The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-01
YOUNG ALBANIAN
WRITES OF DURHAM
Former Newspaper Man is
Happy in South Africa
BOfRS ARE DlSPLEASEO
Says American Skilled Labor is in
Great Demand. and Commands a
Salary of from $3.50 to Sc Per
2 Day-wiil Not Return.

New Decatur, November 80.--(Specia1.l-
Win T, Ballew. former newspaper man
of this city. who went to the South At
rican country few months ago has writ
ten letter to a friend here in which he
says:
Durham, Natal October 10, 1902.
It has now been nearly seven months
since left New Decatur and In that time
I have not heard one word Of news from
the old home. although have written
letters to great many Of my friends IN
the Decaturs and Alabama
l arrived in Durham June g. and through
the influence Of a friend here, DR.. H. H.
Grey, formerly of New Orleans, I Sc
cured an excellent position with the Dur
ban and Cape Colony railroad, common-
Iy known here as the Southwestern rail-
way. On the trip over we made stops at
Port au Prince. Hayti, Barbados and st
Helena. At the latter place was ashore
eight hours and visited the tomb Of Ma
poleon; also the encampment Of Boer
prisoners. numbering about 6oOO. We
also stopped for mail at Cape Town, but
1 was ashore only two hours, so did not
get to see much of the city.
Durham is a very pretty little city Of
IS, 900 people. The population IS cosmopoli-
tan, being composed of English, Dutch,
Egyptians, Hindoos, Turks and the three
leading races of natives-kafhrs, 1uios
and Mashonas. There are about twenty
five Americans. mostly skilled laborers.
but few are in trade. My tobacconist Is
a native Of New Orleans.
Skilled Labor in Demand.
Skilled American labC- is in great de-
mand and always commands good wages,
ranging from $3.50 to IS per day. Durham
is on the east coast of Africa and is the
principal African seaport city on the In
dian ocean. The city sits about three
miles back from the ocean, between two
ranges of hills. The port at which vessels
land is called Port Natal and has three
miles of excellent docks. Many Ameri-
can food products are sold here. Every
where you CO. the darkey's smiling face
as background to the wording DE Ham
What AM meets your eye. and Duke
Mixture" tobacco placards are very
noticeable, even far out in the interior.
Canned goods of American Gamers are on
sale at all of the grocery shops. Ameri-
can bicycles and buggies are extensively
used.
The land here is exceedingly fertile. AS
far out into the interior as l have been
kimberly and Pietermaritzberg) the
country resembles somewhat the noun
famous portions of north Alabama, with
here and there long rolling prairie-like
field Kopjes, or low rocky mounds, are
very numerous. These were used a great
deal as breastworks by both the Boer
and English armies The regiments that
were here during the recent war are being
sent. home as rapidly as possible now, an
average of 5000 per week leaving.
Soldiers Arriving.
Nevertheless, other soldiers are arriving
frequently. One transport, the Columbia,
came in today with 1900 Australian
mounted troopers. Several British-Indian
regiments are quartered at Durham,
among them being the famous Second
Rajput regiment of the Bengal army, a
detachment of the Baluchi regiment OF
the Bombay army and six companies of
the Ninth Soudanese regiment of the An
glo-Egyptian army. There Is a great deal
of discomfort apparent among the Beers
and some of those with a good under
standing of existing conditions are of the
opinion that the English will not have
smooth sailing and that there will be
further trouble yet between the Beers
and the interlopers (the Engfish). These
prosecuted people know that they are In
the right and that their lands and cattle
have been stolen from them by the Eng
fish in their insatiate greed and covetous-
ness.
No Americans Stranded.
I notice in a copy of the New York
Herald of September u a statement that
there are a number of Americans strand
ed here think / know every American
here, and each and every one of them
has good situation. know of only one.
a man named West of. Cincinnati, who
was stranded, but about two weeks ago
he left here for Galveston, working his
way over on a merchant vessel. He was
only common laborer, and that class is
not needed here, as Kaffir labor can be
had in plenty at shillings per day, the
equivalent of 48. cents in United States
currency. These people go almost nude
and can live on a few cents a day. their
standard of living being very low. Some
of the Kaffirs support from three to ten
wives and numerous children on their
daily wages. Polygamy Is very common
among the Kaffirs and Mashonas, but
the Zulus are content with one wife. The
Zulus are not 50 numerous in the towns
and cities, but can be found in the coun-
try. They usually have a settlement OF
| their own. The Mashonas also are to be
| found most numerous in the country dis
| tricts. They are mostly all given over 10
| farming pursuits.
| Bright colors predominate here among
the dresses of the native races and the
| Turks and Egyptians the colors usually
being a mixture of red blue and yellow
! The Turks and Egyptians invariably
wear their national costumes and are
very picturesque in their peculiar dress.
Summer Opening Up.
| Summer is opening up now and 1t will
soon be very warm. However, the winter
| just ended has been very mild. We had
a very light snow furry July IA, but only
| three days did the temperature fall to
freezing and then for only a few hours
| at time.
Durham has only one daily paper-The
| Natal Mercury. 1t is a very newsy sheet
| of eight pages, seven columns to the
page, and has the complete service of
Reuters News Agency, besides special
correspondence from the principal cities
| of Europe and from New York and
| Washington. The editor, Mr.. Warren
Mcdonald, is native of Dorchester,
Mass, but for the past sixteen years
has been in AFRICA engaged in newspaper
work. The Cape Times of Cape Town. is
also an excellent paper. 1t is eleven
| hundred miles to Cape Town, but the
Southwestern runs direct to Cape Town
from Durham and the trip is made in 81