The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-02-11
Henry NJ. STANLEY.
His Visit to Wheeling a Bril-
Iiant Episode
IN SPITE OF A SMALL HOUSE.
An Attractive and Eloquent Lecture
Warmly Received by a Refined
AudIeuce--An Informal Re-
eeption Given Him.


In many respects the visit Of Henr
| NJ. Stanley to Wheeling was a brilliau
and memorable success. Shortly aite
his arrival in the city he was calle'
upon by MsjorT. H. Norton, Lieutenan
Braunersreuther and President o. G
Dewey, Of the Fort Henry club, Majo
Norton having letters OF introduction
from friends in New York. Lieutenan
Braunersreuthe met Mr.. Stanley II
Zanzibar when he was there on his waJ
into the interior on his last expedition
These gentlemen escorted Mr.. and
Mrs. Stanley and their party to the For
Henry club house, where q dozen or &C
prominent ladies and gentlemen mel
them and were introduced, Alter {
short informal social chat there the en-
tire party was driven to the 0peri
House, where the ladies and gentlemen
occupied seats with the lecturer and hil
party on the stage. The stage was set In
. cozy parlorgc scene.
The financial end Of the engagement
was the only unpleasant one. A small
but exceedingly refined aud critical
audience was gathered there. Its ap-
probation would bea high compliment
to any orator, and the warmth OF the re.
ceptfon to Mr.. Stanley certainly gave 8
decided negative 10 the seemingly gen.
eral impression that he Is an unattrac-
tive speaker.
On the stage with Mrs. Stanley during
the lecture were Rev. DIR. SWope and
wife, Major I. Il. Norton, Mr.. and Mrs
B. McMechen, Mrs. George K. Nc
Mechen, Mrs. Robert Dslaplain, Mr..
and Mrs. George A. Gibson, Mr.. o. O.
Dewey, Miss Minnie Loriog, Mr.. and
Mrs. Andrew Patterson, Mr.. Ed Franz.
helm and Lieutenant Braunersreuther.
Lieut.. Observation-Disclosures Mr..
Stanley in very graceful and appropri.
ate speech, which provoked round Of
hearty applause.
me applause was renewed when Mr..
Stanley advanced. He used his manu-
script pretty closely, laying 1t now and
then on a reading stand as he grew
dramatic.
In appearance Mr.. Stanley is q strik-
ing man. The first thing that strikes
the beholder is his white hair, the hair
Of old age, browning the face OF man
in his prime. He has ashort, stiff, gray
mustache, half concealing q firm, deter.
mined mouth. His head is finely shap.
ed, his build well-knit, short, square,
almost broad. His eyes are keen and
frank, and in all features his appearance
stamps him as one man in q thousand.
He started rather abruptly, saying:
~ am about to tell you something Of
my career as an African explorer" Alter
a brief review OF his life following the
close of the civil war, Stanley told the
story OF the greatest assignment Of work
aver given to u newspaper reporter, for
he was New York Herald correspond.
'ent when, in 1859, he was called from
Spain TO Paris. There James Gordon
Bennett instructed him to "do" the Ger.
emonies attendant upon the opening Of
the Suez Canal, then ascend the Nile,
writing letters Of interest to Americans
concerning the ruined temples on its
banks; interview Sir Samuel Bakers
officers, and, returning to the Mediter.
rsnean, visit Jerusalem and the scenes
Of the underground excavations on the
site of the temple. After visiting the
battlefelds OF the Crimean war he was
ordered TO cross the Caucasus and travel
through Persia, whence he was to pro.
ceed 10 Central Africa and hunt up Liy-
ingstone. The lecturer mentioned Incl
dentally that at the end Of three years
all this had been accomplished.
Stanley then gave a narrative OF his
famous expeditions in Central Africa,
beginning with that which started from
Zanzibar in 1870 and resulted in finding
Livingstone. After this signal success,
Stanley returned to Europe and wrote a
book, and then sailed for America,
where his lectures were so coldly re.
ceived that he became restless and went
to Africa again in the interest Of James
Gordon Bennett and the London Tele-
oraph. This expedition also started
from the coast OF Zanzibar, and alter q
time reached the Albert NyanZa. After
many adventures and hairbreadth eS
capes they came upon the since famous
King Mtesa, who desired to be taught
the Christian religion. The Atlantic
was reached by way OF the Congo river
after many Of the great problems OF AZ
rican geography had been solved.
The lecturer then related the enter
prise which he conducted, backed by
King Leopold, Of placing steamers or
the Congo and building stations alonf
its banks. This paved the way for the
start Of the Emin relief expedition
some years later, which he next de
anrihed It Was a tale of terrible
marches through the forests, depressing
hardships, sickness and death from tht
poisoned arrows and skewers OF The
pigmies. The circumstances under
which Emin was found are familiar Il
all. In speaking OF his return TO the
| rear solumn Stanley said: "We found I
stockade, filthy beyond description, II
which, out OF the two hundred mer
composing the rear column, there re
mained one white man and one hun
dred and two natives, forty.two Of thest
lin a dying condition. Barttelot hat
been shot {; Jameson was dead at Stan
ley Pool; Ward was prisoner there ant
had attended TO the burial OF Jameson
remains; only Bonny was left. What
saw was horrible; what ! heard wa
even worse. summed 1t up that 'th
rear column was wrecked by the inde
cision OF Its olicers.' ="
One Of the most peculiar features Q
the lecture was his description OF tn
choice by lot as to whether at one part
ing Of the ways the expedition shoult
20 north or south. Three times pennie
we're tossed up, each time the result be
ing the choice Of the northern route
Then straWs were pulled, with the sam
result, and north they went. Wha
great results hung en- that chaucel
The lecturer summed up the result
| OF the expedition thus: "Emin was II
stored 10 his friends; Captain Casati
now in Italy; Marco began life again i
Cairo; DR.. Hassan has q good practic
in Tripoli; and three hundred exiles rI
turned TO Egypt, where they receive
rewards and military promotion"
He closed eloquently with Q prophes
that within the life time Of children !
Wheeling Africa would be Q Christia
country, peopled by races who responde
to the Christian church bell, and tbs
4 In that dark unknown continent wi
u - ii l.