The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-02-20

Klondike, which was then sadly in need
Of law and order and it is said he did
his best to make life safer and maintain
order. Following this, General Funston
made perilous trip down the Yukon
river in a canoe.
The department of agriculture work
becoming monotonous, the young Kan
san went to Mexico, where he became
thoroughly acquainted with the country
and perfected his knowledge of Span
ish. Then came an attempt at coffee
planting in South America. which ended
as soon as he realized that it was not
his forte.
The insurrection against Spanish rule
in Cuba then claimed Funston s atten-
ton. He decided that machine guns
would win the revolution, and he be-
came an expert in their use. In 1896 he
landed in Cuba and offered his services
to General Gomez, who Immediately
placed him i'll command of his artillery.
Funston took part in % battles, was
wounded three times, and made his ar
tillery the bane of the Spanish army.
| Shortly before the Spanish American
war, General Funston obtained leave
of absence and started for home for
rest. He bore papers that would have
assured his execution if they were found
on him by the Spaniards, but when he
was captured he ate the discriminating
J documents.
Shortly after his return home the
! Spanish American war started and Fun
ston was commissioned colonel of the
Twentieth Kansas Volunteers. The reg
iment was sent to the Philippines. There
Funston took part in the Northern Lu-
ION campaign under General Arthur Me
Arthur, and became famous over night
for the capture of Aguinaldo. He
did this by a clever ruse and without fir
ing a shot. When the news of the cap
ture of the rebel chieftain was flashed
across the Pacific, the Kansas colonel
became national figure.
On May /, 1899, General Funston was
promoted to be brigadier general of
volunteers for crossing the Rio Grande
river at Columpit on small bamboo
raft in the face of a heavy fire and es-
tablishing a rope ferry by which troops
were enabled to cross and win the bat
tie. He also received the Congressional
Medal of Honor. He was wounded al
San Tomas, but continued at the head
of his brigade until the end of the cam
paign.
General Funston returned to thi;
country in 1901, and commanded sue
, cessivelv the departments of the Colora
do, the Columbia, the Lakes, the South
western division. and California, ant
: later was placed in charge of the arm.
service schools. After this General Fun
) ston was sent abroad again, and durin,
t 1918, was commander of the depart
: ment of Luzon, and during 1924 o
1 the department of Hawaii. During Jan
5 uary, 1914, he was appointed command
err of the second division of the Unite
e States army, and in April of that yea
: commanded the Vera Cruz expedition
1 When at Vera Cruz he was promoted t
1 be a major general, then being 40 year
: old
n In February, 1915, General Funsto
e was placed in charge of the department
n of the South, with headquarters at For
n Sam Houston, and year later wa
f placed in command of the entire Amer
can military force along the border frol
y California to Texas, and also of til
r. movements of the United States troop
/, in Mexico in pursuit of Villa.