Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-23
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GENERAL BADEN=POWELL A DESCENDANT
OF THE FOUNDER OF VIRGINIA



The announcement of Gen. Baden-Powell.
of worldwide renown as the lipeal de-
scendant of Capt. John Smith, the founder
of Virginia, Is of interest to American his
torians. To genealogists. too fond Of dis
covering a repetition of hereditary traits
i'm representatives in successive generations
the disclosure is of real interest, for one
can scarcely look into the character and
career of the two men without being struck
by their similarity, the notifications and
developments being only such as are at
tributable to different age and environ
ment.
The hero of Mafeking, who like Cecil
Rhodes. first saw the light In rectory,
was born in 1867, and by an interesting
coincidence, on the anniversary of the birth
of own Washington. His father, VINO
was a theologian of distinction with a
genius for mathematics, wished to give him
a two years course at Oxford after ms
graduation, in 1876, at Charterhouse School.
During the idle summer intervening, TO
test his proficiency in certain branches, the
young man entered himself for the July
examinations for a commission In the army
He made no preparation, only answering
the questions on the papers which seemed
easiest, and being convinced that the ex-
aminations of two years later were wlthih
his reach, he dismissed the subject from
his mind and went yachting with his
brother.
All was arranged for his entering Oxford
in october. His surprise may be conceived,
therefore, when during the September pre-
ceding he was officially notified by the
Duke of Cambridge, commander-in-chlef OF
the army, that he stood second among the
cavalry candidates who had taken the sum-
mer examinations. An appointment as
lieutenant in the HuSsars accompanied tins
announcement, and abandoning the Oxford
plan, he joined his regiment in Ind a.
From the moment of his arrival he was a
marked man, leader among his associ-
ates; and so, playing his part nearly three
hundred years after the appearance of his
illustrious ancestor and amid far different
stage settings, the dominant characteristics
of the two are the same. In the sixteenth
century Smith distinguished himself by
daring achievements in hungary ana
Trans lvania, receiving from Sigismund IN
recognition of these patent of nobility
and a pension In 1887 Baden-Powell s eX-
PLOTS at Cape Town and in the Zululahd
were announced in press dispatches. for
brilliant work in this campaign he received
brevet rank of lieutenant colonel and later
was made chief staff officer of Gen Sir
Frederick Darlington. During these years
of service he familiariZed himself with the
country, thus unconsciously preparing him
self for the browning achievement Of his
ife the brilliant defense, in the spring OF
1900 of the town of Mafeking, when &C
counts of his GOODNESS, his heroism and i'm
perturbability flashed over the wires, to be
scanned by millions of eyes, and he was
world famous.
When he Joined the Hussars at nineteen
he took leading part IN the sports of the
garrison. He rode, boxed wrestled, ran,
jumped and swan with the best of them,
and could fence well with his foil in his
left as in his right hand. He could sing
song, tell a good story and take part in
a comedy either as actor manager He
could also write. draw clever caricature,
paint from nature and model in clay. In
Smith. too we find the same versatility,
his ability to entertain and interest being
important factors in his dealings with the
American Indians, and even divertng them