STORIES OF SCHLEY.
INCIDENTS WHICH REVEAL THE MAN'S |
GOOD CHARACTER.
n» l» u Horn Fighter of Soutliorii Stock :
Hut Ha Stood by tlio I hiu \Vlieu It Came
to tbo I'artlng of the W*yl in 18U1—Ilia
First Brief Command of a Ship.
"I do not senil my men where I will j
net go myself."
It was Commodore Wlnield Scott '
Schley who said this. He was then |
commander of the New York and stood j
on the forward bridge of his ship, out- {
ward bound from one of the ports of }
the Atlantic seaboard. Ten minutes j
before a badly frightened man had run I
up to him, calling out:
"Captain, the forward port magazine
is on lire."
"Then shut your mouth," said the
captain. The man, thus recalled
his senSes, touched his cap and re
lapsed into silence, while his com
mander quietly ordered a fire drill, and
a moment later commanded the Hood
ing of the magazine, Both orders, a
part of the daily routine on every
American warship, were promptly car
ried out, but it was not until all dan
ger was past that the officers and men
obtained knowledge of the true state
of affairs. When they did find out ,
they realized that their captain had ;
been standing all the time just over :
the magazine, and v oue of the officers j
begged him to come down from the
bridge and let him take his place. It
was then that the captain made the J
remark quoted above. His course in ;
front of Santiago later proves that he
is always as good as his word.
The story of Commander Schley is ;
the story of a man who did, and one J
good for patriot ears. In one of the j
closing days of April, 1861. the sloop j
of war Niagara, returning from a long ;
foreign cruise, sighted Minsto Ledge
light off Boston Harbor. Half an hour
later a pilot came aboard, and making
his way to the quarter deck, saluted
the commander, Capt. McKean, who
put the usual query:
"Well, pilot, what's the news?"
"Sumter's been fired on."was the j
reply, "and the United States has gone j
to—."
Slowly the listening officers fell back
and instinctively made two groups—
the North and South, but the captain,
with a steady voice said:
"Mr. Pilot put us into Boston as soon j
as you can."
Then lifting his hat he added:
"The flag's servants and yours, aen- |
tlemen," and went to his cabin. Ito
that night the anchor chains hurtling
through the hawser holes chanted
'Home Again." Early next morning
all the officers were called together and
Capt. McKean said:
"Gentlemen we have come to the
parting of the ways. Some of us will
never meet again, and some of us will
die in doing what we believe is light.
The government has educated, led and |
clothed us and we have sworn to stand j
by it, but no oath can bind a man j
beyond the strength of his conscience ]
and changed conditions make changed (
men. On that table 1 have written out
tho old oath of allegiance and signed
it. For my part,"—they burled him
y<iars ago in an admiral's uniform—"l
ttand by tho flag. Let each one of you
goto his cabin and think it over; then
let him come back here and sign below
me or —let him go his way."
So saying, he went on deck, while j
one by one the officers came back un- ,
til nine names stood under that of their
commander; the rest were going the :
other way. At thy end of an hour the j
captain returned to his cabin and took j
the paper in his hand. As lie did so, i
he looked up and saw before him a tall. !
young midshipman from Maryland.
"Do you sign, Winnie?" asked the j
old man with a perceptible tremor in |
his voice.
"Aye, aye, sir. Same flag and same
Uncle Sam in Massachusetts as in
Maryland, you know."
"God bless you, boy. Your father
and I fought side by side, as lads in
the war of 1812, and while there are
some of us who ard going away, I
prayed God your father's- son would
stick to us."
Commodore Schley bad been five
years in the navy whe.a he took this
resolution to stand by the flag—a reso
lution which saved to ibe service as
alert, dashing and accomplished an of
ficer as ever reached flag rank. Born
near Frederick, Md., in 1839, he came
from a line of sailors, his. father hav
ing achieved distinction a? a naval of
ficer in the war with Mexico. Appoint
ed acting midshipman in ISSC, he was
graduated at the naval academy in
1860, and made bis first cruise on the
Niagara. He was promoted to be mas
ter in May, 1861, and went with the
Niagara to the blockade off Charleston,
whence being already a thorough sea
man, he was sent by Capt. McKean as
master of the first prize taken by the
navy in the war between the states.
