THE OMAHA DAILY BEE : ST7XDAY , OCTOBER 2 , 1808. It
I A ? S
I WiriLINGWCRLDS I
II
I 1 WiriLINGWCRLD . Sx
< vw
Muttorlngs of rcbtlllon against control of
racing by tbo League of American Wheel
men have crystallzed Into open revolt , in
which prominent professionals take the
lead. Trouble has teen brewing for some
time. Independent managers of cycle tracks
helped it on mightily. Most of them felt
the grip of financial stringency produced by
diminished public Interest in racing. Being
unable to pay nil their obligations , sanctions
. The outlawing
were revoked and fines Imposed.
lawing of prominent tracks by the League
Racing board restricted the operations of
Hue professionals , nnd many of these sldrd :
with the managers against the body which
sought to protect their Interests. The Racing
board at first sought to smooth the rulllos
of the rebellious by nominal fines and brief
suspensions. A contrary ctlcct wan pro
duced. Out of the confused state of affairs
sprung a definite declaration of Independence
promulgated at Trenton , N. J. , last week ,
and signed by Eddie Bald , Arthur Gardiner.
Tom Cooper , Orlando Stevens , Floyd Mc-
Farlaml , Jay Eaton , Harry Tcrrlll nnd J.
Boyd Anderson.
What effect this action of the racing men
will have upon 'the ' future National circuit
dates Is nc-t yet linown , but it Is probable
that Philadelphia , Woodsldo Park , Washing
ton , the Park Bicycle Club track , St. Louis
nnd Capo Glrardeati will follow. The move
ment will probably culminate In the forma
tion of a new racti. ' association , a cull fern
n mooting being signed nnd to bo sqnt out
within a few days to till the track-owners
and race-promoting associations of the'coun
try.
In regard to the action of the League of
American Wheelmen in connection with the
future control of racing , Chief Consul
Kircker of Now Jersey , and the former
vloo president of the league , said : "It'Is
p'robablo ' now that nil th.1t Is left to bo
done Is > to light , and It Is certain the League
6f American Wheelmen will not consent to
be whipped In the fight. It had been prob
able , very probable that the League of
American Wheelmen would transfer the con
trol of racing to some other bo y next
February , but that it will not do so now Is
equally certain. The lengun will still con
trol racing and nothing can take it from it.
I do not bellevo that the riders will Uck
together. "
V
J. B. Sheridan of St. Louis , member of
the League of American Wheelmen Racing
Board , has this to say of the row : "Ono
thing Is certain : There Will be a fight tea
a finish for the government of racing.
While it Is probable that had this revolt
not como up the League of American
Wheclnxen would have abandoned control of
the wort , next spring , certain It Is that
under the circumstances the league will
fight to the last flitch ttf hold the 'Btep-
'
chM | , ' as some of Us good road members
wcro won't to call racing. President Pot
ter and many other Influential members of
the League of American Wheelmen , who
were lu favor of the organization resigning
control of racing , are now determined to
light to hold the neglected foster child.
What ptans the League of American Wheel
men "Intend to follow to maintain Its "con
trol In the face of what looks like a dan
gerous revolt , no ono yet 'knows. It ap
pears - thattho league's sharpest sword and
stoutest armor Is Its , honesty and disin
terestedness.
"It had no object beyond maintaining the
purity and propriety of the sport in racing.
The riders , promoters , trainers and others
who are supposed to form the American
Cyclists' union , have their nwn personal
Interests at stake. A body composed ol
personally Interested constituents cannot
hopo.to govern racing with the same suc
cess ns a capable and entirely disinter
ested body like the Lcaguo of American
Wheelmen. In this probable friction ol
persona" ! " interests "among Its chief con-
fctltuents , nnd its tmiblllty to guarantee
contracts of its members , as well na in its
totally unorganized condition , lies the prin
cipal dangers of ' the American Cyclists'
union. "
Tbo Chicago Chronicle gives a boost tc
the rebels in these words : "Perhaps , non
that the leading professional bicyclists
have openly adjured allegiance to tht
League , of American' Wheelmen , that organization
*
ganization will do what It ought to'havc
ilono long ago glvo up its attempt to con
trol raclne and turn Its attention to th <
interests , of the amateur wheelmen. In
deed , it Is. difficult to BCO how the IcagUi
can now do anything else. The sixty-Hire" !
