The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-12

armed them according to American or
European methods and found them to be
hrst-class soldiers. The navy of China
had fallen into sad state. Ward took
hold of it and improved it greatly In adj
dition to his command of the imperial
army he was made lord admiral of the
navy. Honors such az were shown to
no other Christian were showered on him.
He was made a mandarin of the fourth
rank and little later a mandarin of the
first rank. In recognition of these hon
ors he became a citizen of China, married
Chinese woman of high rank and
pledged his services for the rest of his
life to China. His force, which never had
been repulsed, became so formidable and
impressive that it awakened the fears OF
England. which he'd ambitions In China
which might be thwarted through the
power of the young American. An effort
was made to influence the Chinese gov
eminent against him, but without sue
cess. His Ever Victorious Army, as it
had become known through China, con-
tinued victorious and Wards power grew
greater and greater. At the very height
of his success he was killed in battle at
Tse-Ki, September q, 1862. He was less
than 81 years old when he died and in
two years had done more to awaken
China than any other foreigner had in
all the centuries preceding. Never was
a white man more honored in death by
China than was Frederick Townsend
Ward. His body was laid to rest in the
temple of Confucius and a great mauso-
leum was erected in his honor. The Ever
Victorious Army never showed SO well
after his death as it did while he directed
its affairs. The English took advantage
of his death to have one of their crack
officers-General Gordon-better known to
fame as Chinese Gordon-placed' in cont
mand of the army, but he did not meas
ure up in spirit or ability with the DASH
ing young adventurer from Salem town,
who crowded into his short life more ac-
ton than falls to the lot of many men.
A different style of genius, but fully
as remarkable, was Paul Morphy, about
whom there has been much misnfornla-
tion spread in the guise of fact. When 10
years old he was a fine chess player.
When he was 13 he could ho.i his own
with the masters He was born in New
Orleans, June %, 1897. In 1850 he played
three games with Lowenthal. champion
of Great Britain. Two of them the boy
won and one was drawn. When he was
20 he started on tour of America and
Europe. Nothing more sensational than
his achievements has been recor led in
chess history. In New York, where he
met the chess masters of this side of the
Atlantic. he won every game Then ne
went abroad. ANDERSEN was the great
est player in Europe. Morphy played II
games with him, winning seven, losing
two and drawing two. He played stimuli
taneous chess. blindfolded, against eight
masters and won every game. In Lon
don he defeated Lowenthal the master
against whom he had played when he
was IL years old. This time the score was
9 to and two games drawn. All the
great players of that age, Boden, Kiese--
tiki, Medley, Mongredien, Owen, Bird,
Tarrwitz, fell before him. The world had
never seen sach chess before and may
never see it again. 49,
was % he retired as a chess player and
took up the practice of law Occasionally
he played with his own circle Of friends
years old he put his chess boards and
He died in New Orleans in 1884, In the
ed. No fair comparison of the chess %
masters, such as Lasker, Capablanca,
No one ever was able to test the full
power of Morphy. He was in class by
himself. The limit of his ability must
ever remain a matter of speculation. Pos
sibly the one living master who most
nearly approaches the great American
In brilliancy and beauty of play is the
dashing young Cuban, Capablanca, who,
like the Louisianian, matured early and
was recognized as genius before he at
tanned his majority.
A vivid page in the history of Persia
Is that which will have to do with Nor