Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-08-29

mouths This spittle contains formlc
acid and IL is of such u nature that 1t
changes the clay into n paste or glue
which afterward turns to stone, IL may
be mixed with water and sortencd, but
as a rule IL is as hard as cement
and has the same properties, All over
Africa the natives take this ant-Clay
for their building material. They
start then huts by making a frame
work of sticks which they weave In
and out much like a basket over this
they spread the wet clay from the
white ant hills, using II as plaster
After "A time the wallis become as solid
as stone, and they form IA perfect
protection from the weather. In some
places the huts are composed entirely
of this material and In others they end
in cones of thatch. Many of the pio
ueers of Rbodesia live in huts of this
character and there is a mission
church here which is plasterod with
red clay from the abandoned homes
of the white ants The church Is
1oorcd with galvanized iron. 1t was put
up 10y the Rev. John NJ. Springer.
who for long time was the head of
the Methodist Episcopal missions mt
umtali. Mi Springer stopped at Broll-
on Hill on IL trip across Africa and
built this church during his stay.
TILE STATION FARTHEST NORTH.
But suppose we take "A look at
Broken Hin. the present terminus of
the Cape to Cairo railroad. II Is the
| South African station farthest north
and is in the very heart of the black
A. continent. 1t lies $50 miles above the
Zanlbesi river. and more than II hun
| dred miles from the kafuo river, which
| Is one of the IambeSi's mighty branch
| es. The land here is high ana healthy.
| II Is a great plain lying farther above
the sea than the average altitude of
| the tops of the Allegheny mountains
| The plain is covered with grass which
| reaches far above ones head, and liz
| spotted with patches of forest and
| clumps OF brush The woods are not
| dense nor are the trees large, but they
\ are the haunts of many wild animals.
| The country seems rich, and it win
| some day be taken up by farmers and
| stock raisers.
Broken Hill itself IS a mining town
supported by the several hills of zinc
| and lead which / shall describe later
on 1t consists of two settlements.
one of which is devoted to the white
officers and ovcrseers who manage the
mines and to the native workmen who
live in a kraal nearby, and the other
of the hotel and stores and the homes
of those who have business outside
the mines. There are no saloons in
either settlement, and the selling of
| liquor is contrary to law
1 wish | could show you the hotel
| at Broken Hill. 1t Is n collection of
| matched huts made of red clay from
| the homes of the white ants. The larg-
| est hut is the dining room: near it is
| the kitchen built so far away that no
| smell can offend. Every guest has his
| own individual hut as Il bedroom, The
| bedroom huts 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 about 20 feet square
and the walters are half naked negroes
who trot about in their bare feet.
A BAD PLACE FOR BABIES.
This hotel is almost in the jungle.
The places between the huts are clear.
but the grass behind is as high as