Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1901-04-18

al Funston appears in the New York
Independent this week and is written
BY Hon. G. +. Scott Of lola, the man
best qualified to write from personal
experience Of the famous Ksnsan.
MIR. Scott tells In his usual fascinat-
ing style Of The boyhood and young
manhood Of his distinguished towns
man and closes with this clear esti'
mate OF his character and accomplish.
ments, q statement that Is likely to
stand as the best analysis Of Funston's
character yet published;
"And now what manner Of man is
he, this youth who has risen in less
than three years Of desultory and not
very important warfare from the
colonelcy ois raw regiment Of Kansas
volunteers to the rank Of brigadier-
general in the regular armyp
First Of all let there be set down
some Of the things that be is not. He
is not an opera boufle' soldier, hunt
ing Aguinaldo with a brass band
O. some one most unfortunately re-
marked almost OF the moment when
Funston was landing with his prison.
or at Manila. He Is not a notoriety
seeker. He Is not an adventurer. a
mere soldier Of fortune. He Is not
an accident. The real man, as bis
intimate friends know him, Is the
very opposite Of all these. In social
life General Funston Is modest to q
most unusual degree. His friends
cannot imagine him doing any
thing deliberately spectacular. I'm
medistely after bis appointment as
colonel be was ordered to report to
General Miles at Tampa, and spent
four weeks there supplying Informal
ton about that part Of Cuba with
which he was familiar. He wore
citizens clothes until General Shafter
ordered him to don bis uniform. Six
weeks after bis appointment, when
bis home town presented him with q
sword, 1t was found that he had not
yet supplied himself with one. The
writer Of this sketch received perhaps
o score Of letters from him written
during the first six months Of the war
in Luzon. There were pages Of
praise Of the splendid regiment he
commanded, but not one word to in
dictate that he had anything whatever
to do with the heroic record 1t was
making. When he came home on
leave Of absence with bis old regi-
ment, be put on citizens clothes, and
1t was difficult 10 persuade him to
wear his uniform even at public re-
ceptlons rendered in his honor. Upon
the reorganization Of the army, when
the war office was inundated with Pc
titions for promotion, Funston made
no application, and never SO much as
limited to his most intimate1iriends
that be would be glad Of their inhu.
ence In bis behalf.
"He Is patriotic. When he return
ed from the Philippines in 1899 he
had served the term Of bis enlistment,
and was entitled to discharge. He
was offered five years. salary as 3
brigadier for fifty lectures. He has
other business offers that would have
paid him twice bis army salary an
nually for an indefinite period. The
health Of his vile, to whom he is de.
votedly attached, was such that she
could not hope to return TO the islands
with him, and bis own health was
such that he might well have shrunk
from the ordeal OF another campaign
in the tropics. He knew that the ex
citing period Of the war was over, and
he had every reason to believe, and
did believe, that nothing remained
but toilsome, tedious and inconspic
uous service, with no possible chance
10 add to the laurels he had already
won. Yet In the face Of all these con-
slderations he responded to the CALI
Of the war Office and went back to the
islands solely because he regarded it
as patriotic duty
HE Is brave; but he Il not rash. i
am not scared when the battle is on,
be said once to The writer, but l have
the nervous jim.jsms before 1t begins
and ! have nervous prostration after
1t is over He appreciates fully the
danger, but he faces 1t deliberately
and not thoughtlessly. The most
q. ~..ant rssstc,.s. - $500 "a II. -