The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-24
He WAS A CLIMBER
Peral Titus Had Training for
His Feat.
ZANE IN COURT HOUSE
Is Said 10 be Written Higher
Than All the Rest.

In the court house over at Wichita
Pearls name is written several inch,
above any other, ana on the palisades OF
the Geneseo river. jnst below Middle
Falls, in Wyoming county, New York,
there is carved il the rock twentv-6ve
feel above the next highest name there.
the name Of Calyin Pear! Titus. The boy
was always climber"
So spoke B. F. Smith, the grandfather
OF me wichita boy who was first to scale
the walls Of Pekin a week ago Wednes-
day, In the Eagle office yesterday. He
told many interesting things about the
young hero, among them, the story of
now the young man had to pawn his
watch to get IS to become soldier.
Pearl would climb anything" said his
grandfather. He was always irving To
get little higher than anybody else and
the footholds he would gain and hold
and the risks he took were remarkable
He was travelling over the country with
william Lee the evangelist, when the
spanish war broke out, and was in
6haItesburg, Vermont, when men were
ellAsung; that is how it happens that he
was IN Vermont regiment in 1898. The
INST time his natural musical talents per-
sua ded him to join as a musician. But he
didn't like it, although he could play
anything, that boy; he could make music
out OF the crown Of your hat.
so last year when men were heinz "a
cruite here in Wichita for the army he
decide to get into the army as a soldier
and conceal the fact that he was a. mu-
sician His guardian, Mr. Lee, who had
adopted him, was out of town at the
time and the recruiting officer would not
accept llim without a GUARDIANS consent
because of his age. He went to r T
Nichols of this city and got him 70 art
as his guardian. He went to the nroha+a
court TO h ave Mr.. Nichols appointed and
what was his CONSERVATION to find +bo+
the fee would be S. The Door how did
not have the S and was in a terrible
quandary. Finally he went down on
douglas avenue and pawned his watch
LOT .. Mr. Nichols was appointed and
the boy got dnto the army as a regular
1earruI-that they would discover that he
was musician. Later he sent me 81 and
went and redeemed his watch and sent
Il to him"
B. F. Smith, the grandfather. lives ,n
this city at the home of his daughter
Ars. Lee, No. 424 South Laura avenue
Is. F. Smith was born April Il. 1891 in
-atsKill duchess county, New York. His
father was born there before him Naftb-
'r was ever soldier. Ee second daugh
Ter was Cora. born in 1853 With his
anil l.,
ton' Iowa, and set UP a blacksmith shon
IN the early seventies a man NAMED
Titus. came along and asked for emnIov-
hlent and remained with Smith for two
years, marrying the bIacksmitb's daueb-
ter in March, 1874. To Mr.. and Nrs
Titus were born three children. q oirl
VINO has died, a son, who is now Soma
where in Missouri. and third. Calvin
Pearl Titus. who was born September %
1879 In 1858 Mrs. Titus, the boys mother
died. Mr.. Smith had moved to Caldwell
Kansas In 1890 Titus and his 11-vear-oI5
son Joined him. The trio then went n
Alngnsher. Q. I. The elder Titus had LAT
ms aHalrs run down. and CAPTAIN Will
am Lee, who had married daughter of
Mr.. Smith, adopted young Pearl Titus
The elder TITUS, not prospecting. at king
fisher, soon left Later the family heard
chat he had enlisted in Arkansas for the
Spanish war. Afterward he got his dis
charge papers and sent them to a daugh-
ter living at Vinton. Iowa. Then M
vera was heard from him until July 4.
last, when the family understood be was
at Herringtons Kansas.
Lee thought the world Of young Titus
The boy could play the violin and cornet
spiendidly. He was intensely religions
and got down on his knees every night
and said his prayers. He was a great
reader He attended both the public
schools and Lewis Academy here
MIS-. Lee Of Laura avenue sister Of
captain Lee, says the children loved their
soldier cousin. She also said that II v-as
not the first time the boy had shown "a
markable bravery. The present wear IN
the Philippines. she says. a SQUAD vera
returning from fight when firing was
heard over hill. Titus rushed across
the NIL found squad of Americans in
retreat raised his bugie TO his Inns
sounded the advance and rushed forward
a which The retreating squad recovered
and charged
strange thing in this connection 6
that young Titus did not succeed in keen
Ang away from the reputation OF 4 nm
stefan One day at Manila one Of his
comrades from Wichita told If on hin,
that he could play any instrument His
colonel heard Of it and came up 70 hin,
had asked:
Are You a musician -
Yes. sir
Well We need musicians Wen put
you II the band
There was good deal Of curiosity YES
serday shout how young Titus found
Judgment for his rope on the wall. some
think that hook was used. Others ina
he crawled up the wall. carrv.n- a ron,
with him.
But at all events when the walls Yer.
reached Titus was at the front. He vs.
climber and he went I'D to the -, =
wall higher than the Schwei,sr bui ding
on the corner OF Main and Doprl,s
while the armies applau6ed.
Following IS one of the latest Letters -
ceaNed from him, written before he LEI,
the Philippines sor China.
Alani.a. P. !. May So 1910
Dear Cousin Charley: Last night re-
ceNed your letter 4 April q. ana a white
oack l received another enc. and as ! did
not answe- IL I guess it Is about time
was writing to you. am as wen rs ever
ena In I'VE DAYS viii have be 4 in four
ten months snd haven't taken a dose
of medicine yet
one year ago today w pulled out o.
Frisco bay Il don't hardly seem wear
bur il has been.
Last Saturday 7 got pass and went