The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-13


dians. for reinforcemenrs. at the end OF
which his horse dropped under him. has
been appointed aide-de-camp to Gen
Miles. For this service Lieut. Preston was
highly praised. II was his missortuns 70
have been on IN exploring expedition In
the interior Of Alaska during the Cuban
campaign and for this reason. therefore.
could not accompany his regiment to Cuba
Lieut. Preston II a native Of Massachusetts,
and was graduated from West Point In
lSSs. reaching his present rank in iss6
Rapid PronetiOns In the Army.
The war with Spain caused many rapid
promotions In the ranks Of army omcers-
Prior to the commencement Of that MAR
there was but one man in the army regis
tered with the rank Of major who had not
seen service during the civil war 4 ma
Jority OF the captains of infantry and
artillery dated their service from that
period and there was still q number Of first
lieutenants In the artillery vino entered
the service prior to 1866. There are now
no drst leutenants of the civil war left.
ana the number Of captains has shrunk TO
twenty-four in the artillery. Ave in the
cavalry. fourteen In the infantry. and In
the stan departments and corps (exciudinS
chaplaiEs and medical officers). four. Turn
ing to the line again. II appears tina: four
teen OF the thirty majors Of cavalry now
belong to the generation after the civil
war. a. do twenty majors Of infantry and
one Of artillery. Colonies and lieutenant
colonies all date hack to lsSl-1ssS In the
staff the promotion has been faster and a.
a result one colonel and ten Lieutenant
colonies and fifty-six majors have reached
their present positions since the close Of
the rebellion.
OF the forty -four of1cers who have been
retired since January ], 1889. thirty-stx
were civil war veterans. and this propor-
ton will probably continue for several
years to come OF the thirty-two officers
who died from natural causes In the last
seven months eighteen were also of civil
war experience. 1t is probable that by the
year 1903 the last officer Of this class viii
have left the active HIST because OF the
age retirement law, and the senior generals
and regimental officers will then be men
whose active service will comprise only ex-
per;ence In warfare with Indians. with
Cubans or with the F1lipinos-
Col. Hawkins' Death.
The death Of Col. Hawkins. Of the Tenth
Pennsylvania. ON his way home from the
Philippines. has disrupted the politics OF
Pennsylvania to no little degree 1t had
been planned to make him the Republican
candidate for state treasurer at the next
election. and. subsequently. governor OF
the state. His service in the Philippines
had made him . popular idol. and both the
followers Of Quay and the insurgents un-
al n
his support Col. Hawkins death also
leaves a vacancy In the state senate, which
will no doubt be filled at the November
election. Col Hawkins was elected last
year, and beng absent In the Philippines
during the session OF the legislature. he
never qualified. The Quay people claimed
that had he been present during the vot-
ing for a United States senator he would
have supported the ex-senator. but this Is
disputed by the other side. Lieut.. Col.
Barnett has been suggested by the Quay
ties as a candidate for the senate to sue
ceed Col Hawkins.
why Astor Expatriated Himself.
William Waldorf Astor. who has ex.
patriated himself and become q citizens OF
England, might have been shining light
in nationa, politics II he had been let alone
by the yellow journals of his native city.
When a very young man he was elected to
the state assembly. and, later. to tho stat"
senate OF New York He. at that time.
took an interest In pubic affairs and served
his constituents well and faithfully. In
1851 lie might have been a member Of con.
sress but for the unfortunate fact that he
became a candidate against Roswell +.
Flower. who was then making his entrance
into the political field. The contest was a
close and interesting ono. but Mr.. Astor was
defeated. When Arthur became president
he sent Astor to Italy as minister. His term
IN that position expired In 1855. In the
meantime he had written novel and had
done several things calculated to make his
country better known and better regarded
abroad. bu. the 'enterprising press Of
New York because. forsooth. he was rich
and prominent. attacked him at every turn.
pokess fun at his political ideas. his writ
ings. his art ytukes. and made him long
for nothing SO much as q lodge in some
wilderness. Then he went to England and
found there that a man could reside in
peace and comfort. surrounded by the luxu-
rses OF wealth without any one paying any
attention whatever TO his daily life, or
even icloeyncrasies. = he had them. Then
the tax collector gof after him. and while
other wealthy men of New York were pass
ed by. all personal property that could be
found and charged to Astor was assessed
to its full extent. Ore can readily realize
that II was not so much the amount OF the
taxes as II was the discrimination that an
gered the young man and made him deter
mine TO leave the country where men who
i've along free lunch routes can write
abusive scurrsieus and untrue articles
about him ard find plenty os papers willing
10 print them. When an American citizen
Is inclined 70 judge Mr.. Astor harshly Il
Nigh, be wei, 10 take Charles Reads ad-
vice and put yourself In his place
ALLAN r.. SI.AUS0N.
INSPECTOR GENERALS CASE.
The Recent Order OF Secretary Al