Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-10-16
Robert G. Stubs Speaks On
Mahogany Industry In Sec
ton Called "The White Mans
Graveyard"-Rotary Club To
Enjoy "Wild Supper"

speaking OF country, the ell
matte conditions, the native customs
ana the manner of living of which
were almost inconceivabIe to his All.
ditors, Robert G.. Stubs of this CITY
gave most interesting talk on his
experiences in the Gold Coast dis.
lrlct on the West Coast of Africa
at the regular weekly supper session
OF the Rotary Club, held Friday eve
nlng at the Augusta House,
Mr. Stubs was located in tina,
district for IS months as assistant
branch manager for the Mengel Ma.
nogany Company, and returned to
TINS city about a year ago. During
MS stay in West Africa his head.
quarters were at AKIN, located some
6o miles from Seccondee, which is
seaport of considerable size and
commercial Importance. Though he
was principally engaged in the pro.
duction Of mahogany timber which
was exported to the factories of the
Mengel Company, Mr.. Stubs made
frequent trips inland and he visited
the gold mining projects, some Of
which have now been abandoned
with millions of dollars invested in
machinery and equipment fast going
to ruin and deterioration.
The speaker told of the long jour-
ney necessary to reach the African
Gold Coast and of the extraordinary
climate of the district where he was
located for more than year and
half. The average mean temper
allure is about SIS degrees with the
humidity at the same point or even
hi 10Th YI,fn al. hn% l.
is within ten or fifteen per cent OF
absolute saturation. During the
rainy season there is a rainfall OF
about so inches, while with the
coming of the dry seasons in Feb
ruary and December and the &C.
companying shift of prevailing
winds the air is dry to the other
extreme and filled with fine dust
from the Sahara desert.
The Gold Coast is an English col
ony. and SINCE 1900 a real progress
has been made in the Introduction OF
modern methods and improvements
with railroads being built and some
1000 miles of automobile highways
In the interior however the carry.
ing continues to be done by the
primitive methods OF native car
riers.
Besides the production Of mahog-
any in which Mr.. Stubs was en-
gagged and which he described in de-
tail, the principal products of thu
Gold Coast are palm olive oil, cocoa
cocoa nuts and gold. The district
has an area Of some $4,000 square
miles.
Willard p. Purinton presided a.
the Rotary session last evening IL
the absence of President Herman
r. Mansur. During the brief bust
ness meeting preceding the program
trophies of the golf tournament al
Poland Spring, during the Fall Con-
clave of the Seth district, were pre-
scented to Harris S. Woodman. D. B
Dewar and w. ]. Warrell.
Upon the suggestion OF George +
Weber the club voted to stage q
real wild supper" with game dishes
featuring at meeting In the near
future. Rotarian Smith ). Ranoai
assured the club that he would sup
ply the venison. Other members
suggested that duck and partridge
might also be forthcoming. while
the originator of the Idea promised
an ample supply of wild apple Jelly
II Is ANTICIPATED that the game sup
per. when everything will be wild,
will be one of the feature meetings
of the season.
The Rstarins will provide auto
mobile transportation today for the
children who are to attend the Grip
pied children's clinic, to be held un'
der the auspices of the Augusta
public Health Association. with Or
F.. G. Abbott of Portland as the
clinician.