The evening times., 1901-03-28
GENERAL FREDERICK FUNSTON.
The Career of the soldier VIII" Cap
1urcd Emilio AEcinnIdD-

The Career of the Soldier " hp Zap
Iurcd Emilio AEcinnldp-
Gen Frederick Funston. The Captor of
ASUiaaldo. is thirUy-fise yearS old. Born
in Ohio. his father Tnoy.d 20 lola. Kan,
ana there Funstons gre. ZIP on farm
He graduated from The lola High
School and became r. teacher OF Il dis
trict school Then he gave this up and
became student at the Kansas Eniver-
sity TWO years. leaving before his senior
year " hiIe at the university he learned
the Spanish language from Senorita.
with whom, for time. he was said to be
in love
I'm the summer of 1879. while still a stu
dent at the university. ne went to Colora-
do. and after exploring some places in the
Rocky Mountains that were difficult or
access, he became guide to earn money
to help pay his expenses
Two years after this his father. while a
member of Congress, secured his appoint
ment as botaniSt to accompany 4 survey
ing parry sent out by the United States
Government to explore Death Valley He
spent seven months in that deS0Iate re
giOn, where the bones Of emigrants of
other days were still bleaching in the
fierce white heat of the sun. II was ac-
counted d dangerous thing to do. He not
only did all the Government expected Of
him, but he won praise by the scope and
thoroughneSs Of his report.
His going down into Death Valley was
sufficient to make his acquaintauces and
friends of lola wonder. They knew he was
no coward. but his quiet. retiring man
ner had concealed from them his advent
urous spirit
II. was the report written by Frederick
Funston of his exploration of Death Val
ley that earned for him all appointment
by the Democratic Secretary OF AgricJl-
ture under CIeyeIand-s second Admins
trattOn in 1898, as q commissioner TO ex-
plore Alaska and report on the fora of
that country.
The second daring adventure of Fun
ston was that which followed his ap-
pointment to visit Alaska. He penetrat-
ed the frozen regions wherever his pres
ence was needed in the discharge of his
commission On one occasion he took
some Indian guides and Travelled 200 miles
over the snow and ice to the rescue Of a
ship that was icebound. He went as far
up the Yukon River as any man has
gone since. and he visited the pieces
where gold has since been found
He Camped the winter of 1885 'S4 in the
kIondilIe- - was in the district where
gold has been found in greatest Quanti-
ties since He heard of gold in the vi
cinitl- from the Indians. but he was busy
with the duties of his Office and paid no
heed 10 the stories further than TO make
them a subject OF his report He had a
companion in the lonely camp In the per
son of an Episcopal missionary.
After his return from Alaska Funston
became in turn promoter of a coffee plan
tation scheme in Central America, Iectur-
ct on Alaska, and clerk IN a railroad Of
flee in New York He was also d news
paper reporter in Kansas City for a time.
Next he became an insUrgent in Cuba,
leaving New York in the spring of 1896
FOR that exciting work The first flibus-
! teTing expedition was then being outfit
ted Tho tug DaUntless was the craft
that was to carry arms and men in the
first expedition from the United States
10 aid the force Of General Garcia
When the Dauntless sailed Funston was
aboard After cruising about for several
days a landing place was found Funston
soon became IA leader of the Cuban artil-
lery. and stories OF his bravery in that ca
pacity are still fresh in the public mind.
War between the United States and
Spain came on and Funston was offered
the post of colonel Of the Twentieth Kan
sas- he accepted
companies from different towns in the
| southeastern part of the State and while
It was being gotten together Colonel
Funston was ordered by General Miles
70 report to him at Tampa. II was be-
| Iieved he would be assigned to the staff
Of the commanding general He went 10
/ Tampa, where he gave General Miles the
benefit Of his experience and information
relating 10 Cuba, the insurgents and the
Spanish forces He wanted to go back
and join his regiment After remaining
in Tampa for about a month he was or
deTed back to his regiment.
Just before he sailed from San Fran
cisco on his first trip TO the Philippines
romance peeped into the life of Funston
One day 4 messenger came 70 the farm
/ house in Kansas with a telegram for his
mother She opened II and found that il
contained brief statement TO the effect
| that Fred had been married to Miss
Ella Blankard, young woman of oak
| land. Cal
In the campaign that eliminated in the
capture Of MalOlOs, the first Filipino capi-
| tai. Funston was a leading figure He
sH am 4 river. pistol in hand with a few
| OF MS men and turned the tide OF the
| Datlle- Ihat feat made him a national
! nguTc- When he returned home with his
hans2nS and was mustered out MS
state gave him an ovation.
~ hen the new volunteer army was
! formed Funston was appointed a briga-
dler general and went back to the islands
his services have been invaluable to
general Macarthur in organizing, scouts
ana planning expeditions.