The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-24
YOUNG TINKER
The Wheeling Boy Who Fought III
the Battle OF Manila us
A MEMBER OF ASTOR BATTERY
Returns to This City, His Father IIav-
ing Secured His Furl0ugl for Il Few
Days = He Describes Experiences
In the philippIncs-Thc Natives are
Quick TO Mountaineering Expert.
cncc ut Cleveland.

The honor OF having bccn member
OF the famous As,or battery, which
fought SO Rebiy In the battle Of Manila,
Is one that can be boosted OF by only
one Wheeling bog and his name is Geo.
X. Tinker, son OF II. G.. Tinker, OF the
Island; and his friends In the city will
learn with pleasure that ne returned
home Sunday night. well and hearty,
with not even 4 scratch. although he
was in the thick OF the fight around
InnIla.
Mr. Tinker was seen yesterday and
talked cntortainingly of his experience
in the Philippines. He recounted the
famous battle and It's result. how the
battery preceded the infantry and
poured death and destruction into the
ranks of the Spanish forces und finally
caused them 10 capltulate. The battery
lost n large number OF men. greater In
proportion. in fact. than the Rough
Riders sustained In their Cuban CAM
pa!gn.
In speaking OF the country and its
people Mr.. Tinker says the treatment
accorded the Americans Is very cordial,
probably forced owing to the fact that
Admiral Dcwey's guns are SO formidable
and have taught such nevcr-to-bc-
forgotten lesson that the natives know
nothing but the greatest civility when
they meet or address one of Uncle SENS
bots. The natives are described as in
dolent and careless. but ut the same
time possess an aptitude for learning
that Is rot common, among the irhab-
itants Of most tropical countries. The
feeling has urown Tor Independence. but
1t is being fathercd by ambitious lead
ers who are not capable to handle the
natives. and it is doubtful even should
this country grant their desires at once
that AEuinaldo would BE- given the pow
err TO wea: the "th-ee-eTed peacock
feather"
So far as Mr.. Tinker observed or
heard. there were no uprlsings to speak
of. The only thing of the kind men
toned was that nj lloilo. which is five
hundred miles distant. and the reports
he heard were even more meagre thar
the Associated Press dispatches in the
American papers The city of Manila
as described by Mr.. Tinker. IS one 81
the olGen type, with narrow streets and
buildings such as We used to see in the
school biographies. Oriental sports are
the fad. and 1t keeps the boys In blue
busy trying to learn new games as wei
as the native and Spanish languages.
When AstOr'S battery was ordered
homo the members we're envicd by every
soldier In camp and many were the
messages sent by the boys TO their loved
ones at home. They are al! anxious TO
get back home and rumorS OF ai kinds
are anoat regarding just how long the
several regiments are booked 10 stay
there. The .Asto- battery was ordered
back 70 New York and BY reques. Mr..
Timer was granted permission TO leave
the command al Cleveland for 4 few
days visit - his home in this city. The
battery will remain in New York until
Il is mustered out OF the service, which
is expected 10 take place before this
week has passed.
Mr.. Thinkers rather annoying expert
cnce at Cleveland. where he met his
son. IS thus told in the Cleveland
Leader:
After thu train bearing the Astor bat
tery left the depot and had been on It's
way toward New York for some time,
an elderly gentleman rushed down the
stairs Of the Union passenger station
with a look of anxiety on his face He
hastencd 20 the Ga.eman and asked
whether the train bearing the Astor
battery had arrived. The Eateman told
him that the train was gone. The gen.
leman Showed that he was greatlS dis
appointed by the news.
He was II. G. Tinker. general sales
agent for the Wheeling Iron and Steel
company, of Wheeling. lie had planned
n pleasant surprise for his son. who Is
in the battery. and whom he had not
seen for many months. Hearing tina; his
son would pass through Cleveland en- his
way from Manila he procured 7crmis-
sion from the government f1r his son to
leave the battery AZ Cicvcl land and to
accompany his father home. NJ. Tinker
came to Cleveland FRIDAY and stopped
Il; the Colonial hotel.
The train bearing the battery changed
Its time schedule and In that manner
SIR. Take" missed his son. and the
surprise was partly SPOILED. \ telegram
was sent TO AshtabHla. and the y1HnE
man returned on the ncSI train TO
Cleveland. whore he was met b. his
fn,ker at the depot. They would have
also missed the Cleveland. Loraln &.
Wheeling train for Wheeling. In the
afternoon had It not been held b. the
r"''"oaG officials until tue arrival OF the
soldier.