The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-16
~0LD MAN MADEIRA"
A QUEER CHARACTER KNOWN TO
SEAMEN THE WORLD OVER.

ana the rule is emphasized by at least
one striking exception.
This is in the person of Old Man Ma
deira, as he is popularity known. who lives
in the town of Mendalo, on The Island of
ST. Vincent, Cape de Verde group and is
the patriarch of that far-away habltatson
both in wisdom and worldly goods.
Sitting in the shady quadrangle OF his
store houses with monkey on his knee,
this odd man watches year in and year out
the great merchant ships creep through
the narrow passage between Bird Rock
and the huge preclpice opposite, which is
capped by little Portuguese fort.
Though unable to distinguish his own
name in writing, Manoel Gomez Madeira
can figure almost In the CLINT of an eye
how much cargo any of those ships can
carry and what Is more to the point about
how much water and provender may be
required.
Before the ship has slipped her cable
the old mans nephew has boarded her
and taken the order, for Madeira is a ship
chandler and owns every drop of water on
the Island Of st. Vincent. While the other
superiority Of the English, Mr. Madeira's
position enables him to act with extreme
independence, and when the English coal
princes desire his cooperation they must
transport the mountain to Mahomet,
Bum BOnt Man.
Madeira got possession of the entire
water supply by his own enterprise ST
Vincent, which achieved publicity when
Cervera's feet harbored there en- route
to America, is a barren, dismal looking
island, about th.rty-fve miles In circum-
ference. IT lies $500 miles southeast from
New York as the crow flies, and 200 miles
off the African coast. The town of Men
daio, with a population of 5000 blacks,
Portuguese and English, Is the only town
on the island. Its entrance Is q beautiful
bay, about five fathoms deep. but so clear
Is the water that one can see a slxpence
ON the bottom.
Nearly all vessels plying 'twixt Europe
and South America, and those which do
| trade between the United States and South
Africa, put in at MENDOZA for coal, water
and fruit, so that ship chandler has plen-
ty OF custom.
This old red thing Ia always thick as
vermin in this blooming bay" observed
thick tongued English skipper one day.
pointing to fleet of twenty merchantmen
all of which flew the Union Jack from the
stern.
But the English do not any longer mo-
nopolize foreign trade in that part OF the
world, and every maritime nation is rep
resented at times in the harbor Of Men
dalo.
When Madeira came there thlrty-nve
years ago and set up business as
bum-boat man, fitting about among the
slaves in a red sailed felucca, the town
was very small, but the shipping brisk.
Water at that time had 10 be brought
md Of Int Axfta MI llaa
to westward. 1t does not seem TO have
occurred to any one that water might be
piped down from the mountains, where
are situated two beautiful springs, and It
was not until Capt. Semmes in the Ala
bama visited MendaIo that the inspiration
seized the hustlng Madeira.
Mr.. Madeira's Account of 1t.
"a British clipper put In the harbor
one evening"" related Mr.. Madeira in tell
ing this incident to the writer recently,
and passed word that the Alabama had
been sighted cruising twenty miles TO lee
ward. You cannot imagine how terror
stricken the thousand people on the island
were. Everybody wanted to move into
the mountains Immediately and feaVe the
town to be sacked. Rumors of this terri
bic vessel had long kept the population
anxious, and 1t needed only a word to set
them in Mysteries. had been twenty years
in the American navy and did not feel
scared about the ship, but decided TO
make some capital out Of the scare.
II procured a large supply Of water and
then one night with two other young fell
lows, raised the alarm by blowing horns
and screaming to everybody to run to the
mountains, that the Alabama was coming
round Bird Rock.
1.-THE next morning there was not one
inhabltant left In Mendalo. Even my
competitors in business had fed. From
the mountain tops they saw a beautiful
ship slide into the bay about noon and
lower a boat. Capt. Semmes himself
came ashore aud offered to buy all tho
water and fruit could get. He paid me
$3.50 in gold for the supply and as he was
leaving said, isn't there any water on
this island?" I told him about the spring
You damned IDIOT he said; pipe IL down
When 1 drown all the Yankees I'll come
and help yod.' "
1t was not until fifteen years later that
MADEIRA had sufficient capital to think OF
operating a pipe from the spring six miles
up in the mountains When he investi-
gated he found two springs, in stead OF
one, situated about one mile apart.
Laying His Water Works.
Fearing to take the step alone, he asked
the cooperation of a rich English coal
dealer. who sneeringly refused the offer.
Madeira then took his capital of 1876. 900,
hired an English engineer, from London.
| and began to build his water works I'M
aided. He had lavishly entertained the
Englishman, whom he treated as an hon
ored guest, but he concluded that tho
latter was making fool of him. SO one
day he went up on the hills, where the en-
gineer was assassinating time and ordered
him to quit the job.
"Oh but you're not me master" con-
tended the Britisher. "IH stay here. DON
cher know, until me companys orders me
home"
oh but you won't" insisted the Portu
guese, as he made a rush at the En-,
glishman. With the aid OF twenty coolies
he tied the engineer 20 an OK cart and
cent him ripping down over the hills into
town and the next steamer carried him
back TO England.
Water for Cash.
MADEIRA then engineered the Job him
self and finished il In two months The
water pure as crystal comes down