Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-21
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BY Victor Rosewater


~ in the war with Spain that OF Admiral Dewey,
who has Just died, will be accorded first place,
with possible exception OF President Mckinney
whose fame, however, does not rest upon the
winning of military laurels. 1t all goes to show
what one great exploit can do for man previously
unheralded; for while Dewey survived Manila
Bay nearly twenty years and has now died
peaceful DEATH his subsequent service was con-
fined to the mere humdrum OF routine naval ad-
mnstration. I met Admiral Dewey in Washing
ton once or twice, but do not recall that he was
ever visitor in Omaha, as was Schley, the other
salt water hero of 1893. A son OF the admiral
was out here once, an unpretentious young fellow
representing some eastern investment or insur-
ance company, believe, who was entertained IN
modest way and who declined absolutely to
shine in the reflected glory of his father
That Admiral Dewey was one of the numerous
notables who have owned property m Omaha l
was not aware until that fact was brought out
this last week In that respect he is IN distin-
gushed company, as our deed record is embel-
lished with the inscription of many honored
names. We also have had here in Omaha one
branch of the Dewey family, represented by the
late Charles H. Dewey, long member OF the
pioneer furniture company OF Dewey 4 Stone,
who came from New England where his forebears
and collaterals were and who by his extensive
travelling was first among our Omaha people, to
be acclaimed globe trotter." When Admiral
Dewey suddenly flashed into the limelight, the
distant relationship with the Omaha Dewey fam
lily was disclosed and verified.
In Omaha moreover, the fame OF Admiral
Dewey has been made more lasting by being
adopted for the name of one of our streets. Be-
fore 1893 we possessed little obscure lane
known as "Half Howard street. because half
way between Harvey and Howard and running
from nowhere to anywhere. Half Howard" was
not only meaningless but confusing, and by sug-
gestion of my uncle, the then city engineer, for
NAL action by the city rechristened it Dewey
avenue. Strange as it may seem now, noisy
outcry followed and a vigorous protest was
quickly registered by some of the inhabitants and
lot owners along the street and quite acrimoni-
Gus discussion waged for while in the public
prints over the merits and dement's of the change
of name. Despite the remonstrance Dewey
avenue" withstood the fire. and is now, take it,
permanent fixture in the map of Omaha.
The subject reminds me that the battle of
Manila bay was the occasion Of one of the big
gest newspaper beats" ever scored, back of which
is an interesting story which will bear reteling.
Two Chicago newspaper men, E. w. Harden and
George b. McCutcheon, were taking vacation
trip in the Orient and happened to be in Hong
Kong at the outbreak of our war with Spain.
They heard that the revenue cutter McCulloch,
then in the harbor there, was about to sail for
Manila, where there might be something doing of
more than ordinary interest Without much diff
Guilty, the strength of their letters, they secured
permission to go along.
Before leaving as | have heard Mr.. Harden
describe it, 81 went to the cable office to inquire
what would be necessary if ! wanted to send
back some message, not knowing whether |
would return in person or might want to commit
ncate with folks at home through someone else.
| was advised of the difference of rates for per-
sonal and press messages, which, however, had
to give precedence to official dispatches. The
clerk also told me that by preparing at double
rate ! could send preferred message which
would 60 ahead of everything else except oGcial
business. ,H s..... a.. 49,. ... .
The two American correspondents went along
with the McCulloch and reached Manila just i'll
time to see Dewey sink the Spanish feet. They
came back on the return trip of the McCulloch
with vivid but lengthy descriptions Of what they
had witnessed, which they fastened to file for
cable transmission to their respective newspapers
II had already filed my copy" said Mr.. Har-
den, "and was leaving the cable Office when |
suddenly recollected the information | had had
about urgent messages. went back and wrote
a fifty-word cabegram stating the bare facts of
Dewey's great victory and prepaid it at double
rate out of my own pocket"
By almost mere accident, therefore, that dis
patch was put ahead on the wires and was de-
livered in Chicago eighteen hours ahead of all
other accounts. 1t was received as part of the
special war news service of the Chicago Tribune
and New York World, with which The Bee also
had joint arrangements, and it was printed by
these papers and few others in their next morn
ing's editions ....-. ...