The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-15
THE LAND OF GOLD
AND DIAMONDS
Lecture by the Rev. James Hughes on
South Africa Last Night.
ROOM FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
IL Only Waits tor Enterprising Capi-
talists to Deveiope the Wonderful
Resources of Most Wonderful
Country--It Is a Land Rich in Soil
and Mineral Wealth and Teeming
with ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF
the Speaker.

Rev. James Hughes, formerly of
Kimberly, South Africa, but now of
Scranton. delivered a lecture on South
Africa, the Land of Gold and Dia-
monds," i'm the Wayne Avenue Baptist
church last night. 1t was an address
that held the close attention of the
audience from beginning to end.
Mr.. Hughes said there was room for
millions of people in South Africa
the greatest gold and diamond produc-
ing country in the world, and one of
the best openings for the investment
of capital. for all impartial, competent
experts have said that the country is
rich in nearly all kinds of minerals.
and that the soil with proper and eX-
tensive irrigation is capable of produce
ing an abundance both for man and
beast. Mechanics, builders, carpen-
ters. and especially miners, are all well
paid for their labor.
1t is true that the labor market, for
such men. Is too often glutted. This
fact is due not to the limited extent
or the resources of the country, but to
the want of more enterprise on the
part of capitalists and to the enor-
nous influx of workingmen from nearly
almost limitless resources of the coun-
try have only been tapped and the
population is exceedingly small for
such an extent of territory. In Cape
Colony, which embraces an area of
25O,OOO square miles, the population is
smaller than that of Greater New
York. Considering the fact that there
are but very few manufactures in the
10 Of liN.in ic o;,,I,,
moderate: but the domestic comfort of
the white population is far inferior to
what we find in older countries.
DANGERS. AND HARDSHIPS.
Mr.. Hughes referred to some of the
dangers and hardships to which the
white people are subject. The heat is
sometimes very intense. He took his
wife and family one day out into a
country district for the purpose of rem
dering some assistance to young min
lister who felt very deeply the loneli-
ness of his situation. for he seldom saw
any but black Katlirs and a few surly
Dutchman. While proceeding through
a certain pass, so intense was the heat
that in about twenty minutes the skin
of his wifes face was so sCorched that
in very short time after, it all peeled
off
While proceeding on the same Jour
ney they had to cross a river. which
was rapidly rising. The horses got as
far as the mbddle of the stream and
there they stubbornly stood. Despite
the eloquence of the lungs and limbs of
the driver the swelling of the stream,
and a liberal use of the whip, there
the horses stood stolid and immovable.
The water rose until it got into the
bed of the cart. until the childrens
legs were some inches in the water
The situation was both painful and
perilous, and was becoming more so
every moment.
The young minister. whose cart it
was, leaped into the silent but treach-
erous current. The water was up near
to his armpts. He pulled at the reins
and shouted and stood up in the cart
and made very liberal use of the lash
and waXed most vOciferously eloquent.
but all to no purpose. The water was
still rising and the children in the
conveyance commenced shouting in
tones of agoni2ing terror: Drown,
dada! Drown dada" All were perfect
ly helpless. The moment was big with
the most serious eventualities.
KAFFIRS TO THE RESCUE.
IN very short time the cart. horses
my wife and children. my brother min
lister and myself would be swept down
the river by that silent but mighty
torrent" continued the speaker. Just
at that critical moment some partially
civilized Kaflirs appeared up some dis
tance on the slopes of the river banks,
they were in a state of perfect nudity
with the exception of an old blanket
thrown over the shoulders They knew
right well the danger of trying to cross
a rising river, and they quickly real
lCnnlinmn ON Pngc O.