The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-04-21
FACTS AND FICTION CONCERNING COLONEL FRED FUNSTON
ST. LOUIS PAPER ADROITLY MIXES POSSIBILITIES AND
IMPROBABILITIES OF HIS CAREER.
Brief Letter From the Philippine Trenches-A Move
ment Toward Mastering Out The Match
less Twentieth Kansas

Last Sunday the st. Louis Republic,
to get In line with the prevailing
style, printed three column illustrat-
ed article about Fred Funston which
reads like a chapter from Nick Carter
written by old Nick himself. The
beauty of the whole thing is the close
union of fact and fancy so that even
his best and closest of friends are at a
loss to know where the line is
drawn.
The story opens with thrilling
account of the recent charge across
the river near Malolos at the head of
the Twentieth Kansas. In the ac-
count of his adventures are included
his running away from home and
sojourn among the Indians with Chief
Black Dog his getting lost in an
Arctic storm, and several other good
tales of hair breadth escapes. Below
Is given a part of the article, the facts
upon which the stories are founded
being probably new to a great many
lola people.
Colonel Funston was born in New
Carlisle, o., November 8, 1865. Three
years later his parents moved to Kan
sas, where they settled in Allen coun-
ty Both of these old people are still
alive and there is no prouder couple
in the county than the father and
mother OF this gallant soldier. And
he is as devoted to them as any son
should be- Each week there comes a
bulky letter from across the Pacific
Sea and when its arrival becomes
known half the neig hhorhood gathers
about to hear the white-haired mother
read the story Of her boys triumphs.
These letters are usually written by
the wife of the gallant Colonel. but he
always finds time to add at least few
lines.
At the age Of - Funston entered
the State University at Lawrence.
His favorite studies We're the Language
es and the sciences. He also had u
great liking for English literature,
but none of his classmates knew he
had any literary ability until the fall
of 1856, when his father was nominal
ed for Congress on the Farmers ALI
ance ticket. The old gentleman had
a magnificent voice, well adapted to
open-air speaking, and the strength
of it gave him the nickname of Fog
horn Funston. The candidate was
not an eloquent man, however, and
his first speeches were not success
One night Foghorn Funston aroused
the entire State by delivering forci-
BILE and even eloquent speech. His
supporters were jubilant, but the cam
paign manager was alarmed. He
sought out his candidate as soon as
the meeting was over, and told him
ne had ruined his chances for election
The old farmer wanted to know how
"Why, the fellow that wrote that
speech will come forward now and ac.
cuse you of plagiarism. That will
spoil your chance" said he.
"No fear of that fellow claiming
credit for his speech" answered Fog
horn. Fred got that up for me-"
And after that the old gentleman
achieved quite reputation as an ora
tor, and today he gives the whole
credit to his son, who prepared his
speeches. Colonel Funston-he was
only plain Fred then-did not always
hide his talent under bushel, how
ever. In 1888 he drifted into Little
Rock, after spending the summer on
a ranch, and applied for place as re.
porter. He was still in his cowboy
clothes, and the editor looked upon
the request as joke. Hegave him q
chance, however, and within few
weeks the cowboy reporter was writ
ing editorials.
The News, for which he was work
ing, was then an organ of influence
among the Democrats of Arkansas
A couple of months after Funston
Wbnb w WOIh lOl ~ bho O"hOi VI 'h'
paper went to meeting of the Demo
cratic State Committee in another
city and left Funston in charge. The
present Colonel is Republican, anc
he was then, and he did not like thu
policy of the paper. Here, he saw
a chance to do something for his par
ty. So the morning after he was lief
to run the paper it appeared with thu
platform of the Republican party a
he head of its editorial columns, anC
beneath this was llong apology TO
the course the paper had followed II
the past The editor wrote that h,
he'd made a great mistake, but h.
had seen the errors of his ways ant
: from that time on he would supper
. the Republican party and its candi