The Washington times., 1917-02-20
Reporter, Who Became Major
General, Had Thrilling, Ad-
VenturouS Career.
LIFE STORY LIKE NOVEL
Fought in Many Lands, ExpIor-
ed WiIdernesses, and Met
Every Manhood Test

"AO OUT o
chaos in San Francisco following tn,
earthquake, and commander of tn,
: expedition to Vera Cruz in 1914, eth,
Gar of the Mexican border" Gen
Z Frederick Funston, doubtless will b,
accorded a high place in American
history.
The story of the life Of "The Little
Game Cock" reads like a novel. He
was a true soldier of fortune with g
thirst for adventure which was not
Stacked until he had fought in many
quarters of the globe. His career as
a soldier was romantic, fascinating
meteoric.
While General Funston was best
known and most admired as a SOL
dier. his life before he entered the
United States army was even more
picturesque and sensational. Prior
to accepting an army commission he
devoted considerable time to the
study OF botany, then explored the
frozen fields of Alaska as a scientist
and victim of the Klondike fever;
served for a time as a journalist,
fought as an officer in the Cuban in
surrection army against the Span
iards, and participated in other revo-
lutions in South America
But 5 Feet 2 Inches Tall.
General Funston was not only the
youngest man who ever held the rank
of major general in the United States
army, but the smallest officer in point
of stature in the military establish
ment
I;4tIo 80, all narva cour.Oa
iron, and indomitable will, a soldier
. of brilliance and daring, crowned
with the laurels of repeated sue
cesses, the United States Government
: waived the height requirement in his
/: case, for its own good and service.
" General Funston stood about five feet
:: two inches in his army boots. He
was a grizzled, gray, keen-eyed little
man, known to everybody as a hu-
Z man dynamo.
Although a stern, unyielding sol
. dier, conversant with the last detail
{ of the personnel and equipment OF
the Southern Department OF the
army, General Funston was a genial,
: companionable man, ever ready with
a delightful, pertinent story of an ex-
: perience in his life or that of some
prominent person he had met in re-
3 mote parts OF the WOFlQ-
Born in Newcastle, Ohio, on No
. vember 9, 1865, Frederick Funston in
his babyhood was taken to Kansas by
! his parents and was reared in the
"Sunflower State" His first work
; was that of a newspaper reporter on
the Kansas City Star. He always said
. he was a sorry failure as a scribe, and
Z commended the managing editor for
getting rid of him
Turns to Botany.
+. Having taken up the study Of bot
any while trying to break into the
journalistic realms, Funston obtained
a position as field agent for the De
. partment of Agriculture after he got
, ''3O" in the Kansas City Star office.
This work took him to Death Val
ley, California, a region that had tried
the soul of many men, but through II
, Funston fought his way undaunted
and unscathed. Following this ex-
citing experience he explored Alaska
, and the British northwest, crossing
Alaska to the Arctic ocean and travel
ing from Mckenzie river to BehrinK
Sea, distance OF about $500 miles.
During the winter of 1898 he hunted
gold in the Klondike region, and suf-
members OF his party having perished,
he floated down the Yukon in a canoe
alone. This journey extended over
several hundred miles. and took the
intrepid nomad through a wilderness
IN which he beheld no other human
being.
Close on the heels OF this adven-
tuTe Funston went TO Mexico, where
he Travelled extensively and had many
exciting and thrilling experiences,
participating in a number OF marrow
chilling escapades that tested his
courage and grit to the utmost.
Gets Cuban Commission.
During the last struggle of the
Cuban insurrectos against the Spanish
army in Cuba, Funston applied t0~a
Junta in New York for a commission,
and it was given him. For several
months he trained Cuban soldiers in
a building on the East Side of New
York. His instruction dealt chiefly
with machine gun work. Later he
went to Cuba
When the American army reached
Cuba, Funston, much bedraggled and
suffering from wounds, turned up at
headquarters of Gen. FItzhugh Lee
Cuban army because fifty Spanish
prisoners had been executed against
his will and order.
After recuperating in Kansas he
was given the colonelcy of the TWEEN.
tieth Kansas Infantry and sent to
the Philippine Islands in one OF the
early expeditions to the archipelago
Exploits I'm Philippines.
He Immediately won distinction in
the Philippines by swimming the
Calumpit river on a reed raft, convey.
ing the cables TO form a bridge over
which the American forces passed.
In March, 1901, Funston obtained
information from one of Aguinaldo's s
dispatch bearers OF the whereabouts
of the insurrecto chief BY a clever
ruse Funston surprised and captured
.Aguinaldo. Funston, knowing Agui,
naldo wanted re-enforcements, armed
and equipped a large band OF Macca.
bebes and American soldiers masquer.
aiding as Filipinos, and sent them to
Aguinaldo's camp near the town OF
Casiguran, where the chieftain was
tricked and taken. nFunston was pro-
NOTED to the ranlff brigadier gen
eral for the feat.
At San Francisco Funston further
distinguished himself by declaring
martial law and taking entire charge
of affairs following the earthquake.
He provided homes for the homeless
.arrested many trouble-makers, and
l-apf dnun the cOat Of fond to the