men. who have revolted against the -Leagui
of American Wheelmen nro the leading
professionals of the country. The leagui
may close 'ho 'sanctioned' tracks , pgalns
them , bulr it can't find men. to , take Uieli
places , and track owners will' riot let < hcl
property lie Idle because of h fight bcfwcei
thq , League of American Wheelmen Raclni
Board nnd the riders. With or wlthou
'sanctions' ! the , tracks will bo , opcned ti
the crack , raclne men , and what can th
Racing board' do about It. Nothing. 'Thi
Leag'uo.'of American Wlicclmcn cquvohtloi
last spring declared that -control'of rac
Ing should bo abandoned. If that rp'solu
' tlon hml been enforced the league couli
have retired gracefully. As It Is , It wil
havo' to retire , whether It likes to or not. '
Toddy Edwards , the century rider , wil
not continue his riding lu pursuit of tin
perfect century record of 3C5 centuries 1
the year. , with the consent of his employers
Thqy fear that the condition of Edwards 1
euch that ho cannot stand the terrible strali
nnd they will not open themselves to re
Bponslbillty In any way. They are entlrel ;
satisfied with Edwards' performance Tind ar
willing to drop the matter at that. Ed
wards has 250 consecutive centuries to hi
credit , which surpasses the number mad
by any living man. John Noble o't Phila
dclphla has 233 centuries , but not of th
use it in
September ,
October ,
November.
secures i m m unity nl
Winter long f r o it
Coughs , Colds , Influenza
CatarrhSore , Throat am
At druggists cr ncnt prepaid ; price. Jj
and ( too. Bpcclllc Manual at druggists o
uent free ,
Humphreys' McJ Co. Cor William am
John SU. , New York , lie sure to get
H-U-M-P-H-U-E-Y-S
consecutive nature. Edwards lacks but three
centuries to tie this record of mileage , and
as soon a.3 ho gets well from his late sick
ness the Jad will rldo a few more centuries
in order fo secure the record and will also1
secure John George's mileage of 32,479 , when
ho will-retire for the season.
Although tho-germs of typhoid * did not
get a strong hold on Teddy , ho was com
pelled to la off from his riding nnd take to
the elck bed , where ho has been for over
three weeks now. His condition has greatly
Improved , with no trace of the fever , and
bis temperature is normal , but he has been
left In a weak state , and it will be weeks
before ho may dnro to come out nnd attempt
another century. Had Edwards remained
In ono locality , In which ho had become
acclimated , his present sickness would , in
all probability , have been avoided.
The Puynllup Indians , near Tacoma , nro
making war upon bicycle riders. Prcsldenl
John M. Boll of the Wheelmen's association
has appealed to the county commissioners
for protection. The principal bicycle path
of the northwest , connecting Tacoma am
Seattle , passes through the Puyallup reser
vatlon , and'eomo of the more Intelllgen
young Indians at the government schoo
have abandoned the cayuse for the bicycle
In the presc'iit difficulty these young men
are working with the Wheelmen's ossocla
tlon to punish the enemies of the bicycle
At first the Indians obstructed the path wit !
brush and sfones , following this move by
felling trees.across the path. This arousei
the whlto wheelmen to a high pitch of in
dlgnatlon. At this point the Indians began
threatening-.tho younger members of the
association. Later the Indians became bolde
nnd chased , several bicycle riders off the
reservation.
_ _ _ _ '
* *
A veteran * dealer gives this advice t : "When
clcanfrig the chain of a bicycle be careful
not to practice the general habit of turning
the cycle upsjdo down and holding a rag on
tho- chain with one hand while turning the
pedal with the other , as many nasty acci
dents have happened In this way , through
thorag catching in the chain nnd drawing
the fingers of the operator In with It. The
accumulation of dust and grit upon a chain
may easily be removed by using a stiff brush.
Thla tip may save a crushed hand or the
loss of a finger. "
The almost constant hunger that an ath
lete engaged in a protracted fca.0 of endur
ance feels was well illustrated by Frank
Waller In his twenty-four hours' rldo In
New York. It Is said that ho got away
with eighty-six pounds of food , all but )
thirty-three pounds being solids. The food
was weighed by Waller's trainer before It
was given him and a record kept. Among
the quantity the trainer reported ho gave
his charge was four dozen eggs , six quarts
of coco-cola , seven pints of mirk , eight
pounds of chicken , two pounds of lamb
chops , seven pints of chicken broth , four
quarts of peppermint wafer , six quarts of
ginger ale , two gallons of water and twelve
cigars , which were smoked Immediately
after eating. It Is also said that Waller
gained six pounds In the twcntiy-four hours
of his riding.
