The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1902-04-23
TRIBUTE PAID RHODES
A Millionaire Without q Six
pence, Says w. T. Stead.

wen Known Journalist Explains
How Africa's Diamond King Held
Secretary Chamberlain In His
Hands Yellowstone Interesting
Anecdotes Depictive of His Life
and Character.
In the death of Cecil Rhodes Africa
mas lost it's only statesman. the world
one Of its greatest human forces, ana
have lost a very dear and very faithful
friend, writes William T. Stead in the
New York Journal.
Mr.. Rhodes, millionaire with mag
ination, aspired to be to the English
speaking race what Ignatius Loyola
was to the Catholic church when 1t
reeled beneath the Protestant reforma-
ton. He saw that the new times re-
quired new measures. The empire
which had been made by adventures.
as Gordon said, needed to be maintain
ed by adventures. He applied him.
self TO the task with a whole heart. To
found the new society-not of Jesus,
but of the English speaking man-Mr.
Rhodes saw it was necessary ito put
money in thy purse" He put money
in his purse to the tune of millions.
No one alleges that he did so unlaw-
fully or ruthlessly. He formed the
greatest trust or combine the world
had up to that time ever seen in the
creation of De Beers diamond mine.
Mr.. Rhodes was the first Of the mon
ey kings of the African world. But to
him money was never an end in itself.
No one so mercilessly satirized the
mere millionaire who had millions, but
no mind; who, while brooding like a
nesting hen over incalculable potential
files of power, never Matched out a sim
gle chicken of political or social
achievement. Mr. Rhodes was a man
of different mold. To him the only
joy in the possession of money was to
use it for the realization of great ideas.
No man ever realized more absolutely
the ideal of being a mere steward of
his worldly possessions. He was al
ways straining even his vast resources
TO accomplish his still vaster designs.
You once wrote of me-" said Mr..
Rhodes to me on one occasion. that l
was millionaire who never had six
pence. If you only knew how true that
was! Why, today my banker tells me
my bank account is overdrawn by $780,
COO"
All his credits were overdrawn. espe-
cially his credit upon the Bank of Life.
He lived eagerly. worked constantly
and attempted ever to do greater
things than mortal man could accom-
plish.
He always seemed to be reincarna-
ton of one of the great rulers whose
genius and valOr PSSayed in vain to ar
rest the decadence of the Roman EN-
pire. He was reared in the philosophy
of Aristotle. which be readjusted in ac-
cordance with the science of Darwin.
His mind always turned hungrily to
the history and the remains of the Ro-
man empire. He rushed across Europe
once in the midst of business in order
TO see with his own eyes the geograph-
ical argument which led Constantine
to transfer the seat of empire from the
Tiber to the Bosporus. Always when
things went badly with him and ruin
stared him In the face he consoled him
self by the thought of the stole philos
ophy of the Caesars.
| once mentioned to him the subject
of reincarnation. He replied that the
subject did not interest him. Life is
too short" he used to say. ito worry
about previous lives. From the cradle