Telegram-herald., 1890-07-04
srANLEY,s FIRsr LOVE.
Aad some Of Eis Ia esrtenes a. q ess -
Nswsgaper Reporter.

NeWspapeF EePoftsF-
stanley = % be married ~ v hsstmlnst~f
Abbsy. July T. WhsE would ANNIE
Ward say eoala she read this snaOanoe-
ment Of the prospective nuP,i2ls Of the
famous explorer Ssks writer IA the
New YORK TIasss. IL the DAYS when
these lao people met. toNard tae close
81 tae sixties. STANLEY was noted tor
nothing save poverty and pcTss steoce-
tne latter 4 characteristic bred ia his
bone, aud that bas been OI lDcalculable
benefit 10 hum al the latter years OF IN
certainty aud pryaton-
Annie VAS yanegy actress who Was
then giaddening the hearts OF that Won
derfully large floating population
streaming into the great plans REGION
. through the then new CITY OF Omaha.
She was hrg ght, yiysclOus, OF very a.
tractive figure, and knew how 20 enter
tam. STANLEY, wnO had been about the
city for a few weeks, had, Ike many
others, fallen under her spell. Young
and unreasonable, ne became enrolled
as her devoted friend. Finding means
TO gain admission 10 the theater III
which she was playlng--lt might have
:,
/ seat close 10 the stage night after night,
watching the coy ANNE with ali the
eagerness OF an infatuated lover.
! Stanley's existence SEEMED 10 be cen
/ tered upon her. Bat ANNE was tickle.
/ One night, II is related, a scene was
I precipitated by the lovesick young man,
I who had begun 10 realize that the Oh
/ lect OF his affections was playing fast
I a L
! attention from other gentlemen OF
/ larger wealth.
On the night in question, as the story
/ goes, he WAS IN hls accustomed seat IN
/ the theatre anu when Miss Ward came
/ on IN scanty costume, 10 DO her little
act, stanley was observed 10 be IN 4
/ condition of excitement quite foreign TO
! ms nature. Miss Annie WAS too palpa-
/ bly, engaged in impresslng her personal
/ lty upon rather bolstrous young man.
who had the reputation OF having
/ cleaned out numerous bar-rooms, and
was not on the most ultimate terms OF
| good fellowship with the law-lovlng
| element OF the community. Stanley IS
said 10 have stepped into the aisle IN
most demonstratIye manner, and a
! scene of excitement followed that ter
minated only when he was summarily
and safely elected through the tront
| door.
There were many stories related as TO
what really happened-an angry col
Lowry with the actress, the public de-
| claration that both he and she would
be of out of this world of hesrtaches
and unrequted love, and the final exhl-
btion OF very large and dangerous
revolver. Through the prompt inter
| position Of muscular spectators who
didn't so m Ich object TO blood-lettlng
as 10 the disruption or the program and
the possible unsatisfactory termination
of the evenings entertalnment) Anna
Ward was enabled 10 get out or range
of Stanlev's weapon, and Stanley was
| elected. Anna was saved 10 die OF al
cohOllc excess, and Stanley 10 discover
| LivingtOne and make known the secrets
OF the Dark Continent.
Stanley's life at that time was pc
cular one. He had knocked about the
! West good deal, and had done some
far newspaper work on military ex-
petition. Dropping into Omaha, he
was for a time out of employment, and
developed into splendid specimen of
| poverty and general hard luck. HIS
pantaloons were "out at the heels, his
shoes were apologies for foot gear, his
linen even q Chmaman would have
scorned, and his stock of flannel shirts
| reduced to one. He would get a Job
now and then on one of the Omaha
dailies-a days work, no more, at a
! time.
AS for lodgings, he had none, and
one of the city editors of that period
relates how Stanley would appear
! nightly at the editorial rooms of the
Republican" and solicit the privilege
of sleeping there, for the reason that
he had no money to pay for bed else
where. 1t was invariably accorded him,
and he made his couch by scraplng
together lot of old newspapers and
sottcning up the dictionary for n pillow
with n few Chicago or New York ex-
changes. There he spent his nights in
refreshing sleep, with no covering save
papers; and making his toilet on arls-
ing as best he could in the composing
room, he would start out every after
noon TO skirmish for food and a job.
Soon afterwards Stanley went to New
York, and later he was IN Abysslnia,
Spain and then Africa. Now in less
than a month he will be married where
England's kings and queens have been
buried, and he himself may some day
find his place of sepulchre, should not
some mysterious corner OF that almost
unknown region of Central Africa
! claim hlm as It's victim.