Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-02-18
William Astor (hanler.
EXPLORER and Politician.

one OF tne most interesting Of tie
younger members Of congress ~ W.T.
liam Astor Chnnicr. eio;ted from the
Fourteenth district OF New York AL
though only 81 years Of age. Or. Cham
Ter is already well known as an e.
piorer. a soldier aaS a politician liz
father, the late Y. VI. Chnn.ef wrs
three timsr elected tc corsress For.
New York, md his grandfather was
Joha jacob Astor. He therefore Or.
longs 10 ons o. tho nos. a..stociasio
families In A'rtrica.
lie graduated from Hnrvari IN is11.
whore he received the honorary degree
OF NJ. A. io- oofiiag II agr h. wen. to
Afiiea on a hunting tfip. remaining
there nearly n year, ns.he fall Of ips
he Joined Cheyalier Won iioi.nsl. a leu
tenant IN tho Austrian navy, and. hir-
irg n caravan they tst GU, from zehzi.
bar TO penetrate the interior, OF Afiiea
their intention being to reach Mount
Kcnin, near Daitoho, which lies rssriy
on the equator In a district almost un.
known to civilization.
For long time mo news Of the daring
young explorers reschod the outnide
world. ard when u did come II was In
the form Of ruinofs 10 the effect that
the expedition was stranded In the In.
tcrior Ut Daiicho. The Geosr aphicrI
Society OF London confirmed the report.
and II was feared that the young men
would sacrifice their lives 10 the cause
Of science. In the early part II the TO-
lowing year, however. the explorers
succeeded In reaching the coast after
suffering many privations and being
deserted by many Of their followers.
Much valuable knowledge was gained
NJ the Interior Of the dark continent
through their journey. a region AZ biz
as Portugal. hitherto unknown. being
mapped out by Mr, chanler. In rscog.
milton Of his services AIR. chanier was
madc fellow OF tho Royal deorraph.
teal Society Of England and member
cf the Imperial and Itoynl Institute OF
Vienna. Returning to America. he wrote
an interesting account of his adventures
In a book entitled Through Jungle and
/ Desert"
This was no small achievement for
young man Just out OF college. but Mr..
Chanicr did not rest on his laurels.
| About two years ngo he Joined Tam.
many Hail. He invaded politics with
the same vlror which had characterized
| his movement upon Africa aud with
about parallel results. His friends and
his family now believed him lost indeed
but he soon emerged from the struggle
with new trophies In tho shape Of OF
fees and political preferment His fam
Ily and his friends became reconclled TO
this newest departure Of a young man
who need never have distressed himself
with anything more important than the
1T Of his coat or the color OF his tie.
Then the war with Spain became the
vital Issue Of the hour. and Mr.. Chanler
rose to the opportunity ms a trout 10
well baited hook. lie was one OF the
first 20 offer his services to the country.
As soon Ms II seemed likely that the
government would issue u call for
troops he set about recruiting rcgi-
ment u volunteers. which he proposed
TO equip and arm Mt his own expense.
His offer was refused by Governor
Black; hut undaunted. he left New
York for Tampa. intending. with few
companions. to join the stan OF Lacret.
the Cuban leader. He WIS delayed long
enough to receive n commission from
the president, which conferred upon him
the duties Of assistant adjutant general.
with the rank Of captain. lie was nn'
signed to General wheeler's stan. Cap.
tain chanier served through the santl-
ago campaign. being several times un-
der firc and receiving mention for gal.
liant conduct In action In General
wheeier's dispatches TO the war depart.
ment
lie was honorably discharged from the
army on oct. J. Mr.. CHAMBER IN good
looking young fellow. with rerolutc
close Hhaven face and an athletic body
though tall and slight lie N thorough
~ In earnest and despite his wealth has
been In every way the architect OF his
career. His friends predict that he viii
one day MI some more important posi-
ton In state affairr.