The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-07
WITH
KING MENELIK
PRIVATE CHARLES NELSON Wis
TIED HEART OF ABYsINNIA.
New Marine Recruiting Officer in Min
neapolis Was Chosen to Accompany
a United States Consul Thru Lines
of savages to the Palace Of the Bar
barrie King in Africa.

To be picked among seventeen ma
,rines selected from the Atlantic squad
ron to accompany Consul General Skin
of Abysinnia when the American gov
ernment forced treaty with King
Nelson, who was detailed to the ma
rine recruiting station today. There
were twenty eight in all in the party,
and, altho they were entertained with
mSSnarch s rp tru y 90 m iise
hostile country remains one of the
bravest exploits Of the American SER
vice.
Private Nelson had been in the SER
vice almost a year previous to the
Abysinnian expedition; In that time
curbed, had four. times crossed the At:
lantic, and had visited every country
in Europe. In Sweden and Norway
the American ships had been enter
tanned by the king, and the marines
thought that they had seen royal splen-
dor in all it's forms.
Francisco was cruising off Damascus,
in the Mediterranean, the announce
ment was made that seventeen marines
were to be selected to accompany Con-
sui General Skinner into the unknown
country. Among the officers were Ser
geant Glenn, who is now visiting Min
neapolis, and Captain Thorpe, formerly
of Minneapolis.
Just Blufed the savages.
From the time the little party left
the Imperial Ethiopian railroad their
path was logged by savages, and altho
the so-called governors along the route
pretended to: be friendly, they found
the camel drivers furnished them to be
| ,+oSr
game of bluff, as at any time :, they
could have been totally annihllated
About the third night the camel drivers
struck and drove their animals out
into the open. A few minutes later
bands of savages surrounded the party
and brandished spears and ant1que
guns. Private Nelson and four others
and brighten them away. A clrc4111
was made around the camp, and closely
| following was DR.. Pease in pair o.
pink pajamas and brandishing SINAI
revolver. IL 40
light''' said Private Skinner. I'm!
next morning we went out and rounded
up a few Somalis and, pushing them a,
the end of our guns, made them coAeSl
the camel men. From that time, TIL
We changed over to mules we KEEP
! every camel driver covered anu Kay:
them to understand that they Wouit
be shot the instant they showed any
signs Of treachery. -
/ Barbaric King as Host.
"Just before Christmas we. arrived
at the capital and were met with grea
pageantry by the kings officers an
Soldiers. No two Of the elaborated,
decked soldiers had the same costume
and between parades some OF them Wer
willing to do our washing. The kim
appeared to be very wealthy ana gay !,
us medals and presents. The, medal
were afterwards taken away from u
by. the officers Of the ship, as the RUE RUE
do not allow the presentation Of medal el
by foreign potentates. The gifts Wer
Shields, Weapons and huge ivory tu a9S
some Of them being valued d at ~ $S'o Nr;
: entail magnifcence and the palace wa
adorned with barbaric splendor. /,
Finally, after a long, negotlatloni IN u,
treaty was signed and we We, started rte 90 9:
, the ,homeward path: Altho tn the II I'll II
: was made with more dispatch, the sam 4
danger existed, and we were glad !, I
, see The seacoast When. we got on Tn
, San francisco it felt like bone zone an
; I was glad to lie around at Calro, an
Alexandria and take things easy.