The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-20

Rhodes pro1ted afterward by DR.. Jim's adj
ministrative abilities. and when Rhodes died
the Doctors position a director in the
wearer OF the dead prophets mantle
brought him quickly into prominence IN
Cape politics.
Dr. Jim's progress since Rhodes's death
shows we'll enough that the brilliant rePu-
tatiOn which he made under Rhodes was
not due altogether to his chieftains genius,
as many supposed. Sir Gordon Sprigg, the
Cape Colony premier. who has just been
overthrown b. jameson. was a kind OF
South African Roscoe Conkling. And Sauer,
Recommendation Rhodes used to call "fhe
Mole -Merrfman. Schreiner and the rest
of the leaders of the Dutch element were
formidable combination against one lit
tie Edinburgh doctor, lately out of Jail.
Then, too, there was the hatred for the
financial element of the Rand which had
to- be overcome, and the ridicule of the
military clique TO say nothing Of the onus
OF the raid itself. DIR. Jin's answer TO that
last was characteristic. Revolution, to be
Justified he said, must be successful;
ours was not. l made mess, and got fif-
teen months; / deserved fifteen years-for
having failed"
There is a man in London who has
worked side by side with Dr. Jim for a
good many years and knows him thorough
~. L asked this man If he thought the
last chapter had been reached in the little
doctors romantic story of ups and downs,
and his answer was interesting.
1T is likely" he said that there is an
other and bigger chapter coming yet. 1t
may be prophetic that jameson at present
occupies the rebuilt GroOte Schuur, the
mansion. which, according to Rhodess will
was to be set apart for the occupancy of
the premiers of the federated states of
South Africa whenever such federation
should come about. IL Dr. Jim can regain
the affection and confidence which the Cape
Dutch once reposed in Rhodes, and cam
bring about a closer union between the
Cape Dutch and the colonial element, he
VIII be the strongest man In South Africa.
and IL might not be long before we should
see him premier of all South Africa. thus
realizing another of Rhodes's dreams-and
these dreams of his had a wonderful knack
OF coming true. The first. sign that DIR. Jim
mas got To work on this policy will be
howl from the extreme anti-Dutch element,
who begin 10 charge the premier for show
ing too much friendlness for the Dutch.
The long and short of Ii IS that although
Or. Jim isn't such big man as Rhodes or
able to see so clearly into the future il
comes TO the same thing-he is the biggest
man In South Africa.
AN ENGAGING PERSONALITY.
DR.. Jim is ffty-one years old and bach
eior. Personally he is almost the exact
: antithesis of such grim. inhuman machines
at Kitchener. He holds men by. their af-
fections. Like Paddy Murphy, ..he has
way wild im." He has a pair of beautiful
brown eyes which are remembered by any
one who sees him after the other features
ever came into close personal relations with
him was ever an enemy of his thereafter
HIS frank. straightforward friendliness in
spires confidence in his schemes. Before
the raid 1t used 10 be thought that DR.
Jims head was almost as long and cool a
Rhodess. and IL begins to look as if the
lesson taught by that disaster had made
the opinion good by this time
DIR. Jim is like Rhodes. too, in his indif-
ference TO matters of dress Neither of
axroF Er1N
had on. There is another point of resem-
blance in the unassumng manners of both
II doesn't take any social pull To get an
interview with DR.. Jim; any one can get
at him who has any real business with him.
He hates society and all lis ways and
when he comes up 10 London lie demon
strates his ingenuity by the variety of ex-
euses he can find for not accepting invita-
lions 10 come and be dra wing-room lion
II Is queer fact that the big four of
south Africa-Rhodes, Belt. Kitchener and
Jameson-never married; yet il would not
be easy TO find four men who have had so
many opportunities. DIR. Jim, in particular
seems To fascinate the ladies. but the more
they throw themselves at him the more he
SHES on. He has few recreations. doesn't
seem to care much about sport barring
game OF poker now and then, and doesn't
seem TO have any other interest or occupa-
ton In life except the realization of the
vast dreams that he and Rhodes used TO
talk over when they lived together in a
little house in Kimberley
fernaps Or. jim queerest trait is his
total disregard of money. The friend quoted
above says he doesn't believe Rhodes left
any cash 10 his chum. and for a good rea-
son: IF he had. DIR. Jim would have had
II All given away or loaned inside of two
weeks Rhodes knew him well enough to
see TO it that whatever money was coming
10 him should be in the form of a regular
income Contrary TO general belief / doubt
II Jameson could be called a rich man You
can Judge OF this by the way he pIavs
poker. IL used To be said that he. lost $40 on
one night, and never knew until somebody
IN nf hat h.aH aa
had shown no particular interest i'm the
game. and manifested even less interest i'm
the information that he had gone broke
TWO SICkLY BOYS
jameson went to South Africa for the
same reason that Rhodes did-because his
health was so poor he couldn't live i'm the
depressing atmosphere OF the British isles
An old schoolmate OF his tells me that
when he was a small boy in a public school
In Edinburgh he looked so fraiI and pale
and small that no one expected he could
amount to anything. He was so feeble that
ne was not able TO take part in schoolboy
irolics. lie was however. a diligent student
ana when other boys played ne was alb
sorbed in his books, and so. in spite of bad
health, he always was at the top of his
class When he had finished his elementary
course and was ready for the university
his health was so bad that il became a
matter or serious anxiety 10 his parents
They were humble Scots folk whose sole
ambition was 10 give the boy a profess
sion, but they feared that the study would
prove fatal. and had seriously eonsiderea
whether he should not go into some shop
10 learn business. The youth however.
was determined TO become "A doctor and he
went forthwith into the school of rnedicine
attached 10 Edinburgh University and so
distinguished himself that he qualified In
the minimum time which was then four
years But the strain proved too much for
him. and IL was decided that he must 20 To
South Africa IL his life was 10 be prolonged
IL he had been lusty youth il is most
likeIS he would have been I'm Edinburgh to-
day with fame other than medical.
CURTIS BROWN.
copyright. l904l