The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-09
George Z. Hit, of indianapolis
Spoke on ''John Paul
Jones" at Library.
A SPLENDID BIOGRAPHY
LIVELY DISCUSSION FOLLOWED
THE PAPER BEING LEAD BY At
TORNEY JONATHAN NEWMAN
OTHERS TOOK PART.

W1rnout a doubt the GEOGRAPHY oil
John Paul Jones, Hero and Patriot,
which was read by George G. Hit, of
indianapolis, last evening at the
Tuesday CLUB, was one of the ablest
and best of any that have been heard
in Richmond for years. He began
with the early life of John Paul Jones,
or, rather, with the life of John Paul,
as he was then called. 10, when
but a lad, in July, 1853, the new brig
Friendship" not fortnight off the
stocks, was lying in her home harbor
OF Whitehaven, Scotland, being fitted
b her first suit of sails. he was chos-
en- with crew, picked from among
the fisher people of Arbigland.
1T was a blowing July afternoon.
An offshore breeze, now freshening
to a gale, was tossing the Solway into
choppy pillows. Most of the inhab-
itants of Arbigland were down at the
mouth of the little tide water creek
that formed the harbor of the village,
eagerly watching a small fishing
yawl. The cater craft was beating
up in the teeth of the gale, striving
for the shelter of the creek. The
crew of the yawl counted but one,
and he a lad of twelve His right
hand held the tiller; with the left he
Stacked or hauled the sheets, and
shifted the sail, when he went about.
The yawl heeled over on the star
board tack-would she make it, or
be blown out to sea? But with a mas
ter hand, the yawl was brought safe
ly into the creeks mouth, and lay
rocking at her moorings as lightly as
a gull. The lad leaped ashore, and,
smiling through the salt water that
dripped from his face, declared his
willingness to sail prentice in the
new brig, Friendship And after
this fashion was 1t that the fisher boy,
John Paul, afterward Admiral Paul
Jones, was given his baptism of the
sea-
Fourteen years later, when he had
written himself Captain for seven
years, he came to America and was
adopted by Virginia planter, who,
when he died, left his estate to Cap
tain Paul, and he was thereafter
known as John Paul Jones. 1t was
about this time, before the Declara
ton of Independence, that the Con-
tinental congress asked his advise
with regard to navy for the colonies, |
and although he had been in COM
mand of several ships, there were five
captains appointed ahead of him and
he but lieutenant, but he was will
ing to forgo an appointment as cap
tain, on the grounds that it was coun-
try first and self second Later he !
was made captain of the Ranger and
captured a British vessel of superior
size and finally received the Bon |
homme Richard from the King of
France. 1t was while in command |
of this ship that the famous fight |
with the Scraps, under Person oc-
CURED, in which he attained the vic !
tory. although the Scraps was a /
larger vessel and carried larger |
crew and greater. ornaments. 1t was
over the Richard that the first Ameri- /
can flag. made from the silk gowns
of the maids of Plymouth, waved and
after the victory, when the Richards
crew had been transferred to the |
decks of the Scraps. and the Rich
ard fred, the last thing to be seen
was the flag floating above the hun
dreds of brave men that went down
with the ship.
Paul Jones then returned to Amer
lea and aided the Continental con-
rress. Later he took service under
Katherine IL, emperor of Russia as
vice admiral of her fl. It. At the out
break of the French revolution he
was called upon to take the part of
the people against the king, and was
about TO do so. when death called
him at the age of 45 years. Thus
ended the life of the founder of the
American navy"
Quit lively discussion followed
the reading of the paper, led by Mr..
Jonathan Newman. Others taking
part We're: Mrs. Ida Mendenhall,
Mrs. James Morrison. DR. y. S. Cox,
DR.. Stevenson. DIR. C. S. Bond. Will
lam Dudley Foulke and w. X. Brad
bury Next Tuesday, Jan. 10, Presi-
dent Robert Kelly will address the
club on THE Soul of the New Psyche
ogy''