The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-08-09
FEVER
SECTION
Something About Archbishop Cha;
peiie, the Most IIiustrious
Present Victim.
BY We Old Timer.

UP TO date Archbishop ChapelIe Is
the most illustrious victim of the yell
low fever epidemic in New Orleans.
For many years his name has been
a household word In Catholic circles
of the Southwest. but 1t was not until
the year of the Spanish war that
events forced him into the limelight
of national fame. In that year he
was promoted from Santa Fe to New
Orleans.
His brother prelates in Louisiana
grumbled a bit about his advancement
over their heads IN the groundsof his
French nationality. Father Chapelle.
however, denied that he was a French.
man except by birth and insisted he
was a good American. The late Pope
Leo XIII. took the same view and
confirmed his nomination.
Since that time Archbishop Cha
pelle's duties have been largely diplo.
matte. The very next year he was
sent to Manila as Apostolic delegate
to the Philippines. where he helped
to s%traishten out the trouble over the
disposition of the friar lands. He
soon found himself hampered by the
opposition of the Filipinos. The ma
tives, still fighting American SOW.
ereignty, got the notion that the
Archbishop represented President
Mckinley as much as he did the Pope.
and that there was a put.up Job be.
tween Washington and Rome to re.
~instate the hated friars in all their
former possessions and authority.
The Archbishop really did repre-.
sent both Washington and Rome in
a measure, but unfortunately for him
a certain army officer on the trans
port which brought the prelate to
Manila was ignorant of the fact and
grossly insulted him during the voy-
age. The Major spread out his blan.
ket for airing in such a way that the
garment covered the window of the
Archbishop's stateroom, depriving
him of both light and air. Chapelle
sent his clerical assistant to expostu.
late. but the only answer he got in
return was the surly remark from the
officer that he didn't care a rap wheth.
err the Archbishop's room was aired
or not.
Mgr. Chapelle endured the discom.
fort until he reached Manila. Then
there was trouble for the Major. The
latter stared open mouthed when a
government launch steamed to the
transports side and took aboard the
Archbishop. an honor only accorded
to high officials of Uncle Sam. In
due time the churlish man with
shoulder straps was court.martialed
on the charge of conduct u%nbecoming
al officer.
Governor j. X. Vardaman, Of Mis-.
sissippi. whose name prominently fig
ures in the controversy between his
State and Louisiana on the yellow fe.
yer quarantine question, is a siren.
uous opponent of war theoretically.
but confessed to a human weakness
for its pomp and circumstance. He
said recently:
"Lynching, war, prize fighting-all
these things to me barbarous
and cruel. Yet l must admit that
about war, at least, there is a fascina-
ton and a glamour.
II once attended a sham battle, and
even this sham battle seemed to me
as | looked OF to be a fine, romantic,
inspiring thing. | was following the
troops about in a hack, and | remem.
Der how impatient I grew when, the
ground becoming billy, the driver
would not drive me fast enough.
Hurry up, man. I would say.
We mustn't miss that flanking move.
ment.'
And the driver would growl and
touch his horse with the whip.
Finally the bugle of the sham en-.
emies gave the 'cease.hring' call, and
my driver. with a look Of relief, pulled
up and began to feed the horse from
a nose,bag. Suddenly, though, the
advance sounded, and off the troops
started again at the double quick.
But the driver made no ATTEMPT TO
interrupt the horses meal and fol.
low them. I, intoxicated with the
glory and glamour Of the sham battle,
said to the man to inspire him:
Now, cabby, drive on. Imagine
we are in real war;
"'All right said the cabby, and
you imagine that me and the boss is
shot"