The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-08-30
LOVED ADVENTURE.
WILLIAM KENMORE COOPER HAS
SEEN A THING OR TWO.

0CEN ~ HING Ok TWO.
A Career Filled With Hairbreadth rsn
capes--Hls Experiences as a Cowboy and
an African Explorer-Greasers and Afri-
can Chiefs His Game.
Few men have had moro hnirbrcn,ltb
escapes than Senior William Fcnimorc
Cooper, who for many years lived near the
extinct Volcano of Zempoatepettle, In tho
province of Orizaba, Mexico. He made
his home with the Mexican Indians, tho
last of tho once proud race of Aztecs who
fought under Montezuma 1t was his GUS
tom daily to enter tho crater of tho volcano
and look for mosaic agate u translucent,
prismatic stone somewhat similar to the
onyx. Ono day ho went to sleep in the
crater near bed of sulphur, and tho latter
caught fire and came within IN acc of suf-
locating him. His beard has been O burnt
lumber color ever since.
Tho accident caused him to quit Mexico
for tho United States, and nc has been
here ever since. Some of the incidents In
his career show that no has nerve, dead
ly MIN ana n heart for every fate. He Is n
native of tho Tar Heel State, and when 16
years old no went to Texas to become n
cowboy. One night near tho Rio Grando
river no and ten other cowboys were sur
rounded by Mexican bandits, and q gen
eral fight followed. In tho melee Young
Cooper was shot i'll the head and the bull
let is still there. Ho was dragged from
tho field rs dead, but after many weeks no
recovered and began to punch cows again
anu practice pistol shooting. His idea was
revenge upon the grcascr who had shot him
in the fight whom he knew by sight.
ono hot night in July four months aft
er he was wounded Cooper had his horse
stakcd out grazing while he took his sicsta
under chnparral tree on the banks of
little stream. When no awokc, he lit n
shuck cigarette and casually looked down
the stream. To his amazcmcnt ho saw tho
grcascr who shot him just getting up from
sicsta. Tho grcascrs horse was also
grazing some yards away.
Both ran for their horses, for thcy knew
that 1t was u life and death race. The
grcasor was sprintcr, and so was Jopcr
Each reached his horse almost at the same
moment, and each mounted simultaneous
ly. Their pistols left their holsters togeth-
or, and they began to fire at each other.
Aftcr two shots had been exchanged the
greaser yelled out IL challenge of the truo
cowboy stylc-i. c., they would gallon
around in circle, shoot at each other flyc
times apiece, and if ut the expiration Of
the 10 shots neither was killed they would
resort to the lnriat. Cooper readily agreed.
because he had devoted much practice to
shooting from his horse at full speed
They rode short distance from the
creek and then began their circular duel.
AS they gallopcd around, the grcaser shot
first ana put bullet hole through the rim
of Coopcr's sombrcro. 1t was close call
and showed fine craftsmanship on the
grcascr's part AS Cooper aftcrward re-
marked, 81 could smell that bullet, for it
scorchcd my eyebrows The first bullet
from Cooper entered the grcascrs side,
but he pluckily kept his seat in his saddle
and put hole through the cowboy sleeve.
At the second discharge from the cowboys
pistol the greaser fell hcadlong from his
horse. Cooper thought he was dead, but
he was only badly wounded and recovered
months aftcrwart 1t made good Next
can out of him, and no gave up brigand-
age and in time became an alcalde in tho
province of chihuahua
AT this period the subject of this sketch
concluded ho had played cowboy long
enough and came north, where he mar
RED handsome young lady, who, as sub
sequent events proved, had rs much cour-
age as her husband. OF all places in tho
world he concluded to go to Africa on his
wedding trip, and his wife did not object
After weeks of SEA travel they started up
the kongo river, with what he termed tho
Cooper Trading company. Ho had reg
ular expedition fitted out, with elephants
Zanzibar guards and portcrs and a few
missionaries, To help him buy ivory. For
six or seven months he was absent from
the coast, but when he returned he had Sc
cured enough ivory to clear $40, 900 above
all expenses.
Mrs Cooper was with him every mo-
mont and carried u rifle which sho used
ctfcctunlly OH moro than ono occasion.
This was some years Eoforo Mrs. French
Sheldon penetrated to the interior of tho
dark continent
One of the petty African chiefs, who had
plenty of ivory stored away, refused to sell
it to Mr.. Cooper. He also complained of
the loss to his cattle he had sustained by
tho inroads of n big lion. Whom the Amer
lean made Il proposition to tho cantanker-
ous pessimistic chief to go out alone to
Kill the lion, the old savage smiled with
delight, for he thought tho conditions
would be reversed, and after the beast had
enjoyed savUry meal off the white man
then the expedition could be looted and Il
bushcl of heads secured. A goat was tied
in an open space in the forest, and tho
cowboy, with his elephant rifle, secrctcd
himself near by. All night long he wait
ed. The goat bleatcd, and yet the lion
came not. Just MS the sun was rising a
large male lion, with atcrrific roar, sprang
into the open space and upon the goat.
Two quick reports from the rifle were
heard, and tho king of beasts rolled over
dead, almost mt the feet of the intrepid
hunter The natives cut open tho lion
after Mr. Cooper set up it's body to assure
them that life was extinct, and then oc-
Cured curious ceremony
1t seems that in the southern states when
man kills deer for tho first time he is