The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-20
DR.. JAMESON, OF FAMOUS
RAID, APERSON OF MUCH
IMPORTANCE ONCE MORE
Cecil Rhodes's Faith in the Ability
OF the Little Surgeon Has
Been Justified.
RAPID PROGRESS MADE
IT,, Co., Gu
RAPID PROGRESS MADE
From Convict's Cell in England
to the Premiership of Cape
Colony in Ten Years.
IN FACE OF OBSTACLES
Dramatic Chapters in the Life of a
Man Who May Yet Achieve
Greater Distinction.
Special Correspondence Of the Journal.

viceroy Of a rich realm half as big as the
United States To convict's clothes and
prison fare, and thence on TO the position
Of premier Of a powerful state. with un-
told possibilities for the future-what a
career for quiet little surgeon who a few
years ago had no taste for politics. no no.
ton OF business and no suspicion that he
had the knack of playing the strong mans
game-the game in which other men are
pawns. knights kings and such things. and
in which the chess board is a continent,
1t took Cecil Rhodes to discover all these.
possibilities in an unassuming young sur
geon in Kimberley TO whom somebody.
who didn't know that history was being
made 10y chance remark, sent Rhodes on
a day when he happened to be in need OF
medical treatment. Everybody who had
come in contact with Or. Leander Starr
jameson in kimberley felt that he was a
winning, sympathetic sort of little man,
who had the personal magnetism that went
as far toward pulling patients out of an
illness as did his undoubted skill I'm sur
gerry and medicine. He had built up a Zig
practice in Kimberley by the time he was
thirty-odd, and his personal popularity was
due only in part TO the fact that so long
as he had money enough TO keep going he
never bothered slow-paying patients with
bills. If they paid for his deft skill, all
right. If they didn't. that was all right,
too. Those We're high old days in roaring
Kimberley, and the young Edinburgh doc
tor had his share of the fun without much
thought of the future.
A MEETING THAT MADE HISTORY.
Then came that memorable day in 1858
when Cecil Rhodes sent for Dr. Jameson
to see him about pair of lungs which. it
was supposed, were fatally weak Rhodes
was on one of his exploring expeditions
into the heart of Matabeleland at the time.
and DR.. Jameson, who happened to be in
the neighborhood, was implored to go and
see him at once. prompt cure was
effected and likewise history was made Ii
is easy enough now to imagine that the
story OF South Africa would have been far
different except for this chance meeting
Rhodes, with his genius for essentials dis
covered in the carelessly dressed easy
gong surgeon something that neither the
doctor himself nor any OF his friends either
pected.
AT this time Jameson had become known
as about the best doctor in South Africa
certainly one OF the best surgeons He had
all the money he wanted without having to
Dother himself about collecting bills He
mad a practice that brought $4,000 a year
in and persuaded him to give il all UP and
go into the unwonted business of governing
men instead of mending them
1t was like Rhodes TO make such an
offer, and ii was like Jameson 20 accept il.
FROM thdt day on through successes
Mortny Oh Caesar--on through disaster.
disgrace and ridiCule, on through slow
progress toward success again. on to the
last scene in three room cottage at
Nuremberg, where Jameson watched night
and day with the dying Colossus-Rhodes
never wavered in his affection for the man
he had loved as a brother almost from the
moment ne first set eyes on him. The last
word he uttered in this world was tha
name of this dearest OF all his friends AS
IL became patent 10 all that his end was
imminent ,li Ehodess brother was brought
10 ms bedside. He recognized him and
clasped his hand. Then relaxing his crasn
the dying man stretched. his feeble hand to
was the end.
DR.. jameson was n sort of private secrc-
tary 10 Rhodes at first. learning the details
OF the management of the British South
Alrica Companys affairs. and in 1891 was
made the administrator of Rhodesia. to the
astonlshment of everybody except Rhodes.
Ills government of this 10000 square miles
was wonderfully shrewd and wise The
Matabele war, in which T. r. BErnham.
the famous American scout. first attracted
european notice, was under the direct man.
agement of DIR. Jim and according TO ALI
accounts reflected high credit on his MILF
tary qualities.
WHEN THE CRASH CAME.
In 1896, at the moment when IL began to
look as if the greatest of Rhodes:s dreams
might be quickly realized and when. IL he
had willed it and no one had Numbered. he
might have broken the whole of South
Africa off from the map of British territory
and set up in government for himself there.
In a United States of his own, with DR. Jim
Tor Vice President or crown prince-just
at that dramatic moment DIR. Jim slipped
rrrttl 4l.~
vaal. He might have got to Johannesburg
with his 500 troopers and the government
might have been overturned II the men who
were engineering the johannesburg end OF
the scheme had been as dashing and as un-
hesitating as DR.. Jim. But the raid failed:
the inevitable extinction of the Kruger
government was postponed TO a day when
the cost of a revolution I'm British men and
money was TO be multiplied by thousands,
and Rhodes and the too-previous DR. Jim
went down with a crash.
Rhodes proved 10 the satisfaction of most
folk that he had. not authorized or advised
the raid, and escaped worse punishment
than the temporary downfall of his hopes
but DR. Jim and the leaders OF the raid
were sentenced to death. were subsequently
turned over to the British government
tried. and finally sent 10 jail in London. Dr.
Jim wore convict garb. had convict food,
and slept on plank bed at first. but after
ward was treated more as a political pris-
oner at Holloway Jail
1t was the Jameson raid that dashed
Rhodes from the height OF power TO the
bottom depth of despair and obloquy VET
at the moment when things looked the
blacklist Lord Grey came Up TO Rhodes and
told him with some hesitation. that he had
bad news for him The unhappy man start
ed and then asked eagerly: Well what is
it?"' Whereupon Lord Grey broke TO him
the news of the destruction by fire of Groote
Schuur. his beloved country house. I'm which
all of his collections of historical and per-
sonal interest were stored. Lord Grey was
afraid that this. blow would almost finish
Rhodes, and was ast0nished 10 hear him
breathe a great sigh of relief and say.
THANK God. is that ALP" 1 thought YOU
We're going To tell me Dr. Jim was dead.
We can rebuild the house. but If Dr. Jim
had died should never have got over it,
on TOP AGAIN.
After DIT. Jameson's release from Hollo-
way Jail he wandered back 10 South Africa.
ridiculed by his enemies and commiserated
by his friends. When the war broke out he
went In for hospital work as civilian. suf-
fered from a wound. rom fever and from
oyerwork and proved through IL all thar IA