The Topeka State Journal

HOBSON'S CHOICE

A Story of the Brave Lieutenant's Experience at Annapolis.

San Francisco. June 6.-A naval officer, who was a classmate of Lieutenant Hobson, the hero of Santiago, spoke last night of the young officer as follows:

"When Hobson was in his fourth class year, an order was issued that cadets in authority should be careful in reporting their own classmates as in the performance of any other duty. Hobson was leader of a section, and reported some of the members for some breach of discipline. Thereupon the class put Hobson in "coventry" that is, he was ostracized, none of his classmates speaking to him or having anything to do with him. Hobson then buckled right down to his books and by the end of his second class year was at the head of his class. Then they decided to revise their judgment but Hobson said: "No, gentlemen; you have got on without me these three years and I'll manage to worry along without you for the remaining year." And he did. For four years this young man had not a social associate among any of the cadets at the academy. He never spoke to a cadet without addressing him as 'Mister' and insisted upon the same treatment. In his first class year he was a four striper,' or the cadet in command of the battalion and never before had there been a better drilled or more efficient lot of cadets.

"He was a small man physically and the resort to personal violence to get even' was denied those under him, as cadet sense of honor would not permit the appeal to arms where the odds were so uneven. The officers of course knew of Hobson's courage and this, with the fact that he is now on Admiral Sampson's staff probably had much to do with his choice for the work he so bravely accomplished."