TTTE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: NOVEMBER 1. 1903
Golden City of the Transvaal Country in the Throes of Hard Times
(Copyright, 190. by Frank O. Carpenter.)
OHANNESBURO Special 0t.
reppondonce.) t writ thla la
the golden capital of Bouth
Africa. Johannesburg rests oo
a reef out of which haa bean
taken 9n0.000.000 worth of tna
precious metal and which la supposed to
have $10n0,00p.000 or $3,000,000,000 loft. There
In more gold about It than about any other
c ity of the world, and mora la coming from
It than from any other gold region. Johan
nesburg la the Denver of Africa, and, tike
our Denver. It la about a mile above tha
sea. Indeed, It la aven higher than tha
great mining city on the edge of tha
Rockh a. It Is close to 6,000 feet, and If you
could stretch a wire about the earth at lta
altitude, It would almost cut the top of
Mount Washington.
. . ' ;vij. ' :.;!! iu it .: . -' '.:i-"r . . .;;
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III
Drover Versus Johannesburg-.
'Denver and Johannesburg have many
things in common. They are both on
Mgh plains and Sot far from bleak, semi
deserts. They are both In the hearts of
the continents to which they belong.
Denver Is shout half way across the
Unlid States. If is a little bit over
the edge, perhaps, veering toward tha,
west, which, after all, la the best part of
our big country. Johannesburg la about
half way between the Atlantic and In
dian oceans, and it Is farther north of
the Cape of Good Hop than Sandy Hook
Is east of Chicago. Its nearest port la
Delngoa bay on the Indian ocean, which.
im uuoui mnes aisiant, ana it can
also be reached by rail from Durban,
which Is a little more than eighty miles
farther.
Both cities are based upon gold, and
are fed by the mines. The territories
which support Denver lie In the Rocky
mountains at its back?, extending a long
distance to the i.orh and south. Those
which support Johannesburg are. right,
under the city, and they run In a great
narrow strip east and west. They con
sist it several veins, covering a distance
of 130 miles. The best part of the whole
haa onlv a lemrth nt iitv n . - ,
it Is right in the center of thla that Jo
hannesburg Is situated. Some of the
houses are built over gold mines, and
the streets run over land which haa been
honeycombed with tunnels and filled up
again, after the gold haa been taken
our. for fear that tha buildings might
fall In. When one climbs to the roofs
of the houses of this city he can see
the smpkeslacka of the mines extending
east and west almoJt as far as the eye
can reach. There are little white moun
tains of tailings standing out upon the
landscape In either direction, and these
mountains come right to the city Itself.
FanndVdlr Miners.
Both cities were founded by miners.
Denver was started In ltl-a, Just a half
century ago, Johannesburg dutM hnoir
only to The land about both cities
l WUS considered almrutt wnrtKin.. ,r,u ,u-
1 - .. . UI1L.I 11 1 13
mines were discovered. The ground upon
which New York stands was once sold for
a half peck of glas beads and brass but
i tons, the site of Melbourne was bought for
a pair of old blankets and tha foundation
of all Chicago, waa offered for a pair of
cowhide boots. In early days there waa
a 2,000-acre farm on the site of Johannes
burg and It was sold for a team of broken
down oon. Today the land and building
which stand on that farm are .aa sensed at
about 50.000.000 and from It goes out mora
than 1100,000,000 worth of gold every year.
In January, 1906, two business lots, not far
from where that farmer's hut stood,
brought $110,000. and it la only four yeara
aince the Standard Bank of Bouth Africa
purchased the stand upon which It haa
eroctcd a building worth 1750,000. A lot
on Prltchard street . sold for $200,foo about
nlno years ago and there are business lo
cations Kere so valuable that one would
have to cover them with bank notes to
buy tl.em. This is so now, notwithstand
ing that times are hard and business Is
decidedly dull.
And still Johannesburg Is only about 21
years old. When our boys who are to cast
their first votes at the coming presidential
election were law, red babies the country
about here was a wilderness and a wnste,
covered with arr&sa during a ean ..ik.
of the year and a bleak and burned desert
for tho reminder. It was then In Its be
ginning as a mining camp and Its most
striking features were canvas tenta, mud
buts and ox wagons. The first lots were
then selling for a few shillings apiece and
It was not until some time that buildings
of tin and galvanised Iron begun to rise.
Johannesburg of Today.
