The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-26
THE CAREER OF "DR. JIM.y
A Typical English Adventurcr with
All the Virtues and All the Vices of
His More Famous Predecessor.
From the Westminster Gazette.

His More Famous Predecessor.
From the Westminster Gazette.
CDR Jim" is a Scotchman. and strange
stories of his dash and cleverness when a
boy are ted. Companions OF his youth
remember how. to get fruit for them out
Of his fathers garden. he would defy all
the canes of the household. He was edu-
Gated for the medical profession. and was
in good practice at Kimberley when Cecil
Rhodes picked him up. Devoted to his
profession and making a large inome
though he was. he abandoned everything
to take part in the opening up of Ma
shonaland, and his conduct all through
the Matabele troubles is written large
in South African history.
In 1887, Jameson and Rhodes were living
together at Kimberley in lodgings that
consisted of one sitting room and two
bedrooms. 1t is not generally known
that Rhodes owes his life to the doctor.
who attended him assiduously, night and
day, through a dangerous illness. This
laid the foundation of their friendship.
When the infant operations of the fu-
ture chartered company were endangered
by Lobengula, jameson made his way,
alone and unarmed, to the dusky kings
presence. His friends thought he would
never return. But the king was i'll, and
DR.. Jameson's fame as a medicine man
had penetrated to Lobengula's court. He
was, therefore, called upon to cure the
king. This, fortunately, he succeeded in
uOlnB. l<OD6IEuld anu al his IellIlut were
delighted and the doctor not only OBJ
tanned the concession he was in quest of,
but permission for the pioneer force to
march through Mashonaland.
When Fort Salisbury had been establish
ed the question arose as to a direct route
TO the coast. Jameson took the matter in
hand. Accompanied by Major Johnson. he
marched from Fort Salisbury to Sarmento
on the Pungwe river. then an unknown re-
gion, and so on to Beira. The Bera rail-
way was the result. In his visit to Loben
crit1 coast lame
son had given ample evidence of the stuff
of which he was made, and on his return
to Fort Salisbury he received the supreme
But a quiet career. however exalted, was
not in his way, and when, a little later, II
became necessary for an official of the
company to visit Chief Gungunyana. at the
mouth of the Limpopo DR.. jameson I'M
dertook the task. 1t was two months
journey, practically on foot, through
deadly climate. The doctor on this occa-
sion was accompanied by DR.. Doyle and
Mr.. Moody and a few carriers. First Doyle
was stricken down with fever. then Moo
dy, and finally Jameson himself. They sun
fered from want of food and for many
days were exposed to pitileSs rain. Az
ter two months march through forest and
swamps, they arrived in rags ana halt
dead at their destination A stay there to
recruit and jameson and his party start
ed for the coast, and so home again.
1t was on his return from this terrible
Journey that Jameson received the post of
administrator of Mashonaland, in success
sion to Mr. Archibald Colquhoun, and in
that capacoity had very narrow escape
of a brush with the Beers. When the lat
ter were preparing to trek across the Linn
pOpo into new territory DIR. Jameson ana
band of Bechuanaland police met them,
and although bloodshed seemed at hrst
unavoidable, Jameson succeeded In turn
ing back the trekers without the hiring
of a single shot.
its necessity be admitted, even his great
est detractors would declare Jameson car
ried through in a manner worthy OF him.
The forces at his command in that cam
paign numbered about 1900, and they were
manipulated with promptitude and de-
cision worthy Of a veteran IN the neld
The war was sharp but short. and what
ever credit there was in connection with
it was very largely due to Jameson. For
his services in Rhodesia, the doctor was
made Companion of the Bath about
It was about the same time that Dr.
jameson and Cecil Rhodes were feted in
England and entertained by royalty at
the Imperial Institute, in the company of
such guests as the late lord chancellor,
the Duke of Fife, Earl Gray, Lord Play
fair, Sir Frederick Leighton, Sir r. Her
bert and Sir c. Mills The Prince of Wales
on that occasion, amid the enthusiasm of
nearly 5000 hearers, thanked DR.. jane
son for his most interesting and excel
lent address," and hoped that he would
continue to be most successful in his
work in South Africa, and it was also on
the same occasion that DR.. jameson ex-
pressed his belief that Rhodesia must he
a great factor in what he hoped would
yet be attained, viz, a commercial union
of the different states of South Africa"
He ventured to think that within a rea-
sonable time even the Transvaal would
join in a much-desired confederation"
Miss Balfour, in her recently published
account of Twelve Hundred Miles in a
Wagon gives the following description
of DR.. Jameson's abode at Buuwayo: Or
Jameson and Sir John Willoughby who
have a house between the old and new
towns about two miles from the latter.
are living in tents and have given us their
room. l have Sir John Willough-
by's room. This is a true and faithful de-
scription of it: 1t has mud walls mud
floor. matched roof. with no ceiling. doors
made of two packing caselids, and an I'M
glazed window. with shutters of rough
boards. Furniture-a bedstead, one box
upside down, some wooden shelves a
small strip of mating, an empty whisky
bottle doing duty as candlestick and
(Oh, luXuryD a tablet DR. Jameson's room
is much the same. only it has a six-inch
square lookingglass as we'll . The
dining room and kitchen are close by.
really, although my description of ii NAV
make 1t is an Inappropriate abode for the
administration of a territory as large as
France" But the doctor was always a
Spartan in his tastes.
We have stated that Mr.. Cecil Rhodes
owes his life to DR.. Jameson's skill Ac-
cording to a letter from DR.. Covers
President Kruger does the same. Jameson,
shortly before he became administrator
was summoned from Kimberley TO Pre-.
toria to attend the president during a
dangerous illness, and brought him hack
70 health This the president Is not like
~ to have forgotten, and probably Jane