It was a British cotton ship, the Gener
al Parkhill.
On July 18, 1862, Commodore Schley
received his commission as lieutenant,
and with It an assignment as execu
tive officer, to the gunboat Owasco of
the west Gulf squadron. It was while
serving on the Owasco that he got his
first command, and the story of how it
came to him is too good ,i one to be
left untold. The Ow.?sco was stationed
off Mobile and was one of the small
squadron commanded by Capt. James
Alden, of the Richmond. He* captain,
dead long since, was over fond of his
cups, and at frequent periods had to
retire to his cabin for a vveek's re
pairs.
One day a quartern aster of the
Richmond reported to C.ipt that
the captain's gig of the Owasco was
approaching, wltli the captain's pen
nant flying. Supposing his visitor to be
the captain of the Owasco, Alden put
on his uniform coat, the side boys
were ordered and the boatswain's mate j
made ready for his three pipes at the j
gangway. But when the Owasco'a gig ;
came alongside the man who sprang !
up the ladder was Lieut. Schley.
"I expected to see Capt. Jones" — ;
that was not his name —"of the Owns- ;
co," said Alden. with slight sarcasm, j
"I am commander of the Owasco, ;
eir," was Schley's matter of fact re- j
ply.
"Since when?" asked Alden.
"An hour ago, sir," said Schley.
"Where is Capt. Jones? '
"Locked tip in his cabin, sir, drunk."
"Who locked him in?" *
"I did. I first put him under arrest
and then shut him up in his cabin.
Then I took command of ilic ship, and
here I am to report for orders."
A broad smile crept over Alden s
face, but instantly assuming an air of
eeverity, he said:
"Well, the fust order I'll give you is
for you to lower that pennant in the
gig; go back to your ship; unlock that
cabin door and restore Capt. Jones to
duty. Then report to me ill writing if
the captain's illrn s.? . till incapacitates
Ihim and 1 will know what to do. Don't
be In too great a hurry to get command
of a ship, Mr. Schley."
As a matter of fact. Commodore
Schley did not get command of a ship
until several years later, but before he
did, he had fairly earned it. lie served
gallantly in all the engagements which
led up to the capture of Port Hudson,
and for his part in cutting out, under
heavy fire, two schooners engaged
in supplying the Confederates, he was
honorably mentioned in special or
ders. From 18(11 till 1866 he was at
tached to the Watereo as executive of
ficer, and served with her on the Pa
cific station. In lStii he helped to sup
press a revolt of Chinese coolies in the
Middle Cincha islands, and a year lat
er he landed at La Union, San Salva
dor with 100 men to protect American
interests imperiled by revolution.
Commodore Schley was promoted to
be lieutenant commander In July,
1866, and during tho following three
years was on duty at Annapolis. His
next post was on the Benicia of the
Asiatic squadron, with which he par
ticipated in the attack upon and over
throw of the forces defending the forts I
on the Salee river in Corea. This was
in 1871, and a year later he returned
to the United States and became the
head of the department of modern lan
guages at the navy academy. Com
missioned commodore in 1871, he was
for five years on the North and South
Atlantic stations and the western coast
of Africa. When the Greely relief ex
pedition was organized he was called
from duty with the lighthouse board
and placed in command of it, again
proving himself the right man in the
right place by snatching Lieutenant
Greely and his comrades from the
clutches of death and conveying them
safely to their homes.
For this service Commodore Schley
was awarded a gold medal by con
gress and promoted by President Ar
thur to be chief of the bureau of equip
ment and repairs, which position he
held until 1889. While holding this
post he was made captain. When the
cruiser Baltimore was putin commis
sion he was assigned to command her,
and carried back to Sweden the re
mains of John Eriicson. inventor of
112 the Monitor, for which service the
king of Sweden preeo: '.-.! him with a
gold medal. He was in c unmund of
the Baltimore at Valpar.u.-o. Chili, is
1891, when a number of -.merlcan sail-
I ors were attacked and some of them
, done to death by a mob. The eompll
j cations between the United States and
I Chill which arose from this affair were
I disposed of by him in a manner that
learned the express gratitude of the
| navy department. One incident of the
affair, however, never found Its way in
to the naval records. Let me tell the
story as Commodore Schley told it only
a few weeks ago.
