Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-04-09
Btistel1aneuns geading.
ANECDOTES OF CECIL RHODES.
The Personal Side of His Character
Illustrated.

The Personal Side of His Character
illustrated.
If a man Is rightly to be measured
by the space devoted to him in the
newspapers when he dies. then. indeed.
none can deny that Cecil Rhodes was
great, says a London letter. 1t Is not
the purpose of this letter to discuss
Rhodes's features or the story Of his
life. Posterity will settle the former
and the events of the latter are suffi-
ciently we'll known. A few stories deal
ing with the personal side of his char
acter, however, may be interesting.
His personality seems, indeed, to
have been the most striking feature Of
the man. Those who have written Of
him that he was a subtle schemer, as
some few have said, have been wrong.
For the most part he seems to have
been of frank, almost unblushing ma
ture. His speeches are described as
having sounded like the words Of a
man thinking aloud. And 1t is certain
that If Rhodes could only meet man
or a committee personally he could
talk either over.
One Of the widest spread stories of
Rhodes Is that which credits him with
having declared that he had never met
a man whom he could not buy. The
story is not true. 1t has its form in an
expression of his wealth showed his
confidence in his powers Of persuasion.
When asked how he proposed to carry
his Cape to Cairo telegraph across the
Soudan, which was then under the
dominion of the Khalifa, he replied:
"Oh, leave that to me. I never met
the man yet that I could not come to
an agreement with, and shall be able
to fix things up with the Khalifa right
enough when the times comes"
Rhodes rather fancied himself as
phrase maker A writer who saw a
good deal of him, describes him as re-
peating over and over again some say
ing Of his own with which he seemed
to have been pleased as soon as he had
uttered it.
Perhaps one Of his best-known phras-
es is the "unctuous rectitude." with
which he reproved certain class Of his
opponents in this country. No one in
future who wishes to discuss the traits
of the British character will be able to
do without those two words. Some
other sayings Of Rhodes which have
been left on record are as follows:
My life is a temporary one, but the
country will remain after me.
If forfeit my flag what have I left?
If you take away my flag you take
away everything.
Remember that sentiment rules half
the world.
1T Is no use for us to have big ideas
If we have not got the money to carry
General Gordon.
It took me fifteen years to get mine,
but got it. Though my boat may be
slow in the race I know exactly what
I am starting for.
I have found out one thing, and that
is If you have an idea and it is good
idea, If you will only stick to 1t you Will
come out all right.
The only awkward thing Is the prog
ress Of Time We do get Older, and be-
come little hurried in our ideas be-
cause Of that terrible Time.
After the raid: Kruger and have
met twice The first trick won (refer-
ring to Bechuanland); he won the Sec
ond. There is no doubt who will win
the odd"
When timorous friends were begging
him to be discreet and foes were say
ing he dare not face the music" he
answered both once and for all: Il am
not going to lie about it,"
When DR.. Jameson was convicted
and sentenced for the part he took IN
the raid, Mr.. Rhodes exclaimed: What
a tribute to the moral worth of the ma
ton that mas jumped the world"
I will challenge any man or woman,
however broad their ideas may be, who
objects to go to church or chapel to-
say that they would not be better for
an hour or an hour and a half In a
church.
In the Oriel Hall, Oxford, In 1899, he
said: II have been interested In Aris-
totles definition Of virtue In the Eth
les as the highest activity of the soul
living for the highest object In per-
feet life That has always seemed to
me the noblest rule for a man to follow
and I have made it my rule from the
first"
Life is too short, after ALL" he used
to say, ito worry about previous lives.
From the cradle to the grave-what Is
1t? Three days at the seaside. Just
that and nothing more. But although
It Is only three days, we must be do
ing something. I cannot spend my
time throwing stones into the water
But what is worth while doing?'
Sympathy with the natives, DR..
Jameson afflrms, was one of Mr.
Rhodes's most prominent characters
tics. He says: He likes to be with
them; he is fond Of them and trusts
them, and they admire and trust him.
His favorite recreation every Sunday
afternoon was to go into the DeBeers
native compound, where he had built
a fine swimming bath, and throw shill-
ings in for the natives to dive for. II
there is a man in South Africa who de-
serves the title of the black mans
friend, it Is Cecil Rhodes"
Another story bearing on this point
tells how one day he took some friends
to see a certain pretty summer house
in the grounds Of Groot schur, MS
home, from which a splendid view or