The times., 1898-11-13

down from the mountains, where are
situated two beautiful springs, and it was
not until Capt. Semmes in the Alabama
visited Mendalo that the inspiration
seized the hustling Madeira.
"A British clipper put into the harbOr
one evening" related Mr.. Madeira in tell
ing this incident recently. land passed
word that the Alabama had been sighted
cruising twenty miles to leeward. You
cannot imagine how terror-stricken the
thousand people on the island We're. Ev-
erybody wanted to move into the noun
tains Immediately and leave the town to
be sacked. Rumors of this terrible yes
sci had long kept the population anxious
and it needed only word to set them in
Mysteries. i 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.
Il procured a large supply of water
and then one night, with two other young
fellows, / raised the alarm by blowing
horns and screaming to everybody to run
TO the mountains, that the Alabama was
coming around Bird Rock
The next morning there was not one
inhabitant left in Mendalo Even nv
competitors in business had fed From
the mountain tops they saw q beautiful
snip slide into the bay about noon and
lower a boat. Capt. Semmes himself
came ashore and offered to buy all the
water and fruit 1 could get He paid me
s2oO IN gold for the supply, and as he was
leaving he said: Isn't there any water
on this island?' / told him about the
spring You damned IDIOT he said. pine
IL down When / drown all the Yankees
III come and help you -
IL was not until fifteen years later that
Mi,eira had sufficient capital to think of
min live
miles up in the mountain When he in
vestisated he found two springs instead
OF one, situated about one mile apart.
Fearing to take the step alone he ask
ed the cooperation of rich English coal
dealer, who sneeringly refused the offer.
Madeira then took his capital of s35 600
hired an English engineer from London.
and began to build his water works nm
aided. He had lavishly entertained the
Engiishman, whom he treated as an hon
ored guest, but he concluded that the lat
ter was making fool of him So one
day he went upon the hills. where the en-
gineer was assassinating time, and or
dered him to quit the job
"Oh, but you're not me master" CON-
tended the Britisher. I'm stay here, dom
cher know, until me company orders me
home"
"Oh, but you won't insisted the Port
uguese, as he made rush at the English
man With the aid of twenty coolies he
tied the engineer to an OK cart and sent
him ripping down over the hills into
town. and the next steamer carried him
back to England.
Madeira then engineered the job HIM
self, and finished 1t In two months The
water, pure as crystal. comes down
through a three-inch pipe and empties
into reservoir ten feet long and five
| feet broad This is the town supply One
pays a cent for as much as he can carry
| away, and it is an interesting sight to
watch the st. Vincent women. dressed in
! garish colors, parade to the tank with a
| large tub, fill it at the spigot, and with
| the aid of neighbor lift 1t to the head
and march away.
| Madeira always has a number of iron
| tanks filled SO that they can be towed out
| to a steamer and the water pumped in
| through canvas hose. Less than fifty
| tons he sells at $3.50 ton. Above that
| up to 100 he makes a reduction of twenty
| five cents. Any amount over 100 tons he
| sells at the rate of 81 Some vessels take
on 800 tons of water. and the shippers al
ways pay in English gold. Mr.. Madei q
has made large fortune out Of this en-
terprise alone.
This man has all the characteristics of
Portuguese and the shrewdness of a
Yankee. He was born January 16, 1885,