A Now York cycle authority , referring to
the. reasons for believing In a rise in prices
next year , says : "It is not alone that the
market has shown an abllltJy to absorb the
season's output , for that Is In part ac
counted for by the fact that the manu
facturers wcro caught ! napping. Nor can
it bo entirely accounted for by the disposi
tion of buyers to glvo prominence to quality
In the requirements of their purchasers , nor
by t'ho heavy demand ( comparatively ) for
the better grades of machines. It is rather
in a combination of all these , and some
other factors , that warrant is found for the
belief that t'ho bottom has been reached al
Tast. "
A simple pocket filter , which may save
cyclists and travelers from disease germs
'
is a short rubber tube with a mouthpiece
nt ono end nnd a wire netting at the other
Inside the netting is a small portion ol
powdered charcoal In a little net cell
When the charcoal end of the tube is in
serted in the water , the germs are not al
lowed to pass , and the charcoal frees th <
water from all Impurities which may b (
contained in It. The tube acts ns a straw
through .which the water Is drawn , pure ant
clear. It is a handy way to drink from t
brook. In taking a rldo through the countrj
ono cannot bo sure of the purity of the watci
In strange places , and the filter Is a safe
guard against all possible trouble.
"Nature's cocktail" la what n Brooklyt
lawyer calls cycling. "I did think once tha
It was a grand thing to get out and whee
along the cycle path to Coney Island , " hi
said , "but now if that was the only place :
could go I would sell my wheel or tradi
It for a pair of walking boots. To my mini
the glory of the bicycle , the greatest boot
It has bestowed , is In the fact that It hai
opened up the country to those who llvi
bound In by brick and mortar and do theii
work Indoors. I llko , on Sundays txnd boll
days nnd whatever other days I can spare
to got on my wheel and start out In thi
country and just lese myself In the byroads
far away from the regular trends of travel
I think this sentiment is growing , and it I
a good thing for humanity and a gooi
thing for the permanency of the bicycle tha
it is. In all the realm of exercise am
Idling there Is nothing more restful and In
spiring than this conquest of distance nm
dawdling in absolute rusticity within th
limits of ono day. "
\VlilsiierliiK of the Wheel.
Tbo political pot of the Nebraska division
League of American Wheelmen , haa com
menced to simmer and In all probablllt ;
will bo at the boiling point with anothe
week. Regardless of the fact that this dl
vision like all of the rest has been grad
ually weakening and the Interest wanlni
there promises to bo a lively flght for differ
ent olficcs that are to be vacated Dec mbe
I. So far none of the local wheelmei
prominent In League circles have be n slate
for any of the offices. There seems , how
ever , to bo two candidates In the field fo
the nomination for chief consul. These ar
F. C. Allen of Beatrice and Di
A. R. Edralston , who calls Llncoli
and Omaha both his home. The prcsen
chief consul , D. J. O'Brien , announces tha
If Dr. Allen will accept the nomlnatto ;
ho will not bo a candidate but otherwls
he. will cuter the race. Dr. Allen at presen
holds the officQ of secretary-treasurer for th
division and his administration haa been s
satisfactory that hla friends are all desirou
of , having him at the head of the dlvlsloi
during 1S09 , Sir. Edmlston , It will be re
incmbercj , held the position of chief consu
during 1S9G. and not any of the local wheel
menjmvo forgotten how unsatisfactorily hi
administration was , therefore It Is prett ;
E.ite to cay that ho will stand very llttl
show of getting elected. While the cycllni
editor realizes that Dr. Allen would mak
a splendid consul , yet at the .same time h
believes that if the present chl f consul
D. J. O'Brien , Is re-elected thU fall , thi
division will rccclTe recognition from th
national assembly la 15 ? of Mr
O'Brien being made chairman of one of the
atlonal committees or at least being ten-
cred a position on the national racing
loard. Ho was exceedingly popular at both
ho assemblies of ' 07 and ' 93 nnd should bo
ent again In ' 99. For vlco consul , J. A.
Jensen , the present Incumbent , deserves
rc'-electlon for his faithful work In the di
vision's behalf , but as ho positively ro
uses to be a candidate again eome ono clso
will have to be found for tbo place. Lin
coln should have recognition and W. L.
luntcr of that city would bo a good man for
vice consul or secretary-treasurer. Nomina
tions close October 15 , after which time the
different tickets will b published. The elec
tion occurs between November 1 and 15.
Considerable Interest Is being manifested
jy local wheelmen In the coming good roads
convention , which opens in this city next
Saturday. President Potter and Ghalrmnn
of Good Roads Committee Otto Doruer of
the League of American Wheelmen are to
bo present , and nil local wheelmen are In
vlted to attend the conference , as some
particularly fine discourses will bo heard
upon the good roads question which should
Interest every devotee of the wheel In this
section of the country.
Owing to lack of enthusiasm over cen
tury runs among members of the Omaha
Wheel club , Captain Tom Mlckel was com
pelled to declare last Sunday's proposed
century run off.
