The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-05
Thomas Powell an Old neur
d'Alene Miner in Seatpt.
AN INTERESTING CHasAcTeR.
Travels Two-TASras Of fhe Distance
Around the Earth - His Way tn
AIaskn-T<IIs of ~me war Ex-
p~vienees Amsns the sasnSes Of
south Africa-C<mpeffed TO serve
the queen, Mufa Against His VIII.


has Travelled ~o-thirds Of the distance
around the gsbe On his way 10 the ktofi-
dfks. From sfatabeieiaEd. in South Afr
e.. where y ass employee in gold mine
swnsd ls.f the chartered company. Mr..
Powell Surveyed to Seattle by land and
sea tnsl he had covered something over
Hfteer thousand miles. lie is taking 6
ressDg spell sn Seattle before starting for
fhs Yukon IN company with Philip
CRourke. the weil-known Colorado and
NAao mining man.
4 Powell ID a small man. bu; Merry enough
{ 10 hold his own In any cline. lie has
blue eyes ana heavy. dark beard lie *
an Ir.shmaa. filed With pluck and indus
try. quick Of thought and speech and
great Traveller.
Powell was in the land q me Msfabe-
les In Africa when the bisck-gklnaed saw
ages ros. IA rsvoi; against the English
and oW,ci4sred in cold blood something
over I've hundred white miners and pros
pectors. This WAS Ia 1896. Powell MS
mine boss at a mine near Gweio. owned
by the chartered company. or one OF It's
numberiess side corporations When the
Ma;aheies went on the warpath the place
was turned into fort and imperial Of
fcers were placed in command. Powell.
along with dozen other Americans, was
forced TO serve her majesty Queen Vie
toria. in suit of red. with brass buttons
bearing the insignia OF Albion. The clothes
did not at him. neither did his duties
which consisted principally In standing
out o. nights with Martini rife IN his
hands. listening for the hlood-curdline
yells OF the savsges and watching a
chance 10 dodge the keen. tgo-edzed
spear OF the black warriors. Powelfs
American instinct rebelied against the
practice az touching his cap in salute to
the English petty officers OF the fort. and
finally. demanding his freedom a. an
American citizen, he made his way over
land TO the coast. a distance OF co miles.
and embarked on a steamer for Europe.
From Mashonaland TO Seattle Is q long
way" said Mr.. Powell yesterday after
ncon "and especially when you have 10
travel through such country as South
Africa. | left the Occur d'Alene country
In the fall Of 1856 ana went 10 Cape Town.
South Africa, via Liverpool. and q Hne
OF steaers 10 the Cape From Cape Town
TO the mines OF the chartered company in
Mashonaiand and In the country Of the.
Matabeies IL Is Loo miles the greater
part OF the journey then being made by
stage lire at cost OF - cents per mile.
My aim was tn prospect the country.
which was undor the control Of the char
tered company. When | final, reached
there. I found that there were severe reg
ulations which had TO be complied with
and which 1 considered entirely unjust.
For instance a prospector was bound by
the law 10 give the cartered company one
half interest In whatever he found Be
sides. he was compelled tn take cut Il H.
cense costing 50 fer every ten claims he
located. these ten aggregatiug the size OF
n claim under the American laws. Put
what stuck me was the idea OF giving to
that big British concern one-hnif OF all |
found The country Is undenisbly rich
in gold. however The prospectors work
differently there than they ao In America.
They work over the old digRineS that
were owned by the natives thousands OF
years ago. ! have entered number OF
the abandoned mines which were dug by
men centuries before. Some I'll the fun-
nels have caved In while others were
comparatively free from, obstruction 1t
was evident that they had been unable "a
work the hard quarts 70 advantage, and
the tunnels were. as rule not mere than
seve,ty-flve or one hundred feet deep.
after giving mp TIRE idea az hunting
for gold. I entered the employ II gold
mining company at Gwelo. operating the
Bonser mine. | had charge ~ a force II
negroes IN thu mine although | could not
speak "a word OF their language. After
working several menths IN the place. the
Ma'abeles rose in revolt The country
was filed with white prpynectors who
were scattered through the m nrtains
miles from any settlement Five hundred
81 them Nere murdered. Cwelo was made
into a fort. NagouS we've drawn around
the camp IN circular form ana breast
works were throwp up At two ,rrport~
ant places or the circle were stationed
two Maxim EUns. ~ Eulswaso NORM az
us was similarly cor~ttur e, fort.
which was attacked ~ Eaa natives. THE
garrison did not number ever Eve hum
dred but they held tse fors. moving
down thousands OF the aFsauitlnS rarity
with The rifles
"Neli after ihs garrison ~ Ciwcla had
been organised ana armed ENgllsit az.
ncers arrived ant military discipline WIS
enforced oa al hands. I never b.. reed
about knowing anvfhlns - military dfn
or tactics bat they par . uniform on frc
and / was soreeA sa 40 8gty ax solfier
the same as the HrltShoss d. rot
mind Sc 50 mueh uu'B tho cHttl. began
- 1ie or With gre poet tur uss'at allow
ancc was reduced uutl tatge w4s no ne .re
- he hat SUVp.ies .ev bow ARD s. MS
very ai1tculi sadee8 - grt avs INTO the
country Bat / m.sht haye horne theee
th.nss had re' my -s-Fs See7 ex.1ae'r3
n Hues 'nr petty a@enss. against t,..iI-
iayv rtlea aad discipline 4 "a II
promptly ~ n.& c@p go some - taa rrlts-
ef9lreFS. o~ lsa nit eyes sn tiic wroe .s.-
Tectioa SIZE -fsaa..e iH ttt fne d.. .rr,-
tFtIlmN shsA 20 tHat ast tsN .F ts
eae& am al. ->usaf'et-.. s-a atsise-cs
fsnaih soia uy eo@s~ ee 7lcc~ tats