Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-10-30
Stanley Willing to Go to Sheol if
Ordered There.

Stanley, Africanus Stanley, who dis
covered Livingston, who has made
himself at home in the "dark CONT
nent" and who now hob-nobs with
kings and is the honored guest of the
most notable men of the day, began
as a reporter. 1t WAS not so many
years ago that he was a reporter on
an Omaha paper at $12 q week. It
was a lucky day for him when he got
into the good graces of James Gordon
Bennett.
When Stanley came home, flushed
with his first African victory. after
having won himself place as a peer
among the geographers and explorers
OF his century, 1 had the pleasure of
acting as host at an entert ainment
given him. At that time there were q
good many doubling Thomases, who
did not believe that he had really
found Livingston. He told me the
story in the quiet, NATTER of-fac5 way
that would have convinced NE of the
truthfulness of his claims, even
had before been inclired to
question them, which was not. He
also told me how it happened that he
went out to hunt up Livingston, and
although he has told the same story
IN substance III one Of his books and
IN many of his lectures about that
time, there was q charm in hearing it
from the lips of the man who had done
1t, related tor my own personal gratifi-
cation, that no printed page or plat
torm utterance could equal.
II was in Spain at the time got a
telegram from Mr.. Bennett that he
wished to see me in Paris at once"
said Stanley. {" took the next train
that left Madrid and arrived in Paris
early in the morning. l drove at once
to Mr.. Benefits hotel. His servant
said he was not up and could not be
disturbed before noon. ! succeeded in
inducing him to take my card to his
master, when he found my business
was urgent. Twas admitted at once
to MIR. Benefits bed room. Sitting
up IN bed, after a. brief greeting he
said:
"I want You to 90 to Africa and find
Livingston. Will you go?'
eyes, I said, but, Mr.. Bennett, it
will cost five thousand pounds
"'l don't care if it cost ten times
that. Ali I want is for you to find
Livingston. Draw for all you need!'
sit didn't take ten minutes to set
tie the business of my going.
"'When can you start?' Mr.. Bennett
next asked.
"To-morrow--or to-day l said.
AS soon as l could get some articles
needed for the outfit together and.
write a few letters, was Off
/ have never known which admired
most in this transaction, SO graph
cally and yet SO simply told--the
plucky reporter CT the enterprising
editor.
Where do you go next??" asked
Stanley during the conversation.
II don't know or care" was the
characteristic reply. 'tWherever am
sent. lam waiting orders. They may
come any minute. II Mr.. Bennett
should telegraph me to go TO-
mentioning apiaoe which the revised
New Testament calls Hades and the
revised Old Testament insists is
SheoD, and would pay all the bills
there and back, l would go''
And he meant it, too. The reference
to so warm a place as a possibl. OBJ
jective point of newspaper enterprise
I thought pardonable in a man who
had been baked and roasted and
done brown for months under the
vertical tropic sun: Heat no longer
had any terrors for Stanley.