The Johannesburg of today U mad of
steel, stone and wood. It has many five
and elx-atory structures, although the
skysorapers of Denver are absent. It is
not a well built as Denver, but it Is a
magnificent city considering Its source of
, auppues ana inai it i away oir ham in
Vth wilds. Th town haa Just about the
l same population as Denver. It numbers
j about 150,000 souls, but 60,000 of thee
are blacks mad up of Kaffirs from all
parts of South Africa.
Johannesburg 1 laid out somewhat like
Denver, It street generally cross each
other at right angles, and they run far
out Into the country. There are tome.
, tiling like 700 miles or roadways, and
the town altogether haa a municipal area
of rnore than eighty square miles. There
are town lots far out In the country and
enough streets have been planned to ac
commodate the growth of the next 100
years.
Denver has as good a street car system
a any city of Us stse in the world. Its
elecUlo lines cover every part of the
municipality and reach far Into the coun
try beyond. Johanneuburc has about tha
best car system of Bouth Africa, and the
lines belong to the municipality. I un
derstand that they pay well and leave a
big profit every year In the city treasury.
Th street car are all double-decker.
There Is a covered compartment on the
roof. and. for a "ticket" that is. S
pence you can go to any part of th
city or Its suburb.
I do not know how many ohurchea Den
ver has, but I venture there Is no de
nomination In the United 6tates which
has nut at least one house of God there.
Tim same Is true of thla Baal-worshlping
town of th Transvaal. It produces
enough of the yellow metal to make a
big herd of golden calves every year, but,
nevertheless, it keeps the Sabbath and
haa nu end of Protestant and Catholla
clii
111
bu
churches. The Engllah church will hold
100 people and It cost over $200,000 to
lid. There la also a lane Jewish svn-
ugogue. about thirty Freemasonry lodges
and some other, seml-rellglous organiza
tions. A to amusement, these South African
towns pay more attention to such things
than w do ' in America Johannesburg
ha athletlo grounds which cover thirty
acres. Including fields for cricketing,
bicycling and golfing. There is a woman's
bicycle track and outside the city limits
there Is a race course, where raeea are
periodically held throughout th year.
At the summer and winter handicap
th prims amount to $11,000 or more, and
there Is a meeting each eou. beo the
races last for three days. Th town has
a turf club and social clubs of various
kinds. U has a recreation and concert
hall which will hold 2.500. I think Its
cilUen pay jnor attention to fun than
we do. There Is no business dona after
noon Saturday, and the people then (o to
the races and club ground. The city
haa fairly good theaters. It haa a pub
llo library, a university and excellent
sch oola.
Slaty Thousand Blacks.
Johannesburg has, In' proportion, a larger
colored population than Washington. It
has 60,000 or 70,000 natives, made up of
Kafirs, Basutos and other negroes of thla
part of the world. The blacks are not al
lowed to vote, and they have little to do
except as worker for the whites. They
have far less rights than our negroes, al
though they dress and look much the
same. The Kafir here rides In a suprcrate
car, a little trailer wTilch la attached to
the rear of the trains' for his accommoda
tion. In going along the streets the ne
groes must keep off the pavements and:
wulk only on the edge of the roadway or
in the middle of the streets. He has his
own churches and schools, and the whites
expect him to keep to them.
About the only municipal positions that
the blacks have are aa assistant police
men. They are dressed In uniforms, and
carry oluba, which are more like shilla
lahs than our police clubs at home., The
Kafirs also act aa jlnrlksha men. They
have little vlctorla-Uke two-wheeled car
riage, In which they pull one about for
12 cents per mile, or 78 cents per hour. Tha
Jlnrlksha men are mostly Zulus, and they
are among the queerest natives I have
ever seen. They dress their hair In all
sorts of ways, making ft stand out from
their heads In great rolls or horns. Not a
few of them have real cow horns so fast
ened to their heads that they seem to
grow there, the root of the horns being
hidden In the wool. These men wear
breeches which reach half way down the
thigh, leaving tha lower part of the lega
and feet bare. They paint the bare por
tion with whitewash.
Unemployed White.
Of the 80,000 whites In Johannesburg about
OCl.OiiO are males and the remainder females.
In other words, there are about 20,0)0
more men than women, and a large part
cf the former are bachelors who have coma
here to seek their fortunes. Many of thesa
drifted In here at the time of the war and
Gleanings
Too Previous. ,
RICHMOND woman has In her
- l,..t. M 1 ..
