The Washington herald., 1908-01-12
By DEXTER MARSHALL.

"a tAtltA JANUS VIII BtL LAAtAk LAAA4lAiAHs VI
large part of it, in America contains the
names Of two X-Presidents-EmiI Frey,
of Switzerland now head of the Inter-
national Bureau of Telegraphs of that
country, and Thomas Estrada Palma,
who wasn't altogether successful as ex-
ecutive of the short-lived first Cuban
Republic
Georges Benjamin Eugene Clemenceau,
premier of France, and as such its virtual
head, is another big gun who got
pretty severe course OF training here,
incidentally having all he could do 10
make both ends meet before the down
fall of Napoleon III determined him TO
return TO his native land The big guns"
of other days-Garibaldi the greatest
Continental patriot of his time, and Stan
ley-undOubtedly the greatest of modern
explorers-like CIemenceau, felt the pangg
of poverty while they were being trained
in the New World
Two of the best known present-day
knights of England-Thomas Upton, of
noncup-lfting fame, and Gilbert Parker,
admittedly one Of the leading noveiists
Of the English speaking world-have re-
ESe~NNtAt NtEHtsRAFtA httftk klaNg NnD AluAil
of their later-day success TO the hard
knocks they received here; and not even
Garabaldi, as a candle maker, was poorer
than Upton what time he spent in Amer
ica as a knockabout day laborer, or Stan
ley, when he landed here as a cabin boy.
Career Began i'm Chicago.
Frederick Dernberg, first head of the
E,I,r,4,E r,fr ~
German empire. and the originator, real
~, Of the German colonial policy. is
known throughout Prussia as "the Kais-
er's American-tratned banker" In Ber-
lin. Leopold Godowsky, whose career
really began I'm Chicago, where he gave
music lessons TO young girls, is a great
musical celebrity.
Three Of these men-Clemenceau, Palma,
and GarabaIdi-got their American train
ing while they We're exiles from France.
Cuba and italy, respectively. Nearly all
the rest sought out America as their land
Of opportunity. Not so Emil Frey, son
Of Or. Emil Frey, for many years a
prominent member Of the Swiss National
Council He came here because as boy
he had firmly resolved 10 see the New
World for himself as soon as he had
completed the long course Of education
mapped out FOR him by his father. He
was in America not quite five years
During four of these years his life was
largely series of adventures, and for
a considerable portion of them his life
was in jeopardy so constantly that OF
him II could be truly said that the next
minute was likely to be his last
Comes to study Country.
II was on December S. 1860. that young
Frey, fresh from the University Of Jena,
where he had spent five years specializ-
ing in economy finance, and agriculture,
set foot in New York after stormy
passage which more than once caused
him to rue the day he had ever deter
mined 10 visit the big republic Of which
he had heard and read so much Com
ing here primarily to study the country
and its ways, and being well supplied
with money, he ieisurely Travelled west
ward observing farming conditions on the
way. Early in 1861 he found himself at
his first objective point, Looking Glass
Prairie. near Highland, Madison Coun-
" III. where a large Swiss farming
colony had been planted some years be-
fore.
one OF the colonlsts known as the Lit
tie Leader" had been a cOachman in the
old country and had frequently driven
Frey's father 10 the council meetings III
Iuzerne. Believing taat he could study
American farming methods best by doing
q little actual farming himself, young
Frey applied 10 the Little Leader Tor
work and was soon engaged in herding
cattle, cowboy fashion.
When Fort Sumter was fired upon Frey
was stiU diligently punching COWS and
gathering experience. But no sooner had
Lincoln issued his first call for volunteers
than he, ike most OF his COUntrymen
about him, rushed TO the defense Of the
flag. Descended from long line OF sol
diers. his fighting blood was up-the study
of agriculture no longer held the slightest
interest for him. Then. too, his few
months in the country had made of him
q rank abolitiOulst, making him all the
more eager TO fight for the North, be
Heving. as he did that with the North
victorious the slaves would ultimately be
freed
Sheltered Friedrich Hecker,
During the revolution that took place
in Europe in 1873 DR. Frey, young Frey's
father, had been the protector and friend
of revolutionists seeking a temporary OF
permanent asylum In Switzerland. Among
the patriots who were sheltered by the
elder Frey was Friedrich Hecker, the ia
nous German revolutionist, who later
came to this country. 1t was in the first
Hecker regiment, so-caIled-the Twenty
fourth Illinois infantry-that Emil Frey
enlisted as color sergeant; and it was at
Chicago. on the 18th Of June. 1861 that
bore for the first time the Star-Spangled
Banner" Col Frey proudly told me. He
carried the cOlors when the regiment
marched in review past Grant in South
ern Missouri was sent 10 Kentucky, and
then into Alabama. to occupy Decatur. In
the fighting that followed in this region
Color Sergeant Frey won his lieutenancy.
In the summer of 90, Frey was ordered
North to recruit a company for a second
Hecker regiment Returning to the scene
of his CoW-punching days. he enrolled q
company made up to a man of Swiss who
had not been. able TO get into the scrinl-
mage before. While the men were being
drilled at Camp Butler near Springfield,
Ill, they elected Frey captain. As a part
Of the Eighty-second Illinois Capt Frey
and his Swiss were in the thickest of the
fighting at Charlottesville, where, within
half an hour l56 of the $50 men Of she
regiment taking part in the battle wei q
either killed or wounded This was on
May ., 1863. Col. Hecker himself was
wounded so severely that he had to leave
the regiment; the other regimental Off
GERS were either killed or incapaeitated,
and the command devOlved upon Frey.
acting as major.
Frey's Capture and Prison Ordeal,
As such. he led what was left by that