The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-09-27
IN ASTONISHING RETURN
SAMUEL wENRICH CONES BACK TO HIS OLD
HOME AFTER SEVENTEEN YEARS IN
CENTRAL AFRICA.


HOME AFTER SEVENTEEN YEARS IN
CENTRAL AFRICA.
Twenty years ago one George Weulich
owned and nsvigated canal boat plying
between Philadelphia aud the Schuylkill
county coal regions. He had two sons,
Samuel aud John. The latter was killed
by fall, and the father died soon after.
1t was in the month of April, 1861. that
Samuel left what friends he had IN this
city, went to New York and shipped on
schooner bound for Brazil, with no definite
object in view.
Seventeen years have passed since he,
then mere stripping and a beardlesS
youth, left his native country-seventeen
of the most memorable years in the hIsio-
ry of the world. The great rebellion.
which for four years bad convulsed the
country in the thrOes of civil war, came
and passed away, and no tidiugs were re-
ceived of Samuel Wenrich. At the close
Of the war his relatives had strong hopes
of his return, but years passed on, no It'd
ings were received of him, and he was
given up for dead A few days ago a
heavy bearded, swaTthy and foreign look
ing man appeared upon our public streets.
He looked more like mulattO than Cau-
cPsian, and his hair fell in heavy ringlets
down his broad shoulders. He looked 10 be
dark features and strange dress were the
wonderment of every ohe who saw him.
Sometimes in the mornings he would ap-
pear on the streets with coat on heavy
enough to do service in the winter. His
beard was at least twelve inches in length
aud his long mustache was the envy Of ali
young men who had only an incipient
growth of hair on their upper lip.
An Eagle representative met him and
f,1l of
1t is 50 strangely blended together with
.he stern reality of iacts and the gloU ing
light of romance that it is hard to believe
1t. Mr.. Wenrich, not having heard Eng
liSh spoken for so many years, feels quite
embarrassed and then it is quite difficult
to understand him. lie said
"When I left New York, in 1861, had
about 500 in my pocket. l have some of
that same money with me now. | arrived
in Rio JanerO in the latter part of Anril
and was thrown out of a job. l then ship
ped from that place in 4 vessel consigned 10
Cape Town, South Africa hut ] never
reached that point. Ir was all plain sailing
until we arrived off the west coast of Africa.
Since my arrival have looked in the geo.
graphy, and / fHd that 1t must have been
near the mouth of Congo river. When we
came there violent storm arose and swept
two of our men overheard. Another sailor
aud myself were sent on shore in search of
waller. / never knew his name, but think
he came from Portugal. 1t was early in the
morning when we came on shore and, hid
ing our boat, we went inland. We were
quite successful in our search and we re-
turned to signal 10 the ship but what was
our CONSERVATION and disInay when we dis
covered that there was no ship in sight.
We climbed on the trees and yelled ourselves
hOarSe but il was of no use. The shin was
gone, but where we knew not. When |
awOke next morning, my companion was
gone, l knew no: where, ! again went inland
for about mile, and, ty blood tracks, dis
covered his remains, horribly mangled, no
doubt by lion. l at FIRST thought of jump
ing into the water, and thus ending my own
misery. l climbed on a high mountain, and
seeing number OF natives a few miles away
/ went to them and by signs and raresses
made them understand that l wished to be
their friend. II was rather humiliatiug, ]
tell you, but 1 did il. l have lived with
them over sixteen years. 1t was by a stroke
of good luck that 1 gos away. bad given
mp, years ago, all hopes of returning home,
but there was one Thing that imhued me
with a desire TO return TO my native country.
Ii was ihis'' (and he spread out before the
reporter a large cambric handkerchief hav-
ing in one of .he corners the name of Henry
NJ. Stanlev). Il had given up ali hone of
ever seeing my friends again on the earth,
bnt when l came across this il put new life
iuto me. l was taken inland about FIVE
hundred miles and there lived all these
years. When l first came there | was
i y
and made no attempt to escape, 1 was al
lowed TO stay away from the village long
as | pleased. One day, after l had been
away three days, while l was crossing
large river, / found this hand kerchipf he
tween two rocks. When / saw that il was
an article only used i'm civilized countries
knew that white men had been there, ami
from its appearance L knew that il couldn't
have been very long. ] went down 10 the
village, and was told that white men had
been there, but had gone away two days he
fore. My feelings can be better imagined
than described. After staying all these
years with the savages had a secret wish
10 return home again. One day started
out to he absent abOut week. 1 travelled
by night and day and must have been n
least eight days on the road. At length
arrived at Cape Town and my appearance
created quite an excitement. ] sailed from
that point TO New York about two months
ago and here / am
lie left to visit friends in Lebanon coun
ty, who have long since given him up as
dead.-ReddiHg Eagle.