"It was 6 o'clock,' said he, "when
the men left tho ship, and it was only
10 when I received the news of what
had happened. Suddenly attacked
from the rear, they were cut down be
fore they could defend themselves. It
almost broke my heart to see them
brought back in such sorry condi
tion, but we gave them the bsst of
care. There was one Jackie, a faithful
sturdy fellow, who had been with me
before. He was in a sad plight and as
I went to him ho said to me:
"'Captain, I guess I'm done for. I
hate going this -vay. from a blow in
the dark from a sneaking heathen; but
it's the last voyage I'll make with
you.'
"I could not stand that. • > 1 told him
that he was not seriou hurt, and
that the doctor had said • would come
out all right.
"'Did th'.' doctor say ihat?' asked
j the man, eagerly.
! "To be sure he did," said I."This
was a bold face lie, but i am sure the
Lord has forgiven ii !,<v:ut.=.e of the
good it did. I told tin* .--m t <-on, and he
seconded me. in my effort to encour
age the man. I used togo twice a day
to that man and stay an hour at a
time, telling him what we would do
when he got well. And lie did set
well. The surgeon says I pulled him
back to life; perhaps I did, for I
couldn't bear to think of such a splen
did fellow so near to death by a blow
in the dark from a hulking coward who
did not dare to take the consequence?
of a fair standup fight."
What I have written, says li. It. Wil
son, of Commodore Schley has missed
its purpose if it has failed to portray
him as a Yankee sailor of the best
type. Cool, intrepid, brave, clear
headed and sound in judgment, he is an
officer of whom any navy might well
]>• croud.
Having decided that It was his dutj*
to pay his respects, the gallant Captain
forgot about the hundred guns still
thundering from the forts. Twenty
seamen manned a barge and, accom
panied hi Flag f.ieuteuaut Treneliard,
hn w.'i.s rowed across th»• shot-swept
river. As tliey approached the ICnu
llah flagship a Chinese shot struck one
of the oars, crashed through the boat,
and tore its v.-ay nut below the water
line. Flying splinters mortally wound
ed Coxswain Hurt and injured the Flag
Lieutenant. The crew scrambled from
the sinking barge and were dragged
aboard the gunboat. Here they beheld
a terrible scene of carnage. More than
half the gunners lay dead and the decks
were slippery with blood. While Cap
tain Tatuiall paid his respects to tho
British Admiral the Xmerican seamen,
quite contrary to orders, sprang to the
British guns, rammed home the shells,
and the flagship spoke asain to the en
emy's fort. The exhausted gunners set
up a wild cheer of approval anil with
renewed hope worked side by side with
the Ann?) ic.ins.
The Toey-wan now returned to the
task, of bringing up the British re
serve, continuing far, into the night.
At S o'clock a storming f>»rt. v "112 ,: .<W
marines were landed on ill! 1 lniuldy ,
shore. They waded three terrible |
trenches sown with < -altrops and
cheered half way up the embankment
In the face of a murderous fire of jin
gals and Miuie ball . Hours later 400
of them came back, a full
third of the force having been killed
or wounded.
Again the American ship came to the !
rescue. ft gathered up the maimed,
mangled and muddy bodies of tho Eng
lish marines and with its own dead
coxswain dropped bark across the bar
in the gray of the early morning. In
the meantime Captain Tattnall had
sent Lieutenant John - >:» with the Pow
hatan to the aid of the British ships
outside the bar, and all night of the
26th he served under the union jack,
carrying the defeated marines and
wounded seamen to places of safety.
Of 1.350 men of the allied fleets who
went into action 450 west killed and
wounded, including 20 officers. In the
course of the battle the British Ad
miral shifted his flag no fewer than
three times.
