The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-06-28
SHOT THREE HIpPOpOTAMI
NOW Established in Typical Congo vii
lage ana Supported by Church IN
Reading, Pa.-High Cost of Living
Extends Even TO Africa.

Teeming with the life Of the jungle
is letter written to L. E. Jones OF
Pleasant Prairie by the Rev. /. b.
Brinton, former minister of the Metho-
dist Church at Pleasant Prairie and
now missionary situated at Kapanga,
6 typical native village of the Belgian
Congo. The letter which was written
on March oath explains that the sup
port Of the Rev. Brinton and family
has been provided for by the Methodist
Church of Reading, Pa, assisted by
many others, with whom they are in
communication.
The four hundred mile trail from the
railroad station to the mission was en-
livened by hunting experience in
which the minister brought down three
monster hippopotami, whose TANKS fur
nished steaks for the company for many
q day. How he planted an American
garden in the heart of Africa, low the
high cost Of living has reached even
to the jungle and the construction of
his tropical home are among the inter
esting things told in his letter. He re-
ports that the mission, of which he is
in charge, is successful in leading the
natives from idolotry and relates many
interesting examples Of this.
The letter, which without doubt, will
prove extremely interesting to the
friends of the Rev. Brinton and family.
Is, in part, as follows:
Kapanga, Katanga, Congo Beige,
Africa, March "a, 1917.
Via Cape Town.
Dear Mr.. jones:
How much | would like to sit down
and talk over old times with you.
While | am far away from you and the
folks at Pleasant Prairie, I think of
you often and wonder how you are all
getting along. | would like to have
written to you all long before this but
my correspondence has been multiplied
ten-fold since coming out here. One
church in Reading, Penn, has taken nv
entire support so I have to write to
them often, telling them about the
work here. There are several other
churches that we are in touch with and
who will likely later send money for
the starting of schools out here.
we had quite trip after leaving
the railroad station. 1t was 446 miles
from the railroad station to our mis-.
sion. On the way up I shot three hin
popotami. We had all the meat
we could eat for over week. One
animal weighed over a ton. Myl I
wish that I could have sent Won one
OF the steaks. We had to travel in
part OF the rainy season and some DAYS
we were forced to travel in the rain.
Next to the last day we had to wade
through a river with water up TO orr
shoulders. We were in the water for
over three hours and all that time T
had to carry the baby. That day we
Travelled from $3.50 in the morning I'M
til s O'Clock at night. Myl but We
were tired that night, it was raining
and we had to pitch our tent and cook
our supper.
When we arrived at our permanent
home, all we had to eat was thirty
pounds of sugar and forty pounds of
flour. Say, wouldn It have liked to
have walked into the store at Pleasant
Prairie and bought dozen loaves of
bread or a bag of flour. But that could
not be done and we had to make the
best of it. This is what [ did the next
day after | arrived, l planted garden.
planted corn, beans, radishes turnips.
salsafy, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, cauli-
flower, tomatoes, and strawberries. I
could buy the finest bunch of bananas
for twenty cents. Pineapple3 and
chickens could be bought from the ma
tives. You ought to see the chickens
here, They are just little larger than
our pigeons in America. I could eat
whole chicken myself and then hard
iy feel that had my dianer.
some OF the prices that / have to
pay for few things, I know will in
terest you. The last flour and sugar
that | bought [ paid forty cents a
pound. Do you know we don't eat a
whole lot of it at that price, Butter
costs one dollar pound when you get
IT here. | have not bought any since
coming here as it is beyond me. have
almost forgotten what butter tastes
like We have not had any white flour
SINCE coming here. Quite little rice
ls raised here by the natives. / have
been buying that and paying five cents
pound, We have the natives pound
10 INTO meal for us and make bread
out OF it. Sweet potatoes can be raised
very cham 4