The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-29

has good hotels, large banks and importing
ana exporting Houses with large capital
II Is Il town ot tplegraphs ana telephones
ciubs anu libraries business men ANA mis-
AohJlles, last, bat not least. At present
II ~ hGhuNlChed between the possessions OF
the French Ia iulo-lhina anu the English
IN Burmah and both nations would like TO
grab IL. At tho bGmC time the Germans
are slowly, hn, surely, working their way
Into its business and any attempt OF the
eiher powers TO take possession of 1t Will
be resented by them About two years. ago
ttinnc Henry % FfusAa made a visit TO
bangkok and II is said that the emperor
OF Germany Keeps Wp personal currc-
spoRdence with Chuiulnng6ntn, tho king OF
siam, which is much helping German in
tereSts. The Germans have recently bought
the Scottish Oriental line OF steamers sail
Ing between Bangkok ana China ana other
parts OF the Ear East and they are pushing
their trade IN every possible way.
Coffee Plantations.
There arc q large number of Europeans
who have recently engaged in coffee rasin.
on the Malay peninsula. In the protected
native state OF Selangor there are 100 such
estates, varying ia size mp to 1000 acres
each. Most Of the planters are setting out
rubber trees In addition TO their coffee, and
some are planting oocoanuts. They use In
dIan coolies as laborers. They are said to
| be making money.
There are other plantations In Johore,
Pahang ana tGc Ncgli semOlan. Have you
ever heard OF these states? They are all
more OF less governed by England, aud they
constitute a lnrge part OF the Malay PENN.
sula. They raise pepper, coffee and gam.
bier and some OF them produce n large
amount OF tin. Some have sage plantations
and some do big business In tapioca, teak
wood and rattan.
On a Sage Plantation.
There is great deal Of sage produced
in this part Of the world. 1t comes from
one variety OF palm trees which grows in
the jungle anu which Is also set - in
/ Plantations. 4 he sage is made from the
| plth, which Is very large and porous. Tho
trees are cut down In the woods aud the
| trunks split open from one end to the
other, so that the pith can be Scooped out.
After this it Is carried TO the factory and
run through graters Into sort OF pulp.
The pulp Is allowed to stand In watA for
some hours and the hber leaves the sage
water Is changed until hnaly nothing bus
tho sggo is lett. IL is now In the form OF
a starch, which Is dried In tho sun. Alter
drying it IS broken up sud ground Into a
nour. which Is tho sage hour OF our mar
Taploca, which Is also raised hsrs, comes
from the root OF the tapio0a plant. IL Is
handled In much the same way as saso.
The roots are cultivated, II requiring about
eighteen months 10 grow the crop. After
gathering. the roots are cut into pieces.
ground up aud boiled 70 get out the tapioea.
A great deal Of the product goes to the
! United States.
Cobras and Tigers,
Nearly every one OF these settlements on
the strait Of Malacca has its botanical
garden. aud not few have geological sc-
| compartments. went out the other day
20 the garden In Singapore to look at the
snakes, The country Is full OF them, and
The government gives q reward for the
poisonous varieties, paying from 90 cents
10 50 per heRd. according TO size and char
rno 60 4 ~ al
hclals IN bag In order 70 collect his fees.
Tie had thirty-nine. and every one Of them
was venomous We pulled the snakes cut