The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-18
HENRY'S LAST APPEARANCE.
1T WAS a GREAT CHRISTMAS FOR
JOHANNESBURG.
The story of n Sisters Letter, ana
How the Pitiful Little Message
sent From Missouri Wrought Hav-
oc in That Far Away south Afri-
can Town.
BY Allen Sangere.
BY Allen sangere.

I.
Before the sun had shown a CLINT
through the rigging of the tall shafts along
the Rand that Christmas morning, johann
uesburg was filing up with miners from
every camp on the forty miles of gold
reef.
The Americans congregated at Billy
Reeders and Jake Hldebrants saloons,
which stood on either side of Commission
street. a few blocks apart. They were
the most lawless and violent men that
ever left the states for a foreign country.
Reared i'm the wild towns of Idaho, Mon
tana, Wyoming and California, roughinS
it in the Transyaal was delightfully."- con
genial to them. In contrast to the Cor
nlshmen or English, every American car
RED a revolver. though he could fight
with his fists when the occasion demand
cd it.
on the corner of Commissioner and Har-
rison streets group of these men stood
about, exchanging rough greetings with
such of the passersby who knew them,
and there were few persons on the Rand
unacquainted with Butch" Wilson, Jim
and Jack Maloney, Alec Love and Dan
ger" The latter, though not powerful
physically, had a cool way of covering
you Win HIS Gun Wine nuns OtA q BANNN
of tobacco. This gained him his sobri"
quet.
The most striking features of Butch"
Wilson was a head of snOw-whlte hair,
worn in the pompadour style. He was
a man six feet tall and weighed 240
pounds The only occasion on which he
had ever been whipped was when a fierce
bubajon, or babboon, brought down to
him from the Murchson range by
friend, had got loose in Reeders saloon,
and hoored Wilson with a sypon of vichy.
The Maloney brothers came from Chi
cago, where they abandoned the saloon
business because their names had been
connected with the DR.. CrOniu tragedy,
Alec Love was the most renowned fighter
in South Africa. He is now serving a
term for holding up the Northwestern HO-
tel In johannesburg, single-handed, and
relieving it of all its cash.
Seems TO me, said the man known as
Danger, chat there's a disturbance on
the veldt there" pointing to a cloud OF
dust that obscured the landscape at The
foot of Harrison street.
"And seems 10 me-" said Alec Love,
that 1 savoy that unusual yelp. If any
one was to slide down a shaft and ask
me who was comm I'd say it was Joe
Henry"
IT'S about his time fer turnln' up"
added another
The sound Of hoofs could now be heard
on the hard street and presently, from
the white dust emerged a horseman, tear
ing along like mad.
ITS him. said the group in chorus.
'This'H be a great Christmas for johann
nesburg."
On come the light-limbered broncho, the
Mexican stirrups and the sombrero, DASH
ing through a bevy of negro boys hurI-
ing them right and left, until In front
of the American hotel, where the pony
was jerked to his launches and the rider
dismounted.
He was a short, slovenly-dressed man,
with an overgrowth OF whiskers and brown
mustache. Fine white dust covered him
from head to foot. Il sifted from his
hair and beard and ran in rivulets from
the creases in his boots. Half hundred
men were shaking hands with him before
the two Kaffirs had the pony in tow. To
the loud and profane expressions Of joy
which came from all sides he answered
neither with words nor a smile, but walk
ed straightway into the barroom, followed
nv the crowd "Wen," he said, with an
inexpressb.e drawl, "all you loafers come
up and have a drink You look dry"
Hello, joe" exclaimed the bartender
proffering his hand. Drink again?"
"Not yet" replied the new conner. Lit
tie early"
A long sign above the bar with gilt let
ters on q black background told of the
American drinks for sale, and this was
eagerly scanned by the thirsty miners.
There were corpse revivers," 'kill at
nile" mot stuff" many sorts OF cock
tails and a few English drinks, such as
mild and bitter and shandy gait.
When every one had been served with
his particular sensation the late arrival
ordered straight whisky and tossed it off
at a guIp. "Well" he drawled Guess
I pretty near struck Christmas day, didn't
I?' That's it," said the bartender.
''Wen, then, let's have another drink"
When four rounds had been disposed OF
Mr.. Henry reached in either coat pocket
and drew forth great handfuls of sover-
cigns and IS notes and threw them on the
bar. "Take whot you need,' he said, la
conicany The bartender did so and
showed back the change in heap.
That was Joe Henry's style Twice a
year he came to Johannesburg with g 900
or 1900. In two weeks he had spent
every sixpence Of it. Joe was a TRANSPORT
rider between Johannesburg and Bula-
wayO, the very best in the business. on
each trip he made a small fortune. Rates
were high then, for the blacks were saw
age and it meant risking life and limb
did not benefit him in the least. for he
spent at either end Of the route, in a few
days, what it had required months to ac-
cumulate.
When Henry landed in Johannesburg the
first thing he did was to take a drink.
Then he took a bath A shave. hair cut
and a new suit Of clothes completed his
semi-annual toilet and he was then ready
for business. This consisted in getting rid
Gf hfn In "a
bic through the medium OF drink. This
seemed to be his only vice.
Joe Henry was the quietest American
that ever struck johannesburg. No one
ever heard MIN swear. He never laughed
and seldom smiled. He never spoke TO a
woman, and ia not care TO spend his
money 80 a place where barmaids pre-
sided. He always talked IN a low tone
except once IN a while he emitted a ne
culiar yell on entering a saloon or srriv-
ing in town Joe never grew abusive.
never fought and was easy 20 handle