Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-07-18
The Future of Africa

know less, and cared less about AT
RIGA, when I began to study geog-
raphy-quite eighty years ago. Per-
haps we knew as little Of Japan
until the American government sent
a fleet over there along in the
fifties-but Japan is a far different
nation from Africa now and while
the little brown men were a long
time coming to the front they came
a running" so to speak, when the
mists relied away, and they absorbed
all the civilization Of America when
they came to us as tourists and
students. Africa came to US also,
in a way, but it was slavery that
came over with the Ethiopian to
this continent. In my earliest re-
membrance I was Mortified by
stories Of cannibalism. I shall never
forget one incident, that was re-
ported as happening on the seacoast
Of lower South Carolina. Some
negroes who We're brought over on
a slave ship from the gold coast OF
Africa had been bought from the
owners of these slave ships by
planters at low prices. They were
herded to themselves, did not as
sociate much with the other slaves,
privately owned and inherited from
American ancestors. They knew
very little of our language. There
was a little white baby, beautiful
in it's sweet tenderness and the pride
of a planters family. Once, when
the father and mother went off to
church and left the small children
with the nurse and cook at the big
house, they also went visiting to
nearby slave quarters and left the
nine months old baby asleep in it's
cradle. They did not stay long, but
the baby was missing when they got
back, and it was an agOnlzed FAMILY
which begun the search for the MISC
ing child. After a frantic search the
child was found in a slave hut or
one Of those raw African slaves,
dead, it's body in big bread tray
dressed like a fat pig, to be cooked
later. The bread tray was pushed
under the bed and covered with a
cloth-the childs head cut off and
disemboWeled as a pig would be
dressed for eating purposes. The
Africans called it "bucFra meat"
Africa was a land Of darkness be-
cause of ignorance and canniballsm.
It is astounding to know that the
importation Of such slaves could be
permitted by a civilized people. Moth
ing but the greed for the almighty
dollar can account for it. Africa
was without any evidence Of ciV1llZa-
ton in it's interior. The maps we
saw in my youth had an immense
tract laid down across the entire in
terror marked as the Great Sahara
desert"
The impression made on my young
mind was connected with sitting
endless hot deserts, no water, moth
ing but desolation and no marks OF
human civilization.
The "leopard's Spots" like "Ethi-
ops skin" were Interchangeable. There
were no records of human progress
except in Egypt and on the Moroc-
can coast, across the Mediterranean
sea. But eighty years have passed
along, and Livingston and Stanley
explored in Africa. Roosevelt went
in search of big game, like ele-
plants, hippotami, jaguas and such
like. We find iron rails are being
stretched from north to south, from
east to west. Gold and diamonds
have been found in surprising bulk
and South Africa and the Boer war
was the sensation eighteen years
ago, Of all the country on the east
and west continent.
We, hear that the navigable riv-
ers are magnificent in size and
matchless in quality and quantity, of
timber of superior size and fineness.
We are told that Africa has the
fundamentals Of great progress and
prosperity. The curse that fell on
Ham seems to be lifting and the
dawn of brighter day is glimmering
on the horizon Of the future.
The Suez canal was an eye opener,
and big vessels go round the Cape
of Good Hope to reach the land
known as Australia, where progress
is blazing a brilliant path in every
direction.
The next eighty years with the
wireless appliances will work Won
ders in Africa.
This turn of events strikes the
philosopher and the scientist with
peculiar force and charm.
Africa is being redeemed from the
blackness of darkness.
BE Hospitable
During my varied life experience
I have been entertained at many
homes as we'll as hotels. 1 am anX-
ious to impress on our young house
keepers the fact that it is the well
come and not the style Of living that
gives the visitor the sweetest pleas
ure. And it is so easy to discover
the good will that attends your COM
ing. I only wish I might have kept
a record Of my many friends who
have given me sup and drink in
their homes, some of them very
humble but so CHEEKY and whole
some. To entertain successfully
does not require a great hurrah or
display of fine things in the home.
Because 1 have had so many hap
Ply hours in the dwelling places of
humble friends, and their hospital
ity was so delightful when severely
plain I am copying here a clipping
from the pages of the Progressive
Farmer:
Hospitality on Small Income
The modern bungalow is a boon to
a small family in convenience and
helping them to share their home
with others. Many newly married
couples cannot afford to furnish both
a dining and living room, but the
bungalow provides a spacious living
room that may serve the double pur-
pose of living and dining room if it
is properly furnished. Or if you
possess a davenport. you max make
the living room serve as a bedroom
when you have an overnight guest.
Some of The kitchens of modern
bungalows are furnished with din
ing alcoves or breakfast rooms, max
ing it very convenient for the house
wife to serve an early breakfast,
and the work of clearing the dining
room for an expected dinner guest
is done away with. A large table,
preferably extension, may be used as
a reading table for the family, but
when Vol have a dinner e1lest il will