White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1935-10-17
Bruggemann Tells Of Attending
Feast AS Guest Of Halle Selassie

known. Speaking through interpreters,
the interview lasted about ten minutes.
Tafaris palace was in a compound
surrounded by high wall fully SIX
| feet thick which also enclosed the min
isters offices, simple sheds furnished
only with chairs and tables, but made
memorable by the rich lustre of Per-
sian rugs.
A week or two later Mr.. Bruggemann
was invited by the King to attend a
| feast. Arriving, he was uShered into
the royal presence and seated at
table laid European fashion for one at
one side of curtained dias. The king,
sitting on cushions before a basketwork
table, was curtained off from Brugge-
manns sight while he ate, everything
he had being first tested by the oftl-
cial faster, for in Abyssinia poisoning
is still as convenient method of muir
der as any. After the curtains were
drawn from around the king, Mr..
Bruggemann was served to a meal OF
both native and European foods. For
drink, very strong beer made from
honey was served and the main part
of the meal was gravy or stew, very
highly seasoned and containing bits
of onion, chicken and other things.
Since no knives or forks are used, bits
Of this gravy are scooped onto piece
of bread docking rather like a pam
cake, only larger, of a greyish color
and rather sour which is rolled up
and popped into the mouth.
Chieftans Eat Later
After the completion of his meal the
curtain in front of the daiS was lifted
and he could see the huge hall, and
two hundred or more high ranking
officers and chieftans waiting to eat.
These had the same gravy and bread
but servants carried halves Of beef
from person to person and each one
cut off hunk with his knife to eat
raw.
Seeking employment, Mr.. Brugge-
man found a position with German
exporting firm. Except for the export
and import houses there is little in
the nature of business transactions III
Ethiopia. With a caravan of twenty
five mules, Mr.. Bruggemann set OUT
for the north, travelling about ten miles
day. His job was to trade medicines
for cattle and horses. A Russian ply
sician gave him general idea of what
kinds of salves to prescribe for various
sores in this disease ridden country,
and every morning Bruggemann would
awaken to find four or five hundred
natives awaiting his treatments.
Country Is Fertile
Unlike the French Somaliland which,
is barren, intolerable desert, Abyss
sinia is high and very fertile. Although
the climate is hot it is healthful, ma
laria being prevalent in comparatively
, few locations. The rough terrain makes
, roads almost an impossibility and the
mule is used for mountain riding and
, horses for travelling on the occasional
plains. The F'rench-oWned railroad
which delves into the country re-
, quired years of building and is still in
such an unpredictable state that trains
i, are run only in the day time.
!. An Abyssinian going to shop is fol-
: lowed by servant carrying a sack OF
silver dollars and he in turn is fol-
] lowed by another servant armed for his
;. protection The Philippians have two
i kinds of money, one the unWieldy
Maria Theresan money purchased
Il by the great Menelik when the Aus
: TRANS retired that particular currency
d and the equally huge Menelik dollar.
The few checks used are on the Bank
: of Abyssinia, branch of the Bank Of
n Egypt. Most trading is done by barter.
: Five hundred of their dollars make a
n load which taxes the strength of a
j husky man.
h While the Philippians are Christians,
: their church, the Coptic, is perhaps
y the most primitive form still in exis-
r, tence. Some of its religious forms are
!, related to the present Jewish and
l, Greek Orthodox observances but for
7, the most part it is based on a much
l. more ancient ritual.
One of Mr.. Bruggemann's trips took
him to Harrar, the easternmost prov
r ince and the second city of the land
chief Their neighbors, the Somalis
ls and many members Of their lower class
- are Mohammedans. The finest coffee ir
:. the world is grown at Harrar. Follow
;" ing his talk, Mr.. Bruggemann showed
pictures he had collected in Ethiopia