The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-28
LESSON OF DEWEY'S LIFE. |
STORY WORTHY OF TEN STUDY
OF EVERY AMERICAN

Here 10 story Of Dewsy's life up 10 the time
that he became the most famous naval hero Of
the latter end OF the nineteenth century and
took his place in history beside John Paul
Jones and Nelson and Farragut. whose pupil ne
was II 10 worthy OF the study OF every Amerl.
can boy and girl as well as that OF every
Am erican elder. for In It Is lesson In Amerl.
can citizenship.
The man over whom the whole country has
gone more or less daft who lie to-day hailed as
the greatest living fighter and who Is receiving
such honors as no other living American ever
has received. had nothing In his early life or
environment to make him a fighter. In q
sense he came Of fighting stock. but only In the
sense that nearly oil American boys and girls
come OF fighting stock. His great grandfather
was corporal In the Contn entail army and his
grandfather was q soldier In the Revo-
luton. Those were the days when all
patriotic American citizens were fighters.
But Dewey's father was not fighter. Those
relatives OF his who were living when he was
born we're none OF them fighters and had mono
OF them been fighters. Dewey himself choose
fighting for his profession when there was
little fighting to be done. When the time came
for fighting to be done. he got right into the
thick OF II. He developed that most valuable
OF all qualities stick-to-lt-iveness." Having
chosen fighting as his profession he stuck to
IT, only bemoaning now aud then the fate that
he felt was his. that his biosraphsr would
write Entered Annapolis, 1854: retired. Rear
Admiral. 1908"
He lacked opportunity and feared the worst.
When opportunity came he had the requisite
am bition and SUFFICIENT nerve and courage to
grasp It and to-day he has honor the like OF
which even the President OF the United States
cannot command for he Is an idol that the
younger generation worship and the older gen.
GRAFTON look up to. Dewey 10 unlike most
Americans who have become great fighters in
this. that he was the son OF well-to-do parents.
that he had before him an opening in the bust
ness world that promised in money returns
thousand dollars to the one dollar that was in
sight In the Navy and the outlook ahead OF a life
o'comfort and comparative case. It was neither
necessary nor from worldly standpoint desir.
able that he should devote his life to his
country's service. throwing aside the oppor-
chose his profession and stuck to 1t. To-day.
in reputation at least. he ranks the naval off,
GERS Of the world.
Dewey was born at Montpelier. VT in q hpe
old colonial house across the way from the
Vermont State House. Dawey's father. DR..
Julius Yemans Dewey. was the leading ply
sician OF the city. He had been born on a
farm. had spent his early life working on his
fathers farm and then had studied medicine.
putting oil the energy that he possessed intoit.
Dewey the elder had wonderful energy and
whom he undertook anything he put oil OF that
energy into the undertaking. which probably
accounts for the fact that though he started
late to be doctor. once he started he became
tho leading doctor. Dewey was born the day
after Christmas. 1887. He had two brothers
older than himself and both OF them are stll
alive. one having attained large fortune and
retired from business. and the other being
president Of a life insurance company which
the elder Dewey founded.
George Dewey. when boy. was merely one
OF four children OF a town doctor and later OF a
successful business man. for the elder Dewey
NJ ade up his mind that there was more money
In tho life insurance business than there was
In the medical profession and he founded the
National Life Insurance Company. This was
beiors George Dewey had chosen his profess
sion. and at the time he did choose. the life in
surance business had grown and was success.
full 1t was to that business and into his
fathers company that he would naturally
Gravitate. There was life OF ease and riches
in it for him. Deweys father was a religious
man and his children were brought up
with the strlctsst respect for the church.
Their third boy. who Is now the Ad-
miral. was not model OF goodness
by any means. There was nothing OF the
Lord Fauntleroy about him. He had bean
shooters and shot the chickens. He had putty
blowers and blew paper wads. carefully chewed.
at tho heads OF his elders. He playeC hockey
and ran of to steal swims and he did most OF
the other things that good. sound American
boys do when they get streaks OF Satan in
them. In his school life 1t 10 not recorded that
l. k.t4 Nhon IA to fall1 Tbo
Zebina X Pangborn. now a most respected
resident Of jersey City, was ono OF his teachers
and found It most desirable and necessary to
thump him to maintain the disc pline OF the
school. He did 1t SO we'll that Dewey remem-
bers 1t TO this day and since he got vengeance
on the Spaniarus. he has himselftold the story
Deweys mother died when he was q boy and
his stepmother had the management OF him,up
to the time that he m ade up his mind to 60 to
the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
His schooling. begun in the public schools at
Montpelier. was continued in the academy at
Johnson. Vt. and then at the Norwich Univer.
sity. He entered the university In 1851. and
it Is not recorded that he was above the ordi-
nary pupil there. He paid more attention to
his clothes than he did to his lessons. He was
a favcrite with the girls and he was the leader
OF tho element In his GLASS that gavo the
teacher most trouble. II there was any fight
Ing going on, Dewey was generally In it and
In the row that always exists In q college town
between the local boys and the college boys.
Dewey was the leader OF the college boys.
Take 1t altogether. II the record is rightly
written. Dewey in his college days was one Of
those boys who give their parents many heart
ache and who keep them worried most OF the
time. wondering what will come next. There
wasn't anything really bad about the boy.
but In truth 1t must be added there
wasn't anything really good about him. either.
He was graduated In 1854. so it will be seen
that Dewey reached the age OF II years Just as
every ordinary boy reaches that age. without
having distinguished himself. without ever
having shown to any marked degree the quail
ties that tho opportunity OF May /. 1898.
brought TO light. He was Just a plain. solid.
everyday American boy. built on American
lines with the grit to take his own part and the
moro or less common ambition OF youth OF that
age to cut loose from the paternal leading
strings. His two brothers. Charles and Ed
ward. who had completed their education. had
gone into business with their father and there
was place reserved for him In the company
a., .luk