Captain Tattnall's nc; was u distinct
violation of neutrality, but the Ameri
can people received him on his return
from China with honors such a= have
seldom fallen to ait officer of his rank.
Later he was formally thanked by the
English Socman <-.f S'ate.fm- Foreign
Affairs In the nnme o; he: Majesty and
by the Lords ComriUsloner< of the
British Admiralty.
Uiw Slii|» II IK viirclbcnri,
The word "shin" is masculine in
French, Italian. Spanish and Portu
guese. and possesses no sex in Teutonic
and Scandinavian. Perhaps it would
not be an error tr. trace the custom
back to the Greeks, who called all ships
by feminine names, probably out of
deference to Athene, goddess of the
sea. But the sailor assigns no such
reasons. The ship is to him a verit
able sweetheart. She possesses a
waist, collars, stay;, laces, bonnets,
ties, ribbons, chains, watches and
dozens of other feminine valuables
Everybody Warned.
An Arizona rancher has posted the
following notice on a cottouwood tree
near his place: "My wife Sarrah has
left my ranch when I didn't Doo a
Tiling Too her and I want it distlukly
understood that any Man as takes her
in and Keers for her on my account
will get himself Pumped so Full of Led
that some tenderfoot will locate him
for a mineral claim. A word to the
wise is sufficient and orter work on
fools."
An Old t'uii .
The oldest university in the world is
at Peking. It is called the "School Tor
the Sous of the Empire." Its antiquity
is very great, and a granite register,
I consisting of stone columns, 320 in
i number, contains he names of CO 000
i graduates.
To llu Coke,
i Coke can bo burned in ordinary tire
j places by means o: u new attachment,
! consisting of a perforated conical, hol-
I low block, to be placed in the grate
I bottom and connected with exterior
J draught pipes to supply air to the in
j tcrior of the mass of burnint fuel.
Knrrlnic* Not In Favor.
j Among the Phoenicians the wearing
] of earrings was a badge of servitude,
| the same custom obtaining with the
' Hebrews. The latter people said when
Evo was expelled from paradise her
cars were bored as H sign of slavery
fCATHARTIC
CURE CONSTIPATION
25c 50c DRUGGISTS _
1 '™"
Try The News Item Job Office Once.
iKine Printing
Subscribe for the NEWS ITEM.
fMimtte Tour dowel* With CiMcnrcti,
Oiimly Cut 'iiritiv euro constipation forever. '
19., i3t. it C. C. C. rail, druggists refund money. )
Excellent wheal flour from SI.IO
to Sl.iT. ;it A. T. Armstong, Sones-1
town, I'a.
Nu-l'o-llat- fur fifty CnuM.
(lUttt'uuLeeii tobacco-habit cur«>. maltr?** weak i
;«Lrt>iur. blon-i Dure. Ail illu:r*is's.
I 'l^ or good quality of underwar* at rea
sonable prices sro to.l W. Buck's store.
A Famous School
In a Famous Place. |
The EAST STROUDSBUKG, PA., NOK- j
MAii offers superior educational \
adeem luges.
Healthful amlll'icturcstiue Location
in the resort region of the state.
Building's new and modern.
Students llooin furnished with :
>els Carpet. No other school pro-j
videssueh lu.vuriovs home comforts. ;
The Best Boarding:. The Most'
Reasonable Rolen. The first Normal;
in tho state to introduce Plain and ■,
f'mu-y Sewing.
College Preparatory, Jlusicand Elo-1
cutionary Departments. , I
Write at oner for a catalogue, I'm*. i
WINTEH TKISM OPENS JAN. J, '99. J
Addre« <IEO. P. BIBLE. A. >l..
Principal.!
i iTOiOW arc the diii- \
/ I« I drenthiisummer? \
lii 1 re »hey doin;i i
i ===■« well? Do they t .
