Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-05-31
ELUSIVE DRINK OF KINGS
SOUGHT BY CONGRESSMAN
Heart of African Jungle to
Be Pierced by Boston's
Representative in Search
for Royal Liquid
BY MARTIN HARRIGAN
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.
Downright, 1928.

NCOPJ AAShNS A"~O'(
BOSTON Mass, May 26.-The Sc
cret of Congressman George Holden
Tinkham's 25,OOO-mile trip into the
heart of the African jungle is out.
The congressman, who left Washing
ton right after the adjournment of
congress, is due to arrive at Cape
town today, and will not be back in
this country until some time in Oc-
tOber.
When he returns he expects to
bring with him news akin to that OF
Mamma in the desert.
There has been the widest sort of
speculation among the politicians
and Back bay social circles about the
mysterious voyage, for it seems that
many of his closest friends had not
been taken into his confidence.
1t has leaked out at last that Mr..
Tinkham is on a secret mission, en-
tirely his own, for the purpose of in
vestigating a story told him by one
of his colored constituents. Most of
the negroes of Boston live in the
Tinkham stronghold. All of his pub
llC l1LC llC 11oS OCC1l a obOdI NAAcAAtAEAOAA
of the colored race, and now he has
gone in search of a priceless treas
ure because one colored man is try
ing to \ repay the congressman
friendship for the entire race.
In connection with the denoue-
ment of this story it must also be
remembered that in the congress Mr..
Tinkham is a leader of the "wets.
He is one of the very wettest of the
vets, and wants all the drys to know
it. So here is the revelation of the
Tinkham journey, told today by an
authorized spokesman:
Dramatic Story Told
~ was dining with the congress
man not long ago in Washington"
said this intimate Of the new African
explorer, when he was called to the
telephone. When he returned to the
table he said that one Of his colored
constituents had come to Washing
ton to confer with him on very inn
portant matter-one that might have
a bearing, not alone on his own flu
ture, but upon the future of the en-
tire human race.
"Mr. Tinkham invited me to the
conference. I was privileged to lis
ten to a most dramatic story. The
colored man was a lawyer, we'll
known in Boston, where he is a lead
er of his race. For an hour he re-
lated a story which gripped both Of
us. This man said that his great
great -grandfathe had been captured
in the jungle by the crew Of the
Yankee ship John Endicott, which
I, Il +rI- 0f III
rum to Africa. The skipper, a Cape
Colder, whose family was prominent
in church and state, decided he
would carry back to America as
many natives as he could induce to
take voyage on the Endicott. Most
Of them had to be forced to accept
the captains kind hospitality. Those
who showed any fight were promptly
subdued.
"The human freight was landed at
a friendly southern port and the Cod
fearing Cape Cod skipper cleared up
several thousand dollars. That was
the beginning of the family Of Mr..
Tinkham's constituent in America.
The name of the great-great-grand
Their is lost, but the great GRANDPA
Their was called 'Gumbo' by his white
owner. The grandfather became
Washington Gumbo' and his father
Mimic Gumbo.' The constituent who
told the story has taken a more mod
ern and more American cognomen.
May Be TranspIanted
"Now, here is the story that has
sent the congressman hot-foot into
the wilds. According to tradition in
the Gumbo family, there is in the
jungle a honey tree which bears a
large fruit. The natives used to ex-
tract the juice from the fault, place
it in gourds and allow it to remain
there 80 days. At the end of that pc
riod, which they computed by the
moon, the liquid was removed and
stored in caves for use only on very
festive occasions.
only the kings and the royal
household were allowed to partake of
the liquid. The vintage of France,
it is said, Is like bilge water COM
pared to this product of the honey
tree when matured and ready to
drink, Nothing like it is to be found
anywhere else in the world. Be
cause of his high regard for Mr..
Tinkham and the latter's friendship
for the black man, the lawyer has
supplied him with the location of the
treasure. We all have hopes, and we
wonder if Mr.. Burbank can make the
honey tree grow in arid America.
Eth, WHAT