Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, October 11, 1903, Page 23

A “Chip” and the “Old Block” (Copyright, 1903, by T. C. McClure) HEN Mr. Gladstone introduced his second home rule bill on February 13, 1893, the House of Commons was the scene of an extraordinary scrimmage. members,” says one chronicler, into the chamber in a pushing, vociferating crowd. One white- Imost that of “The “poured bustling, haired member, of an age the venerable premier, w: thrown down under the feet of the crowd. The Irish members engaged in a tussie for places which resembled a foot ball scerimmage.’’ In that fierce struggile Joseph Chamber- lain, probably the strongest opponent of the bill, would have lost his seat had not his son Austen dashed ahead through the crowd and kept it until his father arrived Austen, who became chancellor of the ex- chequer when his father and the preceding chancellor, C. T. Ritchie, recently resigned from the cabinet, had just elected a member of Parliament. It was his first day in the house, but he showed an astonishing bheen ability to fight for his own and his father's Interests, *hold a parable!” said an old liberal politician He's Keeping Joe's seat warm now, but some day he will sit in it by his own right. Keep your eye on that young man. He's a chip of the old block, and some day he will do great things Everybody remarked how wonderfully the son resembled the father. He was his double The same eyeglass the same orchid, the same immaculate frock coat spotless linen and neat necktie, the same spare, clean-ceat, cold, expressionless f >, the same black hair brushed flat on the scalp as if it were plastered down “He’s the very image of Joe,” everybody said. “Will he be like him in character and ability ?" Time proved. Three months after he was elected a member of Parliament, Aus ten Chamberlain made his maiden speech in the House of Commons on the home rule bill. It was a brilliant speech, and every body then remarked how marvelously the son resembled the father in expression, mannerisms, style of speaking and trend of thought, as well as in face and dress. Mr. Gladstone, who for years had been the father's bitter political enemy, took occa- sion of the son's triumph to pay both of them a pretty compliment. ““The previous speakers,’” he said when re- plying on the whele debate as prime min's- ter, “have evaded the real point at issue. The only exception T remember was in the apeech of the honorable member for East Worcestershire (Mr. Austen Chamberlain), 1 will not embark on any elaborate eulogy of that speech. | will endeavor to sum up in a few words what [ desire to say of it It was a speech that must have been dear and refreshing to a father's heart. It was a speech that foretells a great career.” Mr. Gladstone was not wont to be effusive in his praise. This compliment of his rivetted public attention on Austen Cham- berlain from the start of his career led the public to expect great him. It has not been disappointed. He has shown great ability in debate and in ad- ministration, and fairly carned the succes- sive government positions to which he has been appointed. Even his opponents have never alleged that he was untit, or that he obtained his promotion merely and things of because he was the son of his father Austen Chamberlain ts the eldest on and has never married, although he is now 40 years old. In that respect only does he differ markedly from his father, who had been twice widowed when he reached that age [here is a very strong bond of affection and mutual respect between the two men The son still lives with his father. Though he is a middle he has ne aged and wealthy statesman, ver set up an establishment of hig own. Both men find their greatest pleasure and recreation in each other's society, They go to and from the House of Com- mons together arm in arm, twice a day when the house ig in session; they frequent the same club, the Devonshire; they are both fond of an evening together at the theater, when the House is not sitting; and they both take great pains to elude the in- terviewer ard hide their private life from the gaze of the public, It is curtous how little the public knows of Joseph Chamberlain the man. Because he is keen and cynical in debate, a hard hitter and a fearless foe, the impression has got abroad that he is a Mephistophelian kind of person. His son Austen, having adopted the same public manner, is simi- larly judged. Yet it would be difficult to find two men with warmer hearts and keener sympathies, two men who love their fellow men in a more practical way. Their private charities in Birmingham and Lon- don are countless. “Good fellows, both of 'em,” was the