The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-09
FRED FUNSTON 5 LIE
Continued from Second Page.
said the youth.


The number of the Record was pulled
out from under the bed and the decision
was found and the Congressman-elect
went to bed happy that night.
Fred Funston was the best speller in the
Maple Grove school. Spelling is an i'm
portant accomplishment in country schools,
and as he was ahead of his class in all
other things he likewise led the pupils of
Maple Grove school in spelling. He had
an extraordinary memory. He could recite
every line of Scotts Lady Of the Lake
''He can recite every word of it today"
said his father.
With such close application TO study
and such a tenacious memory Fred Fun
ston finished at Maple Grove schoo. at an
earlier age. than most if the other pu-
pills and was then sent to ATTEND school
in lola in 1884 at the age of 10 Years. He
rode from his home to the school in town
every morning and back every evening.
He went mounted on a buckskin broncho.
1t was a vivacious Ettle pony from the
plains of Texas. No one else on the farm
could ride it, but Fred Funston would
mount it in the stable yard every morn
ing, and every morning it would cavort
around for awhile in frantic effort to
dislodge him. Then when it would find
it couldn't get him out of the saddle It
would go off on run, never slackening
its pace until it had carried him to
school. On the return trip it would cover
the distance as if it was being run in a
race, and the next morning it would be
as eager as ever to throw its master in
the stable yard. But it never threw him.
Two years of study at the lola High
school was sufficient to give him a di-
ploma and he was graduated in 1856
Fred Funston became school teacher
and was master of a district school in
Carlyle township one term. He had de-
cided to become a teacher, so as to be-
come the sooner able to contribute to the
expense of the family He attended the
gatherings of the teachers of the county
and studied the technicality of peda-
gogy. After teaching a single term he
changed his mind and decided to become
man of business. He went 10 Lawrence
and entered a commercial college. He
studied there for a few months and again
he shifted his course. He concluded this
time he wanted to take the classical
course, and was entered as a student in
the State University at Lawrence. HIS
career at the university was not marked
by application to the course lad down
for him. He was as studious as ever. but
not in the directions that earn distinc-
ton in the regular classes. He remained
a student at the university for two years
and left before he was graduated.
This point in the career of Fred Fun
ston is where the greater romance of his
life had irs inception. One of the "coeds'
at the university was a Spanish girl of
rare beauty and of a family of great
wealth. Her name is recalled by the peo-
pie Of lola, but it does not matter. She
drtfted across the path of Fred Funsto 5
life and she dropped out of his horizon,
but she altered the course of his way for
all time Whenthe vacation period came
in the university she went to lola. which
was something of a summer resort be-
fore the air became laden with the smoke
Of the zinc smelters, and the devotion
Fred Funston paid to the Spanish beauty
at school he continued to ally at her feet
when she came to the summer resort.
She could speak English only imperfefct-
ly, and he began the study of Spanish
that he might the better converse with
her, and being able to thus commune he
would be the better able to distance the
scores Of suitors in her train. He studied
Casulian with his usual diligence in
study, but when the time came that he
coull bring it on his tongue the CasuEian
queen had concluded her course of study
and had gone. leaving him only the mem
ory of her charms.
1t IS also true that he had other loves
that are known to the people of Carlyle
township. They were the gentle affairs
of less mature years. but they were suf-
ficient to be still remembered by those
who know the parties to the suits one OF
the girls who attended the Maple Grove
school was Gertie Christian She was tbs
prettiest girl of the district. Fred Fun
| ston held this opinion too. and as they
grew up together his admiration for hei
! increased At last a time came wher
| she failed to see the greatness that wa:
IN him, and she elected to go to tn,
/ church societies with another, and now
! she IS married to lawyer named Calhoun
/ who lives in a town in Iowa
/ With the passing of Gertfe Christian
/ from his heart another came to receiv,
/ hs devotions. This was also a school
mate of Maple Grove district and Ike
I wise daughter of a ne.ghbor farmer
! Lizzie Schreck. who was also a prett,
/ girl. They went 10 church socis bles an,
| parties, as he had gone with Gertie Chris
! tian, and folks began 10 note their gentle
| ness toward each other. Again a dream
waws broken, and LIZZIE Schreck saw
more oadmire in Howard Reed than il
/ Fred Funston. She became Mrs. Howar,
Reed after turning he- back on her form
er sutton. and lives happily in Colony
Kan, where Howard Is a prosperous tin
/ ner.
/ Whatever effect these two ear,ier love.
had on his life Is not taken 50 much int,
account as the affair with the lowell
! daughter Of Castle People recau IN thi
| connection that when the first CRY cam
from Cuba for help the rejected lover O
/ the Spanish girl was one ri the first !,
volunteer 70 strike at Spanish power 7
! was ais services with Carciars ruar3fs--
that gave him the shoulder s,rars of
co-ouei when war With span was 6eclar
ed Il was tbs that gave him the chanc
. carve his way - glory IN the Is,e O
I-uzon.
Other adventures - hazardous So
were found By Fred Fslusr7n before p
went To fight VT hthe mamh IN cuba
II the summer u 1sSs w1se san 4 stu
dent at Lawrence. he vseat 20 CoI0rad d
ard aftec exploring some PAGES in II
Rocky mountains thai wee e5ssscaf g
access. he became a Essl1e 10 earn nn.one
u hep pay his exp@1ses
Two years after this his father. whse
nasn5e- % congress =ec1red as apzosF4t