Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-08

been increased to $500 miles. Tele-
graph lines begun in 1892 annihilated
500 miles by 1900. The number of
trading posts increased from 45 in 1882
to over 200 in 1902, the investments of
commercial capital in the same period
from $4,000 to s26,O00,O00. The white
man found that with temperate habits
1t was no more difficult to live on the
tableland than in any tropical climate
at New Orleans, for example. He
had planted 100000 coffee bushes and
| 800, 900 cocoanut trees and had culti-
waited 100000 india rubber plants by
| the end of 1902.
, The Belgium company owning the
concession for the railways in Congo
State intended at first to build the
lines toward Egypt and the Upper
Nile in the northwest. Reports Of the
riches in gold and copper In the
south, however, determined them to
push on in that direction and build
the system of iron highways that Is
now under way. At Stanley Falls the
course Of the Congo river turns sharp
| " to the south and a second series of
seven cataracts begins.
The railroad that has just been
completed circles these cascades from
Stanleyville to Ponthierville, a distance
of seventy-five miles. The river curves
like a bow and the new railroad may
be said to take the place Of the bow
string.
How was this iron highway con-
structed 1,400 miles from the sea and
in the very heart of the jungle? When
the work was started on January 26,
1903, only fifty-three white men-Bel-
gians, Italians, Scandlnavians and
Swiss-were available, although the
number had been increased to more
than 100 by the end of last year. I'm
der them were 5000 black men. The
expert machinists, masons and track
builders are negroes who came with
their families from West Africa. In
that region the negroes who were saw
ages fifteen years ago are running 10
comotives. working in machine shops
building the Congo steamers and serv-
ing as crews on the railroad trains.
The Congo steamboats, have as their
pilots the Bengala who tried to Kill
Stanley
These skilled workmen are assisted
by apprentices from the government
and missionary training schools. The
road graders, track-layers and COM
mon laborers are negroes recruited
from the neighboring tribes.
Two hospitals were built in Stanley
vile for the railroad men-one for the
whites and the other for the blacks.
The danger from smallpox Is always
great in Central Africa and everyone,
even to the wives and children Of the
common laborers, was vaccinated with
virus from a plant near Stanleyville
supplied with cattle from Europe.
Native policemen were appointed to
maintain order among the laborers.
Three physicians accompanied the
party to regulate the sanitary condi-
| tions Repair shops were built and
prospectors were sent in advance to
find clay for the many bricks which
must be used and limestone to be
burned into lime for mortar.
These elaborate preparations ended,
the army of 5000 odd, with their wives
and children, set forth to conquer the
Jungle. They clear the forest for
short distance, as the engineers sur
vey the land. At once the road bed Is
graded and the tracks are laid. so that
the construction train can be brought
| to the very end Of the line with earth
and materials. No great difficulties
are encountered in making the en-
bankments, as the road passes through
alluvial soil that is free from rock.
AS they advance deeper into the jun
gle saw mills are erected, and in these
the negroes saw the timbers for ties,
bridges and warehouses. The ties are
of bombali trees-the sham CEDAR
a tough, durable wood cut from the
neighboring forests. The steel rails
are brought from Europe, the freight
charges being $4,000 for a kilometer
Of track, or about $4,160 for a mile.
This expense raised the cost OF the
Stanleyvile- -Porthierville road to be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000 kilometer,
or from $4,000 to $4,000 mile.
Now and again a stream is reached.
1t is bridged by structures Of mason
ry and steel. AS the army advances
step by step, the telephone goes with
them, the wires to Stanleyville being
fastened to the trees or to steel rails
set upright in the ground. After the
telephone comes the permanent tele-
graph.
The wives and children Of the ne
groes advance with their husbands and
fathers In a few hours cabins OF palm
leaves and grasses can be built close
to the tracks. They supply all the
shelter the climate requires. Thus the
black men live in little tribal villages,
moving forward from time to time as
the railroad advances.
This battle with the jungle has last
ed three years. The railway around
the second series Of cataracts to Pom
thierville was opened for traffic on
September / last. 1t was equipped
with fourteen locomotives and LA
cars. Steamboats, were launched above
the second cataracts and steamed
south to Kindu. along 1876 miles Of wa
terway that had been opened to them.
At Kindu another line of railroad
was started at once to Bull 1SO miles
distant around the third and last OF
the series of cataracts in the river.
Here 100 white men and 5000 negroes
are pressing forward through the jun
gle toward the gold and copper ore
and the diamond mines Of the Trans
vaal.
The vast riches of the Dark Conti-
nent thus being laid bare tax credulity.
The mind can scarcely grasp the