The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-14
DEWEY IN A DIME NOVEL.
Some Thrilling incidents That the
Muse of History Missed.
From the Kansas City Star.

From the Kansas City Star.
1t has come sooner than the most hope
full expected. Dewey and Sampson have
broken into the dime novels and nickel
libraries and other dreadful literature of
the kind. Fortunately, the song writes
have not grasped the situation yet Tho
only Dewey song up to this time is en-
titled Didn't Dewey Thing to Them"
OF course, there is plenty of war music,
but only one Dewey song so far. There
are any quantity of Maine songs, about
sweethearts who went down with that
gallant ship. etc, but by far the greater
number of songs relate to the flag There
Is only one Dewey march, but there is
plenty of time yet for others.
Admiral Dewey would be much inter-
ested in the accounts of his naval career
as served up in the dime novel. In
these stories Dewey is only a hero of
the second magnitude. The real hero is
things. One of these Dewey dime novels
is entitled "Dewey's. Cabin Boy; or, The
Hero of the Fleet Story of the Great
Battle in Manila Bay"
The first-page Illustration shows Jack
that's the young hero-handing a cup of
coffee TO the admiral who is spick and
span as II he were on his way to a naval
station hop. short distance away a
Spanish cruiser is firing a broadside at
him, while in the middle distance two
Spanish ships are burning like Fourth Of
July bonfires. Between the Olympia and
the Spanish fleet the bay is covered with
fountains where the shells from Span
ish guns have fallen short and are kick
ing up the water. Jack every young
cnap who runs away to sea and becomes
a dime novel hero is called jack has just
sunk Spanish Ship or two from the
fighting top of the flagship He had gone
there against he admiraTs orders, and
when the gunners were overcome he took
charge of things and plunked a hot shot
in the right place. AS he hands the ad-
miral his fighting stimulant 'the grim
warrior looked at him with amazement
in his handsome face, for the lieutenant
just told him that he was the one who
had destroyed the crew of the Spanish
ship which was going down.
On the first page are vignettes of Dewey
and Jack Starr, the hero, and a small
picture of Jack tossing a burly Spanish
sailor into the air. The story gives the
details of the battle of Manila with
freedom and particularly that no newspa-
per has been able to do. Perhaps, how
ever, this is the fruit of the authors
Imagination.
Here is a description of the hero. You
will notice that he is living up to his til
tie. He is the son of a poor widow:
Jack Starr, the cabin-boy, was the
son of a poor widow up in Vermont, the
home of the commodore. He was but IA
years old when he first went to sea with
the commodore, a small, slender, blue
eyed lad. who loved the commander as
father, and believed him to the greatest
captain who ever sailed ship. He grew
stronger, till now he was tanned like an
old salt and as familiar with a ship as
the oldest tar af1oat."
The sailor talk in the story so savors
of the salt sea that it actually makes one
thirsty.
"Shiver my hulk, messmates," says the
old bos'in, but here's everlasting friend
ship for Jack to the last shot in the lock-
err
Here is another situation and a bit of
dialogue to show the wonderful familiar
ity of the author with the Spanish Ian
guage:
Jack and the bosIn went ashore to-
gether, and after roaming about the city
for some time the latter went into a sa-
loon for grog, leaving Jack waiting for
him outside. The youth stood apart, gaz-
ign at people passing in quiet way, when
two Spanish sailors came reeling by, both
being the worse for liquor.
Recognizing the nationality by his uni
form, the Spaniards stopped and leered
at him, and enc said to the other:
'Caramba! here's an Americanor'
'Diablos!' Kissed the other. 'yesl Run
into the pirate, mattel" and he made a
rush at Jack, who sprang aside to let
him pass The sailor nearly fell but re-
covered himself and rushed at him again,
aiming vicious blow at his face.
Jack lodged him again.
HE knew they were Spaniards from
the words, 'caramba' and 'diablos,' they
had used"
There are other Dewey dime novels in
the book-stalls many more on the press
and a host being penned.
OF the Sampson stories one of the most
thrilling Is entitled, Young Bob Samp-
son, or At1oat With the Fighting Admir-
al" It tells the weird adventures of an
orphan boy who was moved by the wrongs
of the CuDans to enlist in the navy. He
has just been refused by the recruiting
officer when he meets a colonel in the
army who was clerk in a gunstore the
last time Bob met him. The colonel is on
a dangerous mission. and orders the re-
cruiting officer to accept Bob There IS
pretty girl in the story named Nettie
Browning, who worships Bob in a perfect
ly maidenly' ways. Oh it's just glorious!
Well Bob meets the admiral and they
discuss the coincidence of name. il hasn't
come out as yet, but IT'S sugar coated pills
to cannon balls that Bob is the admirals
long-lost nephew.
The last thing before the brutal "con-
tinued in our next comes is an exciting
episode, in which Bob, having taken the
admiraTs glass. sees shell coming di-
rectly toward Sampson from a Spanish
batteship. Bob drags the admiral back
in time to save his life. This incident
entirely escapes the newspapers. A PIC
ture on the first page of the instalment
of the story shows the immense power of
Bob, for he has the admiral off his feet
by a mere touch of his right hand In
the picture the admiral has on his white
gloves and very properly, is dressed to
kill.
Admiral Sampson appears in another
thrilling story called Yankee Doodle
With Admiral SIMPSONS Fleet; or, Scout
ing for the Admiral" This is probably
the warmest story in the lot, for the hero
meets and falls in love with Senorita Inez
who returns his regards But all these
stories must be read 10 be thoroughly APP
preciated-no mere description is ade-
quate. And after reading them, one will
have more details-rich, warm details-of