A I employ a nine ao.ra.vjr, aun
yCk I Cole. One day Miff became con-
I fMantlaJ and told his mistress
he was ' goln' to the cimltai y
next Sunday."
But, Miff, that' a long walk. You know
It la more than five mile.""
"Oh, missus, I ain't goln' to walk. I'ss
goln1 to ride."' v
"How 1 that. Miff?"
"!' Koln' in a kerrtdg r my uncle
funeral."
All day Saturday Miff eould talk of noth
ing but th approaching affair. Sunday
his mistress excused him, and she ex
pected that on Monday she would be re
galed with a full account of th funeral.
But Miff turned up with a most melan
choly face. In answer to her inquiry he
sukl:
"I didn't go, missus. He ain't dead ylt."
St. Louis Republic.
Needed the frayera.
The late Lord Sackvllle. as all the world
knows, became persona non grata to the
government while he was ambassador to
Washington, through expressing an opinion
on th political situation.
"It waa through a mean trick that Lord
Sackvllle waa led Into thla expression ef
opinion," said a London correspondent tha
other day. "Once In describing the trick to
me he compared himself to a country
clergyman.
"Thi clergyman, he explained, was
waited on on Sunday morning by a young
nun.
" 'Will you kindly ask th congregation'
prayer thla morning," ald th young man,
for poor William Smith?"
" Willingly,' said the clergyman.
"And at the proper moment in the service
he besought all those present to pray earn
estly for the unfortunate William Smith in
the great trouble and peril that encom
passed him.
"The request he was pleased to note,
made a deep impression on the congrega
tion. "After the service," meeting the young
man who had asked for Intercession in
Smith's behalf, the clergyman said:
" 'What la the matter with your friend?
Do you think it would do any good If I
were to call on him?
" 'I'm afraid not,' was the sorrowful re
ply. " Is It as bad a that?' said the clergy
man. "What la the trouble, then?
" 'BUI, said th other. Ms going to be
married.' "New York Times.
-4
Aa Artlat'a Humiliation.
Sevral good stories are related by 8ig?
Imund QoeU. H once painted his own
portrait. "I designed it as a birthday sur
prise for my mother, but one day left It
exposed in the studio, instead of, as usuaj,
covered up. Of Bourse, my mother chose
that very afternoon to call, and equally,
of course, she 'spotted' th portrait.
" 'Wh la thatr she said.
...
IN THE MARKETP SQUAR&
were soldiers In the Boer or English armlea.
When peace was declared the country waa
booming, and for awhile they found plenty
to do. At that time Johannesburg was
growing like a green bay tree. Many new
buildings were going up, real estate valuea
rose out of sight, and everything was plan
ned on the basis of Johannesburg's becom
ing a second Chicago. The money paid In
Indemnities and for the repairs necessi
tated by the war v brought thousands of
pounds Into circulation and the demand for
labor far exceeded! the supply. Mechanics
were Imported by the shipload, and wages
rose. Carpenters got SS per day and other
mechanics proportionately high wages.
Then the bottom fell - out. It wa found
that the country was overpeopled, and
that the towns were overbuilt. The new
business blocks could . not be rented, and
the values of property fell. Houses which
were worth $75,000 four years ago can be
bought tor from J25.0CO to $50,000 today, and
rents have proportionately fallen.
When the boom burst thousands of men
were thrown out of work, and there are
thousands of mechanics In South Africa
who are now a burden on the community.
White Man's Jab.
It must be remembered that there Is
prejudice here against the white man do
ing what Is considered the .black man's
work. There are many whites who would
bo glad to go Into the mines at about a
dollar a day, which Is the Kafir's wage,
but the trades unions and the people are
against It. There are about six times as
many blacks . as whites In South Africa,
and the whltea feel that they must keep
up their standing as ths superior race in
order to hold their own. Bo far the white
men act largely as overseers. They do but
little hard work, and, after they have been
In the country but a short time, they get
the Idea that hard work Is degrading and
turn all jobs of coarse manual labor over
to the Kafirs. Some of the whites have
said, 1 understand, that they will not labor
for less than a living wage, and that
amount Is considered to be at leant 10 shil
lings or $2.50 per day. So you have a lot of
reduced gentlemen mechanics down on their
uppera and half starving out here In this
land, which Is producing more gold and
diamonds than any other part of the
world.
