The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-06-19
Developments in Africa.

ssAbout Is months ago few head
OF the fne-wooled sheep of Australia
were introduced on the high plateau
of the British East Africe protector
ste," says the New York Sun. This
is probably the first attempt to grow
naerino sheep almost directly on the
EQUATOR. It is said by the British sur
vey in that region that the expert
ment bids fair to be successful. This
simply means that the elevation Of
about 5000 feet at which the sheep
, are living gives the proper climatic
conditions not otherwise e.btainable in
tl1at latitude.
sIt is an old saying that the unex-
pected always happens in Africa. The
remark formerly applied to
the unpleasant things that We're con-
tantly occurring. It is still used, but
it relates now to the realization Of
hopes and plans that till recently
seemed visionary and irpracticable.
africa is the theatre now Of the
greatest work Of reclamation the
world ever saw. It is 100 near US
and too vast to be seen as yet in
proper perspective. Few understand
that the attitude ol fthe world toward
Africa has completely changed in
the last five years. There are three
reasons why the morey and strength
CT the civilized world are now being
poured out in greater volume than
ever before They will bring about
transformation covering the cont
nent.
lone is that the great advance in
topical hygiene and the studies OF
scientific men on the ground have
proved that there are large and wide
IL distributed areas Of the richest soil
and the finest OF grazing lands that
are well adapted for occupancy by
white farmers. The next year or two
will see the invitation given to the El'-
| rcpean peasantry who can command
very little capital to settle in various
parts of Africa, and conditions will be
made practicable for them during the
first years Of pioneer struggle. It is
found, too, that the opportunities for
developing large plantation enter
| prises are illimitable, and that no 9TH
er continent can afford better. condi-
tons in this line as soon as adequate
transportation is provided. In many
regions as large as some Of the Eu-
ropean states the best of soil is found
to the depth of several feet.
F..It is also found that the natives
can be induced to do their full share
| ic this work of transformation. Hun
! dreds of thousands Of them are now
IN the service of the whites. They are
doing the rough work Of building the
re ads and railways, stringing the tel
egraphs, manning the steamboats,,
| burning the lime, making the brick,
putting up the houses, and construct
| ing the furniture from hard woods
which they make into lumber. Hun
dreds of trade schools, maintained by
the governments and missionary So
cieties are scattered from the At
I lantic to the Indian ocean and are
turning out effective skilled labor
Hundreds Of native women, whose
fathers were cannibals, are busy with
sewing machines, turning out gar
ments of the army OF laborers. The
white man thinks and plans; the ma
tive, under his guidance, turns his
ideas into concrete form.
.'The third fact that is pushing all
these enterprises forward with tre-
mendous energy is the mineral
wealth, Of which new fields are being
constantly discovered. There are vast
coal fields not yet reached by transpor-
tation; the gold of German East Al
r:ca, the gold and vast copper re-
I
sources of the Congo State are still
untouched; the iron. as widely dis
tributed as in any of the continents. is
still smelted and wrought only by the
uetive smith.
"Africa has been regarded as the
Door sister among the continents. The
more it is studied IN detail the more
| magnificent its resources appear. Na-
tive labor is abundant anG Il can be
trained and disciplined. The nine
teenth century revealed Africa; the
twentieth viii open its splendid re-
sources for the good of It's inhabi-
tants and The whole yorld.