Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-11-17
TRADE WITH AFRICA
EXPLORER STANLEY ON THE CHANCE FOR
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE
In the UndsvslOped COntinsnt-Amsrican Goods is
What is Most Needed by the People
Thsre-GoOd Words for The
Missionaries.

PHILADELPHIA, November lO.-HenTy
NJ. Stanley sat in his parlor at the STRAIT
ford this morning. He had just arisen
from the breakfast table, and was feel
ing in the mood for talk. He sat in
an easy chair and smoked while he
chatted, and just across the room his
wife was entertaining some OF the Wis
itors who had already called, although
the hands of the clock pointed to 1920.
He said:
So you want to know the chance there
is for American enterprise in Africa?
Well, at present trade could only be
carried forward on small scale by
private enterprise. or course, i'm
measurable possibilities for the develop
ment of Africa need colossal sums OF
money. And yet great deal OF trade
may be picked up by vessels bringing to
the coast cargoes OF Yankee notions.
Before the war Yankee shippers used to
visit African shores In Yankee schoon-
ers and they made fortunes. They
could do SO now better than ever before,
but for some unacconntable reason they
don't.
Now there are five or six factories
along the Congo river alone. DO you
know what factories are? They are
market places where goods are stored
and where the barter takes place. There
must be immense factories in which to
store the goods for these are in bales as
large as a big table. OF course, the
bales taken inland are much smaller.
Now suppose Yankee schooner comes
over there, laden with canned goods,
lumber, chairs, tables, American no.
tions of that kind, few hams, pork,
wheat flour, corn m,al, etc.
Then the cargo must include all
kinds of fabrics, from the most precious
velvet or silk TO the cOmmonest cotton.
Well, get a cargo OF those things TO the
Congo and they will sell like lightning
for 100 per cent profit. In exchange
you can get either money or palm oil:
and on bringing the latter back to
civilized countries you can realize i'm
mense profits.
am convinced that fortunes can be
made in this way to-day just as well as
before the war, by American cargoes. If
you think of going out with such 4
cargo and don't know exactly what to
include in it, just sit down and think
what you yourself would like to have If
set off in such land, far from civiliza-
tion. Then again, all the factories
spoken of require boards, scantling, etc.
Sometimes the factories are burnt
down and find it difficultuto get lumber.
A sdip loaded with lumbor, chairs.
tables, American notions of that kind, a
few hams, pork, wheat, flour, cornmeal,
canned fruits and that sort Of goods; a
schooner, say, loaded judiciously with
these things that white men, unable to
get anything, would like to have, would
reap large profits. Suppose we take the
salesmen of Philadelphia and land them
on the Congo. Exactly what they should
wish to buy is what the ship ought to
contain. A barrel OF flour is there con-
sidered to be God send, and sugar
cured hams, n side of bacon, canned
fruits, tobacco, ETC., are valued greatly.
The ships can &C right tC the river.
1t is not necessary fos' il to go inland.
To Kabinda is about twenty miles from
the river; then go to GaboOn: then right
along to the Spanish factories; and
then TO Old Kalabar When started
my work on the Congo | should have
bought shiploads OF stuff if had found
the things | wanted. / wanted chairs
to build chairs and bedsteads. ! want
ed mosquito bars, gin, whisky, rum,
slippers, smoking caps. They would
have gone like hot cakes. One trouble
was that there never had been an Amer
lean agent there who understood his
business and represent the thing fairly.
Government agents have gone there,
got the fever, become demorallzed and
come back home.
Mr.. Stanley spoke easily, fluently
calmy when touching upon commercial
topics, but minute after his whole de-
meanor changed, when asked II in his
experience he considered the efforts OF
foreign missionaries had really proven
a success. Stanley blew huge cloud
of smoke into the air, his face lighted
up, his eyes flashed and he exclaimed:
"Yes, sir, most emphatically. | am
as certain of it as that am sitting here
talking to you. am perfectly con-
yinced OF the fact that the work OF mis-
sionaries is successful. 1t has not al
ways been carried on rightly or manag-
ed wisely; nevertheless they can be
shown to-day as something marvellous,
considering the country where they
have been at work, and considering that
the people were rum-drinking savages,
accustomed to robbery, fraud and
murder whenever possible. The Pro-
testants have the strongest hold in
Africa so far, but the missionary work
ought to be systematically carried on,
and 1t Is not now
In speaking further OF the opportunl-
ties in Africa for private business en-
terprise. Mr. Stanley added:
No private trade could be carried on
with the interior until the railway Is
finished. This is now being built and
will probably be completed in five years.
It will reach the Pool, and when it does
Won can 20 from the sea to Stanley
Falls. 800 miles, within two weeks.
The Congo river is thought one of the
most magnificent sections OF country in
the world, but between Stanley Pool
and the sea the country is hilly and
mountainous and cut up too much
bv ravines to be appreciated. There is
plenty of copper, iron. etc. Prcpara-
lions are being carried on for civiliza-
tion and for the comfort Of the people,
so that they have little time to prepare
a government or ways of communica-
tion. They use our American canned
poods there. where there are 300 Euro
means and officers. and, OF course, as
the railway advances there Will be more
and more. or course, the railroad is
inst begun, but they are constructing
it. Just where the railroad begins Is
the biggest work, and when they get
little Roadway will go on more rapidly
They have begun at canyon, ana when
they get out of it they will be able to
get along much faster.
1t IS impossible to say anything at all
about the future OF the Congo Free
State. inasmuch as the Congo Free State
without railway is not worth cents.
The Europeans have expected to under
90 all the perils and privations, as
though they were black and to the
manor born, but they have found this
impossible. We have tried elephants,
buffaloes. horses, mules, donkeys, dogs,
white men and black men, but they
have all died. The Bombay govern
ment gave us six elephants.
Here we can order anything we like;
wo can live in peace with one anothe,.
But suppose we embark on board ship
and 60 to the Congo, how long do you
suppose you would be on terms with
each other. with yourselves? and the
consequence is that when the fever
comes in to help that you lie. You
blame Africa. Don't blame Africa,
o." -. o,,,n ir,nrovidencp When