Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-03-31

i TIL He Entered the CuO0n Army.
Exploits In the Philippine Islands.
lola, Kas, March 30.-Gen. Fred
erick Funston, of Carlyle, Kas, whose
capture of Aguinaldo in the Philippines
is the capsheaf of numerous renowned
military achievements, has led a life
full of thrilling adventures. He was
born in Clarke county, Ohio, thirty
six years ago next November, but his
career really began in the Jayhawker
State, whence his father, ex-Represen-
tative Edward Hogue Funston, moved
when the son was three years old On
fertile farm, located by Deer Creek,
few miles from lola, he gave up to
boyhood and young manhood, followed
| the plow, did chores and developed
wonderful physical powers for a man
OF small stature, five feet three in
height, which have stood him in good
stead in the wilds of Alaska, the alkali
plains of Death Valley, the Businesses
of Cuba when the island was overrun
est retreats of the Filipino insurgents
The man whose name is ringing from
end to end of the United States as the
most famous volunteer officer in the
| Spanish war and in the rebellion that
| followed it, and probably the most ia
nous of any American officer who has
worn the army blue in that period, is
| said to be able to trace his lineage back
| to Daniel Boone, the pioneer. AS
boy he was not enamored of farmers
| life, of attending the district schools in
winter, and toiling in the fields in
summer. He graduated from the lola
High school, followed the vocation of
teacher, and for two years was a stu
dent at the University of Kansas, at
Lawrence. He gained a smattering of
the Spanish language while at Law
renee, which proved of no small value
TO him subsequently.
Fought n Negro at Lawrence.
Although he has always been charac-
terized for modesty regarding his own
achievements, and was of retiring
disposition as boy, the daredevil
spirit and utter lack OF fear were
prominent during his student life at
Lawrence. An anecdote of him there
makes Funston the hero of clash with
| a negro named Bad Bill" who was
accustomed periodically to get drunk
and to terrorize the town. Funston,
on one of those occasions, held the
burly negro up with revolver and
marched him off to the Jail.
He undertook newspaper work on
the Fort Smith (Ark.) Tribune soon af-
ter leaving the University of Kansas,
which he pursued with Indifferent sue
cess. He wrote up local events for
that paper, and closed his journalistic
career at Fort Smith with an Incl
dent that has often been told since he
achieved fame in the Philippines. 1t
was Democratic paper of virulent
type, and while the editor was absent
attending a political convention Fun
ston was left in charge, which meant
that he must write the editorials He
did his duty, but printed radical Re
publican leader at the head of the edi-
torial column which startled the town.
He departed Immediately, leaving an
enraged constituency behind him. Then
| for time he was conductor on the
| Santa Fee railroad
J II Noo dUouJ tCH years ago lUdL run
{ ston entered upon a series Of adven-
lures remarkable in their character and
outcome. His father, who had been
| first elected to Congress in 1884, was
| in 1880 chairman of the Committee on
Agriculture in the House of Represen-
tatives. Through, his influence young
Funston gained an appointment to
| travel out to the Dakotas and make
| collection of grasses. Soon after his
return from the Dakotas, where he
| seems to have executed his mission
! successfully and demonstrated his abil-
| lty not only to stand exposure. but to
| go where he was sent, Funston made
trip for mountain climbing, in COM
| pany with Mr.. V. l.. Kellogg, associate
| professor In the University OF Kansas.
to the Front Range Mountains. which
are near Pixies Peak, Col They had
! thrilling experience in the ascent of
Table Mountain, where they encoun-
tered a blizzard that nearly cost them
their lives. The story of that trip was
told by Mr.. Funston in ST. Nicholas for
May, 1900.
Endurance in Death Valley.
In the early nineties the government
ieHI an expeQltlOn TO Death valley, in
California, an alkali depression, where
the heat is intense and where no yege-
tation grows. Funston ACCOMPANIED
the party and after severe hardships
returned. about the only member of
| the party who was not seriously i'm
paired in health. That was in 1892.
The following year his father, who was
| still in Congress. aided him in getting
an appointment from the Agricultural
| Department to visit Alaska and bring
! back specimens of the fora along the
coast. He lived during one summer
among the Indians, learned to subsist
on strawberries immersed in walrus
Oil, and the following year was an
pointed to go on another mission to
Alaska, this time to visit the interior
OF the country and get information
for the Agricultural Department about
the character of the Alaskan vegeta-
ton. The trip involved spending
about eighteen months in the country.
and Funston prepared to go alone on
the undertaking, for which he was
subsequently paid $4,000 by the gov
| eminent
Alaska had not then been invaded BY
| the miners. and Funston penetrated
Chilkoot Pass, the White Horse Rap
| ids and other obstacles 70 -royaI i,