The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-08
A ROMANCE OF AFRICA.
story of . Mississippi Trader Who
Made Fortune


William 3. Walker, a gentleman who
moved from the Mississippi valley last fall
10 settle in Seattle and has Offices IN the
Bailey building. told story yesterday OF
an acquaintance OF his whose experiences
in South Africa are OF rather romantic
character. Early in the SOS Henry Moore
lived near Corinth, Miss and was a shift
less sort OF fellow. He gathered courage
enough to shift from there. however. and
climbing on the end OF railroad train
managed TO ride blind baggage TO Denver.
He spent some time in Colorado, rher
drifted 10 the Arizona gold fields, lounged
in the everlasting sunshine OF Mexico for
a while. and one day found himself al Gal
weston There he drifted on board a sail
ing ship. and the ship drifte1 him to the
eastern coast of Africa
Here he found there was gold to BE- had
without the digging When the ship got
TO Liverpool he spent all his wages in trim
kets and worked his way back 10 Africa on
another ship. His exploits from the time
he landed the second time throw those Of
Livingstone and Stanley entirely in the
shade. For they went armed with a reti-
nue. OF followers, with baggage wagons
ana tents. commissary department and
cooks All alone. with big pack as he
could carry. he started from the east coast
in direct line for the west He disap-
peared In the so-called inpenetrabie for
year Not that there was any inquiry
after him. for ne was not a newspaper ex-
plorer. and had, in fact. kept his project a
secret.
1T was something over a year before he
was again seen by one of his race or heard
ms native tongue. He got back TO the
coast out was not carrying his pack He
had a string Of camels and donkevs 10
carry 1t. and 1t had grown to a goodly size
There were ivory tusks in it, and gold
nuggets and precious stones and curious
things never seen before. All by himself
ne had gone nearly a thousand miles into
the interior and bin doin' right smart o.
traaih with the coons, he modesily said
Meet any savages?" he was asked
Mostly all sayages." was the quiet re-
ply.
And cannlbals2"
Yes. they is most all cannibaIs. but
nary one NV en- ever eat me. an I'm
here to prove il"
This is what he said when he got back
TO Corinth. some time later. What he did
when he got his goods To the coast was to
get them and himself onto ship, and at
Liverpool ne disposed OF them With A
snail part OF the money he invested in A
sun larger pack, and again went into the
wlids or Africa. but this time with dom
Keys and camels and native servants He
passed through Mashonaand and to the
northward. He carried many bundles Of
matches. and when he deftiy and swiftly
swung his right hand upward past his
thigh, and IRE was the result the natives
were ready to worship the firemaker. He
also took few firearms. When he came
to large village on the morning of fes-
tlval he had the ruler informed that he
could kill man and nobody would know
what had struck him The king was
curious about this and ordered on. one of
MS young chiefs to be experimental upon
Moore said his machine would work ms,
as well on COW. and an animal intended
Tor slaughter was placed 800 yards away
which dropped dead when struck by
Moore's bullet. Moore saws he could have
had bigger piece of land than the whole
OF the state of Mississippi. and its live
stock thrown in. for that rife. but he
could only bargain for things that he.
could carry away with him. Some time
after that however. he did receive dona-
ton OF land about seventy miles SQUARE
from one OF these African kings in the in
terror, and sold half interest in IT to an
English syndicate for nearly 81. 900 900
Moore got back to Corinth in 1857. and
has been going and coming between Africa
and this country ever since. When Chat
tanoosa mad a land boom he went there
and asked the price OF a large tract The
price was $500 But how much cash ..
asked Moore. He bargained ii down 10
WOO" and gave a check for that amoun,
on San Francisco bank The land dealer
laughed a II. hut on telegram being sent
to San Francisco the bank on which the
check was drawn replied: Moore good
for 500 0so"
Moore has $4,000 in government bonds
and large accounts with several banks. He
IS not married and his family connections
are all poor people. That is they were
poor before he returned He has sent his
brothers Two daughters to fashionable
boarding school. and given each n hank
account OF So.e0 He has also taken his
brothers boy and sent him to school To
the rest OF his family and intimate friends
he has also been liberal
Il have In my possession" said Mr.
Walker. "a piece OF seaweed that Moore
brought from the Red sea. picked IN near
the spot where Pharoah's army tried TO
cross"
This proves the wonderful romance 10
be Teriectly true.