The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-07-04
.GL|MPSES Of
M|D-AFRlCA
"A Honolulu Man S
Experiences
There.
IGRAMOpHONES
| FOR SAVAGE CHIEFS
How an lrish-American Made His
Fortune Trading With the
African Kings.

Mary years ago the Spaniards were
considered the greatest travellers. Later
the Englishman came into prominence
as the man who could be found in all
quarters of the globe. Now go where
you will and there you will find an
American. In all the small islands ana
In out of the way portions of the world
are Americans who seem to fit into the
existing order of things very well And
in these out of the way places Ameri-
cans are usually known as ''schemers.
An American newspaper man now In
| honolulu, who was lucky enough to
ave the friendship of the late Cecil
, Rhodes, tells of an American adven-
turer whom he met in Rhodesia, AT
RIGA, while travelling at the expense of
the great African millionaire.
IT was being escorted by three troop
eYs of the Rhodes'an Field Force" i.r
SAYS. Through Mc tabelelaLd, when o's'
day we came upon an Irish-American
who was travelling with a ven mules
as pack animals al a number of KAT
frs as attendants. The mules were
loaded down with gramaphcnes.
| greeted the American in as jovial a
manner as possible, but could not help
but imagine he was crazy II he was
not of his bead, why on earth was he
carting those gramaphones through the
| wIlds of Central Africa. He wished
me and the English troopers to out
span our animals and have lunch with
him. I consented and over d. delicious
little meal and some hot brandy and
| soda he told me the reason for his
| carrying the gramaphones. 1t seems
that he was journeying as far north ar
| the Zambeesi river, the wide, crocodne
| infested stream that divides north and
South Africa. He intended to go near
| ly as far west as the Victoria Falls
| the great and little known rival OF Nj
agara Falls. All along this river were
| wild tribes whose chiefs had grea'
stores of the finest ivory and in some
| cases of gold. White traders had beer
| in many cases had had considerable
! trouble with the native chiefs. But the
advent OF the American talking ma
chine man caused a sensation In tra1s
| circles among the natives. Just as
| ping-pong has set the civilized woric
| by the ears so did the gramaphont
cause a sensation among the African
| chiefs. The first chief tackled was 60
4 ing to put the white trader to death
but his native guides explained to the
chiefs that the white man brought g
message from God. His lordship ask
| ed for 1.-The message" and the white
man set his gramaphone to play Near
er MY God to Thee He followed this
I'D with All CoonS Look Alike to Me.
| The latter tune seemed to capture the
chief. as he hailed that white man as
a brother straight away. After this
| the white man had little difficulty. Al
| the chiefs were anxious to get the
| White mans God machine as they
had named the granaphone. He had
little trouble in trading machines which
cost him about $3.50 IN New York OF
London for goods worth nearly $500.
II left the Irish-American shortly af-
| ter, as my way led in another direc-
ton. A few months later 1 met the
| same man in Cape Town. 1 asked him
how his last trip had resulted. Tip
| top he replied. I have got enough
now 1 am bound for New York
Years ago had a small saloon
in Brooklyn. but 1 failed Now 1 am
going back and get the biggest booze
| house / can find in the town and show
| the Natives around Gotham that
| know a thing or two about even ma
| tives of that place. Well, will you
have a whisky?"