The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-09
SOUTH AFRICAN NIGHT.
A Stopping Place on the Cape 20
Cairo Rallway-The Passengers.

A Stopping Place on the Cape 20
Cairo Rallway-The Passengers.
The dark comes down with African
swiftness, and at O'Clock the train
stops for the night at Choma. In
stantly all is life and hustle. In an
incredibly short time all the natives
on the train-and they often number
a hundred, either going to or return
ing from the mines-are busy max
ing fires by the side of the track up
on which to cook their evening meal.
Our own boy is busy with the rest,
making a fire also and boiling water
for tea.
In fifteen minutes you have the new
experience Of dark African night,
with its brilliant southern stars and
the blazing fires, each within its cir
Gle of laughing, chattering natives,
whose white teeth CLEAN IN the fire.
light as they throw their heads back
in huge enjoyment Of any joke. They
are almost uncanny, those cleaning
white teeth! Everywhere just freight
and black, indistinguishable figures
and rows OF cleaning teeth!
The second evening we stop at 6
o'clock, while It is still daylight, and
so we get a longer stroll. We have
now made friends with the one or two
other travellers, and a little friendly
he
is ready. 1t IS so interesting to know
why these other travellers are there,
each in his way so different from the
traveller at home. who excites neither
interest nor surprise.
Here is Belgian going to the Con-
go, manager, Of course, Of some big
rubber plantation or mine, whose wife
is brave enough to accompany her
husband into the Back of Beyond.
Here is a native commissioner for
Northeastern Rhodesia taking his
wife and child to some distant out
post only to be reached after perhaps
ten or twenty days trek One looks
at the woman with a sense OF awe.
She Is young, pretty and charming,
and out there where she is going
there is no other woman. no doctor
within perhaps so miles, no other
child for her child to play with-noth-
| ing but days and weeks of monotony
and the silence one can hear. We look
at her with awe because we know she
is a heroine. We know she is going
| In 20 ell artx
unless the man for whom she goes
can be all things to her.
Later on the station master regales
us all with an excellent phonograph,
and the rows OF glistening teeth gliat-
en- more persistently than ever as the
natives gather around both awed and
delighted.
Then once more we all retire TO
sleep and next morning awake re-
freshed to the contemplation OF the
loveliest part Of the whole route, the
hilly district between Fafue and La
saakas. Kafue we had passed the pre-
vious afternoon and gazed in surprise
at the fine bridge across the river, the
longest bridge in Africa,
All through the last day the seem
cry is again chiefly forest, and at one
place the spot is pointed out where
the engineer recently alighted from
his caboose and shot two lions while
the train waited. He explains him
self how there were three or four
playing together quite near the line,
like huge dogs, and how, being at the
back of the train, he got in the first
shot and killed one instantly. The
guard and engine driver came hurry
Ing along then, but before they srriy-
ed he had put In his second shot and
bagged a second animal.-Gertrude
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