The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-12-28

Away off in darkest Africa there is
q cheerful, though doubtless somewhat
hOmesick little family, preparing its
Christmas celebration among natives
who have no sympathy with nor under
standing Of the Christian spirit, as you
read this. 1t is the family Of the Rev.
7. B. Brinton, formerly pastor of the
Pleasant Prairie Methodist Church,
who has gone into Belgian Congo as a
missionary of Christianity.
In the following letter he gives his
impressions Of the strange country in
which he is to dwell during his labor:
Congo Mission Of the Methodist Church
Kapanga, Katanga,
Belgian Congo, Africa.
October 90, 1916.
Dear friends at Pleasant Prairie:
It was on August 91st that we got
our first glimpse Of Cape Town. In the
distance we saw high mountains known
as Table Mountains, fiat like a table
on top. In damp weather a heavy fog
hangs over them, much resembling
table cloth. There are about $4,000
inhabitants in Cape Town and the city
stretches out for miles and miles along
the base of the mountains which nearly
surround it.
Cape Town Is as old as any city or
town in America It was first founded
by the Dutch in 1902 At that time it
was used as a post Office for ships 60
ing and coming from India. 1t was
not, however, until 1850 that the first
colony settled here, and after the Am
erican revolution in 1905 the British
took possession of it,
Cosmopolitan Population.
The people of Cape Town are of ev-
cry nationality under the sun. 1t is in
Cape Town that the orient and the oc-
cident meet. You see here people from
all parts of the world There are at
least as many different kinds of reli-
gion as there are peoples. On the
streets we passed Mohammedans and
Turks all wearing some apparel to de
note the religious sect to which they
belonged. During my stay in Cape
Town / passed Mohammedan temple
where they were entering to worship
and before going in they all took off
their Shoes
Cape Town is Beautiful.
Cape Town is certainly beautiful
place. Many palm trees are to be seen
here and there, and outside the city
flowers are thick in the fields. Gala
lilies grow along the fence rows and
An the meadows. On the sides Of the
mountains are maiden hair ferns. Twice
q week the poor people gather flowers
and bring them to the main street of
the city where they have flower sale.
Both sides of the street are lined with
the most beautiful flowers one could
wish to see, and an armful of Gala
lilies can be bought for twelve cents.
Start for Darkest Africa.
After spending about week in Cape
Town we took train for the Belgian
Congo and passed through the beauti=
full Hex valley which is noted for it's
fruit orchards. Along the railroad wild
flowers were growing in abundance. 1
saw more flowers here than ever saw
in my life before. Among all of these,
l did not see one that I had ever seen
in America. Now you may be tempted
to ask if there were no dandehons or
daisies and / must answer in the mega
tive. Perhaps you may be interested
to know what kind of fruit trees saw.
There were acres and acres of peach,
pear, plum, and cherry, but no apple
trees. Also there were many fields of
grape vines. Further up we saw some
orange orchards.
Ants Eat Houses.
What impressed me most on my jour
ney up on the railroad was the way
Africa had of doing things. One man
said to me before / landed in Africa,
Now you must remember that YOU
are going to another world, and you
will have to leave behind American
methods and ways" This is certainly
true when it comes to building houses
and tilling the SOIL To build house
Of wood is entirely out of the question