The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-19

| ford ID, Bucknam. SAYS the New York
| Evening Post, have been somewhat wor
rled because no mention of him has
been made IN dispatches from Constan-
tnopIe since the recent outbreaks. Ac-
! cording to Lewis Nixon who knows
BucEnam. and also his friend and aide,
w. II. Ledbettcr who holds the rank
of commander in the Turkish navy, the
| very fact that they have not been meu-
| toned in connection with the counter
plots of the striving parties is suffi
Gent proof that they have managed to
keep out Of harm.
Americans naturally feel an interest
IN these two men. who have been facing:
almost alone and uuaided the task of
rebuilding the dcfunct Turkish fleet,
and welding 1T into a fighting unit. 1t
was about six years ago that Buchanan
went TO Turkey. as commander of the
new cruiser Medjidia, built for the sui
| tan by the Cramps, Ledbetter has been
with the American pasha for about two
| years.
The story of Bucknam IS life reads
like concoction of the imagination.
He has been through all kinds OF ad
ventures In all corners of the globe. In
Turkey he has held a position as an
| omalous as 1T was distinctive; while few
/ people who are intimately acquainted
with Turkish affairs credit all that has
been written about him or believe that
he really has been, as represented,
prominent among the sultan s private
advisers. there is no doubt that he ac-
CURED considerable Influence with Abb
dul llamid, and figured conspicuously
on several occasions when the life of
the sultan was attempted.
Status Of American Pasha''
81 saw Captain Bucknam often in
nf ioif -, %
noplc in the last few years, said Mr.,
Nixon. He has been concerned in
Keeping the fleet in shape, though he
has had but little opportunity to do
so. in the case of foreign contracts in
Germany ard Italy, he was present
usually on the trial trips, and brought
the vessels back, The sultan took an
interest in him and advanced him in
rank several times. The idea. though,
thal he was III any way upon intimate
terms with the ruler is far from true
and IN the emergency of the lasi few
months probably he never saw him.
Bucknam found large fleet of tor
pcqo boats In poor condition, and in
order to develop that branch of the
navy. asked the minister of marine to
let h'm get graduate of the United
states Naval academy, and his final
selection was Ledbettcr. who was at the
i
forceful, courageous man, he left the
service, discipline seeming TO be irksome
TO hlm In the lower grades. But for
the purpose for which Buckuam wished
HIM, he was well fitted.
However, they were not in with the
palace p!otters. and | cannot imagine
that they are IN the slightest danger,
as they are both American citizens, and
receive their mail at the embassy. I'm
IL,
less and lll-advised movement-and 7
do not believe they could get an oppor.
tunity-there is no way by which they
could get into trouble. -
On the other hand. there are not lack
ing trends of Bucknam Pasha. here IN
New York ans elsewhere. who assert
thlC ms restless d'si. .JsiE.on worli never
permit .im to stand id;e while big
coups Wee being planned and executed
around pim. One New Yorker who
knew ;!'i"hIS n rs few n:cn have lroV n
him. Tncu he WIS representative r. tb?
Faclhc steamship company at Panama.
ana heard from him a few months ago.
thinks That he was held in favor by the
young Turks as well as by the Sultan.
Life Full of Thrills.
lie is a splendid fcllow-Bucknam
Pasha, said this man. "And he is ono
Of the best friends / have. If you knew
him the way ] do, you wouldn't be sur
used at what he has done. I know
something about his life but if I knew
IT. all ] could write a book that for ex-
el;cloent and swing and dash would beat
anything that has ever been turned out
The last word ! had from him WAS a
postcard lpailcd in Lisbon. He was
then taxing two memo war from Kiel,
Gcir1aGH, TO constantinoplc; In the last
year | haven't heard from him as much
as | used TO, and | must admit that / IN
anxious about him-although, if any
body is capable of taking care Of him
self Buchanan is
HIS is fearless-absolutcly III tell
you story to illustrate that: The
terminal Of the Pacific Steamship com
pany, at Panama, is on the island Of
Naos. Buchanan was the Captain Of
Naos; that was his title. He had good
deal of difficulty in keeping whiskey
off the island, for the pango-meu, the
men who sail the little pangos, were
skilful .smugglers. I happened to be
with him the night be broke up the
practice for good and all.
We wore sitting, smoking on the
balcony of his house at Naos. 1t was
moonlight night, and presently we
mado out boat sneaking through the
shadows Of the floating wharf, appar-
something. There were .hree men IN it.
Bucknac1 observed their movements IN.
Til ho was convinced tina. they we're
wh;skry smugglers, and .cn he said:
Como along We went down to the
wharf, and he began TO take OFF his
shoes, coat and hat. What arc You
going to do'' / asked, Il m going to
teach those fellows that ] mean what
] say when | forbid wbiskey on the
island he replied
''By this time the boat was under
meath us, i'll tho shadows of the wharf,
Bucknam climbed the railing and
dropped over right into the middle of
tho three pango-men. One of them he
Knocked overheard with his fist An
other came for him with a paddle, but
Bucknam grabbed the paddle before the
man could strike, and threw him over
the side. too. That left one smuggler
to deal with. and Buchanan Knocked
him crdwise with his fists. For the
next few minutes he was kept busy
rushlUg the three men under water
every time they tried to get aboard.
- All the time | was up on the wharf,
shaking III my shoes, for any one of the
tLiap lvop1l h1vo L. i11ol him had bo