The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-31
DOWN In CAPE TOWN
A Former Eutteite Writes From That
Parkway Country.
MOSTLY COLORED PEOPLE
The Negroes Work for IS Cents a
Day and Wear Cunny sacks for
Clothing cor Accommo-
dations for ravelers

George w. williams. who left Butte
for South Africa a few months ago.
and who is now in johannesburg.
writes to the Merrill. Wis. Advocate
an account OF his trip to Cape Town
and his observations in that country.
Among other things he says:
Cape Town has about 10000 inhabi-
tants of which $4,000 are white and the
balance colored. Some have straight
black hair and others kinky hair. The
work around the ships and docks is
performed by Kaffirs, who are brought
down from the upper country on con-
tract at % cents per day. with rations.
They get beef once a week. The ne
groes of the South live in palaces COM
pared with the houses of the negroes.
Their working suits consist of a gunny
sack with a hole in the bottom for
their heads and holes in the sides for
their arms. This part of the continent
was settled by the Dutch. The negroes
can talk Dutch and a few can talk
English. Most of the labor is per-
formed by East Indians. The cabs are
owned by white men and hired out at
so much per day, the leaser to feed
the horse and keep the cab in repair
and settle each night. Cape Town is
a fine city, pleasantly located. with
fine parks. IL is now spring. Flowers
and plants are in bloom and some of
the fruit trees. The accommodations
for travel are very poor. The place at
which | stop charges 81 per day with
six men in a room They now send
out three passenger trains daily to ac-
commodate the public. Three weeks
ago one train was sufficient They
leave a half hour apart. at s, $50 and
o'clock i'm the evening.
There Is an immense immigration to
this country from all parts of the
world. Every passenger ship that ar
rives carries its full capacity OF pas
sengers All Of the hotels are full and
the railroads cannot handle the freight.
There is an accumulation OF 1000 tons
for johannesburg and the upper coun-
try. This cannot be moved for the
present and vast quantities are arriv-
ing every day. There will be a grand
stampede out of this country before
long. A fine library and mission are
some Of the fine THINGS Of Cape Town
that I have seen. All Of the public
stone. The railroad depot is I'm the
business ceuter of the town. 1t is
built OF iron and stone. Lumber Is a
scarce article and high priced. | don't
believe there is a building In town con-
struuted of lumber. Ii IL all stone ana
hIlch. A great many troops are sta
toned here Their band plays every
pleasant day. The meals here are the
hardest thing to set used to- There Is
coffee at a. m. br 'akfnst at s a. m.
dinner at p. m, Su per at 6 p. m
The breakfast consists Of mueh. steak
coffee, bread and butter; the dinner OF
two kinds Of roast. potatoes. bread.
butter and water; the supper of bread.
butter and tea. | would rather have a
15-cent meal in Butte any time than
the above. They charge - cents. and
they tell me higher-pEIcoi places are
no better. Everything seems to be
drink and all of the liquors are iuport-
ed. There is one Touring mill and one
FOUNDRY. That Is the extent OF the
anufacturing. The schools are fair.
Saloons and churches are plentiful
There are no public gambling houses
or private ones either. There are NO
They say the police stand
in with the thieves therefore. they
are abolished. l think the pawn
thieves Of Butte ought to go the same
way. The Cape is under British gov
eminent and Is wen garrisoned with
infantry and many guns and strong
fortifications. Immense docks are he
ing built out of the solid rock. About
800 conVicts are employed for this
service. They are well guarded II is
very hard TO watch them. They are
there for all sorts Of crimes and are ~
all colors and conditions.
Cfa1. !. q