Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-01-02

A Young American Sees Some
Horrible sights.

w. Stamps Cherry. who left bis
home in Chicago in the summer of
1896, is now on his way to America.
having had thrilling adventures in
the heart of Africa.
For four years Mr.. Cherry has been
living among the Congo natives. He
has been their companion, friend,
leader and instructor. Unsccompa-
MED by any man of his own color he
has penetrated to parts where no 9TH
err white man has ever dared to go. 1t
has fallen to the lot of this plucky
American to make important geogrs-
phicsl and snthropological discover
les, pursued so unostentatiously and
admitted 50 reluctantly that scarcely
anyone has yet heard of them. They
have been reserved by the Geograpi-
cal Society Of America.
"Demba Creepy" as the native
chose to call Mr.. Cherry, is as much
of an American at heart IS the day
he decided that African exploration
was more fascinating than the work
of civil engineer. The French Geo.
graphical Society was anxious to OBJ
tain the result Of his work. The COW
eted ribbon of the Legion of Honor
was dangled before his eyes, but the
decorations of foreign country had
small luster in the eyes of this strange
mixture of student and adventursr,
philosopher and hunter.
Briefly summed up, Mr.. Cherry,
while trsversing over 10000 miles in
the French Congo and Soudan, has
accomplished the following results
Exploration of the Upper Kotto
river and acknowledgement. The
KOttO is large tributary of the Mo-
bangi.
Discovery of three native African
peOple-the BresA, Engsssia and Lin
dsa-nOt previously known to white
men.
Finding species of elephant much
smaller than hitherto known, which
has no tusks.
In addition TO these practical re-
suits Mr.. Cherry has collsted invalu-
able written and photograph data
dealing with the anthropological as
pect of the natives with whom he
came in contact, especially those
which Inhabit the territory between
the Waday and Mobangi rivers. Upon
this be has formed the interesting
and novel theory that all the count
less native tribes of Africa, except,
of course, the Arabs, sprang from
common origin.
This was Mr.. Cherry's second trip
to Africa, but his former visit cannot
be compared in Importance to the re-
Gently completed exploration. For
one year he did not see 9 white man,
and for over three years not 8 white
woman. He slept for four years in
his clothes, pistol strapped to him
and rifle by his side. For similar
period he lived on the diet of the
country, native in all respects ex-
cept in color and in mind. Yet he is
SIS healthy, strong and civilized as
when he left Chicago.
What is, perhaps, more surprising
is that no geographical or other So
ciety has been called upon to provide
funds to send this explorer on his
way. BY his own keen eye, indomita-
BILE energy and hunting instinct Mr..
Cherry has not only been Able to sup
ply himself, but also to bring back
with him such supply of ivory that
he returns to America comparatively
rich. Over hundred elephants have
fallen to "Demba Creecy's" gun.
Mr.. Cherry saw seven native men
and three women Escaped prisoners)
shot to death by the French. Yet he
is not of the opinion that the French
treat the natives worse than other
nations do.
"There are" he says, "no more
atrocities committed in the French
Congo than in the Belgian, German
or English colonies in Africa. Men
and women are killed indiscriminate-
ly but it seems necessary in order to |
keep the natives down. One gets
accustomed to living ont there. To i
the casual visitor it is only horrible. |
The inevitability of the thing does |