Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-03-24
LINE THROUGH NIGERIA.
BRITISH TO CONSTRUCT RAIL
Fl ROAD IN WILD LAND.
Laborers Who viii Be Employed Are
cannibals, and White Men Will Be
in Constant Danger Of
Their Lives.

A new railroad is being constructed
|>by the British through the territory OF
Nigeria, in West Africa. .::: - =, Z
1t will penetrate the regions known
as "Jujuland, so-called because the
inhabitants were long enthralled, by a
horrible idol known as Long Juju."
It win, be built by cannibal natives
who have shown themselves the most
Intelligent and Industrious workmen.
It will open up the last region OF
Africa where white men have not yet
settled. sass,,.T u, I s,5s ~ 4. In 55., Fiji si
The new line. into Nigeria will be $50
miles in length and will take four, or
Ave years to build. It will cost about
fifteen million dollars. It lis being
built BY the colonial government, of
which the head is Sir Frederick Lu-
gard. The country which Is to be
opened up is rich in palm oil and coal,
which the British expect to yield a
handsome revenue on the money In.
vested in the road. :@ MT SRA ,5 + y 4
Fifty thousand natives have been
hired for the work of building che
road. They will work under the direc.
ton Of British engineers and foremen.
Doubtless some Americans will be as.
ISOLATED with the enterprise. ,.Gs q, q.
These natives of Nigeria are noted
for their obstinate cannibalism. AL.
though the practice has been sup.
pressed wherever possible by the Brit.
ish officials, the Nigerians in the
depths Of this wild country frequently
find an opportunity to indulge in their
peculiar taste. They attack an isolated
village, destroy the houses and feast
upon the inhabitants. s. 1.s ~
Sometimes they take their victims
to a lonely part Of the forest. keep
them in a corral and fatten them UP
for a great banquet. Several times
the white men have accidentally
stumbled upon the hiding place Of
these destined victims of the canni
balls. T. a s%5ss Z. &
The white engineers and workmen
will have to guard themselves care.
fully, for the cannibals believe that
white flesh is the greatest kind OF
meat. BY eating it they imagine that
they will acquire the cleverness and
other qualities of the deceased per
son. Very few natives are daring
enough now to attack white men, but
there is no knowing what they might
do in moment of excitement. Half q
dozen white men in a jungle 500 miles
from help may be In q delicate situa
ton. fIs,1 Nj. IA + Z ,. Il ~ E5e
II Danger from lions and other wild
animals will be very great. During
the building of the Uganda railway
hundreds Of laborers were carried OF
by lions, and in recent months the
beasts have walked into railroad cars
and snatched OF defenseless travellers
In Nigeria lions are even more nu.
imerous than in Uganda. Their mum.
bers depend largely on the amount OF
food they can find. q Glands, antelopee
and other game of various sizes are so
abundant in Nigeria thatfthe lions find
inexhaustible food Sometimes as
many as so or go lions Turk In q patch
of jungle few acres In extent, nSar a
drinking place where the food ami,
mails gather. $} !. 81 5s:5 hill.
The new railroad will run along the
river banks and will cross the favorite
hunting places Of the lions There will
be tremendous disturbance among
the animals. ;.5$ i. 3. n