The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-05
EXPLORER STANLEY'S STORY
Frank Statements from MAN Whose Ex-
PLOTS Have Not Received Due Credit.
Over the Earth-How He Went to Africa
and the Discoveries He There Made.
Address Before the Lotos Club.

! who were great when little. ] remember
very we'll, when was unknown to anybody, how
| was sent to report lecture by my friend right
opposite, Mr.. George Alfred Townsend Zap.
plausel. and / remember the manner in which
he said, 'Galileo said. The world moves round,
and the world does move round, upon the plat
form Of the Mercantile Hall in st. Lous-one of
the grandest things outl daughter and ap-
| p1ause. The next great occasion when / had
to come before the public was Mark Twain's
| lecture on the Sandwich Islands, which / was
| sent to report And when | look to my left
| here I see Colonel Anderson, whose very
| face gives me an idea that Bennett has
got some telegraphic dispatch, and is just
about to send me to some terrible region for
some desperate commission Laughter. And
of course you are aware that it was owing to
the proprietor and editor of a newspaper that
dropped the pacific garb of journalist and
donned the costume of an African traveller. It
was not for me, one OF the least in the news
paper corps, to question the newspaper proprie-
tors motives. He was an able editor, very
rich, desperately despotic. lLaughterl He
commanded great army of rowing writers
people of fame in the news-gathering world:
men who had been everywhere and had seen
everything, from the bottom of the Atlantic to
the top of the very highest mountain; men who
were ready to give their advice to national
cabinets laughterl as they were ready to give it
to the smallest police courts in the United
States Laughter. I belonged to this class of
rowing writer's and can truly say that did my
best TO be conspicuously great in it [lauehterl
by untiring devotion to my duties and un-
firing indefatigability, as though the ordinary
rotation of the universe depended upon my
Icip Ia la I
If, as some of you suspect, the enterprise of
the able editor was only inspired with view to
obtain the largest circulation [laughterl my I'M
yielding and guiding motive, if 1 remember
rightly. was to win his favor by dong with all
my might that duty to which, according to the
English State Church cateohism it had pleased
God to call me. Laughter and applause
He first dispatched me to Abyssinia-straieht
from Missouri to Abyssinia! Laughter. What
a stride, gentlemen Renewed laughter Peo-
pie who live west of the Missouri river have
scarcely / think. much knowledge of Abyssnia
and there gentlemen here who can vouch for
me in that But it seemed to Mr. Bennett a
very ordinary thing indeed. Laughter So !,
of course followed suit took it as very
binary thing, also and went to Abyssinia and
somehow or another good luck followed me, and
my kilograms reporting the fall of Magdala hap
pened to be week ahead of the British govern
ment's The people said had done right WE'LL
though the London papers said an mpos-
ter LAUGHTER. The second thing was aware
OF was CnaL was ordered TO Crote, TO run the
blockade, describe the Cretan rebellion from the
Cretan side and from the Turkish side; and then
was sent to Spain to report from the Republic
an side and from the Carlist side, perfectly dis
passionately. Laughter.
And then all of sudden I was cent for to
come to Paris. Then Mr. Bennett in that des-
potic way of his, said: II want you to go and
find Livingstone" AS tell you, was a mere
newspaper reporter. dared not confess my
soul as my own Mr. Bennett merely saiG ''go"
| a m a q aQQn nj 0h mr. IONA
and thought that was superb. Laughter /
confessed my duty to him, and went. And, as
good luck would have it, | found Livingstone
loud and continued cheering
l returned as a good citizen ought, and as a
good reporter ought, and a good newspaper
correspondent ought, to tell the tale, and arriv-
ing at Alden, l teegraphed request that
might be permitted to visit civilization before
went to China. Laughter came to civiliza-
ton; and what do you think the RESULT
Why, only to find that all the world disbelieved
my story Laughter. Dear me! If l
proud of anything sir, it was that what said
was fact "Good!"l and that whatever l said
l would do, l would endeavor to do with all nv
might, or, as my predecessors had DONE lay
my bones behind. That's all Loud
cheers was requested, in an off
Of the Loto s''' Club here present present
would say-"Would you mind giving us a little
resume of your geographical workP I said:
mot In the least my dear sir; / baven't the
make it perfectly geographical and NOT in the
least sensational. took particular pains and I
wrote paper out, and when it was printed it
was just about so long indicating an inchl. 1t
contained about hundred polysylabic African
words. Laughter And yet, 'for a. that and
a. that" the pundits of the Geographical Soci-
ETY.. the Brighton Association, said that they
hadn't come TO listen to any sensational stories,
but that they had come to listen to facts
Laughter. Well now, an old gentleman, very
reverend, full of years and honor, learned in the
Cutie inscriptions and cuneiform characters,
wrote to the Times, stating that it was not Stan
ley who had discovered Livingstone, but that it
was Livingstone who had discovered Stanley
Laughter
Mr. Stanley then alluded to the unbelief in his
discoveries prevailing at that time in New York,
and continued: =. = 4
If it had not been for that unbelief, don't beSk
lieve should ever have visited Africa again.
should have become I should have en-
deavored to become with Mr. Reid's permission,
conservative member of she Lotos Club
Laughter / should have settled down and
become steady and stolid as some of these
patriots that you have around here. should
have said nothing offensive. / should have done
some treating" l should have offered few a
cigar and on Saturday night, perhaps, would
have opened bottle of champagne and dis
tributed it among my friends But that was not
to be.
left New York for Spain, and then the Asian
tee war broke out, and once more my good luck
followed me, ana got the treaty or peace anead
of body else and as l was coming to Eng
land from the Ashantee a teegraphic dis
patch was put into my hands at the island of ST.
Vincent saying that Livingstone was dead.
said; What does that mean to moi The New
Workers. don't believe in me- How shall
l prove that what have said
is truef BY George! I will 80 and
complete Livingstone's work. will prove that
the discovery of Livingstone a mere flea
bite / will prove to them that l am good man
| and truen That's all that / wanted. IIxoud
cheers I ACCOMPANIED Livingstone's remains to
| Westminster Abbey. / those remains
| buried which had left sixteen months before
! enjoying full life and abundant hope. The Daily
| Telegraphs proprietor cabled over to Bennett:
| ''Wll you join US in sending Stanley over to
| compile Livingstone's explorations" Bennett
received the telegram in New York, read it, pom
dered moment, snatched blank and wrote,