Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-09-07
can is the instrument that is being EN-
.ployed under white guidance. in the

can ia the instrument that is being en-
ployed under white guidance, in the
colossal task OF transforming the con,
tinent- He is powerful and neces-
sary factor In the work, and OH the
whole he is doing his part well.
Mau-Isatin. Lions Hardship.
All kinds of strange and unexpected
experiences have marked the progress
of this tropical railroad building. One
day. as the Indian laborers We're load
Ing dirt on train of Nat cars OIL the
Uganda Railroad. n lion sprang among
them. seized man by the middle, and
plunged away with him into the jun
gle. His skeleton, stripped clean, and
fragments of his clothing We're found
day later. Lions seldom make these
bold forays. AS rule, they flee the
presence of man unless they are
brought to bay or cnraged by wound
or an attack on their young. But IL it
ever happens that they eat human
flesh they are likely to crave for more
and include the human race among
their prey
The mnn-cating lion. as he is called.
is not numerous, but he creates the ut
most CONSERVATION whenever he ap-
pears. In the course of three or four
days three other Indian coolies were
dragged off into the jungle. and the
whole force of laborers quit work, went
into camp and prepared to defend their
lives. 1t was nearly three weeks be-
fore another spadeful of earth was
lifted. A large area of jungle was sur
rounded and grand hunt organized,
with the result that several lions were
killed; there was no more trouble with
the man-eating variety.
1t is somewhat novel experience
for traveller to find his train brought
to sudden stnndstill. and to see ON
tile track in the rear the mangled re.
mains of Il half-grown cub which had
stood on the track fascinated by the
spectacle Of the approaching train, and
did not know enough to get out of the
way. This has occurred on several
occasions.
1t Is almost impossible in the jungle
and forests to keep the rank growth
of tropical vegetation from choking
the track. II is continually being cut
away from the sides of the roadbed
and from underneath and overhead;
but rs the train joys along at ten or
fifteen miles an hour the traveller often
hears the swish of the leaves and
twigs brushing against the roof or of
the grass sweeping the sides OF the
car. Sometimes the view of undulat.
ing savannals. as the panorama un.
rolls itself from the car window, is
very beautiful; again the journey lies,
for scores of miles. amid vast ok
panses of high jungle grass or amid
the gloom of dense forests, and the
Journey is then inexpressibly depress
Ing and monotonous
No Night Travel.
But one, may see the whole country
as far as 1t is revealed from the cars
There is no such thing as night trave
on these roads. They are too new, the
unexpected is likely to occur, and the
stations are too far apart TO run any
risk of getting into trouble in the hours
or darkness; so all trans spend the
night Mt one or another Of the stations
You see ITO wood. except in tine cal
equipment, about th. construction ant
fittings of these tropical railroads
White ants and other ravenous insect:
would make short work OF wooder
bridges and timber ties. All sucl
things are made of steel. There ar,
some stone bridges and they are ex
cellent specimens of masonry; bu
most of the bridges are of steel thai
We're cast in parts in European unf
American shops, giving skilled work
men n chance to see bit of Afric;
while spending few months at thll
or that stream where bridges are
erected.
The locomotive. however, trlumphl
over one Insect pest, and that is tn,
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