The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-03


lishr' More than this the man whose re-
mains lie unknown and unhonored in Paris
Was the greatest naval genius of his time;
he was decorated by the king OF France.
by the empress Of Russia and by the con-
wress Of the United States. Plebeian though
he was by birth. he was a sutton for the
hand Of q princess royal, and upon him
ahe smiled. The British government
Thought enough Of this man to cause to
be posted at every seaport In the United
Kingdom this placard:
FOR THE CAPTURE
OF JOHN PAUL JONES,
Commanding an American ship.
!: the government will pay the
sum OF 1000 guineas: .....:
Il Il for the remains Of such a man a.
mis- that Paris Is searching today. The
massage comes that the site Of the GEM
otery to which his body was borne has
been found, but the actual location Of the
grave 10 unknown.
FIRST American Naval Hero.
John Paul Jones was the first man to
pluck a laurel Leaf for the American navy.
Taxing into consideration the means at
his command. his exploits were more dar-
1ng and fully az successful as those which
forty years later gave luster to the names
OF Bainbridge. Rogers. Porter and De-
cafur. or the deeds Of John Paul Jones.
though they are written down In the his
tories Of four nations. the world seems to
know comparatively little today. while Of
the man, John Paul Jones. though vol
inner OF speculation have been written,
tho world knows almost nothing. From
his youth he seemed to prefer that every
thing touching his inner self should be
shrolded. though he was nothing loath
70 demand proper recognition for the acts
which he performed for his country's
good.
There have never been lacking insinua-
lions that the real reason for the admi-
ral's reticence arose from his desire to
hide certain things which had been said
touching his parentage. It was common:
" reported at one time that John Paul
Jones, though born into the family OF
John Paul. = thrifty Scotch gardener at
Arbig1and ON the Solway Firth, was in
reality the son of Lord Sellkirk. upon
whose estate Gardener Paul delved. Care
Yul inquiry has disproved the scandal.
Jennie Macduff. the mother of the naval
hero and the wife Of Gardener Paul, was
q woman OF character, possessed in full
measure Of the homely domestic virtues.
1t must be said here that the American
admiral added the name Jones to his
family name of Paul at the time when he
Arst made application for a commission
IN the American navy. Why the name
was added though speculation has been
rife for more than a century, no one to
this day knows. The boy John Paul, the
youngest of five sons, was born in little
cottage standing in a glade near where
the Nth comes flowing into the Solway.
when only IL years of age he was APP
prenticed to a ship merchant at White
Haven, village where years afterward
the children frightened their children into
obedience by the mention of the demon
Paul Jones. The future admirars first
voyage took him to the Rappahannock
Hy~~~lo~ t1na t{Vrrne
the trip was repeated, and finally, owing
to the death of his master, the appren-
tice was released from his engagement at
the age of 16. An elder brother had set
tied on the banks of the American river.
and with him the boy lived and studied
for some time. He again went TO sea
about the time that he attained his ma
1ority sailing for Scotland as a. for'mast
hand in a brig. On the voyage the cap
tain and mate died and the crew placed
Jones In command. On his arrival In
Scotland the owners OF the vessel gave
him the berth Of captain.
The Admiral's Romance.
It was at this time that Jones Is supposed
20 have met the woman whom he loved
Alice Dunscombe, Cooper calls her In his
mastsrful sea tale, "The Pilot" They Were
not married, but 1t is said to have been
q strong and abiding affection for this
eweet, grave-faced Scotch girl which kept
him single in after life. The touch Of mys-
terry is not wanting here. There are those
who deny that such woman as Alice
Dunscombe ever existed. and they say that
Cooper's elaborate delineation of her char
acter and the Accordingly interesting de-
tails of the meetings in after years be-
tween the pilot and Alice were devoid OF
foundation.
on voyage outward bound from Scot
land Jones, as captain of the merchant
~t~ nrda q "a
be f1ogged. A year afterward the man died.
Jones enemies said as a result Of the beat
ing. Jones' friends said as the result OF
q lopg-hxed disease. The youthful cap
tain succeeded In clearing his character
in the eyes Of all unprecedented persons, but
the treatment that he received while under
suspicion at the hands of his former Scotch
friends so aroused his Indignation and an
ger that he quit Scotland. never to return
except as an implacable enemy.
Jones, or, as he was then, John Paul.
was next heard of living in penury near
Fredericksburg, this country The revo-
luton came on. At the time Of the battles
at Lexington and Concord the colonies
did not have a single vessel afloat. There
was no material for navy save some good
sailors. The future American admiral
walked to PHILADELPHIA in the autumn or
1775 and appeared before the marine COM
mittee appointed by congress to make some
provisions for n navy, ana Wnen asked his
name he said, "Jones," and by that name
history has since known him. The COM
nittee would have paid little attention TO
his request for commission had 1t not
happened that one OF its members, Rich
ard Henry Lee. knew something OF the
career of the suppl:oant sailor. lie was
given a commission as first lieutenant or
the Afford. q merchantmen. which had
bsen made over into a man OF war ana
placed under the command Of Commodore
Hopkins. To the masthead Of this vessel
Jones. with his own hands, hoisted the first
ensign ever shown on an American man
of war. 1t was the famed rattlesnake flag,
with the motto, Don't tread on me-" BY
o remarkable coincidence soma tine later
on shs Ranger Jones displayed at the peax