The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-12-22
AMERICAS TWO GREATEST
SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE
Generals Funston and Perishing Once More in the
Lin,eLeht.
Lin1eHght.

The day of the soldier of fortune is
not past.
Some, when reading novels regard
ing the swash-bucklers Of old, think of
them as connected with conditions
which are long since gone. The .abil-
ity to win place at the head of an
army by one single brilliant feat is
generally assigned to by-gone cen.
turtles, yet the names of two men, who
in an amazingly short time have gone
to the top in the military service Of
the United States, prove that just as
in the past the soldier of fortune Can
still carve out his place over night. :
Gen. Frederick Funston and Gen.
John J. Pershing.
Eight years ago, before the Spanish
American war, these names were un-
known.
Funstan began as an insignificant
school teacher, yet now so strong a
place has he won for himself that at
the first threat of trouble Funston is
the man of the hour, the first to be
called to the front by Uncle Sam.
He aided the American forces to
triumph in Cuba. Aguinaldo, the
Filipino chieftain, had to be captured.
Funston was the man assigned to the
job and he succeeded. The upset con-
ditions of San Francisco after the re-
cent .upheaval made necessary a man
who could restore order. Funston was
called to the task, and made child's
play of it. Now hardly is this work
done before Uncle Sam has detached
him to Cuba, to aid in bringing back
1aw-abiding conditions there.
No matter how much his enemies
may belittle him, the diminutive gen
eral, the little game cock" as he is
Called is the man for the task that is
SO hard that everybody else shirks it.
Pershing has just attracted atten-
tion through an extraordinary promo
tion. He was jumped over the heads of
S62 officers, who were ahead of him
in the line of promotion, in order that
he might be made a brigauierssge1'u III
at once, without waiting for the tedi-
Gus process that would make him one
in the regular order. The act is said
to have been inspired by President
Roosevelt, who has appreciated Gen.
Pershing's great military ability.
Except in the case of Gen. Funston,
who was made a brigadier from the
volunteers after his capture of Aguin-
aldo, there is no other instance upon
record where bravery and efficient SER
vice have been so promptly or so ex-
tensively rewarded.
After this no one ought ever to say
that it is hard to make rapid ADVANCE
ment in military career. No man in
any business could expect to go to the
top in less than a decade of actual
service, yet this is what has been ac-
complished by these two soldiers OF
fortune, and although we have had a
little fighting to do in that time, there
has been nothing very strenuous for a
great nation like ours, and therefore
no great opportunities for our military
men.
In connection with both men it ought
to be remembered that while each had
his share of luck that it was not the
Goddess of Fortune alone that lifted
them to exalted rank.
Funston went through many hard
ships before he came to his present
rank, and not the least of his valuable
qualities has been the willingness to
take without complaint whotever SER
vice might be assigned him.
Although credited to Kansas from