Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1920-04-16
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q n. AIyord Compares Economic
conditions in Africa With Those
in America

was recently IeCelNeu Wy INC NV -
N Curtis from e. d. Alvord, form
or pullman man, now located in
Africa:
Gogoyo, Portuguese F. Africa,
Mt. Salinda, Malsetter Dist,
South Rhodesia, Africa,
February 3, 1920.
near folks in America:
From the interesting accounts we
are reading in the papers you whom
We have left behind are having an
uneoual struggle with the high cost
nj living, Mr. Jack Frost and various
other personages whom l will not
mention. 1t makes us feel that even
though we are in the heart of
heathen Africa, and far removed
from the "maddening crowd" and
have left behind all the Injuries. con-
yeniences and enioyments you are
having there we still nave much to
be thankful for 1t takes our mail
nearly two months to reach US. we
a.e isolated in the heart of heather
ism. 210 miles from the nearest lail-
way point, and are somewhat behind
the times as far as news is concerned
but we are centuries behind the
tines as far as securing the neces-
AIRY commodities of life are con-
for which we are duly thankful. For
instance: We get an abundance of
vegetables and fruits from our gar
dens. We pay our garden boy u
"ticky' C cents) per day \ full
grown man will work from sunrise
TO sunset for "sixpence" (12 cents) =.
When we get short on meat we have
our choice of oushbuck, waterbuck,
md various otler antetopes, and all
4 costs us is an eight cent cartridge
4 or two. We have the juciest, incest
sirloins and T-bones l have ever
tasted. Mrs. Alvord has a girl trained
at the Mission who does all the house
work and is on the job from o'clock
in the morning till p. m. Salary
eight "shillings" (about $1,000 per
month and board. Her board for
one month cost us five shillings
about $1.25).
We have had prolonged dry spell
aud it was thought by many that we
we're due for another severe famine,
but relief came at last in the form OF
q good soaking rain We had more
than 10 inches in one week and have
have had three good rains since
Things are growing nicely although
the yields of the crops will be great
ly diminished because of the latenesS
OF planting. The situation for the
natives was beginning to look criti
cal and they began to be much wor
red. The witch doctors did a grea
business for all over the country the!
were consulted as to the cause 0
the drought. Some said that certaii
spirits were angry because no feas
or beer drink had been made in thei
nonor, others that the graves of tn
chiefs had not been properly caret
Tor, while others put the blame upol
the missionaries or other white men
Mrs. Alvord's girl, Mboyekwa, wa
very much troubled because her faith
u was blamed by all his neighbor
lor the dry spell. They said that b
mad caused it because he let hi
laughter go to the mission schoC
and because she was working for on
Oh the missionaries. Finally he wa
forced to hire another girl to com
10 his kraal" and live in her place
AN old rain doctor who lives jus
south of Mt Salinda made a sma
fortune. People came to him frol
uiies around for he had a great rel
u'atlon, being the son of the greS
MKlambani, who was prince of til
witch doctors in the days before til
white man came, and the countl
ran red with blood and the witc
uoetor was in his glory. One grou
VI men came through here on the
way to buy rain whom we learne
eame from near the ocean, six day
journey to the eastward They re
resented many people and tribes ar
nad with them the contribution
IRON these people. One group of S
Hen had as much as so poun'
.aDout $1,000 with which to buy raj
me old rain doctors water reserve
must have sprung q leak for VIII
me rain came those who did not pi
cent got inst az much raiY nc tho