Graham guardian., 1912-01-19
ScENE1:s I'm. AFRICA
Louis A. Nelson Gives an In
teresting Description Of
the Country

EDITOR GUARDIAN.-If it is not an
imposition on my part, and not intrud-
| ing on the valuable space of your pa
per, would like you to publish few
| lines for me once more and for the last
time in South Africa. have received
your paper in it's ''new form, eight
,, pages, October 13, 1911. Your paper
! always conveys a message. IL seems
as though THE GUARDIAN Is one OF the
most broadminded and non-sectarian
periodicals of the nineteenth century.
In our mission work as benefactors
to humanity, we have doors slammed
in our faces, the pulpit belches out It's
absurdity and to crown the whole huo.
bub as rule, the public press IS deaf
and will not listen to our side OF the
tale. Such actions almost make one
exclaim, "Oh, Justice, how you have
been slighted!' But still our work
rolls onward.
My stay in South Africa has been the
happiest time OF my life. While nave
been here have become more or less
attached to this country. have learned
to love this part of the world great
deal; but, of course, nothing like my
native land. Reason and experience
and with what have seen, compel me
to say that South Africa is one OF the
richest countries on the globe. we
haven't had time to feel the effects OF
| the Union as yet, but am quite con-
fident that in time, the Union VIII be a
great benefit to the colonies.
There are many scenes IN TINS lana
that would make an agriculturist shed
tears. For instance there is the Vaal
river that is running year in and year
out and almost an idle stream. Inere
are great stretches of fine farming land
lying idle along the Vaal that could be
put INTO fine farming use, if they would
spend some means on a cement dam
kone-half as large as the Roosevelt Dam.
This would be glorious country II they
would establish utilizing act, in
stead of so much vocal work Of what
they are 'sgoing to do. They need a
man with the energy that our famous
ex-president, Roosevelt, has, to start
things going.
The great problem that holds this
| country back is the black race. Now,
| for instance, the farmer, if he has a job
of work to do, large or small, he will
say, "Joe, Dick or jim, you so DO so
and SO" while he (Mr. Boer Farmer),
goes off and sits down and smokes his
| pipe and let's the negro do the work,
which is very little. Poor old innocent
'Jim or Joe' hasn't the intellectual
power totlo his work intelligently, there
| fore his work is sighted, and SO goes
| life in South Africa, an easy sort OF
game.
! A man that cannot have from one TO
| four thousand morgans lone morgan
equals two acres) of land 10 not counted
as much of farmer. A Dutch farmer
will own from 26 to 35 hundred acres OF
land, and right next to his house he has
a few acres that are producing useful
| vegetation. The Dutch farmer is about
as forward in advancing his country, as
was our great, great grandparents in
| the early days with their oxen doing
the work.
| Dear Editor, isn't it enough to make
one blush when he knows that one Bar
! tholomeu Dias discovered this country
lin 1886 and Columbus discovered Amer
| lea in 1892. To see team OF sixteen
oxen in South Africa is as common as a
rubber tire Studebaker with fine trot-
ting horse attaceed to it is at home.
lney say tNS IIUe Weil-uIcu IioIoc 10 q
failure in South Africa, but that is an
inconsistent assertion, for they have as
fine horses down here as you will find
anywhere. Now we viii hurry along
to the famous Kimberley diamond fields,
| where am at present laboring. Since
lmy arrival here last June, have seen
sights that will never be etfaced from
my memory, were / to live for GEN.
turies. For one, there is the Kimber-
| ley mine, where hole has been dug
| that covers an area of forty acres and
| is sixty feet deep. This open hole is
fenced in with thirteen foot barbed
wire fence.
In the center of this large cavity is a
smaller hole that runs down some hum
dreds OF feet, from which they take out
the 'hlue ground" which contains the
diamonds. This center hole 10 at least
! two hundred yards across the top. /
! do believe you could dump the towns of