The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-12
The Project for Congressional Aid for
Its Development
CAPACITIES or AFRICAN AGRICULTURE
Perennial Sugar, Coffee and Cotton at Cheaper
Prices for American Consumption.
ENGLISH ENTERPRISE AT WORK.


In view OF The proposition for appropriation from
Congress aid in the preliminary surveys for pro-
posed railroad from the St. Paul River. in Liberia,
the Soudan with the terminus at the Straits OF
Babelmandob at tho mouth Of the Red Sea, 10 DC
called the African Continental Railroad, as sug-
gested by Mr. Augustus Watson, in his communication
to the African Repository publication issued semi
monthly by tho American Colonization Association,
whose central Offices this city, the HERALD cor
respondent visited tho secretary Mr.. William Coppn-
ger, recently, at the Colonization Building, to obtain
all the Information possible, both in relation 10 MS
OF the project and the present and past status OF
the association.
The association organized in December 1916,
and after getting under way by establishing agents IN
Liberia and other necessary preliminarics, they
sent out tho first instalment OF emigrants,
cighty-sx In number, to Liberia, since which
time one or more colonies have been sent
ont every successive year till the total num-
Der sent up 1876 by the association has reached
1925 VI this number 3137 have been sent since the
conclusion Of the war. The society has, under the
induccment OF the government succeeded in colo
nizng in Africa 1872 Africans, many OF them captured
on the high whom beng indicted into slavery
Sierra Leone built up almost cnurely Of that class
Of colonsts tho total number thus sent there being
0.S47. They have common and mission schools and
colleges at Monrovia.
The climate at Liberia is not unhealthy Tor the
African race there has been but one death there
the past year OF emigrants from the United Statea
SO far relates the saubrity 0: the climate, Gov
ernor Pnney, who appointed there BY the society
In 1884, and who has backward and forward sew
era times SINCE reports that tho thermometer ranges
from sixty to ninety degrees during the whole year.
They have but two seasons, the wet and dry season.
the wet is In summer and is cold, the dry sea-
son Is In winter
AS an illustration Of the wonderful productiveness
Of the SOIL Mr. Coppingsr states that they invariably
have two year Of and all other vegetables
that grow In the temperate zone while those valuable
staples, sugar. coffee cotton perennial THIS Ia
great advantage the sugar growing districts, not
only Of the United States but OF Cuba and the sand
wch Islands, as IN the former Louisiana for in
stance-the sugar has to be planted every year,
and in Cuba, West India and the Sandwich Islands
every years. The Of the sugar is very
expensive hence the products OF Cuba and the Sand
wch Islands can favoraDly compete with our own pro-
ductons. Sugar DO produced of equal quality in
Liberia and In the ATTITUDES Liberia at much
less than tnat produced in any other country
where 1t Is staple, there 1t s perennial Tho labor
Of producing It is much cheaper, and this will more
make up for Of transportation freight.
In other words, he contends that sugar BIO grown
and shipped to markets at o less price
landed. than 1t can be produced ut home or by any
other competing sugar growing country in the world
The cotton Is tree in Africa, growing TO the hcght
OF fifteen icet, and 1t IL pcrcnninastng tor from
to fifteen years-it requires replanting every
year, 1t does in Southern cotton growing
States hence although not OF SO line staple, It
be produced much more cheaply than here at homo.
Iron s Of tho natural products and, general
thing, the produces eighty-avs ninety per
of M KIM nv anlnla
hblted by Mr. Z. s. Morris at the Centennial last
year, as the Liberia Mocha coffee, pronounced BY
good judges to be the finest co1ees in the world.
''There two other staple products that special
mention ould be made oil, as they arc very extern
sivey exported to the English and European mar
kets, said Mr.. Coppinger ~ to the palm oil
and the cam wooo. Palm oil Is the main product
oil Liberia aud the interior beyond the Kong Noun
taips The value OF its import to England in 1875
reached $40 600 900 from whole cois 1t carried
10 the coast the heads oil IRON the
interior hundreds Of miles, then put barrels
shipped. Tho English have the monopoly OF this
trade Is carried ny two lines Of Steamers from Liy
erpooi, aiiordIDg weekly communication. Our own
American mails carried by these steamers this
route, and Il takes thirty days to yet letters These
two OF steamers, known as the African Steam
sup Companies nAvo fourteen steamers running
line and elght on the otncr, making fleet of
twcntyt two steamers. Inc profits Tor SIX months on
these lines amounted to fl0, 22l and above
all expenses, yielding good dividend to stockholders
thousand hundred tons burden and generally pro.
pellers. President Roberts, OF Liberia, who
few years ago, and since dead, speaking oil the
great forests OF camwood, SAID they extended II
ieast "a hundred miles back from Liberia This wood
very valuable as dye wood aud Is worth $500 ton
IN tue English market The exports OF
very large, and shipped mostly TO tho English
market one great drawback to the commerce OF the
country is that through every Principally, tribe, ma
tion Kingdom that the native prouucts, such as
palm oil camwood have TO pass, they have pay
tribute or tax, thereby enhancing the price, before II
IN I'm INN Hnnh
would DO obvatcd were there railroad TO convey
these products down TO the place OF shipment There
Ii another very valuable product the process Tor
obtaining winch yet III It's IN ancy | refer to tho
gold OF the Kong Mountains. they n COAST range
that down the coast over one thousand les, aud
~ the present time prospects have been made only
by the nalives, VINO wash out the sand from the
streams that run down from those mountains in their
gourds then put the dust In quilts sell IL tho
traders. Ever since the Portuguese commenced
ing with the natives, over hve hundred years ago,
these primitive gold hunters have not advanced auy
tue means OF procuring this precious metal. From
best Information received these Kong Mountains con-
tain many very valuable deposits OF gold-bearIng
quartz waiting only the industry energy and inuom
table courage Of the ADgo-Saxon to dictate best
method Tor the prosecution OF SO valuable source OF
monetary wealth. The Kong Mountains the COAT
Africa hold the same relative position that quar-
ter OF the globe that the sorra Nevada Mountains
To gold aud silver bearing California and ORE
gon. waiting only tho energy TO develop their vast
riches"
Mr. Coppinger says that since the war there have
been more applicants among the coorcd people Tor
transportation 10 Liberia than the society has had
means TO scnd anu the desire among them TO emgrule
s continually increasing, SO much that there now
tens OF thousands OF them asking tor and wshng the
means Of transportation; and he thinks the govern
ment would lend helping hand, IN these hard times
ana business depressiou u would be wise and good
project The has information from reliable
from all parts Of the country OF parties wish
ing to emgrate The following societies, although nde
pendent OF the parent association at Washington,
yet IN harmony with its man objects, named as
proof oil This assertion Tho LIBERIA Exodus Associa-
toa, OF Charleston Sc, has now 10 900 names enrolled
Shreveport La, Association has ~ OoO names OF men
and women enrolled. Organizations are reported al
Charlotte Concord, Rosedae and Raleigh, N. G.;
ST. Marys and Augusta, Ga Archer, Tallahassee,
Monticello and Jacksonville Fla Selma and
Montgomery, Ala; Corinth, Aberdeen Nor.
iden, Miss; and Helena, Ark. Most OF
these organizations stated to have from
1000 TO 5000 members, all anxious, purely
voluntarily and spontaneously, TO cmigras 10
Liberia because they think 10 improve their condition
by going there Tho association at Washington pro-
poses that the would shall pay part the
expense and cost oil transportation and hopes the gov
ernment Will give a helping hand. Previous TO this
the association paid all tue expenses OF the coonsts
| H.