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Show H r"A"'7 TM N.tioJ.I Ct,tnhJ: M B X Soatty, WiMnnen, dA:., ki DinnfV S SOUTH AFRICA: COUNTRY OF DIAMONDS, SAVAGES, AND HARDY PIONEERS The I'nlim of South Africa recently attracted world attention by it negative nega-tive vote on tho propositi to secede from the Rrltlsh empire. It should not be a strange country to Americans. With Its vast areas taken over from aborigines; with thousands of Its whlto settlers mnssucrod by savages, but with others, undaunted, pressing on In their prairie schooners ever farther far-ther into thu Interior of an unknown continent; with a gold rush winning u new empire; ami possessed todnj of u stubborn nice problem, South Africa, half wuy around the world from us, has ln Its history, chapters which we knew by heurt. New Yorkers York-ers cun llnd an even closer If minor tie to the residents of Cupe Town In tho fact that tho sites of both ports, uow ulmost priceless, were bought from savage landlords for it few bund-fu!a bund-fu!a of gaudy trinkets. In one respect, however, the curving curv-ing out of what Is now the Union of South Africa Is without ItK parallel In the development of the United Suites. In South Africa tho strife of two white peoples for control has been an all-Important factor.' For about a century und a -half the Dutch had possession of Unpe Town and tho muiiII urea surrounding It which hnr-bored hnr-bored ull tho whites In South Africa. Tho Nupoleonlo wars transferred possession pos-session to Knglnnd, nnd In 1800 the F.ngllsii assumed a unul control which iminy of the Dutch Inhabitants resented. re-sented. In 18110 many of tho Dutch fnrmers or "boers" begnn trekking Into the Interior with the Intention of settling beyond English lnlluenco. Wiicn Englishmen followed them they trekked farther. Flnnlly, beyond tho Oiitngu river they founded the Orange free btute, and beyond the Vnal river, flip Trnnuviitil clmi!.!!, First diamonds anil then gold were discovered In tho now states. They brojght great prosperity to the Roer republics, but they brought many outsiders out-siders ns well; and the presence of IJteso finally led to the Rper war ns n result of which tho republics came Into the possession of arent Rritaln. Asldo from tho war-torn republics and monarchies of tho last few years, the Union of South Africa Is one of the youngest of tho Important countries coun-tries of tho world. Tho territory of the Union occupies tho whole southern und houthenstorn tip of Afrlcu in u wldo strip extending about 200 miles inland from tho Indian In-dian ocean. Its urcn Incks only 25,-000 25,-000 square miles of reaching tlm half million mark. Toward the Inner edge of the territory terri-tory of tho Union nre the world's greatest great-est diamond mines, whero earth sufll-cient sufll-cient to fill thousands of cars Is screened yearly for the sake of a peck or two of diamonds. Rut the few hnndfuls of diamonds exported In 1013, tho lust year before tho World war, were worth more than fifty million dollars dol-lars nnd exceeded In value the combined com-bined value of the nianj shiploads of wool, ostrich feathers, hides und coal that sailed away from South Afrlcu tho sniuo year. Some 200 miles to tho nurtheast of the dhimond country are the gold Holds. In their midst Is tho gold-built, wonder won-der city of Johannesburg, metropolis of South Africa. After the discovery of gold In tho eighties tho city sprang up almost over night. Though nt first It wus the usual unlovely mining camp, soon substantial structures were erected, and It now ranks, with ItK well paved streets, fine buildings, nnd beautiful parks, with tho lending cities of Europe, America and Australia, It has about the same population ns Denver, Colorado, and Providence, 11. 1, COMMON CARRIERS AND A FEW NOT SO COMMON Tractors are crawling over the snow-overed snow-overed fields of northern Greenland carrying tho supplies of tho Lane Koch expedition. This novel use of n pew-born pew-born vehicle recnlls that Nome of the oldest transportation methods still nro employed In regions whose civilization Is olilei and higher than that of the Greenland Eskimo. The ox cart still serves the Southern "darky" In North Carolina. Georgia, and Alabama, as well as In other portions por-tions of the South, as his couch mid four for the Sunday "go-to-ineetlng." Jurlng the week tho stolid beast plows tobacco and cotton Ileitis, in India bullocks hitched to a wagon with an ornino beo-hlve shaped or elongated covering, not unlike the picturesque tobmco schooner, couvey the Rurmese man and his fumlly along tho rond to Msndnlny. Nor does this nnlmnl cease" being it means of transportation upon hH deavli. The