The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-26
Pathetic Story Of Mr. TrenhOlm's
Weary Waiting for an Appointment.
Treasurer JOrdan'S Efforts to Restore Conf
dence on the Subject of the Gold Balance
in the Observation-Disclosures.
THE CONGO COUNTRY.


that Far Away Country.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, July 25.-But little encourage
ment is given American merchants by Agent
Ilsde, who was sent into the Congo country to
ascertain what the prospects were for introduc-
Ing our goods in that market His reports to
the Department of State are, on the whole, little
less than advice to Americans to give the Congo
ans wide berth. He recommends most earn
estly that only those with large capital and
much enterprise and perseverance should EN-,
bark in trade there at all, because the Dutch,
English apd others have so strong hold there.
However. if Americans can command their own
lines OF transportation, they may do we'll there.
Quite an interest has been excited by Amer
leans in the Congo country of late 1t was the
outgrowth of the conference of representatives
from the civilized nations. recently, in which
our minister, Karson, figured. From latest adj
vices it is ascertaiEed that our trade in the
Congo country amounts to nothing, for the rea
son 1 gave in a recent dispatch. Why, we have
no trade on the continent--we are at the mercy
of England on the seas, and have no water
transportation of consequence
Congo produces wool. hides sugar. coffee and
palm Oil There are no manufactures there ex-
cept for rum, and the most ordinary articles of
food from abroad find market there. Cheap
cloths, beads, powder, firearms and gin are sold
there in great quantities and at high prices, for
a large portion of the country is thickly popu-
lated. The natives are uneducated and wild,
mainly, but permit strangers to travel anywhere
uumolested. They do not like white men
as we'll those having dark skins The
trade with the people is carried on
through stations and houses called factories
Everything, almost, for expectation grows wild;
there are, however, large plantations near the
settlements, and many laborers are employed.
1t is difficult to pursuade q native to work, and
the soil is titled by foreigners. The climate lis
humid and extremely enervating to the whites.
Much sickness is the result, and a year is re-
quired for one to become acclimated, during
escape malarial poison.
A poor quality of American canned fruit and
potted meats find their way to the Congo coun-
try and fetch high prices Although there is an
endless quantity Of fine timber there all the
lumber comes from Europe no machinery being
in operation on any portion Of Congo. Wooden
houses which can be made here and delivered
with a fair profit in the Congo at S. $780, provid-
ed American vessels could be secured to trans
port them, cost there $500 England, in other
words, has monopoly of the trade in the Congo,
as in many other countries because she has the
sea coast traffic and we have no steamship lines
there. There are no hotel accommodations on
the Congo, and mails 60 there but twice month.
But little trouble is encountered with the
natives on the Congo, although they are mostly
savage. Sometimes they attack the factories"
and to repel them the traders keep UP small
armories at each station. The natives have been
using the antiquated fint-lock fre-arm, but are
now procuring repeating rifles of the modern
patterns. There is no government on the lower
Congo, and the civilized natives and traders at
times join in susjugating the obstreperous say
ages who seek to pillage and burn the villages
Situated OF the equator. strange to say, any
desired climate can be obtained, some portions
of the country rising 5000 feet above the sea-
From the center of the most elevated part of
the island there flows no less than twenty beau
tiful rivers in as many directions, watering the
whole territory. For capital and pluck the
Congo country offers as many advantages as did
California three-quarters Of century ago.