Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-14
FUNSTON IN COLORADO.
RecolIectfons of Kansas Hero While
at College I'm Denver.

From the Denver Republican.
In his early days Fred Funston the mill
itary idol of Kansas does not seem to have
borne the marks of a great man, nor have 4
promised the career that now is making
his name a synonym for bravery and ener-
gy. A young lady of Denver, who knew |
him in college, describes him as a young
| fellow with ample Individuality but with
| nothing that made him stand out from
among his classmates as fitted to do great 4
| things. Every one knew him, for his char
acteristics were of the stamp that leave a (.
| lasting impression, but he was never al
| leader A hard worker in class politics and
| in fraternity matters, he never was singled
out for any high offices.
He was an Indifferent student and leaned
toward no particular branch. Nor did he
ever take part in athletics, for he wcs too
small for foot ball and too awkward for
base ball. DID,.
ty, from 1883 to 1891, he uugainly in
appearance and maladroit in all his move-
ments. This was due to his peculiar build.
He had broad shoulders and a large head,
but his feet and hands were small as 10
be almost deformed. One of his greatest
tricks was to put a girls glove, which, I
as rule, he could do exceedingly easily. /
His shoes were not more than 51A but this 1
smallness Of foot did not help him when I'll
came to dancing. If there was an OPP
portumty to slip and fall he invariably \
took II, and, being of a rather sensitive 4
spirit, suffered much agony OF mind in con-
sequence. His height was five feet two
Der of nicknames bearing on his diminutive /
stature. From his broad shoulders. big \
head and short, slim legs, his friends called l
him "Banty'-though they admitted at the
time that he had none OF the fighting quali-
ties of that animal. In fact, he was in
clined TO be conciliatory, and had what
temper he was cursed with splendidly UNI
der control. He would stand any amount
of teasing and worrying and naturally,i
from his physical pecularities was a favor-1
lite butt for jokes, which he rarely resented
a If fv-f- a
ting him on his amatory episodes Though
not more addicted TO that sort of thing
than his friends, he had his best girls
whom he took to dances, and on buggy |
rides in the conventional manner of young
Romeo On this score. for he made nd
secret of his doings in this regard he was
guyed numerically. He stood ii all with
grit and self-command that showed the
quality of the man, If not the size. "A
He was not a ladies' man in actions, butt
was such by spirit. Among the girls of the
school he had the reputation of being the
most gallant and most sympathetic of ALI
the college boys. In his every action he
showed a feminine tenderness, which, how
ever, he always tried to conceal, that made
him attractive to the opposite sex. He feltl
he was girlish. From long living on az
ranch away from other boys, he was more
or less his mother boy. From her he
gained his respect for women, and his
somewhat feminine ways. 4
Above all things he was a rebel and an !
innovator. He could not bind himself down
to the regular routine of work, and as a
He never graduated. but left school at the
end of his Junior year. III
During the vacation of his sophomore
year-in the summer of 1SS9-Funston. with
a party of twelve other students from the
University Of Kansas, came to Colorado
and spent several weeks in Estes Parkp
camping near Specimen mountain. 1t was
a hunting and fishing trip. The party
went afoot from Georgetown, carrying all
tents ammunition and supplies on their I
backs One little burro started out with,
her before fhe ffar,sI
was reached. Hunting mountain sheep was
the chief occupation of the campers. Every
member of the party had killed his sheep
but Funston. 4
He was not to be outdone, and started !
out to a canyon some thirty-eight miles
away. He was gone three days from his
companions, but returned with his prize az
little one-year-old eve. He was much
grieved that it was not a buck. In telling
of his adventures afterward, he explained
the great difficulty with him as a hunter
was the habit he had of stumbling and
falling whenever he came within hearing
distance of his game. He admitted that in
order to get within range of the little sheep
he brought back, he had to walk for three
hours in stocking feet over rocks and lava.
Funstons connection with the university
terminated in 1891, when he obtained po-
sition on a geological survey party going
to Arizona. There were three in the party
and the Valley of Death was their destna~
ton. Hardy, thickset, Funston endured the
privations OF the trip-the lack Of food and
water, the excessive heat. and the long,
hard marches, for they went afoot, but the
other two members of the party succumbed,
both dying from the effects of the heat. ~
[ What Funston did member of the
Smithsonian Institution, in Alaska, collect
ing flora of the country, living eight months
alone in the mountains, on tallow; what he
did in Cuba and in the Philippines, now
thrice-told history. Funston's college mates
are not surprised. Funston, as they knew ,
him, was young man of potentialities-s
what he would do, no one could prophesy.
Hotel LeIande, Atlantic City +
The Hotel Lelande. which is directly Cd
the beach. where Massachusetts nvenu0f
ends at Atlantic City. is now omen for MI