Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-08-07
HIS STEP-FATHER.
TrLLS OF raS ElRLY LBI OF STANLEY, TRR
GREAT EXPLORER.
Not Born With a Silver SPaon-yhs Decidedly
Humble Origin Of the Now WOrld-Fansus
Hero Of iAs Hear! Of The Dark Continent
Sale Of the Lad 70 a Sea Captain.


stead. He is a Welshman and speaks
very little English. To the reporter he
said: my name is Watkins James,
and am sixty-three years old. Stan
ley's correct name, said Mr.. James, sis
Henry ROwlandS. His mother was FL
Tenor Jones, and his father Jacob
ROwlandS. Both were born in Pont
ReeS, near New Castle Emleyn, Gamer
thenshlre, South Wales. Henry was
born ia the same town, and Is now from
forty-nine 70 fifty years old. He has a
sister Elizabeth, who is now married TO
David Rees, and they are living some
where In Colorado. l remember l paid
their passage to America Stanley's
father was a boOkbinder by trade, and
a very clever one, but a good for Moth
ing man. He kept a store in the viii
lage, could talk good English, aud was
reckOned among his neighbOrs as a
smart fellow. He didn't have much
principle, and l think the reason why
Stanley never thinks about his father is
that when he came TO know all about
him he had little respect for him. Stan
ley's mother, whom / afterward marri-
ed, was an intensely religious woman.
She was a great worker in the church.
She could also speak English and read
books q great deal. She was very fond
of young Henry, but the carelesSness OF
his father caused her many heart
ache. Jacob ROwlands wasn't good
husband, and when Henry was about
years old his parents separated. The
father took the boy and the mother the
girl to raise. Shortly after this Row
lands sold Henry to a sea captain.
Preacher Davis, of Cardigan, was a
witness to the papers binding the tut
ure exployer to the skipper. l think
Stanley was about years old at the
time. / never knew how the Captain
treated Henry.
II have often seen his mother sitting
by the window when there was storm,
CRYING for her little boy at sea. She
didn't hear from him for four years,
and had given him up for lost. She
was fully persuaded he had been
drowned.
"Ellenor Jones, Stanley's mother,
was my third wife. 1 have mislaid the
certificate Of our marriage, and l can't
say in what year we were married. l
think it was about 1869. We had no
children. She died July 81, 1879, and
was buried August ia Cevangolia
Cemetery, Tredgar. don't think Stan
lev knows that his mother is dead.
One day about 1865, at least as
nearly as L can remember, 1t
was two years before his mother
died. Stanley came to Phinney,
where we lived. He had come
from France in search Of his baptismal
papers, which were recorded in Cen
earth Church. ! had gone TO work In
the afternoon, and when l got home
Stanley had left. never saw him. My
wife often told me how hne-loOking,
well-dressed young man walked into the
cottage that afternoon. He inquired OF
diHerent people in the village II they
sneS FenHe eSh9o{ sho SRaPd%FsSat what
Ellenor Jones, the wife of the furnace
keeper. The house was pointed out and
Stanley entered. Henry didn't know
his mother, and my wife did not recOg-
nize in the gentleman her long lost son.
He pulled the papers out Of his pocket
and showed them to her. DO you know
that name? he asked, pointing TO Hen
~ Rowlands on the manuscript. Yes,
she answered. that Is the name OF my
boy
Then he said you are my mother,
and he took her in her arms and they
wept bitterly. He inquired about his
sister Elizabeth. She was st work in
the town, and his mother sent for her.
He said he had TO leave that day ut mid
night to catch the steamer at Cardiff
for France, and he had TO come to Wales
get the papers about his birth. My
wife felt that my home was not good
enough for Henry TO sleep in, so she in
sisted that he go to the hotel and she
would bring Elizabeth around in the
evening TO see him. Stanley asked
about a willow which he remembered
he had planted at the corner of
the house when be wasa boy. 1t
was a mere tWig he had pushed in the
ground. and taking his mother by the
hand they walked outside TO look at the
tree. 1t had grown wonderfully and
was higher than the house, the long
limbs bending down trailing the ground.
Stanley looked up, and as the remem-
brance Of his bOyhood days came back,
the tears rolled down his face. His
mother also cried again. The women
who collected to see Ellenor Jones' son
told me often since how Stanley and
his mother stood under the tree and
weDt. holding each others hands.
"In the evening Elizabeth went
around 10 the hotel TO see her brother.
She was then about % years old. My
wife and the sister had not seen or heard
of him for IA years. The girl was shy
in the presence of the well-dressed
stranger. but the meeting between them
was affected. He gave them each
present OF 10 shillingS, $3.50 IN our
money. His father was still living In
the town. and for the moment Henry
forgot that he had sold him TO sea
captain. -.
"He was generous, and gave MN
enough money to buy COW. his re-
turn was the talk OF the village lOf
long time. but he left for Cardiff at MID
night. He said he had 70 be In France
AZ 8 certain time, or he would lose MS
situation. When / came home from
work in the morning, Henry had gone
and 7 had not seen him. II had known
he was in the tswn, certainly would
have returned home but my wiIe
thought / would not be interested III
him. He promised TO send for Eliza
beth, his sister, to put her in school, but
he never did.
after that we heard OF him through
the newspapers as being IN AlLlca
hunting for Livingstone. frescnel
Davis. az Cardigan. followed his career,
and sent me the papers from time 70
80; - .hf,,- -yos heard from