Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-03-27
COMMODORE WEAVER
He is Cutting a Wide Swath in the
Samoan Islands.
He Gives Entertainments on tho Yacht
Norma, Borrows Various Sums of Money
and HAS Good Time Genoraily-Re-
mombered in Norfolk.

The readers OF the Virginian-Pilot
will recall to mind the visit to this port
two years ago OF the yacht Norma and
her commander, Commodore" Weaver
The Commodore" while here, got in
all kinds Of scrapes, borrowed money,
beat his grocer, and, in fact, did not
stop at anything until his desire was
thoroughly accomplished. The follow
Ing story from the New York Journal
of Sunday will be of much interest to
those who recall the visit of Norma:
Letters just received here from Sa-
moa tell of the wide Swath that Com
mooore' N. j. Weaver, whose picture
Is No. 1857 in the Rogues' Gallery, the
reputed owner of the schooner yacht
Norma, In which he is making a trip
around the world, has been cutting
there Weaver arrived in Apia harbor
In his yacht, which is a beautiful yes
sci, fitted out in the best style, early in
December.
He at once began to enter into ex-
tensive arrangements with certain ma
tive chiefs to lease 10000 acres of land
Tor the purpose of establishing there
what he said would be the largest ca
Gao plantation in the world. After leas-
Ing the land the 'Commodoe' started
Tor Auckland with his yacht He had
obtained various sums OF money and
supplies at Apia.
weaver obtained letters OF introduce
tlon TO well-known people of Auck-
land, and when he arrived there he
was received with open arms. He was
taken about Auckland harbor in char
tered steamer, as the honored guest of
the local yacht club. His yacht was
made the flagship OF the squadon for
the time that he was to remain there.
1ndn = In,
an elaborate entertainment, on credit,
aboard his yacht. He borrowed money.
III sums of $1,000 and less. Later he
went from Auckland to Sydney, leav-
Ing his yacht ut Auckland Then he
was disappointed in securing expected
remittances from New York. as he ex-
planned. and at last accounts the yacht
was still at Auckland, held as security
for money borrowed. The Commodore
at that time planned to return to Sa-
moa by n mail steamer to look after
his plans there.
Before going to Samoa Weaver
spent some time at Yokohama He ar
rived there on a mail steamship ac-
companied by q man he introduced as
Mr.. Perceval. n capitalist. Immediate
ly after his arrival Weaver looked
about for the best that Yokohama
could afford. He said he had been COM
modore of the New York Yacht Club,
ohp tdlhOu VI ydCHtS 10 the rlcn men
Of the place in such n way as to i'm
press them very much.
There was n constant round of en-
tertaining for awhile. There was n
great deal of gambling on the yacht,
and the stakes were high. After awhile
the guests of the Commodore COM
pared notes and found that none of
them had won. Moreover. 1t was dis
covered that all. or nearly all. had
loaned money to the Commodore Sew
eral of the heaviest investors decided
10 demand an explanation from Weav-
or. Tim Mr.. Perceval confided to one
OF the creditors that he had loaned
Weaver $4,000 and had taken n bond
on the Norma as security. This had
the effect of heading off some of the
creditors who had contemplated the
SELLING of the Norma as security for
WeaverS debts.
"Weaverfs scheme. when he left New
York in 1896, was an deliberately plan
ned cruise around the world that was
TO last for three years. He said he had
offered Rudyard IIipling $4,000 a year
to become the historian OF the expcdi-
ton. Late, he tried to get Stephen
Crane for the job. but failed.
Gle said he intended to take scien-
fists and literary men along. who would
make discoveries and write about
strange things in the out-of-the-way
places he intended to visit"