The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-11
HERO, OF THE RIO GRANDE.
FISED FUNSTON'S VALOIt.

The Kansas Soldier Has Won Iii
Spurs in the PhiIippincs-MiIit
: Daring that Has Brought Hin
National 'Famo.
The President has appointed Colone
Frederick Funston, OF the Twentieth
'"' :Kansas,sas q brigadier general OF vol
g.. commended by Maj j0r Gonoral Mac
'..., Arthur and supplemented very strong ly
by General Otis in q cablo dispatch
:. General Macarthur eaid that the ser
vices Of Colonel Funston during the
,Gampaign, and especially in tho cross
Ing OF the Rio Grandc river, deserve
recognition such as hls promotion tc
!; :. be q brigadier general, also that rs a
leader of troops Colonel Funston was
especially valuable. The President
=. recognizes the eervices OF Colonel Fun
'ston, and his first oliicia! act upon re-
turning to Washington WAS to make
- . him Q brigadier general
Since the outbreak Of hosti lites with
the: native Filipinos, the whole coun.
try has admired the daring achieve
ments Of plucky little sandy haired Fred
Funston, colonel OF tao now famous
- Twentieth Kansas. His name Ia on
I the tongue OF every one who admires
true bravery and it will go down in
1ny history for deeds that will rival the
'"'Ehcroes OF ancient or modern times. OF
him it can be said truly that no leads
- r,whilo others ~follow." He is the dar-
ling OF his regiment, because he has
always been the first to volunteer on
any dangerous enterprise. In the last
few days he swan two rivers at the
head OF his devoted band, while bullets
3" Of the savage enemy sang their mes
sages Of death all around him. His
=. crossing the bridge of the Rio Grande,
q 'near Apalit, equaled the conduct Of
Horatius Of old, 80 celebrated in story
and song. With numberless acts Of
almost incredible daring charged up
= :: to his credit, he has infused his spirit
into his followers till one can say,
without cavil and inviaious compari-
sion, that the laurels OF Roosevelt's
Rough Riders look cheap beside those
won by the bravo Kansan and his men,
The ST. Louis Republic gives tho fol-
il 4. lowing account Ol Colonel tunstons
life:
Colonel Funston was b,rn in North
=. Carlisle, Ohio, November 8, 1865.
Three years later mis- parents moved to
s'.Kansas, where they settled ia Allen
~. County. Both OF these Oil people are
still alive, ana there Is no prouder
:, couple In the country than the father
and mother OF this gallant soldier.
= And he is as devoted TO them as any
son could be. Each week there comes
and whom its arrival becomes known
.sha44 the neighborhood gathers about
AfHhear the white haired mother read
, .the storyIof her boys triumphs. These
letters arc usually written by the wife
Of tho gallant colonel, but he always
Mpds time to add at least few lines.
"a; Mrs. Fred Funston, who is with her
.hAsbsnd in the Philippines, has been
his wife but q few months. Last wear.
while tho Twentieth Kansas was at
Camp Merriam, near San Francisco,
= Miss Edna Biankard, of Oakland,
visited the encampment with her
father, who was a soldier during the
civil war. She was introduced to Col,
Eunston, and he, apparently as hard q
lighter in love as in war, wooed and
o" won her. Three weeks later they
were married and she accompanied her
husband to Manila.
Colonel Funston's adventures began
before he was eighteen years old.
While attending the county school in
Allen County, he ana two other bows
decided 1t would be much pleasanter
to live with the Indians than to go to
school ard do chores about tho farm.
They secured three guns and aquantity
OF ammunition, and gathering q supply
OF food started out to find q camp of
native Americans, who were often seen
about that part Of the country at that
time.
Finally they came to the Usage re-
servatiOn, where Black Dog Was chief.
There the youthful adventurers took
np there residence and remained for
= two months, until found by their
parents and forced to return home.
The boys were loath to leave the camp,
o. as they had become great friends with
the Indians. This friendship was
never forgotten by tho old chief Black
:. Dog, and only q few years ago he sent
h messenger asking Col. Funston to
visit him. Col. Funston went back
with the messenger and remained
nearly week with his old friend,
much TO the warrior's'delight
At the ago of ninetecn Funston en-
tered the State University at Law
rence. His favorite studies were the
languages and sciences. In 1883 he
- drifted into Little Rock, after spend
ing the summer on q ranch, and ap-
plied for q place as reporter. He was
still in his cowboy clothes, and the
editor looked upon the REQUEST as p a
joke. He gave him a chance, however,
and within few weeks the cowboy re-
porter was writing editorials.
The News, for which he was work
Ing, was then an organ of influence
among the Democrats Of Arkansas. 4
couple ofmonths after Funston wont
to work for it the owner OF the paper
W. " iioooihS VI Illo DcmOCfAGlC
State committee in another city and
left Funston in charge. The present
colonel Is o Republican, and he was
then, and did not like the policy OF the
paper. Here he saw was chance to
do something for his party. So the
morning after he was left to run the
paper 1t appeared with the platform of
the Republican party at the head of
It's editorial columns, and beneath this
was long apology for tho course tho
editor wrote that he had made a great
mistake, but he had seen the error Of his
ways, and from that time on he would
support tho Republican party and it's
non1flofno w.