The wheelmen of Omaha , Council Dluffs
and other neighboring towns arc talking of
holding a grand annual wheelmen's reunion
next Sunday , and whllo no definite plans
have aa yet been made , It Is quite likely
that the affair will bo held at Sarpy Mills
where a program of races and other sports
will bo arranged for.
Colonel Albert A. Pope , the veteran bl-
cycle manufacturer , nnd ono of the first
agitators of good roads In this country , has
announced his Intention of visiting the ex
position during Jubiieo week.
Fred Schinneer is desirous of securing the
twenty-four hour American record , and the
world's figures also , If possible. Ho would
like to make the attempt on the Ravens-
wood track some time within the next week
or two , and Is confident ho can not only
j break Waller's record of 492 2-3 miles but
hat , given the benefit of good pacing and
vlnd shields , ho can pile up GOO miles In the
ull day. Cordang'a record stands at GIG ,
jut Schinneer is not so certain of breaking
heso figures. He thinks ho can get some
hlrty pacemakers In Chicago and the im
mediate vicinity. His Idea is to rldo John
awson a two-hour match race nnd then
< eep on for the twenty-four hour record ,
t Is a proposition worth considering on the
iart of the Ravenswood people.
Tom Linton , the Welshman , whoso sue-
: ess on the path in this country during the
lummer was not so encouraging as to com-
> el him to remain In the country , has given
hla impresslona to the foreign press of
Americans and the way cycle racing la con
ducted in this country. Ho said : "They
lave the fastest tracks In the world , nnd
ho finest pacing machines. The sln-
; les , used by the racing men , are the best
and lightest that I have ever seen. The
climate , too , is lighter than that of Europe ,
nnd this year America has been the king
pin of cycle racing. Ths association with
whom I was under contract lost money ,
and so did the other promoters , but it is
directly traceable to the greedy attempt
on the part of the professional promoters
to squeeze all of the money out of the
: ountry when it was slack. The promoters
are a bad lot , but the racing men are clever
and the paraphernalia for racing is the
finest. "
WIIEX TIII3 IXDIAXA WAS STRUCK.
An Eiilxoilc of the Sen FlRht an Told
l y nn Otllcer.
The battleship Indiana disclosed a very
Interesting relic of her experience in helping
demolish Admiral Cervera's fleet off Santi
ago , when her hull was exposed to view in the
dry dock at the Brooklyn navy yard the
other day. This was a great ) dent In her
forward starboard bow , almost beneath the
bridge. Its history , given by the New York
Post , Is this :
In the thick of the fight ! , when shot and
shell were churning up the water and whiz
zing through the nir all about the ship , nnd
she waa replying In repeated broadsides
from every gun that could bo brought tt
bear , there suddenly came through the roai
and hurtling a swiftly Increasing , superem-
, inent who-o-o-lsh nnd harsh scream thai
seemed headed straight for the commandei
, and his aids on the bridge for no ono en-
sconsed himself In the
conning-tower dur
ing that spectacular sea flght.
"It made us all flinch , " remarked nn offi
cer who was there , dropping his shouldei
and cocking his knees and shrinking Into a :
small a space as his bulk allowed , in
traMon of what ho meant. "Everybody die
It instinctively , Irresistibly turned theii
heads away , and lifted the right elbow ai
if to ward off a blow with a club ; and then
was a second or two of awful waiting , whlli
the roar and the scream seemed to still al
the rest of the battle roar and to comi
straight to t'ho ear.
"Then followed an Immeasurable roar i
shocking , benumbing , blinding explosion , ani
a prodigious fountain of water burst ui
beside the bow and deluged the forwan
deck , whllo the ponderous ship , tearing If
way through the water with gigantic weigh
and momentum , seemed to stop auddenl ;
and was Jarred from stem to stern as If eh
had run against a stone wall.
