Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-03-02

THE recent appointment by Presl-
dent Mckinley Of a grandson Of
i our Oldest retired rear admiral Ia
a cadetship at the Naval Academy has
called attention to the fact that there
will soon be four members Of the Sell
fridge family represented in the navy,
extending their record back nearly 100
years There has been great deal
said Of late about the 80 called "Vlc-
torlan era" which has been made 10
comprehend almost everything notable
In the century past, but It Is far excel
led by the selfridglan era, which began
the year before Viotor'a was born,
when Midshlpman Thomas Oliver Sell
fridge entered our navy at the age OF
II. Born in 1904 during Jeffersons
first administration, he carries US back
almost 10 the beginning Of our pres-
Dental era and, had he been 80 favored,
might have seen all our presidents but
one, Washington having died Ave years
before his birth. but John Adams sur
ylying It more than 20 years.
He lived during the times OF Decatur,
Perry, cambridge, Preble, Napoleon,
Nelson, Lord Pitt and a host OF others
whose names have been but a memory
the past hulf century and more, He
was IN service while Napoleon was a
prisoner az st. Helena, having entered
70 years after the battle Of Trafalgar
and 30 on having lived through all the
greatest events Of the nineteenth cen
fury. II happened that during all the
long period Of the first Selfrldge's sery-
ice there were no great naval battles,
and his only participation In active OPP
eratlons was on the west coast Of Mex
leo, where he received a wound that
incapaoitated him from sea duty In the
year lsis.
Soon after the outbreak Of our civil
war he was assigned TO the Charles
town and Mare Island navy yards, was
promoted to captaincy In 1856, to
commodore In 1862 and retired IN April,
1866 being promoted TO rear admiral In
July Of that year. He IL now the SEN
Tor rear admiral on the retired list and,
like all his brother heroes "on the
SHELF" draws an annual salary Of $4,000
and emoluments, as he has been doing
for the past 80 years,
II would seem, In fact, that II one de-
sres 10 live life OF comparative ease, /
see something Of the world In his early |
manhood and attain TO green old age, |
perhaps within hail OF the century |
mark, he has only to secure a position |
In our army or navy In line for promo
ton, behave decently and trust to
Proyidenoe--and time,
Presidential favor may count for
something IN the original appointment
but barring accidents, the age limit"
at G2 does the rest, for on the retired |
lists OF our army and navy registers
may be found vast excess OF officers
over the number actually In active
service. At the beginning Of this cen
fury there were, for example, 4S rear
admirals retired and only rs in active
service, while eight commodores were
enjoying the immunitles Of this verlta-
BILE sailors snug harbor' long after
their grade had been abolished,
Rear Admiral 4 o. Selfridge, sr., is
now 81 years Old, for he and the centu-
ry were in their teens together. But % |
numbers below him in the list Of retired |
rear admlras Is his son, Thomas o !
sefrldge, Jr, who was born in 1887 and |
retired FOR age three years ago TN
like his father r. o. Selfridge. Jr had |