Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-30

Africa and built this church during his
stay.
The Station Farthest North.
But suppose We take a look at Broken
Hill. the present terminus of the Cape to
Cairo railroad. 1t is the South African
station farthest north and is in the very
heart OF the back continent. II lies $50
miles above the Zambesi river. and more
than hundred miles from the Kafue
river which is one of the Zambesis
mighty branches. The land here Is high
and healthy. 1t is a great plain lying
farther above the sea than the average
altitude OF the tops OF the Allegheny
moutains. The plain is covered with grass
which reaches far above ones head, and
is spotted with patches OF forest and
c,umps OF brush. The woods are not dense
nor the trees large. but they are the
-aunts of many wild animals The countrv
seems rich. and II will some day be taken
up by farmers and stock IA isers.
Broken Hill Itself is a mining town
supported by the several hills of zinc and
Lead. which I shall describe later on. It
consists OF two settlements. one of which
is devoted to the white officers and over
seers who manage the mines and to the
native workmen who live in kraal
nearby. and the other of the hotel and
stores and the homes Of those who have
business outside the mines. There are
saloons in either settlement and the
selling of liquor is contrary to law.
I wish ] could show you the hotel at
Broken Hill X is a collection OF matched
huts made of red clay from the homes
of the white ants The largest hut is
the dining room and near il is the kitchen
built so far away that no smell can Of
fend Every guest has his own indi-
vidual hut as bedroom The bed
room nuts are also made of red clay
with grass roofs All have holes in the
walls for windows and MOSQUITO nets take
the place Of glass. The dining room is
ra
a re half naked negroes who trot about in
their hare feet.
A Bad Place for Babies
This hotel is almost in the jungle. Tho
places between the huts are clear but
the grass behind is as high as your
head. and it would be easily possible for
a Leopard or Lon to crawl up and sneak
out a baby. Indeed. the mothers watch
their children carefully. and the little
ones never pay out OF doors after dark.
And are there white children away up
here n the heart OF Africa Yes there
are fifty or more white men connected
witt the mines. and some have their
families here with them. ALTOGETHER
there are half dozen white women and
numerous children. As l walked through
the hotel grounds I a baby carriage
at the door OF one OF the huts and a
rosy Checked little boy OF three tagged at
nv heels The town has it's foot ball
court in which these ladies' are among
the players Broken Hill has its after
noon teas and now and then public din
nerS.
There perhaps a dozen business es-
Establishments. Some of them are in sheds
OF galvanized iron. but the others are
made of white ant clay having roofs OF
grass thatch. Every shop sells variety
OF goods. The shelves are full of canned
stuffs from Europe and the United States.
There are hams. tongue and canned beef
from Chicago Kansas City and Omaha.
canned fruits from California end salmon
from Oregon and Alaska. The most OF
the hardware and tinware comes from
Europe. and this is so also OF the jams
and the jellies The storekeepers are
Englishmen and the native blacks act as
clerks. Everything is sold at high prices
Bread costs * cents a loaf; tin cup
sells for a shilling and butter is 75 cents
pound. \ common case knife which
would bring q dime In New York costs
80 cents at Broken Hill. and all other
things are In like proportion.
/ find many American goods used here
and there over Africa. / have written
about our cotton in Abyssinia and
Uganda They are far superior 10 any
other. and IL is their excellence only
that makes them sell i'm competition with
the German and English cottons which
are everywhere pushed. 1t is the same
with our meats. They form a large part
OF the food of South Africa, but the
English sheer as they smack their lips
over them. and they would keep them out
If they could find any others as good.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.