The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-26
LIONS And MONKEYS
George Hall Tells His Friends About
South Africa.
HOW DARWINS ARE TRAPPED
The Midnight Experience OF a
Donkey-The Stars and Stripes
Are In Demand-Street Car
Regulations.

Missoula, Dec. 25-Deputy Sheriff Pr
Ghetto has received an interesting let
ter from George Hall, who is in the
johannesburg country. Readers of the
Standard will remember Mr.. Halls
nrst letter, which was printed in this
paper sometime ago. and will be inter-
ested to know that he Is still doing
well In his new home. Mr. Pichette has
kindly consented to the publication of
the letter. which will be good reading
this cold weather with its tales of lions
and heat. After giving some personal
news Mr.. Hall says:
Since my letter to you gave a de-
scription of the trip across the big
pond. l will try and give you some
idea of how travelling by land is car
ried on I'm this country and will try and
give you some Of the little stories of
adventure as related by the boys as
they sup up their coffee (they don't
drink anything straight here-I don't
think). One young man from Butte
has just returned from the Zambesl
river. where he had very narrow es-
cape from a lion, and he never tires of
telling how II happened. His name Is
Llewellyn, and he kept a saloon in
Butte for long time. ] know he is
truthful and when he is telling the
story one can imagine he hears the
lion roar.
1T was in Mashonaland and he had
prospecting outfit consisting of six
donkeys, three niggers and one white
man. After making camp they had
supper and turned in. The night was
dark and a little rain was falling
About midnight he was awakened by
the donkeys running toward the camp
and. as the niggers had let the fire get
rather low. he could not see what was
up until one of the donkeys ran clean
over him and lion sprang after It.
The lion fell short and fell right in the
middle or the camp, gave roar and
followed the donkey. AS he left he
stepped on Llewellyn. He says he did
not sleep any more that night. The
next day they found the donkey rather
badly used up, but able to go along
as IL succeeded I'm getting away from
the lion.
1T is not an unusual thing for the
freighters to lose an OK or two at
night in the upper country by lions.
and very few of them seem to offer
any objections to his highness helping
himself. Springtime is now here and
by the time you get this we will be in
the middle OF summer, and we will be
able to have a little enjoyment trap
ping monkeys. as they are very plenti-
full In parts OF this country and the
novel way in which they are trapped
is attended with plenty OF fun. as the
little fellows hate to be caught.
This is the way IL is done: When
the pumpkins are ripe the monkeys go
to the patch and destroy all the pump
kins for the seeds, by digging holes in
them. So the farmers cut small holes
in the sides of few ripe pumpkins,
just large enough to let the monkeys
put their hands through. The monkey
thrusts in his hand and fills IL with
seeds, but he can not withdraw II
while his fist Is closed. So he remains
a prisoner until the farmer catches
him Balloons are not such easy game,
as they shoulder the pumpkins and
carry them off just like a man.
Large and small birds are very nu-
merous and are of all colors of the
rainbow. Snakes play cricket with the
Englishmen. One of them took the
ball into his hole the other day and
broke up the game.
But IL there are lions monkeys and
birds here. there is also a yellow metal
they call gold that has the greatest at
traction for us all and, while some are
getting a very small share, the major
ity here are doing better than they
would at home. II the gold produc-
ton continues as IL is expected Il
won't be long till the gold bugs will
want to demonetize IL. as there will be
more than they want. Last June the
production for the month amounted TO
10000 ounces, and for the year ending
June 80. over 100000 ounces-nearly
$4,000. 900 I'm one year, and II has not
a
here $50 miles east and west and four
miles wide and at a depth of 5000 feet
they have not struck bottom vet.
don't believe they have commenced to
mine here yet. The people are abso-
lutely unable to keep up with the
country and everything is behind.
THE English are slow. but the Dutch
are 100 per cent. slower than they. IL
this was under the American flag there
Is no telling or imagining what the
country would be like. johannesburg
would be a Chicago in two years. our
railroad is a narrow gauge with the
finest roadbed and the poorest equip
ment i ever saw-stone culverts and
stone ballast. For a culvert two feet
wide they will go down 20 feet for a
rock foundation, but Solomon's street
cars would be palaces compared with
the coaches. They run about 10 miles
an hour and IL you forget to get a
ticket they fine you IS. A large part of
the freight is handled alongside of the
railroad with OK wagons that carry
about 5000 pounds per load and make
about 20 miles per day. II is quite a
novel sight to see 20 or 30 of these
wagons with is head of long horned
cattle to each. am using mules alto
gether on scrapers and oxen on plow-
ing. / have taken a contract for Is
miles more work
Mr. Hall writes a lot of personal
messages that will keep Mr.. Pichette
busy for a week with their delivery.
He expects to have his family join him
next June and is planning to return TO
America in 1900. He complains of the
quality OF the whisky that is sold I'm
South Africa and says that the peat
whiskey sold in Missoula would be
good stuff over there.