The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-01
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
The HERO OF MANILA BAY.

From the New York SJoafnal.
The day after Christmas was the
birthday Of George Dewey. who was a
naughty little boy, lie defied his school
teacher and insisted upon going to sea
when his father wanted him to be a
soldier Yet he will receive many
Christmas and birthday gifts, for be-
fore he reaches his present age, sixty
one years, he became very good and
very distinguished, and an admiral.
Cafes and chewing. gum were named
for him.
His relatives themselves tell what a
bad boy was this great admiral, and
have put their tales into print, and
have bound the printed pages into a
big book that will be- ISSUED very soon
after the birthday. The relatives have
formed the Dewey Publishing company
to issue and circulate the book
Up to Montpelier, VT, where George
Dewey was when small, the youngsters
had to find their pastimes in their own
games and sports AS small boy
George developed his strength by fierce
activity in skating and swimming and
running. On the day of the meeting
of the legislature, when crowds throng-
ed to the capitol city and the boys
Toasted on gingerbread and sweet
cider, the stalwart boys and young
men of the several towns represented
competed in athletic sports. The Dew
ey boy was a participant in these con-
tests, and always gained the victory
AT the swimming pool in the Winooski
(or Onion river near his home, he eX-
cited the wonder of smaller boys and
the envy of boys of his own age by
staying under water longer than any
other of the swimmers.
tho district coboo1 ba JaoI-
er as much as in the river or on the
lakes. But he was the kind of leader
that teachers dreaded and trustees
feared. He was the foremost among
three, stronger and larger than most
of the other pupils, who gave their
best energies to provoke the distress
of their teacher. Several instructors
suffered from the three bad boys, and
discipline waned until to the school
came stout young man fresh from a
college campus, 2. K. Pangborn; now
a resident of Jersey City, where for
years he has edited a newspaper.
The meeting of the new teacher and
the worst of his pupils, that Dewey
boy" as he was called by the neigh
bors, was significant Of trouble. Dewey
was in tree, from which he was
throwing stones at passing boys, some
of them, if not all, smaller than him
throwing stones, as such conduct could
not be tolerated.
"Oh, you go to HE'LL answered George
Dewey, thus early showing that fine
sense of repartee that later found ex-
preston in the famous remark to
Prince Henry Of Prussia.
The teacher kept his temper and
waited for hostilities from the other
side. They came Even at twelve
years Of age George Dewey did not
walt for an opponent to begin an at
tack. He formed his companions into
company, laid in store of ammuni-
ton in the form Of frozen snowballs,
stored it in a meeting house near the
school and deployed his force with
other snowballs along the road. When
the teacher was walking home he was
attacked first by the snowballs hurled
at close range, then by the fists and
the elbows OF the boys. That Dewey
boy" was on the back of the schools
master trying to throw him down.
The result was not decisive. but the
teacher had to retreat, and the boys
held the field.
The next day the teacher said moth
ing of the attack ef the day before.
But he very promptly told a boy who
was disorderly to take seat on a
front bench. George Dewey and his
naughty companions 81 Immediately
walked to the front seat near the
culprit. Then Dewey told the teacher
the boys were going to lick him.
"That Dewey boy began the fight.
The teacher finished it. He reached
fora rawhide that heshad considerate-
ly put In convenient place. Dewey
struck out boldly, bnt his blows We're