I do not think thla la a good place for
from the Story Teller's Pack
" "Oh, a man I've been painting,' I re
plied, Instantly feeling several sizes smaller,
a shrinkage which continued almost to
vanishing point when my mother, after
another look at the picture, said severely:
'Why do you waste your time on such un
interesting people?1 "Pittsburg Chronicle.
' Blsra of tho Craft.
"In the days before even the Tile club
existed," said a member of the Players re
cently, "when I was a club reported myself,
I used, whenever I bad a week' pay in my
pocket, to dine at a quaint Uttlo restaurant
not far from Washington square.
"The place was a quiet one and had an
it peculiar attraction a waltres named
Sadie, a bland and smiling Swedish girl.
"I had noticed for several evenings a
young fellow dining, like myself, with care
ful reference to the right hand side of the
menu. My curiosity was excited about him,
and one evening I called the affable Sadie
to my table.
" 'Sadie, who Is that fellow over there?"
I asked.
" 'His name ban Smith, said she; .'Hop
klnson Smith.'
" 'Ah, yes, said I; what Is his business,
do you knew?
" 'Vail, ay dunno yust," she replied. 'Ay
alvays fought' he ban writer faller like
you vas he neffer has mooch moneys.' ''
Harper' Weekly.
q
Wis Beyond Her Age.
Rene La Mtyitaguo, the crack polo player,
tell this tory of a very small miss, the 6-year-old
daughter of a prominent merchant
of the Cedarhurst aet.
Mr. La Montague, was driving small
trap from the Rockaway Hunt club to his
home In Cedarhurst, when he encountered
the little miss, who was out for a walk
with her nurse and a small baby brother,
who occupied the perambulator. Being an
Intimate friend of the child's parents, he
offered to give her a lift as far as her house.
The offer was accepted and on the way
Mr. La Montague waa regaled wi'h inter
esting item of family new ..which were
lisped out In rapid succession until he
pulled up In front of th house.
The child alighted, and as there wa no
body In sight on the grounds, he asked
her If she could get indoors safely.
"Oh, yes," said the little tot, "and thank
you very much."
"Don't mention It." nodded back th polo
player; when to hi surprise the child
opened her eyes very much and murmured:
"I won't." Philadelphia Record.
Who' lonely T
On day last fall, on th loneliest coat
on Cap Cod bay, th writer ran acroas an
old man living, all by himself In a little
shack hardly large enough for a chicken
coop. He wa carefully sewing on a net
and smoking a corncob pipe. One would
think, to look at the situation, that a month
of such solitude would land a man In a
madhouse.
"Don't you get awfully lonesom here.
Vnclo Ned?" I asked.
"Who, mT" he repUtd. cheerfully. "Well.
. i
na'ilil'i'V'i III ' I ii ' i i )'
EtfJi: -'-y ". "
Americans without capital. There are a
large number of our skilled specialists,
such aa mining and mechanical engineers,
who do well,, but even such men should
have a Job contracted for before they start.
This Is no place to wait for a job. Indeed,
I doubt if there Is anywhere in the world
where the bare necessities of existence
cost so much. Houses which would rent
for $15 a month In any city of this rise in
the United Statea cost here from $?5 to $50
a month; and bachelor livings that Is.
board and lodging run 'from $35 to $50 per
month per head. Clothing Is dearer than
In our country, and as to such luxuries as
I should say not. No, slr-ree.''
. "Why, Uncle Ned, what on earth do you
do to keep you busy?"
"Who, me? Why, let me see" musingly
"sometimes I sets and thinks, and some
times I Jes' sets." Success Magasine.
Heard ta a Hoyal X ornery,
A little story has come from Riicconesi,
which, if not true, at least is "ben trovato"
and shows that little pitchers exist In pal
aces as well as In cottages.
One day lately Princess Yolando, King
Victor Emmanuel's eldest daughter,! who Is
7 years old., waa heard instructing her little
brother, Umberto, In the way he should go.
"No," nhe said, "you must not call-our
American cousin 'Caterlnu.' Mamma will
do that. To you she will be Signora I'u
gina' (Mrs. Cousin). You must not be toj
tamlllar." '
"Will she bring me a Teddy bear?'' suid
the infant.
"No, you greedy boy, she will Je thf one
to have present. Anyway Teddy is cominj;
to Europe and there will he m ie hears."
Thus Is Roosevelt known In royal nurs
eries. New York Times.
He Had FUirTd It Out.
