The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-03-13
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON

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lHIRTY years ago America
hN had a new national hero. He
was "a little man with slight
u limp; little man who
- weighs less than a hundred
IL III pounds, with a Vandyke
beard and a sense of humor
that bubbles in him like the
effervescence of wine" His name
was Frederick Funston and his mad
cap enterprise" as he himself called
ii, put his name on the lips of mil
lions. For Funston had captured
Emilio AguinaIdo, the leader Of the
Filipino insurrectos, the most talked
of man in the Orient, if not in the
whole world at that time, who for
three years had been leading some
10000 American troops and native
auxiliaries a merry chase from one
end Of the province Of Luzon to an
other. On March %, 1901, the chase
came to an end when, through the
daring and the strategy Of the little
Kansan, this willy native leader was
taken prisoner.
Insignificant though Funston may
have been in appearance, few mems
lives had been packed as full with ad-
venture as had his when he sprang
into fame almost overnight. He was
born in Ohio in 1856, the son of first
lieutenant in the Union army, who in
1867 moved TO Kansas when Frederick
was two years old, where he was elect
ed TO the Kansas state legislature and
later elected and repeatedly reelected
TO congress.
Young Funston was educated in
lola, Kan, attended the University of
Kansas for two years and then went
TO work as newspaper reporter,
first at Fort Smith, Ark, and later on
the Kansas City Journal. One of his
assignments on the latter was to re-
port a threatened Indian outbreak in
1888 and in order to do it he travelled
with the troops and took an active
part in the campaign. After that his
father secured for him position in
the United States Department of Agri-
culture az assistant botanist TO &C.
company and expedition into the IA
nous Death valley in California,
where he spent nine months. From
this inferno, where the thermometer
once registered 165 degrees, he went
next TO the frigid wastes Of Alaska
TO make collection Of the flora of
that territory and spent two years
there, his travels taking him clear to
the Arctic ocean and from the head
waters of the Yukon river TO its
mouth.
Upon his return from Alaska. Fun
ston lectured in Kansas on his expe-
riences in the North and then with
the proceeds went to Mexico to buy
lands for coffee plantation which he
intended TO operate.
During the summer of 1896 he at
tended a mass meeting in New York
called TO arouse sympathy for the
Cubans who were struggling to throw
off the yoke of Spain. Funston be-
came interested In the cause Of Cuban
liberty and offered his services to the
Cuban Junta. After drilling recruits
under its direction. he joined filibus-
tering expedition and aided In deliver
ing to General Gomez the first Hotch-
kiss guns owned by the Cuban revolu-
tionists. Two weeks later he was
placed in charge Of these guns as cap
tain Of artillery and used them to
good effect on the Spanish, serving
them himself when his gunners were
shot down. After she battle at La
Machuca, where he fought right up to
the muzzles Of the Spanish guns, he
received a special testimonial from
Gomez for his gallantry. AT Lugonas
and at the second battle Of Cascorras,
he managed his guns although one
arm was crippled by shell and
bandaged to his side, after which he
was promoted to major and placed in
command of the artillery east of Ha-
vana. His gallantry in leading a
charge at the battle Of Las Tunas
won him a promotion to lieutenant
colonel.
During his Is months in Cuba Fun
ston took part in % engagements and
so fearful was the execution wrought
by his guns five pieces, including a