"Captain Taylor Instantly ordered mei
into the forward hold , feeling sure that
bigger projectile than the navy had eve
dreamed of had pierced perhaps crushed litho
the side of his magnificent vessel. The :
hurried below with lanterns , slid down th
steep Iron ladders , dropped through roun
hatchways , crept about and beneath the ma
chlnery , exploring the gloomy recesses o
the depths of the structure , but could fin
nothing wrong. The great engines throbbe
on , the furnaces flamed and roared , n
water gurgled ominously or burst up t
flood them out everything was tight an
dry and the ship kept rushing on and th
guns maintained their terrific cannonade.1
"What had happened ? "
"Wo were never quite sure till wo coul
examine her bottom hero In the dry docl
Then we found an elongated , trough-Ilk
dent , perhaps two Inches deep , in the plate
of the starboard bow , about four feet belo\
the water line , and we became sure of wha
wo had previously suspected , namely , tha
a great shell , falling at the end of a curve
trajectory , had struck , glanced and burst
The Impact was tremendous the escape slm
ply marvelous , " ,
"Supposing your ship had been 100 fee
to the right of her actual position at tha
moment what then ? "
"God knows ! Some sub-lieutenant wouli
have brought the Indiana back to Nev
York If he had had anything left to brln ;
back. "
_ \o CHUNK ttir Coiniilnliit ,
Two Irish laborers , old-time friends , me
on the street In San Francslco recently , n'ni
after a cordial handshake , ono of them In
quired : "An1 where have yecs be'n
MolkeVorkln1 on the farums li
southern California. " was the reply , "am
O'm molghty glad tor git back. " "Wha
happened yces there ? " waa the next In
qulry. "Th1 weather. It was too doombei
hot. Why , whin Ol was a-workln' nen
Frlsno th' t'crmom'tcr marked wan hun
dred and sixteen dagrals In th' shade. '
"Is that BO ? Will , be hlvens , they dldn'
make yees worruk In th' shade , did they ? '
A stubborn cough or tickling In the thrcn
yields to Ono Minute Cough Cure. Hormlee
In eflect. touches the right ? pot , reliable an
just what la wanted. It acts at ouce.
LIGHT IN DARK CONTINENT
Possibility. of Africa Becoming the Third
Great Anglo-Saxon Power ,
PRESENT POSSESSIONS OF THE POWERS
AilrnntnKc of Great JlrHnln' * I'lmlllou
Mini the Superior Value of It *
lIolilltiKH Frnnce I'lny-
IIIR n LonliiK Gninc.
LONDON , Sept. 20. It seems only yester
day that public attention was centered on
Cuba , Then It shifted to China. Now It Is
ixed on Africa , General Kitchener haa
.wept . all before him at Omdurman. Gordon
3 avenged. With the masterly hand of n
; enlus Kitchener haa moved persistently
orward. After Omdurman ho advances wlth-
ut delay and challenges the French claims
n 'tho ' lower Soudan. Ho orders Marchand
ind Ltotard to evacuate Fashoda , bringing
ho Anglo-French dispute to a crisis. In
, ho south Cecil Uhodes makes the wonderful
claim that ho will build a railroad from
ialro to Capo Town. For the next fifty
ears nation building promises to center In
'Darkest ' Africa. "
Will the French glvo way ? How will the
nuropcans dlvldo up the continent ? What
will the effect bo on America ? Can Cecil
Rhodes carry out his gigantic plan ? All
these questions suggest Interesting possi
bilities.
The story of Africa as she Is today Is the
oft-repeated story of British brains am
British sand ; 'tho story of that greatest cle
ment In the Anglo-Saxon character , 1U
colonizing faculty. The fight for territory
hero Is betwcn England and Franco am
England wins as she always has won. Look a
the map of Africa. In actual area Franco
holds the most. Her Hag flies over 3,000,000
square miles , whllo England's control covers
only about 2,000,000. But England makes u |
In quality her lack In quantity. Roughly
speaking , the continent of Africa Is dlvldec
Into three parts. 1. A great low area , on
the north. 2. An Immense tableland ex
tending from the Sahara desert southward
through the continent. 3. The mountalnou
'
region along the coast ; the passageway to
the itableland. The first , the desert 6l Sa.
bo.ru , Is for France ; the second , the mea
of the continent , is for England ; the third
n sort of rind , belongs for the most part t
Portugal and Germany.
The principal rivers , lakes and harbor
belong mostly to England. The only first
class harbor not under English control I
Delagoa bay and on this the British lion ha
fixed a gaze which means that ho will nebo
bo denied. Franco has the Upper Niger-
Leopold of Belgium holds a part of th
Kongo river England holds the rest of th
navigable waterways. English gunboat
patrol the lakes. The Kongo Frco State an
Germany Jointly hold Lake Tanganyika
But Lake Nyasaa , the lakes of the Zambesoj
the lakes of the Upper Nik > and Lake Tcha <
are controlled by the government at London
England has the fertile valleys of the Nile
which after frightful mismanagement b
the Egyptians and years of recuperation b
the English , Is now holding Its own. Sh
has the rich country of the Uganda and the
surrounding provlncec of British Easl
Africa , She has Capo Colony with Its farm.
Ing lands and Its ranches. And lastly she
has the richest part of that Golconda of the
world , the diamond and gold fields of Soutl
Africa ,
EiiKluiiil'fl Grcnt MlRtnlce.
