The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-12-18
THE CATTLE PLAGUE.
Interesting Accounts Of the Dread
Scourge Now Affecting
Africa.

Interesting ACCouuk6 VI tt0 DISdo
Scourge Now Affecting
Africa.
Since March of this year the govern
ment of the Cape Colony has been busily
engaged in fighting terribly devastating
cattle plague. which has made its way
south through the. Zambesi valley and
across Rbodes;a. to the borders of
Becbuanaland, says II correspondent of
the London Globe. This disease has now
been identified by the veterinary sur
geons Of the Cape agricultural depart
ment as the terrible rinderpest. or cattle
plague. which at various periods from
l1l4 onward has devastated the herds Of
Europe. and has had its home on the
SOLITARY Russian plateaus. The symp-
toms OF the disease, at any rate, are prac-
hcally those noted by the earliest Eu-
ropean Investigators, the first indications
being the staring coat with the usually
sleek hair all awry, the neck extended
and head held near TO the ground. evil
dent intense pain in the hindquarters. Il
distinct cracking sound OH the slightest
pressure over the loins, and OK udatious
from the body.
Death is Rapid.
In the South African plague the course
of the disease seems TO be unusually
| rapid death ensuing a rule. within
thirty-six hours of the first indications
of illness: but the post mortem symp-
toms are quite in accordance with pre-
vlous observation. for at the time of
death the blood is already coaguIated. and
a most rapid putrefaction has already set
IN: This plague has already desoia1ed
khodesIa, IT has practically annihilated
the wealth of Khama's people in the
Bechuanaland protectorate, and. SO far,
has passed every Gordon and line of de-
Tense that has been provided to stay its
advance on Cape Colony. Cases have oc-
Cured in the I'ransvaai. and are said to
have occurred even so far to the south
| as Zululand and Natal. These last. how
ever, require authorization. for. al
| though there has been considerable
Strengthening Of herds on mere suspicion,
| there has been no steady advancing wane
of the plague beyond Bechuanaland. and
it is here the Cape government is conceu-
trating ali its energies.
| 1t was at the commencement of the
year that the authorities in Rhodesia be-
| gan to be seriously alarmed at the raj,id
| spread of Il fearful and unprecedeutedly
| fatal disease among the cattle. and
| stringent measures were at once adopted
| by the immediate slaughter of all infect
ed herds. but without any compensation
| to the native Owners-a measure that
~
revolt. This was. however. of no avail
and when the plague reached Kha.nas
! country the Cape government first took
the alarm. khama was urged to slaugh-
ter at once wherever infection was
feared, Il suggestion with which he most
Loyalty complied. and every possible as
sistance in the way of patrols was afford
ed to him on the boundaries. At that tine.
although it was evident that the cutie
OF the Bechuanaland protectorate were
doomed. the Cape authorities hoped to
save the rest of Bechuanaland and with
that the rest of South Africa. by arrest
Ing the progress of the plague at he
Molopolo river. This is broad and per
manent stream. and strong patrols u ere
established all along the southern bank.
! not only to prevent any animals what
ever from crossing. but to prevent any
from going Dorthward to the river The
fates were against this. for the sea son
was one of the driest known for many
| years. The river was the only source of
water for wide belt of country on it's
southern bank: it also became very low.
and IN spite of every preca ution not only
did cattle from the south drink there. hut
some from the northern bank crossed at
the shadows. and the infection spread.
A 81, 500, 900 Fence.
Then the Cape authorities decided to
abandon the bank of the river and the
southern belt and Il sum of f5Uu DO,
was voted for fencing in fresh loun-
dairy line. This fence of wire. strongly
built, was constructed at great .xpense
| from the German territory on the west
to the TranSvaal border on the east and
was continued down to the south The
plague passed this fence. and appeared
almost simultaneously at Setlagol and
two other large native locations. one of
which was far to the south near the
Cape Colony boundary. 1t was then de
cided to completely fence in these loca-
tons with their great herds of attic
| and in addition. to construct double
fence right across Bechuanaland. such
as should enclose between the two sides
belt of land five miles wide which should
be 'ncessantly patrolled and kept Gear
OF every living thing. This has now been
completed. and the single wire fence is
! beng continued right down the Trans
vaal border. In the whole of this .cnyth
only two openings have been permitted.
both of which are jealousy guarded
| Sporadic cases of the plague have oc.-
Cured south of this new ioubly fenced
belt, but they have apparently been
promptly dealt with, and. for the present.
the southern spread. at any rate,
through Rechuanaland to the Cape Col
ony and Free State has been checked.
ln all some 1900 miles of excellent wire
fencing has been constructed at an aver
age cost of EGO mile. and the work has
cost. including the vastly increased rolice
and patrols. Over 100000.
Picnic for Young Poers.
The Transyaal republic has erected
some fences at and near to crossing
| places on the northern boundary, and
has retained large number of young
! Beers as special police and patrols.
These seem to have very much enjoyed
their picnic and the EGO month which
each man is paid. They have also had
numterless facilities for ANNOYING and
arresting l'itlandcrs. and have had sun
dry opportunities of indulging in quiet
cattle dealing at their own prices What
else they have done may he partly made
known in course of time. but they have
they were employed. AS far south in
the Transvaal as the Johannesburg and
Pretoria districts there have been pro-
nounced outbreaks of the plague: there
is little doubt that the whole of the re-
public is thoroughly infected, and that.
Cape Colony in Bechua naland have been
turned.
To those most uninitiated in South At
rican affairs it is evident that this is
a most serious prospect. The Cape
Colony has no mineral wealth of any i'm
IUItauCt at t'IeStHt ueNeiOpeu. except at
Kimberley. which is of very small gener-
al advantage. and is wholly dependent
upon the one industry, farming. in its
various branches. Cattle farming is not
only most important branch of this,
but is Indispensable to the whole country;
since. apart from the trunk lines of rail-
way. the OK wagon is the sole means
of transport. The cattle plague has
crushed Rhodcsia, has crushed Bechuana.
land, and should it reach to and expand
in the wide-stretching plains to the south.
this spread seems to be inevita bic
Was Il Hot Chocolate.