ver- dict of an old Birmingham artisan. “I don't agree with their politics, but they've done a tremendous lot for this city. Joe was always a good fellow from the time he en- tered the town council, when a mere boy, and Austen takes after him “I remember when first started out away back in the '8, to make Birmingham a decent place. There was nothin’ but dirt and nastiness to live in, then-nothin’ but stinks and smells. The young ‘uns died off like flies, and the old folks soaked beer all the time. It was their only comfort in that ‘ell of a place “But got the worst down, and every place made decent. and day he went round the slums, looking after the sick and the giving away barrels of money, finding jobs for the loaf ers and persuading men to go to work in- stead of getting drunk and knocking their Joe Joe streets pulled Night poor. wives and children about “Austen does that kind o work here now, but we don't see the old gentleman much nowadays. | hear. though, that he does a powerful lot o good in Londoi A stranger would take Joseph and Austen Chamberlain for brothers, not father and son. The former is nearly 70, but does not look more than 5. He has never looked his uge Josge Collings, Mr Chamberl 8 po- litical lieutenant, used to be fond of telling stories about how his chief was mistaken for a young man even after he became a cabinet minister Onee they were traveling together in Spain. They missed their steamer at Malaga and went aboard a small tramp to try (o arrange for a to Gibraltar The captain, who know them, said passage did not ‘ve got np accommodations for passen- [ but the old gentleman' —pointing to Mr. Collings—"can have my bunk, and the youngster must rough it on the The “youngster” was a cabinet minister over 50 years old, and less than five years vounger than his white-haired companton. Shortly before Mr. Chamberlain was m sofa.’ ried a second time, a woman who met him in Birmingham for the first time, ex- claimed in astomishment: “J& that Mr. Chamberlain? Why, T hear he's a widower and a great man in this city. He doesn’'t look as if he were old enough to be married. He looks just like a clever, well-dressed boy.” At that time Mr. Chamberlain was over 30. Although the son is the double of the father, it must not be imagined that he i= a slave to his influence and example. On the contrary, Austen i a man of great independence of spirit. Years ago, when he was a young man, he presided over a debating society in Birmingham. Now and then his father, already a world-famous statesman, would drop in to “amuee himself with the hoya*™ He would take part in the with his Keenness, but Austen delighted In using his power as chairman. to press his father and “turn him down' (or violating the rules of parliamentary debaltes usual pros cedure. The other members of the society would gasp with horror, but Mr. Cham- berlain was amused and pleased at the boy's indepe o It would be absurd to contend that Mr, Austen Chamberlain has become a gronter man than his father, or that he is even, as yet, the jatter’'s serious competitor But the son, at a comparatively early e, I fulfiled an ambition which his father was never able to gratify He became chancellor of the exchequer—a position which, by ancient tradition, is the thicd, if not the ond, in importance, in the Brit ish cabinet Mr. Chamberlain has always wanted to be Chancellor of the Exchequer, and has made 1o cret of his ambition. He was “slated for that post by Mr. Gladstone, but he left the liberal fold before he could reach it When he first took office under Lord Salisbury, he would have been made chan- cellor except for a vigorou conservative revolt. The old-fashioned toric who look ou him with dislike and suspicion, and with whose views Lord Salisbury Limself svmpathized, urged that Lord Goschen (then Mr. Goschen) and Sir Michael Hicks- Ileach had prior claims by reason of se- nority and past services, Mr. Chamberlain had to content himself with the cffice of colonfal secretary, At a bound Austen Chamberlain has taken the position which his father has coveted for many years., Those who knew the two men well believe that the son is #imply keeping the place warm for his father. They say that “Joe" hopes to sweep the country on his new tariff cry, and go back into the government after a general election, more powerful than ever, Then Austen will step down from his new pedestal, and his father will become chan- cellor of the exchequer. In that he can best carry out his new schemes, provided the country endorses them. The son, s0 the prophets say, would probably take the father's old place as colonial secretary in a reconstructed cabinet, That seems to be position turifr the