A nc-Rro who lived In Macon, Ua., was
suddenly bereaved of his wife, who had
relatives In Augusts. During the comple
tion of the funeral arrangements tha wid
ower had gone to the ra.lroad station und
asked the pike of round-trip tickets to
Augusta o tickets, one for hiins If nnd
on for the remains. The agent explained
that wlillo ihe u.dowtr might ne d a rouiul
trlp ticket for himself It would b,i neces
sary to purchase only a one-way tlck. l for
the late lament. 'd, the ajtent taking it tor
granted that the Interment waa to be at
Augusta.
"I knows wha I'm doin'!" protested the
negro, somewhat heatedly. "I'se get a lcf -tilt
Idea what I wants! Mah wlie has got
more' n eighty-nine klnfolks down to Au
gusty, an' all o' 'em wants to see her hefo'
he's burled. I'se got It all fingered o.it
dat It'll be more economlkul fo' me to take
her to Augusty and, back here agin dan
It'll be to feed a pnsm-l of niggers dat
would come from Augunty to de funeral
heah!"-At'anta Constitution.
Not Amphibious.
After a scorching day's work old lien
Smith lighted his corncob pipe and tat
down on the little wharf to rest. Near him
lay th visible result of his labors. A tour
ist from the north approached and loftily
remarked: "Ah, I see you have an alli
gator.' "It Is amphibious. Is it. not?"
"Amphibious, h-1!" he growled. "He'd
bVte yer arm off before ye could say Jack
Robinson!" Everybody's Maaiine.
F.aaU Kill a Ibark.
A remarkable combat between a large
eagle and a shark wa witnessed by Cap
tain Henderson and the crew of th steamer
Tangier in Chesapeake bay. When com
ing out of Occohannock creek they saw
th eagle dive and come to the surface
it
( .-I .' It ,S :.i ,.
COMMISSIONER STREET, JOHANNES BURO.
drinks and cigars, the charges are enorm
ous. Any kind of a bottle of ginger ale
costs 25 cents, and at the better restau
rants tha price of a Scotch highball Is a
half dollar. I have paid 25 cents for a
small glass of mineral water and 87 cents
for a glass of lemonade.
The lates at the Carlton hotel, where I
am stopping, are about the same as those
of the beet hotels of New York, and It
seema to me that the face of Queen Vic
toria on the golden sovereign, the coin
which Is universally used here, turns pale
whenever I look at It end order a meal. I
with a ' si-ark. Then followed a fierce
struggle, the shark pulling th eagle'undor
the water until It wa almost exhausted.
The fJsh was finally killed and floated dead
on the water.
Membora of the steamer's crew put off
In a small boat and captured the eagle, al
though It clawed them repeatedly, and Its
mule, hovering cloe by, tried to attack
thorn. The bird has be-n presented to the
park xoo at Baltimore.
Roundup With A. W. Jerreria
(Continued From Page One.)
of the 'fairly cheering assurances which
csmped the liptt of all.
Occasionally the camera fiend got in his
deadly work. Two young women stopped
at a street corner 'to auk of th cam
paign's progr4is. v
"Are you for jetterls?" asked one of
the party. '
"Certainly we are," came the reply In
tones of infuvy that anyone could ask
such a questl D.
"Well, then, prove it."
"How?"
"Juttt stand mill a minute, please," and
the shutter clicked.
An auto came rushing down the street.
An occupant shouted to the chaufteur and
the machine came to a standstill.
"Jf one good boost deserves another," de
clared Clark Colt, ' then we owe you sev
crsl." Four of the Omaha Boomers with whom
Jefemls traveled to the puclfio coast weru
In tlie car, and Colt's remark was In ref
erence to the addresses which Jrffcrls made
for the Omaha Boosters on that trip. With
Mr. Colt wi re Janes Taylor, William Wlg
Ijlan ami Joseph Kelly.
'If there is anything we ran do" came
from them as well us practically everyone
rive with whom Jefferls shook hands, chat
tel and joked during the day.
"I have been looking for you since
morning." Jsmes Mcintosh of Sidney was
telling Jefferls a few minutes later.
"What biliiE you to town?" asked Jef
ferls. "Wht do you suppose? I Just came in to
tee If there was anything I could do for
you."
1 tunning for office may have Its trials,
but It ought to be worth It if one has
friends like these. Assurance of good will
must ring welcome In the ears of any man
and if there could be a satiety ef thla Jet
feiie would be satiated.
