The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-28
HERO OF TIE DAY.
Brief Skctc1 Of Gen. Frederick Fun
ston. the Gallant K~ansan.

Gen. Frederick Funston, who has made
for himself a place in history by his heroic
charge at Manila and Caloocan, his swim
ming of rivers under fire and has capture
of Aguinaldo, has had an mazingly adven-
turous career. From the day he left Law
renee University. in the Sunfower State.
fifteen years ago or thereabouts, Funston
has been at one time or another reporter.
editor. botanist. explorer. trapper, insur-
gent and soldier. He has known the two
greatest extremes of living in torrid heat
and frigid cold. He has tramped Alaska
in snowshoes in a temperature of 20 de-
grees below zero, and has slept on the
burning sands of Death Valley. Possessed
of the same wiry endurance as the broncho
of the plains, Funston never knew fatigue
and never knew such a thing as failure.
General Funston is a direct descendant or
Daniel Boone. which may in a measure
account for his adventurous spirit. He was
born in North Carlisle, o., Nov. 3, 1865.
Three years later his parents moved to
Kansas. He left the farm on Deer creek.
in Allen county, Kansas. about fifteen
years ago. Too restless by nature TO re-
main long in any one place, after a two
years stay at Lawrence University he de-
cided he had enough schooling TO warrant
his getting along in the world. So he
speaker and writer, he aspired TO news
paper work. One day he happened in Fort
Smith, Ark. and applied for a position on
the Tribune of that city. There was TO be
a convention at Little Rock and the editor
had to go. He gave the aspirant a chance
to run the paper, and Funston took hold,
and the next day there was a double-lead-
ed editorial stating that the Tribune had
supported the Democrats of Arkansas and
Pulaski county in the past in spite or their
blunuers. but that now its patience was
exhausted. Henceforth it would deal out
Republican doctrine. Well, that editorial
'shook the town." The editor lost no
rf,,n In npA xXhA hn rot hnn0n
the young man from Kansas was without
a job.
During the next few years he Joined sew
eral expeditions organized by the govern
ment for scientific purposes. 1t was such
an expedition that led him TO Death valley,
and later to the Alaskan coast to gather
specimens of its flora. He went alone, lived
with the Indians, cultivated a taste for
strawberries smothered in walrus oil,
learned the trick of riding the surf erect in
a Nquivering kyack and incidentally gath
cred the finest collection of Alaskan flora
ever sent to Washington. The next sum-
mer he penetrated the interior of klondike-
land, lived there eighteen months, slept
outdoors most of the time and made first
class studies of the aurora borealis while
traversing several thousand miles of unex-
plOred country.
that, while all these things did offer a little
sport and recreation, yet the excitement
was not quite up to his expectations. He
went TO Cuba, saw General Garcia, engaged
as an insurgent and fought the Spaniards.
In a short time he was given charge of the
artillery of the patriots. He fought in
scores of engagements with such vigor that
the exploits of FL Inglese. as he came to be
nicknamed, became known of every Span
lard. He was the friend not only of Garcia,
but of Quintin Bandera. Jesus Rabi, Gomez
and the other famous chiefs. ultimately
captured by the Spaniards, he was sent
back TO this country on parole. When the
war broke out he rendered his services to
Governor Leedy. of Kansas, who promptly
made him colonel of the Twentieth Kansas
Regiment. Since then his remarkable Ca
reer in the Philippines is fresh in the MEM
DRY of all readers of current events.
Colonel Funston is small of stature but
sturdy of build. The adventurous life he
led for a dozen years has left him still a
gentleman. The worth of this veteran of
Cuban campaigns was not overmeasured
when Governor Leedy gave him his COM
mission. Everybody who knew anything Of
Funston knew he would distinguish himself
If ever he was given the opportunity. His
exploits in the Philippines demonstrate how
well his friends understood the man.