There Is one more fact about England's
territory , and an important one , because ii
bears directly on the railroad of Cecl
Rhodes' imagination. The sweeping.vlotorj
of Kitchener will now warrant us in calllnj
the Soudan Egyptian and therefore Brltlsl
territory. A glance at the map will show i
straight line of England's territory fron
Cairo to Capo Town , with but one break
The waving of the Union Jack through al
those 5,000 miles of territory is preventei
only by a narrow strip of C40 miles. Tha
land was taken by an Englishman , but mos
unfortunately acting under the Belgian flag
aster than other portions of the Dark Con-
ncnt , because It already has such a splcn-
Id start. The district Includes Capo Col-
ny , Natal , Bcchanaland , Matabcle , Hash-
mahind and other smaller provinces. Capo
Jolony has been known for centuries. Orlg-
nally settled by the Dutch and afterwards
coupled by the English , there exists in vho
olony a strong element of political frlc-
lon , which sometimes takes the form of
n outbreak. The temporary setback to
/'cell Rhodes In t'ho elections of last month
s but another example of the pertinacity
f the Dutch. Further north , the English
re pushing Into the vast territory of Rho
desia.
AlmoBt surrounded by the land of the
English and with nearly a half of their pop
ulations composed of that nationality , are
Cwo Independent countries , the Trnusvaat
and the Orange Free State. That they will
lold aloof from England's control for a
number of years Is unquestioned , but that
hey will bo absorbed finally uudor a pro
tectorate seems inevitable.
This then Is the condition of the British
star of empire hi South Africa. Situated al
most entirely in the temperate zone , rich
n farming and grazing lands , containing
almost fabulous mineral wealth waiting to
jo developed , It ) stands today England's
greatest African colony.
Afrit-mi llnlMrnr I.lne * .
What progress has Cecil Rhodes made with
ils railroads and does that progress warrant
Ills claim of a railroad from Cairo to Capo
Town ? Hero is another mop showing the
existing railroads In Africa today :
In Egypt the railroad has followed the
British advance. In 1896 It reached Wndy
> Haifa , a distance of 800 miles from Cairo.
> In 1S97 It was pushed forward to Berber ,
300 miles more. The capture of Omdurman
means the immediate continuation of the
i railroad to that point. The necessities of a
s big army , the Immediate need of occupying
i in force the whole of the district , calls for
rapid construction. The present railroad In
Egypt has been built alost entirely for mlll-
) tary purposes and its chief characteristic
t is military utility. After the war has closed ,
I the branches of commercial value will bo
r advanced on the foundation already laid
; down by the army.
i In British East Africa a line has been
i planned to run from Mombosa on the coast
i to Lake Victoria. Already the first 100 miles
. have been opened and trains are running.
I The whole distance to bo built is 656 miles
1 and It Is estimated that less than five years
t will bo necessary for finishing the work ,
t Some of the details ID the running of the :
. I tralna are interesting. They stirt and re-
line had been carried from Buluwayo to
Zurnbo on the Zambezi river. The natives
now telegraph to each other In their own
tongue. The last reports place the terminus
of the line nt Katakata on the western shore
of Uiko Nyassa , and the advance men are
halt way up to Lake Tanganyika , Hero they
reach the break In English territory. But
King Leopold realizes the Immense value
of the line and has agreed to continue tlui
work to Wadelnl on the Nile. Here It wilt
bo ultimately met by the wires of Kitchener
and ono of the most Important Industrial
enterprises of recent years will bo accom
plished.
llncUlioiie of African ClvllUnllon.
The railroads of South Africa have been
In operation for a number of years. From
Capo Town , from Durban In Natal and from
Dclacoa bay lines have been built to meet
the demands of the Transvaal Industries.
The end of 1S97 marked the first real step
In Cecil Rhodes' plan when the railroad was
extended northward ns far as Buluwayo.
The financial success of this enterprise has
so encouraged Rhodes that ho has petitioned
the English government to guarantee the
Interest on the next section , the line from
Buluwayo to Lake Tanganyika. Thla line
will proceed northeasterly to Zumbo
passing through the Sanga coal fields.
Crossing the Zambezi on a ferry It will pass
through northern Rhodesia , opening up a
new territory peculiarly filled by Its atti
tude lot white colonization. Finally It will
strike the lower end of Lake Tanganyika.
This new portion will cover a distance of
SOQ miles and the expense of building It
will bo 2,600,000. The guarantee of the
RAILWAY BUILDING AS PROJECTED.
government would enable the company to
obtain the loan at 3 per cent , instead of G
per cent. As the line to Buluwayo was a
paying ono from the start there are good
reasons to believe that the government will
not lose money by such a guarantee.
