO me as the
one which touched his fancy deepest, there
appears to be little that any observer
would not have recognized as a human
interest" and picturesque detail He is a
man whose subjective delineation of the
element of courage in a fighter won him
celebrity. He was one evening at dinner
in the junior mess; they had finished cot
fee, and were smoking. and one young Of
licer was rafting off a gay song at the
piano. while others were as he expressed
suddenly down the hatch came the bull
roar of the bo'sun s-mate:
Man the port batteres!'
Instantly everybody grew as serious az
HI" he said, in his talking, not in his
writing style. 1--WE ALI rushed on deck; but
finding the ship was merely firing at a
company of cavalry on shore, we watched
tine shooting moment or two. Then
those not required for duty returned to the
mess room and took up their songs and
jests where they had been interrupted
Meanwhile the string band Kept on play
ing at the door of the wardroom, though
every little while overwhelmed by the
of ba e