The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-19

Col. Baden-Powell, His Characters
ties and Traits I'm War and Peace.


Col. Baden-Powell, His Characters
ties and Traits I'm War and Peace.
| If ever man deserved to be called a hero
| by the people of England Colonel Baden
Powell merits that honor. Indeed, even
before the news Of the relief of Mafeking
| there was no one more popular than Ba-
den-Powell. and the demonstration in Lon
don last night was merely an ebullition OF
the long pent-up admiration the people
have had for the defender of town that
| has been besieged over 200 days. By his
/ friends, whose name is legion, he is usually
called "B.-P" The man in the street,
| though he has now learned to call a kopje
a koppi, and knows that Mafeking is pro-
nounced Maffyking. is still at fault when
| he speaks of his hero. One generally hears
| the Baden pronounced as though 1t were
the famous German watering place. and
| often the wv in Powell is overlooked. His
school nickname at Charterhouse, Bath
| ing Towel" gives the vowels their proper
sounds "B.-P." is rich with color animal
| love of life, human love of his fellow-men.
in the prime of his days, soldier, gallant,
| author-a trinity in one. He stands out
| from the mess of the South African trag-
edy like one of the knightly figures of the
white Companie"-ge always,
warrior on the dropping of glove.
Snyman. Boer commander. shut him up
in Mafeking on Oct Is, 1899, three days
after the declaration Of war; Cronje came
over from Ladysmith and drew the lines
closer about him. Joubert appeared and
made his prison still more fast. They
asked him to surrender Oct. p, after a
terrible bombardment. and he answered:
you can't take us by sitting down out
side. Come in and get u.s. Again surren-
der was demanded. and he answered: Tell
your master, Cronje, will let him know
when / have enough" The shells fell
laughed as they knocked up the earth
about his works and said: That's good
music for our divine services" When the
fire grew too warm he and his men dug
holes in the earth and made them bomb
proof. Returning to the primitive state,''
he called it and joked away.
THE LITTLE GARRISON.
He was $40 miles from Cape Town. $50
from Buluwayo. IA miles north of Kimber-
ley. He had coo South African Rough Rid
ers for soldiers, few Kaffirs, handful of
town residents some women. old guns
one cannon that saw service in South At
his defenders about him they did not num-
Der more than LOCO. not counting Baden
Powell himself. He stood for 10000. Reu-
ter's man sent out from the beleagured
town the word: HE is always smiling. :"
1t was necessary to smile to prevent sur
render. In the defense of the place he
was playing his part for the empire Kim
berley might fall, Ladysmith be wiped
from the face of the EARTH but Mafeking
G hQ for
belongs to that class of soldiers found in
all chimes and nations made immortal by
Sidney and glorified by him-the class that
live and die for honor's sake. He was not
a politician, not a petted society favorite
of London. not a War Office lap dog
nothing but lieutenant colonel with a
good name and imperial heroism.
Robert Stepheson Smyth Baden-Powell is
his full name. He is forty-three years old.
He was born in rectory, and his goliath
er was the famed Robert Stephenson, crea-
tor of the first locomotive Ruskin was his
friend In his bOyhOod, and he came up
| through school days with clean people for
his companions. His mother was a good
woman whose ancestors made history in
the English navy and passed on their fight
ing dispositions to the boy at Charterhouse.
All his life has been characterized by a
strong disposition to laugh. The joke of ex-
listing seems to him irresistible. He will
not view it from the point of buffoon.
but from that of a healthy-minded gen.
tleman who regards his God as a humorist
and his parents as the victims of mirth-
provoking conspiracy. Bob said his
some day II you laugh so much" what
a joke" he rejoined. and the good woman
was fain to keep quiet. Underneath his
laughter was the serious determination to
| know all that earth and life could teach
him.
The War Office regards him as the most
valuable man in the service for ascertain
ing the military secrets of other nations.
10 inn w
searching for information of the useful
kind. He knows the army equipment of
France, the numerical military strength of
Russia, the resources of Germany, the trail
mysteries of the Natal frontier. the inward
ness Of the Boer character. He was at Can
dahar, he faced the Zulus, he has dulled
| the edge of his sword whenever and wher-
ever imperial England demanded his serv-
| ices. He was attached to the Thirteenth
| Hussars, and they called him the funniest
beggar on EARTH The Kaffirs said: HE
| laughs when most to be feared" They had
another title for him, 1.-The man who shows
his camp rules were brought before him. AS
| they approached he began to smile. They
knew him. Instantly they were on their
knees bowling and begging for mercy. Not
until ne ceased laughing would they be
| quoted.
REQUIRED LITTLE FOOD.
One Of the remarkable things about the
| man is his ability to do without food when
occasion requires. Lord Roberts is quoted
as having said to him once: Colonel. have
you never an emptiness?" And the colonel's
| answer is said TO have been: only, sir,
| after have dined." He has been known
| to go on the march, I'm the saddle, for days
without eating anything but crusts. or hav-
| ing anything but water with which to fill
up. His form is wiry, his habits excellent.
| and his powers of endurance abnormally
| developed. Tried troopers who pitted them
| selves against him in severe experiences
surrendered long before he did. When they
| finally came to demanding food he was
whistling. He is fond of physical exercise,
| of books and music, of genial company. He
| thinks joke has proper place In iife and
ought TO be better recognized by serious
people II do not wish to wear mourning un-
| I'll after / am dead" is one of his quoted
remarks.
Once he was walking with a friend on the
| esplanade of an English seaside place. and
/ the day was piping hot. Suddenly. without
| explanation of any kind. he sat down on the
| curb placed his billycock hat solemnly on
4 his knees and buried his face I'm flaming
| red handkerchief. This unprecedented sight
| stirred the depths of the one and only po-
| licemans heart. and he strobe valiantly
| across the road prepared TO do his duty at
| shoulder with his white cotton glove In the
regulation manner. the officer demanded in
| a deem tone of voice: "Arnd whats the
uafter WI YOU. eh?" Slowly removing the
| handkerchief from his face and looking up
4 Solemn QxnrpSsi0n Pa