Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-07-06

man. One of the white men. who
went ont on the steamer with me is
now a victim Of the disease. The
doctors are anxiously watching the
progress of the scourge, while the at!
fected man knows his dissolution is
coming slowly and surely
The Vast letter l received from him
states that his is the worst case Of
record Of an European inoculated with
sleep sickness, and he hates to think
| that AFTER all his adventures in diff!
ferent parts of the Notwithstanding
active, hard service in the Cuban war
he m1st go down before an Internal
little h7.
The annual toll of human lives In
Africa is heavy, very heavy. It is
said that IN the Uganda Protectorate
alone, upward of $4,000 natives died
In one year from sleep sickness!
Besides the murderous climate the
numerous deaths from wild animals.
snakes and insects, the secret poi
sons Of the natives do much dam
age.
African poisons are subtle, untrace>
able. Every native is an adept in
their use.
The negro does not improve by pet
ting, yet if one doesn't pet his cook
he is likely to be sorry, not for the
rest OF his life-for his life generally
doesn't endure much longer after the
cook gets town on him-but for all
eternity. Secret poison IS native pas
time, and eve-v white man must run
its gauntlet
In the bush it is not at all unusual
for white man to compel his cook
to first partake of the food brought to
table. !:
Natives are at heart thieves and
cannfbals. Near the trade belts and
government posts they are afraid to
practise the. latter, but-.the-v very gov
eminent officials are not exempt from
poison. Poison is everywhere. n
white man might fog paddler or 4
carrier, but never his cook. Oh, no.
The cook Is monarch of all he sur
veys. He has to be conciliated.
petted. Civilized people can declaim
all they wish against civilized cooks
and their ways, but they have never
met the African savage variety. The.
latter. is impossible in every way
filthy, absolutely filthy. A white man
eats his yearly quota of dirt in a week
and then some. Clothing, food and
other indispensables disappear. The
cook, of course, is the thief, but dare
the white man object? Oh. no! The
loss of his entire outfit is little enough
to buy immunity from poison.
No matter how many tablets, cook
ing utensils, or other civilized articles
are brought out at great expense and
trouble, the African cook disdafns
them. He practises his filthy habits.
Fish and game are cut up on the
dirty ground. A bush knife is used
without cleaning after toenails have
been cut and jiggers dug from un-
washed feet. Cooking utensils are
seldom washed, and dishes are anr-
thing but clean. But If the white man
will persist in going where he was
never mean to be, he must expect to
pay a penalty and he often pays 4
very heavy one. Many white man
has gone the slow death of poison.
when the government investigated
and brought out the verdict that he
died from climatic conditions.
You can die from almost anything
in Africa, and the common verdict is:
Africa. That's enough. It takes in
the whole of ailments, and accidents
and murders. But if you can keep I
check on your cook and other ma
tive servants who might fancy your:
blanket or tent, you have a fighting
chance with the country-if you use
plain hard common sense But the
latter is the hardest thing possible in
Africa.
The advice Of every white man who
has lived in Africa is: Don't. I agree
with them.
i IDA VERA slMoNToN.