Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-08-24

A headlong dive from the rafters
through a paper hoop into a pile Of
nay was the sensational act and alone
was more than worth the price of adj
mission as the handbins said.
Admiral Dewey says that his early
nautical training consisted entirely I'm
listening To his father sing q song en-
titled The Poor Little Child Of "a Tar"
RMS was a sympathetic and pathetic
ballad, which related the woes Of "a poor
child whose father had gone 10 sea 10
fight for his country. and who had not
returned The poor little child Of :
tar was beggar and supposed hin.
self an Orphant At last. when an sorrs
OF woes had piled themselves on the
subject of the ballad. the father returns
rich and famous, and the last verse
runs triumphanty as follows:
What my Willie" he cried, my poor
little boy,
AT last I've returncy from the war.
Thy sorrow shall cease. nor shah grief
more annoy
The poor litte child OF a tar"
This song the doctor was compelled
10 sing again and again. always with
a fearful hut apprecIative listener in
George Dewey.
FORCED INTO THE NAVY.
Fortune smiled on Dr. Dewey. and
when George was fourteen years old II
was decided 10 send him 10 the Nor
wich University at Mortified, VI, and
III him for career as a soldier He
remained at Norwich for three years,
and the records show that he was a
very poor scholar, he barely succeeded
In passing the examinations and was
frequently disciplined for various Of
fences. one Of the penalties was to
stand guard, and the people Of North
field became very familiar with the face
and figure of Cadet George Dewey from
seeing him pacing up and down In front
Of the university buildings In the
meantime DR. Dewey had become quite
a figure politically and ATTEMPTED 10 Sc
cure an appointment for George at
West Point All Of his ambition was TO
be a soldier and he had no thought OF
entering the navy Ru' Il was found
impossible 10 secure the appointment
desired and rather than wait the IA
Their decided 10 enter George ~ the
United States naval academy at Anna
polls, a nomination being secured in
1884 George Dewey was then seyen-
teen years old
For the first two years the boys con-
duct W0s such as to discourage his "a
Their He was deficient IN HIS studies.
and lax in discipline. His record was
such that his father lectured him sew
erely, and finally threatened 10 take
him from the academy unless he
changed his course This talk made
lasting impression on the boy. who was
not yiclouslv bad but careless, self-ln-
dulPeut and negligent He began the
third year determined to do his best.
He applied himself 10 his studies, aban-
doned his selfish pleasures and
delighted his father bv finishing the
course. graduating third In his clnes,
Ahead Of him we're Howell and Reed,
and after him were Franklin Hite Bish-
on. Rlue White Kerr and KrautZ, OF
the FIRST eleven Graduating as a mid
shlpman m 1858. y" Went ON hts first
cruise IN Mediterranean waters on the
Wabash. His subsequent record is that
Of man and not as boy and Is too
well known 10 warrant even a recap
itulation in this sketch.
Admiral Dewey IS on record as say
ing that the two events which had most
10 do with shaping his career were the
whipping given him by his school prin-
cipal Mr. Panghorn. and the lecture
BY his father when he was making a
failure az Annapolis Certain II Is that
there was little In his career M TO the
age Of nineteen which held out any
promise Of future greatness or which
could be used to point moral for the
guidance OF the present or future gen.
erations. All Of which should be en-
couraglng 10 the parents Of thousands
Of bows Of the same type as the sub
iect OF this sketch II Is not safe 10
predict the future OF man from his
conduct as a boy.