The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-26
IN THE ENGLISH V
AN AMERICAN BOY RISES TO THE
RANK OF ENGINEER.
H. Holiday McClintOck, Who Lived an
This City Several Years, asst
Back from Cape Town.

H. Holiday McClintock, senior engineer
on the British steamship "Doric," tina is
now lying at Yokohama, Japan, has just
been in the city, the guest of his cousin,
George w. Powell, and other relatives. He
is ~twenty-six years old and was born in
California, having escaped being a Hoosier
by a few months. His father, Edwin A.
McClintock, was one of the early resi-
dents of Indianapolis. and his grandfather
once owned a large tract of land north of
Fall creek, that is now built up with resi-
dences.
At the age of twenty Mr.. McClintock
entered the service of the White Star line.
a British steamship company, with which
he is still connected. He was on a vessel
that piled between San Francisco and
Hong-Kong, China He was in Manila on
the 1st day of January, 1899, while Admiral
Dewey was there, and it was his ship that
brought Fighting Bob" Evans back to
the United States from the Philippines.
The charter of his ship had expired. and
on his way to Liverpool with the vessel he
stopped at Manila two weeks. Here he
met many of his schoolmates from Califor-
MIA. as he said every young man from that
State who could possibly leave home en-
listed. Then he started on his way to Eng
land by way of Singapore, Bombay, Cal
cutta, the Suez canal, the Mediterranean
sea, Naples, Gibraltar and thence to Liver
pool, arriving Feb. II, 1893.
ENGLISH REL TAPE.
In England he applied to the Board of
Trade for examination in the engineering
school for a certificate. He says there is
no end of red tape necessary before an ap-
plication will be accepted, and many letters
had to be written to the United States to
secure Endorsements. One requirement was
tina he present a certificate of birth, and
he was compelled to write to his mother, in
California, and ask her to sign an affidavit
before a notary, stating that he had ac-
tually been born. The fact that he was an
American doubled the burden, and in dis
gust he entered the Star line service at his
former position on a cargo steamer be-
tween Liverpool and New York. He made
four trips and then renewed his applica-
ton. This time he was more successful,
and with his practical knowledge and three
weeks I'm the engineering school he passed
the examination and was granted a certifi-
cate. The examination lasted from Wednes-
day Of one week till Thursday of the next.
This is one of the highest honors to be
gained in the British naval service, and
McClintock has the distinction of being the
second American that has attained the
honor. 1t is also remarkable for a man of
his age to get such a certificate, and,
above all, his letters were gained through
his individual perseverance, unaided by
political or other Influences.
Mr.. McClintock was in Liverpool when
the Boer war broke out and says that 1t
was remarkable the way the government
got its soldiers off to South Africa. Trans
- 49,, ,ar ~, rxvfn aa~nla lsa2 -.
unloaded and within four lays their war
equipment was in position and they were
on the way to the front with 100, 900 men.
Mr.. McClintock decided to go to the south
and made the trip to Cape Town on the
Majestic, which took a load of soldiers to
the war and brought back a load of wound
ed. He was at Cape Town two weeks and
while there the Majestic was made a prison
ship.
He said the British treated the prisoners
with as much kindness as their own men,
they were well fed. and frequently two or
three prisoners could be found playing
| cards with that many British soldiers. The
discipline in the British army. he says, is
much more severe than that in the United
States army and the private soldier under
the crown knows nothing of the liberty the
American rank man enjoys. The ambition
of the officers of the British army is to
gain a Victoria Cross" an honor con-
| ferred by the Queen for bravery. He says
| that in the war many officers and soldiers
lOtNA Civ Dill sOAlAt III
victory and even purposely exposed them
| selves with the hopes of getting a ~. c."
| He attributes this fact alone as being re-
| sponsible for a large per cent. of the British
| losses.
THE BRITISH SOLDIER.
The British soldier is not up to the stand
| ard Of the American In craftsmanship, and
when guns were first placed in the hands
| of the yeomanry the men had to be taught
how to handle and load their pieces. He
| said the regular army did very little ef-
fective work in South Africa, as II is the
professional soldier, but when the yeo-
many were put to the front the tide OF
battle turned I'm favor OF the English. Lord
Roberts and General Kitchener are now
the two idols of Great Britain. and General
Butler was held in the same estimation un-
til he failed 10 relieve Ladysmith. The
English people made light of the American
demonstration over Dewey's victory, say
ing the British would accept such a victory
as a matter OF course. but when Ladysmith
was relieved McClintock says our demon
STATIONS In the Spanish-American wal
: were nothing to COMPANY to what happened