The Jennings daily record., 1902-05-24

II there are any embryo romantic
-uovelists who are in search of q plot oF
who are looking for character to
eunbody into thrilling romance OF the
western plains and wild Indians. or OF
the Arctic regions, or of war or travel
in The tropics, or of most anything IN
the line of blood curdling adventure, or
hatr-breadth escape, it might be we'll
for them to call on Frank Lafayette
Harris. lieutenant U. S. N. retired, who
II passing the closing days OF very
uvely career in the city Of Boston.
Lieut. Harris has done most every
thing that man can do In an ordinary
lifs and live to talk about it to his own
grandchildren, and other peoples
grandchildren at the age OF 80 years.
He has had adventures from Green
lands icy mountains to India's coral
strand" and at all the intervening
points from the S0th parallel of north
latitude TO Cape Horn and around
about the world several times over.
He is the only surviving member OF
the Hayes Arctic expedition, which
created a sensation in the early SOS by
penetrating farthest north and by dis
covering an open polar sea. He is a
veteran of the Mexican war, the civil
war, and an Indian war on the plains,
he is an ex-forty-niner, retired lieu
tenant of the navy of the early days,
and has been round the world many
times He has fought duel single
handed with three fierce Indians and
killed them all. He has been recon-
nended for bravery at Malvern Hill,
and smoked his first cigar with Gen.
NcClellan in the latter's tent after that
memorable engagement
6Aevenson would have found in him
tale N absorbing as Treasure Is
land and q character more striking
than any Of those that speak from the
pages Of romance.
Lieut.. Harris made his f1rst voyage
In the u 8. S. st. Louis round the
world, and was stationed in the Pa
cifc squadron, of which at that time
the frigate Constitution was the flag
ship.
On this ship he took part in the war
with Mexico. When peace was declared
Harris resigned from the navy, went
east and met young Louis Dent and
his brother, who were about to start on
a prospecting tour to the west, where
gold had been discovered, and where
mon were supposed to make fortunes
IN a night. They went to West river
and began to hunt and opened up a
small trading depot at which all the
indian tribes OF the neighborhood soon
began to purchase their supplies.
Here Harris had q dispute with
powerful Indian chief, Trankilena. and
gave him a sound thrashtnE. The
news spread in all directions and it
was soon rumored that the Indian and
Two of his comrades were going to
murder Harris the very first chance
they got. Harris was informed and
armed himself.
He started out one day single-hand-
ed to surprise the braves In a place
which they had chosen as an ambush.
He came upon them very much sooner
than he expected to and had barely
opened fire. He awaited his chance.
and on his first shot brought down his
chief enemy with a broken leg.
The three kept up the battle for
over an hour, and Harris was hit in
the shoulder; not a very serious, but a
painful wound. that bled profusely. He
changed his position from a standing
to kneeling one and managed to get
in a good shot that laid out one of his
enemies and left the odds two to one,
with the leader Of the opposition badly
the SD parallel, and Harris, as the lit
tie boat in which the party came
ashore touched the beach, leaped out
and ran as fast as he could ahead of
the rest and ascended a slight hill upon
which he planted an 1s-starred flag lin
the name of Abraham Lincoln, the
President of the United States, and OF
the union"
The party had been absent since the
preceding July, and none of them knew