present idea. It is plausible enough. If true, it shows that the two Chamberlains doub'e one another in politics just as they do in dress, in speech and in manner, Kennedy’s Fool Fight With a Grizzly (Copyright, 1903, by E. B. Warner.) HE most remarkable instance that ever came to my notice of ursine vitality and of the danger of at- tacking a grizzly, except under the most favorable circum- said the man from Wyoming, “‘occurred recently in the Wind River country of my state, amid the foothills that lie at the base of the main range of the Rockies, ““A bunch of eighteen head of beef steers that had been kept in pasture had broken the wire fence and strayed off into the hills, and a party of six, including myself, went out to round them up and bring them back. “The cattle had been gone a couple of days before their absence was no'ed, and word from a neighboring ranchman in- formed us that we had a trip of at least fifteen miles before us. A suggestion was made to take our rifles along, in case we should run across a bunch of deer or antelope, and the foreman of the ranch and one or two of the cowpunchers had their six-shooters with them. “We had gone about twelve miles and were on the track of the truants, when the trail turned toward the foothills, and we have every reason to believe that we would find the cattle on the other side of the tum- bling mountain stream that went, locally, by the name of Teapot creek “While we were fording the creek the bronchos began to snort and rear and give evidences of their unwillingness to go farther. This was rather unexpected, as the water was not deep, and we looked about for some reason for their action. As we clattered aeross we could hear, above the noise of the rushing water, the snap and clash of teeth and the peculiar hog-like grow! of a grizzly. “Standing on his hind legs, and strip- ping the servis berry bushes of their suc- culent fruit, was a big ‘silver tip." He did not seem to be disposed to dispute passage, although his objection to the interruption of his feast was quite apparent. In spite of his belligerent growls he did not dis continue his meal, but went on raking th: branches through his open jaws and masti cating berries, leaves and twigs as though all were equally toothsome. stances,” “Upon reaching the other side of the creek we rode up the bank and over a level stretch of ground that lay at the base of the foothills, Some- one had suggested taking a shot at bruin, but the foreman discouraged the idea, calling attention to the fact that bear hides were not good in August and that it would be necessary to find the steers before dark. Just then the trail of the cattle was lost for a moment and we stopped to look around. “Although we were fully 200 yards from the bear it was evident that his anger over our appearance had not entirely cooled down. The same swinish growls were borne to our ears, and the grizzly, still standing on his hind legs and devour- ing the servis berries, could be seen where his head towered above the bank of the stream. “One of the cowboys, Alf Kennedy, took exceptlion to the ‘silver tip's’ mood. With the remark, ‘I ain't goin' to have no silver tip growlin’ an’ snarlin’ at me!" he took his rifle from its saddle sling and pro- ceeded to look at the magazine. The fore- man saw what was up and tried to dis- suade Kennedy from his intention, urging the necessity of finding the cattle im- mediately. His pleading, amonanting al- most to a command, fell on deaf ears, for Kennedy, although a splendid cowboy, was accustomed to doing as he pleased on most occasions. “‘We'll go on after the cattle directly,’ he said. ‘It won't take more'n a minute to settle that bear.’ “Seeing that other members of the party were also examining their firearms, Ken- nedy spoke up threateningly, saying that he wanted help from no one and that if a shot was fired by another man in the crowd there would be trouble. Knowing Kennedy as well as we did, his wishes were complied with. “Kennedy rode down until he was about 10 yards from the bear There he dis- mounted and turned the head of his horse away from the game, As a brave cow- puncher he scorned to attack the grizzly except on foot, for, in his code of ethics, he and men of his stripe disdained to do anyth'ng that would savor of the tactics of a tendérfoot. It takes a brave man to attack a brar on foot, and Kennedy was not of the sort to shirk the task. “He stocd by the side of his horse and drew h's bead on the grizzly. The barre! of the rifle steadied down for a moment. Then came o puff of smoke and a sharp re port. A second later our straining ears caught the impact of the bullet as it found the game. The head of the