Just to keep exercised, Jefferls, after ten
straight hours of meeting the voters, went
after supper to three political meetings and
was the principal speaker at each. Th
crowds would not have let him off with
mere ten-minute addresses either had he
so tiled to escape, as he did not.
Kach meeting over he wrung more hands,
and then, after all were ended, held con
ference with cloa friends and other men
on the ticket. Finally, about midnight, he
dropped off street car and walked up
the step of his home. There waa a figure
on the porch.
"Mr. Jefferls." said th figur. "w have
been organising a little club, not so little
either, as far a that goes, and If yeu oould
slip ma tJ or so, why"
Politic is a great gam.
P09TOFFICB AT JOHANNESBITRO.
(t- '"f-" ''JSaQsPSfwISKf ai
.t'-rl,i)..,
-i.f v:..) -.-if.
suppose the old lady knows she Is going
to leave me.
Like Tantalus.
Indeed, the situation of thesa people
makes me think of Tantalus, who was
condemned to stand up to his chin in water
under a loaded fruit tree and see fruit and
water retreating every time he sought to
satisfy his hunger and thirst, or of the
poor little boy whose - face - is pressed
against the glass of the candy store win
dows as he hungrily eyes tha sweetmeats
within. Johannesburg Is surrounded by
gold, bedded on gold, with gold extending
Gossip About
Lincoln and Douglas.
NK of the most Interesting
stories of all American his
torythat of the forenslo con
test between Abraham Lin
coln and Stephen A. Douglas
in Illinois fifty years ago In
told in the November "Century" by Fred
erick Trevor Hill.
In this part of the sute fFreonort), Lin
coln wa almost a stranger, and hi un
couth appearance and sloucliy bearing was
not offset by any direct knowledge of his
professional attainments. On this occasion, t
however, he speedily dispelled all doubts
of hi ability by advancing bodily to the
attack. Reminding his auditors that Doug
las had seen fit to cross-examine blm at
their Iftst meeting, he announced that lie
was prepared to. answer the seven ques
tion which had been put to him provided
his adversary would reply to questions
from him not exceeding the same number.
"I give him an opportunity to respond,"
ha continued, and, turning to Douglas,
paused for his reply.
In an Instance the vaxt audience wis
hushed. Kven the fakirs and vendors at
the outskirts of the crowd ceased plying
their trades and strove to catch a glympee
of the platform, it was a dramatic mom
ent, and n unequalcd opportunity for
Douglas, but he merely shook his head,
and smiled. "The Judge remains silent,"
continued Lincoln. "I now say I will an
swer hia Interrogatories whether "he an
swers mine or not."
No more effective challenge was eve
uttered, and the audience, quick to reoog
nito Its courage and fairness, responded
In a fiHhion that must have disconcerted
and nettled Lincoln's cautious adversary.
Certainly Douglas was in no amiable mood
whin ho rose to make reply, and the in
terruptions of the audience speedily worked
hlin Into a passion. Again and sgtin he
assailed his hearers as "Black Republi
cans," charactering their questions as vul
gar and blackguard Interruptions. sliuking
his fist in their fuces, and defying them
a a mob. More than once Mr. Turner, tho
republican moderator, was drawn into the
fray by the speaker's aggressive tactic a.
and the whole meeting wa occasionally
n the verge of tumult. Lincoln's closing
address, however, had a calming effect;
and when Ma time expired the audience
quietly dispersed, to spread th news
throughout the countryside, that this un
known lawyer was actually out-maneuvering
his distinguished adversary and forc
ing him Into the open, beyond reach of
cover or possibility of retreat.
The Orlatlual Tons?.
The death, at thn ripe age of 79 year, of
the original Topsy in the stage version of
"Vnele Tom' Cabin" must, says the New
York Time, awaken many dormant mem
ories in th mind of men and women to
whom that lurid representation of southern
slavery wa once a source of aesthetic grat
ification. Probably "Cncle Tom Cabin"
haa been the most popular American play,
and for many year Mr, a. C. Howard
u almost th only theatrical Topsy. Long
f Mil
' s
... t-h. 'i
LSI
..it
thirty miles on each sido of It. It is pour
ing out 120 odd millions of gold dollars
every twelve months and for the past ten
years It has been flooding the globe.. Never
thelees Its people are poor and the most ol
the treasures they dig up from their soil
go to the nabob of England and the stock
companies of Europe. It la somewhat Ilka
Ireland, a country of absentee landlords,
and its people are the white and black
slaves of these far-away millionaires. In
addition to this the country la cursed by
the cheap native and Chinese labor supply.
