Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-10-14
Missionary Says the Attraction
Will Be Vast Supply Of
Copper and Tin.
DEPOSITS BELOW TIE CONGO
hopes Negroes VIII he SuficientIy
Christinn.zcd to Withstand Vices
Now They Are Siugularly
Impre scible--( ON me- rcial
Possibilities.

Minneapolis Oct. 1.-The Rev. John +.
mans nation in South Central Africa
immediately below the Congo country.
md he hopes before that time arrives
10 have the Christian religion firmly
Established among the natives OF n vast
vomain. so that when the white mon
ionle the black men will be prepared to
idopt that which is good and withstand
that which is bad in tie newcomers
civilization.
Mr. Springer ard his wife spent five
Ind half years as missionaries ut Old
Entail. In Southern Rhodesia. On thoir
ieturn to America they came across the
African continent. travelling the greater
part of the distance on foot, although
hey Evailed Themselves of such railroad
facilities as existed
The Springer caravan numbered forty
zen aEl fn'i .upcl-s 'tr four m,1's
we're packed The :sa,sr ny whose hite
)auses the sleeping sickness. fatal L"
man, does not exist in the parts of Africa
lowered by the trip.
NATIVES ARE WE'LL ARMED
1--WE had no trouble with the natives
during our journey across Africa" said
rause for trouble They all have guns
md plenty of ammunition. I think they
use their firearms on each other, for they
have many quarrels and feuds between
tribes and families and there is no law
or authority in the country party
that has since come over the same route
rs we did was attacked by the natives.
I'VE were five and a half years at Old
Initial, in the country OF the Makaranga,
whose language we learned. We went
there in 1901. two years after the first
Methodist missionaries. The Church OF
England had been there several years
before. Our work was to prepare natives
TOR the ministry and at the end OF our
ytay we had sent out IS young men to
preach the gospel in their own tongue.
"They are building railroads from both
Jides." said MFR. Springer. Soon what
perhaps the richest copper country under
1he sun will be open to development.
Then will come the mining town. The
negro will furnish the labor for the mines.
Il he be not fortified against the vices Of
the white man. he will be worse off than
II he had never seen our civilization
TRAVELLED 20 MILES A DAY.
Much of the country through which the
Springer party paSseu Hdu Ho ttuiS' anu
whenever possible the services Of native
guides were enlisted they had guides for
but three days. The average rate OF
travel was about 20 miles day. por-
ton OF the Journey was made on the
Cape to Cairo railway.
1t Is in the very heart Of South Central
Africa that Mr.. Springer proposes to be
ready for the Caucasian civilization he Is
sanguine is coming. Not only copper. but
belt of tin 10 miles long has been found
with gold and diamonds in many places
at is n white mans climate, sale
Mr.. Springer. "While some Of II Is If
the torrid zone, It Is nearly all about +
mile above sea level. so that It is about
the same as Il temperate country. Why
it's no hotter there In summer than i
Is in Minneapolis to-day. and the nights
are nearly always cool.
"Throughout the whole Of Contra
Africa to-day the native is conscious OF
rapid changes coming to pass. The ole
order changeth. For the most part. III
nccepts the new order with the wonder
and curiosity Of a child At this stage
the natives are singulary impression
able"
THE commercial possibilities of Cen
trail Africa have perhaps never had thei
match since America was new"