", get all the benefit they (
■ ( should from their food? r
■ _ Are their cheeks and lips >
. ; of good color? And are \
j' they hearty and robust in \
> every way? <
', If not, then give them ,'
% Scott's Emulsion >
,' of cod liver oil Tuiih hypo- ',
( > phosphites. < >
! It never fails to build
, 1 up delicate boys and girls. ',
_» It gives them more flesh * _
"> and better blood. <'
', It is just so with the ,'
i baby also. A little Scott's
Emulsion, three or four
,' ti.ties a day, will make ( ,
> the thin baby plump and
'' A It ( "
i yftwaffurnishes the
« JjjMffl young body with •
' 1 T~rc just t ' ie materia ' ' ■
,' 8 rjj necessary for
4 » Si jl growing bones <
'» an d nerves. ,'
> Alt DruggUts, 50c. ond si. (
i SCOTT & BOWNF. Ob«misi», N.Y. i
Cure
Const
pation
and you cure its consequences. These are
some of the consequences of constipation :
Biliousness, loss of appetite, pimple?, sour
stomach, depression, coated tongue, night
mare, palpitation, cold feet, debility, diz
ziness, weakness, backache, vomiting,
jaundice, piles, pallor, stitch, irritability,
nervousness, headache, torpid liver, heart
-1 burn, foul breath, sleeplessness, drowsi
| ness, hot skin, cramps, throbbing head.
Ayer's
S K Jfg% An a Sura Cunt
f§st tor Conmllpmtlon
I
Dr. J. C. Ayer's Tills are a specific for
all diseases of the liver, stomach, and
j bowels.
" I sutfered from constipation which as
sumed such an obstinate form that I feared
it would cause a stoppage of the boards.
After vainly trying various remedies, I be
gan to take Ayer's Pills. Two boxes effected
a complete cure."
1). BURKE, Saco, Me.
"For eigbt years I was afflicted with
! constipation, which became so bad that the
doctors could do no more for me. Then I
began to take Ayer's Pills, and soon the
bowels recovered their natural action."
\VM. H. DELAUCETT, Dorset, Ont
THE PILL THAT WILL.
Season
is upon us again. We are better
prepared to serve you than ever.
The factories have greatly improved our Heaters
and Ranges. No Range can equal the RED
CROSS assortment No COOK STOVE does
better work than RED CROSS Champion.
Single Heaters Double Heaters
RED CROSS
Office Heaters Fully guaranteed.
For Wood Room Stoves we can give you none better than
rhe MAPLfi CLEMONT. keeps good fire all night: burns'
green or dry woM,.
\
\.
Stove Repairs a specialty with us
J ereniiah v Kelly,
&UGHESVILLE.
\
*
_ x
Our Declaration of War
« ,
Has been in effect for a number of
years and our
Bombardment of High Prices
Has created havoc of late in the sale of
MOWING MACHINES, DRILLS, HARROWS,
PLOWS, LUMBER WAGONS, BUGGIES,
and ROAD WAGONS
all at the lowest cash price.
PHOSPHATE ThiJty tons of different grades will be
m I I w A ** • • « 1 tlx • /"*
sold at a low figure.
W.E. MILLER, Sullivan County, Pa.
flsk no Questions
Why We Sell So Cheap.
All We Ask You
iato come ami examine our large Fall and Winter stock of Clothing, bhoe?
and Ladies' Coats and Capet;, and convince yourself about our prices being
the lowest in this section.
Thousands of people have been convinced thai, we are the lowest priced
store and we surely appreciate your trade. We are always studying about
giving the beet goods at the lowest prices. Read and see for yourself.
Men's black suits at 2.76. Youth's suits at 2.50. Children's suits
well made, at 1.25. Overcoats in Mack and blue, best ever offered, at 5.00
Children's overcoat* at 1.25. Knee pants, 35c, ;vre strictly all wool.
Top shirts'and undershirts at wholesale prices. Heavy cotton undershirts
at 25c
LADIES' COATS AND CAPES
at price* when you see them you will surely buy them. Shoes (or
ladiee. Shoes for men. Shoes for misses and children, at special
low prices.
Our store is crowded with new goods and we are still getting in more.
We must sell the goods and the prices will suit the purchaser. Come and
see. We advertise exactly as we intend to sell.
IA/t/vLI A/t/v L The Reliable Dealer in Clothing
JaCOD rCr Boots and Shoes.
HUGHESVILLE, PA.