Granting the building of the Lake Tan
ganyika branch and the extension of Kitch
ener's line to Fashoda , both to bo accom
plished within a period of flvo years , Eng
land will then have covered , measuring In
an air line , 1,700 miles southward , Cairo to
Fashoda , and 1,900 miles northward , Cape
Town to Lake Tanganyika , This will leave
unfinished only 1,400 miles , as the crow
files , in Kongo Frco State and British East
Africa. Leopold Is In favor of developing
Kongo , and therefore ifo Is building the
road through his territory. The rich lands
of British East Africa and the necessity of
Joining the north and the south would bo
ample reason for building the link from
Lake Victoria to Fashoda , so that some
where between 1915 and 1925 wo may expect
to see ono "trunk" line of railroad from
I Had England stood back of Stanley , had
she listened to bis pleadings and not driven
him to Leopold of Belgium , there would
have been an unbroken line of English ter-
a i
rltory today through the center of Africa ,
from the Mediterranean to the Capo of Good
n
Hope. The Kongo Free State makes the sln-
glo break. Stanley found It. Belgium has es-
°
tabllshed a protectorate. Still the obstacle
can bo overcome. Leopold Is working In en-
if tlro accord with England's plans. He .has
established England's policy of "tho open
*
: door" In all trade matters. He will placa
noobstruction to any plans that will lead
0 The value of Egypt commercially lies In
the Nile river. The raising of the river and
0 the consequent fertilization of the land ren
ders two and sometimes three crops a year
possible. This gives an Immense agricultural
output. The Soudan Is Immensely fertile and
when once under control will play an im
portant part In the world's wheat supply.
s South of the Soudan , extending'In a south-
east direction to the coast , Is British East
Africa. It includes Ugandu , high , fertile
land with a superb climate , the lakes of the
Upper Nile and tbo Islands of Zanzibar and
Pemba. The exports are the usual tropical
ones Ivory , gum , rubber , hides , etc.
South of British East Africa lies the
Kongo Free State and German East Africa.
Below these comes British Central Africa.
This tract of land Is situated along the west
shore of Lake Nyassa. The area la 300,000
square miles. In which the process of de
velopment is Just starting. Roads have been
built , farming has been carried on , yet Vho
great bulk of the territory Is little known.
In West Africa , England holds control of
the Lower Niger and four small provinces.
The total extent ) of the domain Is 600,000
square miles. Nigeria is run by the Hoyal
Niger company , whoso power there Is al
most sovereign. The products are all trop
ical In character nnd amounted to 6,000,000
in IS'JT. The west boundary line of this
province has been for six years a disputed
question between the English and the
French and was determined in August of
this year by arbitration. The result was a
compromise , but England got tbo better of
the bargain.
\Vnndcrfnl South Africa ,
South Africa will probably bo developed
HOW AFRICA IS DIVIDED TODAY.
turn on alternate days. The Journey inland
is up grade and the speed Is twelve miles
an hour. The prices are In three classes ,
the first being 38 rupees , the second 19 and
the third 3 rupees 3 annas. A feature that
may appeal to Americans is the names of
the stations Chaugamwc , Samburu , MaJI
Chumol. What possibilities for the Intelli
gent brakeman !
In Portuguese East Africa a line has been
built from Belra on the coast to Umtall
and Is In running order. This is ultimately
Intended to connect at Salisbury with the
road from Capo Town through Huliiwayo.
Before speaking of the railroads of British
South Africa , It may bo well to say a word
about the telegraph lines , because the rail
roads will follow In their track , The telegraph -
graph la the scout of tbo railroad system In
Africa its advance agent. Along with the
Iron rail from Cairo to Cape Town runs
Rhodes' plan of a wire line. And U will be
finished In a few years. Last Christmas the
Cairo to Capo Town , branches tapping It a
intervals nnd connecting it with all the im
portant cities along the eastern coast. I
will ally bo a great backbone of clvlllza
tlon extending through the center of tin
Dark Continent and bring all the wonder
ful resources of the interior into Intimat
touch with all the world.
I'liNNllillKli-N of nicclrli-ltj- .
Ono other great factor will shortly con
tribute to the development of Africa. Thli
Is long distance transmission of electrli
power. Already the waterfalls of the , NII
at Assuan have been harnojscd nnd powr
U being transmitted overland to variou :
points. Alexandria Is being lighted by trans
milted electric power. Prof. George Forbss
the English engineer , has returned latelj
from an extended visit to the Interior of thi
continent. Ho has decided that Vlctorli
Falls In the center of Africa can bo bar
nojsed and made to transmit thousands o
horse power over hundreds of miles of un
developed territory , where It can be usei
GREAT CUT
100 1898 MODEL.