bear went back as though it had been struck by a sledge hammer, “'Right in the snout!' was the exclama- tion of the foreman. “The bear disappeared for an instant, and a second later was secn clambering up the bank. Kennedy fired again, but this did not stop the enraged grizzly, He started in a lumbering but surprisingly rapid lope, straight for the cowboy “Kennedy did not flinch when he saw what was before him. The barrel of his rifle looked as firm and rigld as a bar of iron, so little was it disturbed by the pro- cess of ejecting the shells and throwing the cartridges into place. The smoke curled upward from the muszzle in a steady stream and the rifle's c¢rack came with the regu- larity of clock ticks, It appeared to us that Kennedy made every shot count, for he stood on slightly higher ground than that over which the bear was coming, and we saw no dirt thrown up by bullets, as would have been the case had he missed, ‘““The grizzly presented an appearance cal- culated to inspire terror in the hearts of the bravest. He was covering the ground at high speed, in spite of his apparent awkwardness. His lumbering gaiL ren- dered him the poorest of targets, for the reason that only a chance shot could strike a vital part. At one moment he would be doubled up like a jack knife, with only his hump showing; the next he would be stretched out at full length, like a grey- Lound. Blood spurted from nearly a dozen wounds on his head, hump, neck—ever where except a spot which would allow a bullet to him. He we gnashing his teeth like a wild boar, and from his jaws dripped great flakes of foam which flecked stop his crimson-stained hide, “In less time than it takes to tell it Ken- nedy had emptied his rifle, but still he scorned to take advantage of his oppor tunity and mount the waiting broncho and escape. He cast his rifle aside and drew his six-shooters. a pair of ghort-barreled ‘forty-fours.” As he threw his rifle away he struck his horse with it, and the animal, already nervous from the firing and prob- ably scenting the bear, started forward a few feet and then stopped. The animal's bridle rein hung in front of him, and the well-trained cow pony seldom moves until the rein is thrown back over the neck. “The foreman of the ranch had seen the movement of the horse, which had been unnoticed by Kennedy, and shouted: * ‘Step back with your herse, Alf! back with your horse!’ “But Kennedy was too busy with bis six- shooters to heed the warning. “It took only a moment for him to empty his revolvers, but, so far as sheir effect on Step stopping the bear was concerned, they might as well have been loaded with blank cartridges. The great, hulking brute whirled up to within c¢ight feet of the dauntless cowboy and reared on his hind tegs. With an indescribable growl of rage he waddled with uncertain tread toward his foe. Kennedy fired the last shots from his six-shooters point blank at the breast of the towering beast, rendered more terrify- ing by the blood and foam which colored his hairy coat. Next instant he threw his brace of weapons at the bear and turned toward his horse, “It was then that we gathered the full meaning of the foreman's warning cry. In- stead of grasping the saddle as he thought to do, Kennedy merely struck the haunches of the broncho. With a snort of terror the animal bounded away and left his rider at the mercy of the grizzly The cowhoy paused, and then started to run He had taken only one step when the bear seized him with his for wa and enveloped him in an embrace as merciless us the coil of a python. dazed, “A fusillade immediately began from our party, all of us blaming ourselves that we had heeded Kennedy's instructions to the letter. We galloped down to where the bear still stood, swaying to and fro with the man in his paws. At last the brute dropped, lying in a pool of blood, Kennedy, too, was dead, the brute having ripped open his chest with his paws, “When we skinned the bear, although his hide was worthless, we found that he had been hit fifty-four times. The shot which had brought him to the ground, the only one which struck a vital spot, was from the foreman's forty-four, and was right be- hind an ear.” Dicidedly Otherwise The two young persons had consented for a consideration to stand on an elevated platform in the open air and be married in the presence of the immense crowd at a street fair, After the ceremony was over their friends surrounded them. “Wasn't it dreadfully embarrassing?"* they were asked “Embarrassing?”’ echoed the bridegroom, with a broad grin. “I should say not. It relieved the embarrassment We'd have been married a month ago if I'd had money enough to pay a preacher - Chicago Trib- une,