Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1893-04-19
MASH0NALAND.
A Part of Africa Destined to
Come to the Front.
A Three-Thousand Acre Farm
for Twenty-Five Dollars.


other parts Of East Africa, who has
had many curious experience there MS
gold and diamond miner and while
engaged in other occupations, is at the
American exchange. Mr.. Atwood
says the gold and diamond mining in-
dustries are at u somewhat low cbb.
The gold mines are suffering COL
LAPSE, aud the diamond fields have
nearly all been bought up by big syn
dicatcs who control things.
lie thinks Mashonaand is the coun-
try of all Others in that part of Africa
destined to come to the front.
at is no country for u married
man." he said, "but for young man
it offers great inducements. 1t is a
wilderness now, and that is the reason
there is so good a show. The British
East Africa Company, organized on
something like the lines of the British
East India Company, has been grant
ed immense areas of lands and other
rights. A great number of very rich
men are behind it, and they are going
to build long railroad to open up the
country.
"This is what affords opportunities
there. The country is very rich. An
acre there will produce more than any
family can use. Maize or Indian corn
is the principal crop, though mangocs,
sweet potatoes, oranges and many
other things give prodigious crop.
Oranges are very fine, aud they are so
cheap that they are only worth cents
for a hundred. No irrigation what
ever is required. The soil is quite
sandy.
"No improved implements are used
in the cultivation of the maize. 1t is
all done by natives with hoes. Here
toforc it has been no use to attempt to
grow much, because it could not be
got out. Still what has been grown
has brought 81 for every 200 pounds,
and from that up to more than 81. !,
is ground into flour good deal and
makes very fine bread. The orange;
never will have q market except pure
" local. To attempt to sell them on
the Atlantic seaboard of America il
useless, because the California produc
can beat them there eight or ten days
"Now, if young man has but S5O(
and will go to Mashonaland lie cal
secure 5000 acres of this magniticcn
land by paying down S25, staying {
part of six months of each year fo
two years and expending the remain
der of his $500 on the land. Then hC
gets his title. Some of the land dowl
near the coast is worth as much now
as it is here, and great deal Of thi'
cheap land will be valuable in two o.
three years. AT present they dom
think any more OF 5000 acres there
than you do of ten acres here. 1t is
good opening, though, and the land i
bound to come out nll right.
"At present the Americans are doinI
most of the business in East Africa
Not that they are there, for they ar
not; but they sell the goods. Th
supply comes from New York prin
cipally. Doors, window frames
glass, household furniture and man,
other things of that class they sell
It's big trade and pays well.
GAS TO these lands in Mashonaland
a man can stay on his ranch and &c
all the game he wants to live on
Roebucks and any amount Of antelop
and different kinds of deer roam ther
in great plenty, and there is also
great deal Of fine feathercd game.
is a country very attractive in NOR
ways than one; but children don
thrive there somehow, and l hav
brought mine here to sec if they won
do better. ."-[San Francisco Exam
incr.