The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-09
BIGHAM ON OCEAN.
Kansas Only Consul General Tells
Why He Didn't Resign.

Washington, Dec. civilian r.
| Bigham of White City. Kan, consul
general to Capetown, South Africa. is
| 22-day sea voyage to his post of duty.
1t will take Mr.. Bigham five days
| to reach the English coast from New
York. He will then set sail, inside of
| a few hours, for Capetown, and will
| be II days on the water. For though
| they have ocean greyhounds' plying
between New York and the British
| ihores. the service from there to
Africa is not so. swift.
Mr.. Bigham was appointed consul
eneral to Capetown in the fall of
1901. He went to his post at once,
and until this fall has not visited his
home in Kansas since. This year he
| had about two months leave of alb
sence. He went direct to White City,
a lively little town in northwest
Norris county, and there spent the
greater portion of his leave. After
election, he took his family to the
Louisiana Purchase exposition, and
then bid its members goodbye and
started on his long journey.
The Kansas consul general spent
some days in Washington. He had
conferences with the department of
state, and with the department of
commerce and labor. He visited the
White House, and looked in at the
capitol briefly. He called on Senator
Long and Kansas members of con-
gress, and then left for New York to
D0gln MS water voyage.
When Mr.. Bigham was appointed
American consul general to Capetown.
the salary of the office was inconse-
quentiaL 1t looked big, that is to say.
but when he arrived at the South Afri-
can metropolis, and went to work, he
soon found that his living expenses
more than ate up his salary. 1t was
not the fine position it had appeared to
be, viewed at the safe distance of the
state of Kansas and town of White
City.
The consul general tells an amusing
and interesting story of how he came
to stay. Il had just prepared he says.
'tto send my wife to Europe to travel
around bit. and to follow her closely
myself, resigning my position by cable,
and leaving the office under the direc-
lions of q. charge, as soon as had been
relieved. The vessel on which my wife
was to leave was already in the harbor.
delay occurred, and while the vessel
was still making preparations to start,
the incoming mail from the United
States brought me word from the de-
partment that my salary had been
raised to $4,000. 1 stayed at Capetown,
and so did Mrs. Bigham.''
But Mrs. Bigham will not return to
Africa. The climate is not the best for
City. The Kansas consul general goes
his long journey, this time, alone.
Mr.. Bigham while in Washington
thinks that it will take some time for
conditions to get back to where they
were before the South African war.
Merchants are not doing the business
they were. even since the war ended.
The mines are not being worked so ex-
tensively. But still trade opportunities
are good, the consul general says
Mr.. Brigham was declined to discuss
matters with very little freedom, as be-
comes an American diplomatic officer,
yet he thought that the pieces contribu-
ted to the Saturday Evening Post re-
Gently by the celebrated English writer,
William T. Stead, were trif1e over
done. That is to say Mr.. Bigham
thought Mr.. Stead had shown consider