Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-02-21
LIFE OF FUNSTON
ADVENTUROUS ONE
His Early Career as Newspaper
Man Short and Stormy
in Spots.
HOW HE LEFT CUBAN ARMY


General Funston's life was one OF con-
tinual adventure. His father, Edward
H. Funston, a prominent Kansas DEM
ocratic politician, early learned this,
although it was not displayed in any
sense of disobedience. Young Fun
ston wanted to go to the University
OF Kansas, where the majority Of his
high school classmates had entered.
His father had selected another
school. To Kansas Funston went
with no allowance. He did all kinds
OF odd Jobs around the school to pay
ior his board and room until his ia
Their, perceiving the lads serious in.
tention commenced sending a remit
lance. .,.-.
When out Of school he took up
newspaper work, being employed on
the old Kansas City Times and later
on Fort Smith, Ark, and New York
publications. His newspaper career
was stormy in spots, his Kansas City
position terminating after he injected
some wild tale into a supposedly stad
market report and his Fort Smith ad..
venture ending with his Resignation"
after running the paper in high
handed fashion during absence OF the
managing editor.
Calls it Dirty Trick.
General Funston was feather
weight as far as physical dimensions
we're concerned. When he was ap-
pointed colonel Of the Kansas regi-
ment Funston was told by J. w.
Gleed, an old-time friend, that he
would have a hard time passing the
doctors.
Then III dodge the doctors" I'M
mediately replied Funston. Funston
led his troops through the campaign.
which terminated with the capture OF
Aguinaldo. The taking Of the famous
irsurrecto was characterized as a
dirty trick by General Funston in
talking of the event in later years.
The report that. he deserted the
Cuban army after having enlisted and
fought with the rebelling natives OF
that country was brought back to
New York. General Funston, telling
OF his Cuban experiences, said he had
fought through the vicious campaign,
enduring every hardship that an un.,
equipped army can endure. After serv-
ing as expert gunner for more than
year without pay he asked for leave
Of absence. This request was not
complied with and one morning Fun
ston mounted horse and rode away.
Presenting himself before Spanish
bIockhouse, he threw up his hands and
surrendered The commandment OF the
blockhouse treated him kindly and
turned him over to Consul General
Fitzhugh Lee at Havana, who sent
him home to the United States,
Said He Talked Too Much.
General Funston was a pioneer in
the project OF paying the enlisted man
more money for his services. As early
as 1904 in his annual report to the
War department as commander Of the
department OF Columbia he said In
part: "A
"There is scarcely any doubt that
such action would bring into the army
vastly superior body Of men who
would remain in the service and make
il their life work"
His quick, snappy, ways Of accom-
plishing matters often led him into
situations where in his earlier years
caused him embarrassment. A few
years ago he said in an interview:
In my earlier army career talked
too much. ! paid for 1t, too. An
army officer has no business talking.
The less he talks the better off he Is"
On the arrival OF the Kansas troops
from the Philippines Funston was pre-.
sentcd with sword, the gift OF 5000
Kansans. The sword was said at the
time to have been the handsomest gift
Of its kind ever given an American
war hero. s
Never Forgot Kansas.
General Funston never forgot Kan
sas and had planed to spend his last
days in the Sunhower state. A re-
port that he had bought small plot
OF ground in California during the
time he was stationed there gave rise
10 the rumor that he was going to
renounce his Kansas citizenship. This
he vigorously denied
On a recent visit to Kansas he was
going over some OF the country in
which he spent his boyhood days and
said to q companion OF the trip:
II surely made fool Of myself
when I didn't stay on the farm He
hesitated moment and added: "But
then--think Of the fun would have
missed" s +sa n.