Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1900-02-22
BEST COLONIAL GOVERNOR.
England So Considers Sir Claude
Mcdonald Who Never Loses
Kills Temper.

/
Kills Temper.
The British empire has in trusted its
interests in the far east to tall, thin,
red-headed Scotchman. He is described
as man SO dignitied that it is painful
to be near him." He is not pleasant
person either to know or to talk with,
but he can take heather colony and
civilize it quicker than anyone in the
queens service.
1t may be interesting to Americans,
now that their own country is begin
ming TO assume the responsibilities of
imperialism, to know how this man goes
about making good citizens of savages.
Col. Sir Claude Mcdonald is now Brit
ish ambassador to China. He was pro-
noted to that position because in Africa
he about fulfilled the ideals of colon
ial governor. He was heard from last
when the Germans We're in Kai-Chow
bay and the empress of China was ac-
cused of trying to kill off the young
emperor.
The report went out that the lad was
very sick and gradually dying. The
dowager is hostile to the English, who
have championed the emperor's cause.
The reports continued to grow alarm
ing, until one day note came to the
dowager from the British ambassador.
1t said simply: 'Time for the emperor
to get BETTER" and the cables soon an
nounced his recovery
1 One practice of the west coast Afri-
cans which he thought should be
abruptly stopped was that of sacritic-
ing human lives. On feast days, or
when entertaining a guest, it has been
the custom along the banks of the Niger
for chief to have several prisoners
put to death. In Central, Africa there
is still a great deal of this done.
Mcdonald put stop to it on the gold
coast by one move. He had been away
taking vacation to England and on
returning found native uprising
caused by several chiefs slaughtering
some prisoners. There were ii guilty
prisoners in all, and Sir Claude had
them brought before him early in the
morning.
Ranging ten in front of him, he said !:
snow you men have never been here
before. This is your first offense. 1t
is justice that you should be warned.
Go away and never come back"
"You two have been here before. You
know the law 10 the chains.
"But you two are incorrigible. There's
no good in you. Pm going to hang you.
Sergeant, take them away and hang
them. Orderly, is my breakfast ready?"
While Sir Claude is not military
man, he possesses GOODNESS in time of
danger that would make him warrior
if his aspirations lay in that direction.
He took command personally of an
expedition up the Niger to quell an
uprising once, travelling on big tug
boat armed with rapid-fre guns. When
90 miles up the river fearful fusilladc
of bullets and arrows came from the
banks, and every man on the boat sud-
denly discovered that he had business
below excepting Sir Claude. He stood
leaning against stanchion smoking
a long sigar, and when the storm burst
never moved.
Casting his eye about, he noted where
the fire came from, and then gave or
ders to train maxim gun on the
bushes. The attack soon ceased, and
Sir Claude looked about for his cigar.
1t had been shot away by bullet.
The African thinks that quick tenn
per is an attribute of woman. For one
who shows it he can have no respect.
This is weakness in both the German
and French colonial officers. English
men take care never to show temper in
dealings with the native African. For
this reason their empire is highly
thought of among these savages.
With the natives of the Haussa dis
trict Mcdonald was held in alteration.
He was the first governor who did not
make an attempt to abolish Mahom-
edanism, the followers of which are
numerous on the west coast.
The Haussa natives were allowed to
build mosques and not required to drill
in the early morning and evening, the
best time of day for work in that coun-
try. This was so much appreciated
that the Haussa troops became the best
and most loyal on the coast.
He did not interfere with polygamy
either, and with witchcraft only when
asked to.
In all his administration his aim was
to give the negro civilization only so
fast as he could digest it, He did not
abolish slavery at a swoop, but made
laws whereby those in bondage could
gradually buy their freedom.
He imposed no custom duties on the
native to hamper trade until they de-
manded them. He made them observe
no sanitary laws until the negroes took
example from the cleanliness of the
whites and began to follow it. He did
not believe in missionaries spending
thousands of dollars to establish
schools, but waited for the native to
gradually develop them himself as he
saw their advantage in the whites.
After Sir Claude had been at OLD
Calobar awhile a general tidying up
among the natives became evident.
They saw this man get up every morn
ing bright and early, take cold bath,
shave, put on clean suit of white
duck and appear each day as immacu-
late as though just out of bandbox,
| nc the SAVING is The examine told and