The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-19

through the Portuguese territories. Ihese are low and unhealthy. We rode Tor hours through swamps, where l was told that the construction of the road mas cost a mans life for every tie in the track. We were shown one bridge where eight men were eaten by crocodiles dur ing it's building. We now and then pass ed through swarms of locusts, and our car windows had to be covered with wire screens to keep out the mosquitoes.
 Travelling Through Rhodesia.
 As we approached the western end of the Portugues colony the land rapidly rose, and at Umtali, on the borders or southern Rhodesia, we came into noun tains equal to the most beautiful Of the Allegh enies. Here the track wound this way and that in horsesho oe curves, So that. standing on the rear platform, we could sometimes look Into the eyes of the engineer on the locomotive We passed through thick forests, and final ly came out upon high rolling prairie covered with luxuriant grass. There are but few farm houses and few native villages. There are no fences anywhere, and the land looks as it did when God made it. There seems to be plenty of water, and the country appears fitted to support a large population. The prices of lands are, am told, something like dollar an acre, and more or less, ae- cording to location. l doubt much, however, whethe CT the markets and the present state of the country would warrant the coming of American colo nists.
 The Capital of Rhodesa.
 I wish I could show you this capital of Rhodesia. If you could lift 1t up and drop It down in the United States it would not be out of place. Indeed, it would look much like some of our best southern towns of 5000 population ex- cept that these buildings are finer, more artistic, and more substantially built. The material used Is chiefly stone and bricks, the roofs being made of galvaa~ ized iron. The residences are bunga- lows. with wide verandas running about them and with low, oyerhanging roofs. Every home has a garden about il filled with the flowers and plants or both the tropical and temperate zones There are roses and morning glorles, as well as flowers which would grow well In Florida or Cuba.
 The business blocks are chiefly of stone. There are many large stores with well displayed windows and stocks of goods which would be considered excellent in any of our cities of three times this size. One can buy anything he needs and many American things are sold. l see our canned goods and American cottons among the articles in the windows, and outside the farm implement stores are blows from Moline, H., and reapers and mowers from Chicago and Springfield, Ohio.
 A Town of Clubs and Race Tracks.
 l find Salisbury much alive. It is modern town of fun, clubs, public amuse- ments and high prices. It has Its social swim and it has it's cricket grounds, golf fields and tennis courts. The high fences of the latter are covered with morning glories, and the balls are thrown back by hedges of green leaves sported with flow CTS of bright hue The little city has library without the aid of MT. Carnegie. It has three banks and chamber or. mines It has d hospital, a half dozen churches and a newspaper which comes cut every week.
 Everything in the town is high priced. i took a ride in a jinriksha drawn by negro and the charge was 37 cents In gold l could have had the same service In Shanghai, China, with a pig-tailed coole as my horse. for cents in silver. l went out in an automobile for a day last week and the charge was $50 therefor. l LOOK A glass of mineral water this morning. It contained one-half pint, and l had to pay 37 cents for it. The man who sat next to me at dinner was charged 62 cents for a Scotch highball. A cup of tea at rail- road station costs 25 cents, and all other things are about the same proportion. My hotel rates here is &.97 day, and the hungry eyes of the walters are always asking for fees. l usually buy photo- sraphs wherever l go in addition to my own which I have developed by the local photographer. The price here for mak- ing Sx10 copies is $1.25, and when l asked the photographer this afternoon to make me a rate of s10 per dozen he hemmed and hawed and said he couldn't really fford to rrInt them at that.