Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; Grand Ronde, OR
About Weekly Chemawa American. (Chemawa, Or.) 189?-198? | View Entire Issue (May 2, 1902)
C HKMAyA AM ER IC AN . A BRAVE AMERICA BOY. Thofe who think tbat the Amerlcar hay of today has not the courage ai d the pa triotism of the boys of long ago nave only t.i read the story of young Arthur Venville 10 know i tut, when tin opportunity comes or the emergency arises, the boy of today will Btand to his guns with blithe splemthi courage unit the patrrotlsirV of the hoy of Away out near Portland, Oregon, ift the town of Sell wood, there was itist year erected a monument to the memory of a boy with the blood of a hero In his veins. One williiiot find ju all the annals of his tory a more thrilling ortouching account of simple and yet splendid courage than is 'furnished in the brief story of young Ar thur! Vrvil!. Although of Kngllsh birth i Arhur Vuyille. was brought to America : wHyR-iA-nHiikd himself a1 an American boy . cr jiisittutions in his heart as if he had been born pij American hoil. When he wah bur seven vyeHrs ) hia father did leaYMigJL-s Venville with two or three little girls yuunger than Arthur, bur, young,H,a,he .the little lad promised his dying faty that he would take ere of his niotlier,ftiiti. sigterf. - (Junnelled Jo leavschoul, the boy wan at work in a Bhop before he was twelve years old, and four, years .ago, when his health began to fail, he eijljsted an an ap prentice in the navy, sending his mother everv penny of liisearnings that he could possibly spare. When the gunboat Yorklown went to the Pnillipines in 1899 young Venville was on board. In April, the Yoiktown whs sent to Bnler Bay for some Spinish prison era. Arthur Venville wan with the party that went on shore to reconnoiter when the boat reached Baler Bay. When the little launch was about to land there sud denly came, without the least warning, a heavy fire from the shore. Bullets fell like h&llstnnes around the pirty in the little butt. Stfverelof the men fell dead and others were wounded, and there whs consternation in the boat. Lieutenant Gil more, who was in chaise cf the partv, tells of the splendid heroism of Art bur Venville in the fare of t his peril that menaced tle . rest.of the party. It was the first time that the young appreniice had ever btjpti under 3 re, out ):e whs as cool as any man of the party. Lieutenant Gilniure says: "Having no other weapon than a revolv er, which was useless at that range, I leached for the t ir!e dropped by one of the dead. It had been hit in the lock r.mi the clip was jamu ed in. Venville attempted t tlx It. A bullet suddenly went through the flesh' of his neck. . "Mr. Oilmore, I am hit,' he said, but he continued working at the riile, "A second shot plomht-d its way through the boy's breast and came out at his arm pit. "I'm bit. sgain, Mr. Uilmore,' heeaid. "He was still trying to pull out Ihe jam med clip, when a ball cut a furrow in 1ih left tide of bis Lead. "Mr. Gillaore, they've hit me again!' lie siid. "He. . ipnl Ihe hlood fmm his brown eyes with hit wait sleeve, and then return' ed to his task as calmly as if it were only a m squitp that had stung him. It was not three minutes until a tiall crushed into his ankle, Inflicting a painful hurt. There wan just a slight quiver in (he lad's voice as he looked up to me and said: "Mr (itlmore, I'm hit once more, but I have fixed th gun, sir.' " It is sorrowful to read that this brave young fellow was taken prisoner and that hp was killed by the order of ati insurgent Ken?rl. Do you wonder that a monu ment Iims been erected to the memory t,( such a hero ss this? Had there been a national appeal for funds for (men a tmuiu menl I m sure that thr.nands of Ar-pii-can hoys would havp hwn pnil lo have contribute i to it. Although but eiifhtee" vars old at the time of hi- death, Arthur Venville displayed a degree of courage an1 fidelity to duty unsurpassed bv any man inihe face of h lik peril, and' it Is well r.hitt our Ametfcan boy should know this brt-f lui sorrowful ht-tnrv of the noble- vpung ft-llow tr, whom (Sod has giyetl His benediction an l His pence.