The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-01

the older members of the household IT
certainly Is not conducive to the sleep
of dignified physician, who is tired
out from hard days work, to have a
small boy with shrill voice and vast
lung power below forth in the middle
of the night, Poor Robinson Crusoe!"
Polly wants a cracker!" Come here,
Friday.' eliminating in series OF
cannibal yells and warhoops. George
Washington and Ethan Allen were two
favorite representations, while Julius
Caesar, Hannibal. Constantine the
Great, Alaric the Goth, Attila the Hun,
Napoleon Bonaparte, John Paul Jones.
Decatur, McDonnough, General jack
son, Captain Kidd, Lafitte the Pirate,
Morgan the Buccaneer and other dis
tinguished characters in history were
not forgotten by the Imaginative boy.
When his fancy was once aroused he
did not permit prudence to interfere
with the realization of his mental pic
lures. He became an elephant when
he crossed the Alps. a war horse when
he dashed down the stone steps, a goat
when he was consoling Robson Cru
soc, bull when he pictured a Spanish
bull fight, bear, and no one knows
how many other animals. 1t is whis-
pered that his people did not alto
gether appreciate his genius in this re-
spect. The knees of his trousers were
usually in more or less frayed condi-
ton, and the stout little legs beneath
were married and marked by numberless
scratches and abrasions.
Once young Dewey illustrated how
the Gothic invaders of Italy slid down
the mountain sides upon their shields.
The slide was success, but neither the
shield nor his trousers proved stout
enough to Withstand the friction of the
descent He loved activity. athletic
sports and above all boyish fighting.
He wrestled well, boxed well, fenced
very fairly for a boy and in rough and
tumble w<s the acknowledged cham
pon of all his playmates. He was so
sturdy, swift and strong that he could
cope with many boys three and four
years his senior. He was tireless and
game and often won victory by firing
out an antagonist to whom he was in
ferior in size, skill and strength. These
are the qualities upon which leadership
is based and which make boy and man
a leader among his fellows.
They made young Dewey ring
leader of the Montpelier academy, OF
the military academy at Norwich and
the acknowledged head of his class al
Annapolis The physical training Sc
cured in those days proved of incalcul-
able benefit to him in after life. 1t en-
abled him, for example, to plunge into
the Mississippi when in uniform during
the civil war and rescue wounded
and drowning eailor without any per
ceptible trouble to himself In stormy
weather it gave him the physical abil-
ity to climb shrouds and stays and t.
run along yard or foot ropes where d
weaker man would have been dashed
into the raging sea. In the sos, when
upon the Asiatic station, he was at
tackled by one of those tropical dis
eases which, according to modern
science, represents the onset of billions
of microbes upon the blood, and es.
peeially the liver. Diseases of this
sort are very common in the equatorial
lands and are very fatal to people COM
| ing from northern ATTITUDES. Dewey
| fought the disease with indomitable
| courage and finally was obliged to un-
dergo terrific operation at Malta. A
| large piece of the liver was removed
| and what remained was dressed accord
| ing to the slow and conservative meth.
DDS employed at the time. The opera
| ton was SO dangerous and the disease
Sc deadly Chat the great surgeons, Eng
! fish aid Americans. who performed it
| looked forward to recovery as for.
| lern hope. When Dewey did recover
they We're amazed and delighted, and az
he left the hospital for home the senior
surgeon said: IF 1t had not been fol
/ your WOlutIlul GouId5Sy III SiHe
will power you would not be here t
bid me goodbye"
| 1t was this combination of qualities
which sustained Dewey through The
crushing ordeal of responsible com
mand from Jan. l, 1888, to May, 1899
Now that it is over we can well affore
| to throw up our hands and cry "Huzza,
! During this long period Dewey wa:
| living in a hot and oppressive climate
| with a thousand and one cares hanging
over him day and night, with the super
| vision of 5000 men upon his hands. will
war and Instruction on every sid'
and confined most of the period to ship
| board That Dewey should keep hi:
| health under such conditions and tina
| above all he should perform every dut.
and meet every responsibility will
such singular skill and success bears
extraordinary tribute to his own mag
nificent fortitude. Neither did the ad
miral have the advantage of youth il
his favor. He was past 60 when M
| reached the China station, an age whe1
| most men have laid down the tools ant
| weapons of life and have given up thu