It would be far better off if it turned out
less gold and diamonds at a high wag
rate and the wages were spent at home.
Soath AfrtcaTla Debt.
As result of thla boom "and Its collapse
the Bouth Africans are deeply In debt.
Both farms and business blocks are plas
tered with mortgages and interest rates
re comparatively high. The people are
optimistic and they have all the push of
the pioneer In fast developing country.
They overestimated everythfng at the time
of the war and branched out upon credit.
During the fight with the Boer money
flowed like water. England's purse string
were opened and a golden shower rained
down on the Transvaal. New institutions
of all kinds were created. Expense were
enormously increased and everything; waa
planned aa though the war appropriation
and the large war population were to con
tinue forever. This waa not confined ta
Johannesburg, but the boom extended to
Cape Town, Durban and all the towna of
South Africa. Durban put up buildings to
accommodate 100.000 people and It ha now
Jens than 60,000, while this town could take
care of 50,000 more without overfilling It
house.
South Africa' Small Population.
Indeed,- South Africa is much bigger In
the eyes of the world than It is In rexltty.
The whole country ha not as many white
people as Philadelphia and In thla I might
Include all the whltea who live south of
the equator. Nevertheless, there are bank
here with capital of million. There are
several thousand miles of . railroad and
there are a holf dosen citle with great
port and costly Improvements. The won
der is not that South Africa 1 bard up.
It Is really a wonder that It I at all.
FRANK O. CARPENTER.
Noted People
after her youth and the disappearance of
her husband, the original 8t. Clair, from
the stage, she was often in evidence In th
principal theater.
Performances of "Uncle Tom' Cabin,"
to liav th authentlo stamp, required the
engagement of the original Topsy. Th
play wa hastily written and produced, In
Troy, N. Y in 1862, tiot for her sake; but
to enable her Infant daughter, Cordelia, to
appear as little Eva. Cordelia we i yeara
old when she first prattled with Uncle
Tom, and wa revealed, skywards, behind
a scrim drop, surrounded by stage angels,
In the catastrophe. But Cordelia, whose
wonderful precocity was the theatrlcul
marvel of the simple '50s, had grown to
womanhood and retired from the stage long
before her mother had (eased to be tha
public Ideal of the darkey hoyden who wa
never born; but "Jest growed."
A Caroline Fox Mrs. Howard, th
mother of the most gifted child actress our
theater has ever known, excepting Bijou
Heron, was herself a child actress of great
popularity. She waa born in 1829 and had a
professional reputation and a following In
the '80a. She remained In the glare of th
footlights until the nineteenth century wa
waning.' Certainly her professional career
was noteworthy, and, aa the sister of
Humpty Dumpty Fox, and the mother of
little Eva, she iiad reason to be proud of
her connections.
Tld jMmTuTTius X.
Like most aged people, Plus X sleep
very llttl and Is up at I o'clock In th
morning. He celebrates mas, ha break
fast, then takes a turn In the garden and
goes back to tlie Vatican to read the morn
ing papers. He reads them, too, with con
siderable acst. Many of the papers, during
the early" months of the papacy, referred
to his discontent with his lot and these
references much amused him. "If I am not
careful," he observed whimsically, "I'll be
leading an insurrection in the Vatican soma
day."
The pope likes tobacco and hi favorite
smoke is a Turkish cigarette. "Do you
really smoke Turkish cigarettes, your holi
ness?" asked an Kngllsh bishop during a
private audience last year,. "I do, my
child," answered Plus. "I haven't been
atle to christianise them yet." Not that
Plus X believe all th virtue are on th
side of Christianity. "Th only Christian
In Mantua are the Jew," wa th laoonio
reply ha gava a bishop of Mantua to an
official Inquiry as to th moral of hi
diocese.
Having Invited a number of th clergy to
dinner one day, the pope waa vexed to' find
them all kneeling when he entered th au
dience chamber. "Be seated at once,"' ii
commanded, to th horror of the officials.
Wbn, later, It was explained to blaj '.that
nobody wa seated lu such fashion ualoss
he wa shortly to be mad a cardinal,' th
pope only remarked; "Dear m. by being
merely polite I have burdened th church
with the salaries of Dearly 100 new princes.
Wht would have) happened if I had bea
pofiUv! hetpltabl I ae't know.
