Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-01-09
The MARCH OF "PRocREss. -

THE MARCH OF "PRocREss."
CHICAGO, Dec. Is According to
Capt. S. E. Smiley of the Fifteenth
United States infantry, who passed
through Chicago yesterday on his way
to Washington, the photograph
played an important part in the nego-
tiations which preceded the signing of
the treaty between this country and the
sultan of the Sulu archipelago.
Capt. Smiley was a member OF Gen.
Bates staff, military commander of
the department of Southern Luzon,
and accompanied that official on the
tour of the islands under the jurisdic-
ton of the sultan, which resulted in
the execution of the celebrated treaty.
eve made the trip from Manila to
the islands on the cruiser Charleston,
which has since been lost" said Capt.
Smiley. sit happened that we had a
photograph along. 1t was more q
matter of chance than anything else
that it was taken, but it came in useful
before we got through with our work.
When we reached the home of the sui
tan we invited him to come aboard
our ship and sent cutter aud guard
to escort him. He accepted the invi-
tation, and after everybody had taken
their positions on deck under a cool
awning, Gen. Bates stated the object
of the conference, and the formal ne
EQUATIONS were begun. I shall never
forget the picturesque sight presented
by the sultan and his court. Their at
tire consisted chiefly of bracelets,
feathers, and ivory ornaments, but as
the day was warm the garb seemed
pecu tiarly appropriate. We succeeded
in making the sultan understand our
mission in a measure through the SER
vices of an interpreter, but he seemed
suspicious and acted as if he wanted
us to do something to convince him of
our power.
"After the treaty had been drafted
we tried all kinda of schemes to get
the sultan to sign it, so as to conclude
the negotiations, but without success.
He seemed friendly enough through
out our talk, but he adopted q dila-
tory policy for some reason or other.
Finally somebody thought of the
photograph which was slowed away
in the cabin of the ship, and it was
brought on deck. 1t was set in posi-
ton, the big funnel adjusted, the CYL
inder made to revolve. In a moment
all thoughts of diplomatic matters
were forgotten.
"The strains of "All Coons Look
Alike to Me" and oiher rag-time dit
ties rolled out of the fnnnel attached
to the instrument and were waited sea-
ward. The effect of the music on the
sultan was magical. He was surprised
beyond expression. The music caused
panic among the members of his
party, who thought the instrument a
device of the devil, and threw them
selves on the deck and prayed loudly
all the while the concert was in prog
ress. The sultan made careful exa.
mination of the instrument and shook
his head in astonishment. Finally he
was allowed to talk into the machine
in his native tongue, and his surprise
was even more pronounced when a
moment later the words he had spoken
were repeated through the funnel, to
the CONSERVATION of his court
''Thls pleased the sultan greatly
and he asked if he could send mes
sage to the governor of one of his is
lands 200 miles away. We told him
he could and he spoke series of or
ders into the machine. He signed the
treaty before we left him and we bad
no end of amusement later exhibiting
the machine, with the sultan's speech
to the different governors and subor-
dinate officials. They recognized his
voice in an instant and were thrown
into a state Of terror every time we set
the machine working. = 5.s-... Il. z@ ]:
Il F., . Sa s. :