$75 WORLD BICYCLE for
$49.50
$60 $ KENWOOD $35 ,
AS LONG AS THEY LAST.
Wheels Rented and Repaired ,
H. E. FREDRICKSON ,
Tel. 493. N. E.Cor. 15th & DOIRC ! St
Bicycles
at cost.
A.t prices to close out our slock.
$50 Manhattan Wheels ,
$26.00
, vith up to date lines and
choice of equipment.
heap wheels at $13.50. -
NEB. CYCLE CO. ,
Corner 15th and Harnoy.
200 New
BICYCLES
AT
WHOLESALE
PRICES . . ,
$15.00 to $25.00
' 99 Models Now In.
OMAHA BICYCLE CO. ,
Cor. 16th and Chicago.
ED. T. I1EYDEN , Mgr.
nt a comparatively trifling cost to develop
nil the natural resources. It is estimated
that this capacity to develop thousands of
horse power In the wilderness without the
need of coal will hasten the development of
Africa 100 per cent. It Is suggested that
oven the railroads may bo able to utilize
this power In the Interior.
This is Africa ns it is today. Its future
will depend on the working out of the vari
ous schemes which nro being operated by
the great nations now contending for pos
session of its territories. In any event It
will go forward rapidly ; that is Inevitable.
Doubtless the direct influence of the two na
tions which are trying to oraw : a Maltese
cross over the land will cause its projects
to spring forward nnd , it must bo admitted ,
will In the end bo better for the native.
France's self-centering policy will hardly
permit the development to go on nt the rate
nt which England will push the work. En
gland now seems to have clutched the meat
of the nut and its natural acquisitiveness
will cnuso it to flght for It It neceseary.
With Mr. Cecil Rhodes pusiilng his rail
ways and telegraphs from the south , Gen
eral Kitchener pushing down from the north
and with the moral force of Britain's past
achievements behind it all , there seems llt-
tlo doubt as to how the star of the empire
will bo made to shlno over the Dark Conti
nent.
TUB W13ST HAS MOVI2D.
Blnntnnn Ol > Je > ot * to Former Gco-
KrniiliU-iil ria slu > iitlon.
"Wo of the cast , " said a Now York man ,
addressing a Sun reporter , "do not appre
ciate how the country has spread , as a re
sult of the war with Spain , as our fellow
citizens in the west appreciate It. I waa
In the office of my hotel , near the counter ,
when a new arrival wrote his nnmo and
town nnd said ho wanted a front room with
a private tath. My business keeps mo on
the alert for people who Hvo beyond the
Mt ! > sit-ElppI , , and as soon as I could do so
with propriety I looked at the register and
saw that the new arrival was from Helena ,
Mont. Then I made my advances by ask
ing him how business was In the west. At
that bo flared and asked :
" 'How do you know where I am from
what makes you think I am from the west ? '
"I explained that I had looked at the reg
ister , and In order to appease any suspicion
on his part that I had a gold brick to dis
pose of I handed him my card and apolo
gized , for when you have done that to u
western man ho is yours.
" 'Hut I am not from the west , ' ho pro
tested.
" 'You are from Montana ? ' I asked.
" 'That's what ; but you don't call Mon
tana the west , I reckon , ' ho replied with a
combination of southern and western ac
cent.
"I said as mildly as I could that It was so
classified In the geography I knew and so
regarded by people in the east ,
" 'Not since the war , ' he replied.
"For a moment I did not know where I
was 'at , ' Hut ho came to my relief ,
" 'I reckon you know we've recently took
the Sandwich Islands in out of the wet ? '
"I acquiesced with proper American pride.
" 'I reckon you know about that other
Island , Luzon , or whatever they call It ?
That's Just ns good ns ours as long as
' . '
Dewey's there.
"I followed him In his enthusiasm , for It
was infectious , and I assented.
" 'Well , then , ' he asserted as a clincher ,
'If you want to know how business Id In
the west , you had better call up Honolulu
or Manila. Strikes me , If there was no
mistake made by Dewey and I don't t'alnk
there was that Helena , Mont. , comes pretty
nigh helm ; In the middle of the United
3
States as they lay at the present writ-
Ing. ' "
Henjamln Sllllman , survivor of the whig
convention which nominated William Henry
Harrison for president and John Tyler for
vlco president , has Just celebrated his 934
birthday In New York Oity. Mr. Sllllmtu
Is Btlll vigorous of Intellect , lively of Ima
gination and happy of wit , _ .
;