The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-08

naas3e the other dsy rssqusrsng 80 por-
ters 20 carry r.
Several new enterprises hare been
started On the klwes. river. a large
/ iron hotel il nsx iseiux forwarded %
he erected - Bona 1.-THE e&pata5. -
miles FROM the mouth of the rsverA
and sramw2y un<ier the auspices q
q large storage and trading company
Direct steamers are 70 20 fs0x1 Ant
werp 20 NaSadi. ut she foot OF the eata~
rzzfa. 10 rsizes frssr2 the mouth Of the
river. II II Gays. and under the neE
Portuguese postal contract The mails
will reach Lisbon In Is ard Loudpa II
Is DAYS. a railroad isas been laid out
from MaEAdI 70 ssnnIssy Pool. go kEIc-
rssefers II length. owing &c the sinucss-
lies necessary 10 yet around dlfsscuif
ground. bns it II III easy construction.
ffs prospectus Will be onf In about 90
days. Most OF tlae ssapitai has been
subscribed 10 Belgium. and work viii
be begun before Tie year il over. ard
within two years thereafter IL viii
De opened % StanIev Pool. A cable
will soon connect Europe with Bona.
and telegraph lines vii be established
70 the POSI-. The statss has entered the
Postal Union. and 8 dveEent stamp
will carry letter TO Stanley Falls. and
% certs viii carry parcel
In the opinion OF SOME Of the emf
nerf scientists Of the world. the Congo
basin will become the granary OF the
world. Vegetation u ali kinds thrfves
saeat sExEriantiy. as many a. three
crops rear OF some kinds o. ssgefa
bIes comfBg 10 maturity. Coffee
grows wild, the dense forests are rich
in dye-woods and fine qualities and
species OF furniture woods, and there
are extensive copper and tin mines
already discovered, although but the
beginnings OF exploration and survey
have been made. The present de-
mands Of the inhabitants are cheap
coftons, tinwarss and trinkets. bat
their demands are beginning 70 take
on the variety and character Of civIii-
ration, and before long they VIII be
purchasers of all kinds OF Hans1fac-
| fxyts
The principal commercial products
Of the country at present are ivorY and
rubber. Other valuable articles would
be exported but for the cost OF trans
portatiOns for everything from the
upper river has 10 be carried fs0 miles
nrpund the cataracts ON the heads OF
porters, and this IL an expensive pro-
ceeding.
al present there are about 80 Fn-
ropeans at the various stations along
the river, engaged In trade and in the
administration OF the government.
Liquor i rigidiy kept by the king
from the reach Of the natives.
Ia accordance with the powers
|of exclusion acknowledged By the
Berlin conference. The cost OF the
government. amounting to about
$ioo,0 900 annually, Is paid by King
Leopold ont of bis private means
While be has no expectation or desire
of securing the return OF the money,
he Is building up q great source of fu-
ture wealth and commercial prestige
for his people.
I'm the Free Zone there are So, 000,-
900 Of inhabitants and | 800 900 square
miles OF land, equal in fertility and
richness to the best lands of the Mis-
slssippi valley and of far greater ex-
tent. The independent state of Congo
includes the best swo-fhirds of this vast
territory and IS ,000, 900 of the people.
IL il developing in most wonderful
and remarkable fashion. and the world
will wake up some day 20 the realiza-
ton that the Dark Continent is reflect
ing the light of civilization and COM
lnercial and intellectual progress.