The Oskaloosa herald., 1914-04-30
admiral Fletcher an Oskaloosa Bow
He Was Born and Raised Here and Vent 70 The Navy From
This City.

the fleets. of other nations likewise
filled with barefooted seamen--he is
there with bells on. His reputation
the other fellow do all the worrying,
and sees upon occasion that he has
plenty of II to do. Because Of his
long sea service he is hardly known
to the public. But he is considered
an authority upon International law;
he is so much a master of his profes.
sion that for two years he was super,
intendent of the naval academy, and
as a sea diplomat-in spite of that
| regrettable slip at COpenhagen-he
has won high honor.
Fletcher Born in oskaIoosa.
Badger .. was born in Windham
Conn. Fletcher was born in Oskal
loosa, Ia, in, 1866. Among his pos
sessions was fond elder brother
The two youngsters played together
the elder being Robinson Crusoe,
with. a practicable goatskin umbrella
made OF coon skin and a perfectly
good musketoon- that would almost
tshoot. Frank was the Friday end Of
the sketch. BY and by his brother
forgot the rname he had been chris
tened by and called him Friday en-
tircly. So that when he won the ex
animation in the Sixth Iowa con
gressional district for appointment to
the naval academy his brother took
him to Annapolis to get him started
Perhaps you'd best sign the reg
lister" said the modest cadet to his
brother. So the brother did, In a
large, flowing, copybook sort of hand
This is the way he signed 1t:
Frank Friday Fletcher" .1
No cadet ever believed that Friday
wasn't really part Of Franks name
So that from yainly trying to live II
down he finally adopted 1t. He grad
uated In 1876 as one of the honored
I men in notably brilliant class. Even
tually he became one of the worlds
authorities in ordnance. He is a pat
entee of a number OF valuable inyen
tons, which have been largely in
strumental in aiding the. man behind
the gun to boost the American navy's
| percentage of hits to an altitude that
the men of other nayies do not care
to discuss AS an expert on torpe
does, too, he worked out tables and
designs which have something more
than doubled the efficiency of this
branch of ordnance. u...
. Will Succeed Badger. .. ...
Fletcher was held at the desk dur
ing the war with Spain, because he
was needed there. Then he began
sea service, until 1907 he was given
one, of the most important positions
in the naval war college at Newport
He returned to Washington as d
member of the special ordnance board
and after another tour of sea service
as an aid on the staff of Secretary OF
the Navy Meyer. He attained his fiae
rank in 1911, and immediately after
the assassination of President Made
70 was. sent to Mexican waters. He
has been held there ever since, be
cause of the tact and efficiency will
which he has handled the various per
picking questions that arose, His as
sociates say that Fletcher is one o
the great authorities upon interna
/ tional law. and that from the moment
MadeTO first raised the standard o.
revolt against PorfiriO Diaz, Fletcher
has been reading law and precedents
constantly. He was given what
amounted to a free hand in Mexican
waters, and so conducted himself that
god guessers will be surprised If be
does not succeed Admiral Badger
when he relinquishes his command.