nntlves blow tip his skin nnd uso It as n flout or raft on which they cross tho rivers. In nrctlc regions nnd In Alnskn particularly par-ticularly tho dog has rendered man. kind Inestimable assistance. Todny he Is tho meuns by which letters, pur- els and provisions reach tho snowbound snow-bound Inhabitants of tho Interior. The reindeer also plays an Important part In the transportation system of Alaska. Tho d6g Is tho Rclglcn peasants' cIono friend, drawing tho truck and milk wagous In many towns. One of the quaintest wagons of the schooner type now in uso Is drawn by cuniels through tho streets of certain towns in India. That country affords u arlety of conveyances and conveyors convey-ors among which own the most blase of novelty seekers might find something some-thing to Interest him the humped ox, the horse, tho donkey, the cnmol, the elephant and tho human being curry-lug curry-lug a long pole ucross bis shoulder to which his burden Is slung. Tho back of man bears the bur Ion In China. And so tho chain of burden-bearers burden-bearers goes around the world, with tho elephant of Slam that piles the native teak, the carnhoo that threshes the rice of the Philippines, the man who propels the palanquin, the Jin-rlklsba. Jin-rlklsba. and lately, tho "Jlnkrlkomo-bile" "Jlnkrlkomo-bile" of Japan, the trotting ox of Ceylon, Cey-lon, the splendid horses of Arabia, the saddle ox of Central Africa, nnd the Tho West China Jitney. camel of the Sahara and Central Asia, to the llnina of the high Andes, the ubiquitous automobile, and the homely but utilitarian little burro of Mexico, Central and South America. Thousands Thou-sands of these Inst named little mil-mnls mil-mnls dally tread the trail leading from the lowlands to the city of La Paz, delivering ln the capital of Rollvla practically everything tho city gets from tho outside world. Patiently, too, the burro has trailed Its way through history, from n period In tho Holy Lnnd older than that In which Joseph and Mury fled from Herod's slaughter of the Innocents, thonco to Northern Spain nnd across to America with tho Spanish explorers nnd colonizers. THE LONG, LONG TRAIL OF THE GYPSY Now that the weather Is becoming mild again, some tlno day you will discover a camp of gypsies near your door-step, und wonder whero In the world they camo from. Tho world hns been wondering for ninny it century whence tho original gypsies came. George Rorrow relates that tho first gypsies miido their appearance In Mol-davta Mol-davta In Ml", ami no uuo seems to be very certain In regard to their placo of origin. The original 3,000 Increased to forinhhiblo proportions In it century or two, nnd Miirlu Thoresu und Joseph II tried to civilize them, with no success. suc-cess. In the early days each lltllo band hnd n cuptuln whom they honored with the title of count. To secure the coveted cov-eted position this leader had to bo valiant nnd courageous In tho pillaging pillag-ing expeditions for food und sagacious und crufty enough to settle tholr t'ls-putes. t'ls-putes. For tills he wus iillowcd a third of anything that tho band stole. Despite their marauding tendencies, nnd their more or less contemptuous uttltudu toward pcoplo not "of tho blood," they have a code of morals which contains many excellent requirements. require-ments. A true gypsy must not havo n quarrelsome disposition, und hu never reveals tho secrets of tho brotherhood. Though they muko the rest of mnnklnd their lawful prey, they nro capable of-great of-great sncrlilces for each other. They pledge themselves never to marry out of their own sect, nor will thoy teach their language to iiiijono not a gypsy by blood or adoption. . Their daredevil spirit perhaps has had n passing Influence on most of the countries In which fheso wundurers have lived. At least England Is accredited ac-credited with having contracted her love of horse rating from them, und they are nearly always to be found among her Jockeys and hi attendance upon hor Derbys. Pietendliig n knowledge of the inotu-physical inotu-physical and dabbling In fortune telling hnve always been within the province of the gypsy women. They have claimed that they could witch away troublesome ailments of Die heart und have compounded queer love philters which Instead of Imbuing tho unfortunate unfortun-ate taker with a steadiness of aim with his love arrows, have poisoned his digestive di-gestive tract. Rut they realize the monetary value of the myth concerning their ability to divine the future, und huvo since tins beginning of their history capitalized It. In Spain where n inrge proportion of the race now lives, travelers sny that they llnd neatly whitewashed caves lighted by electricity, nnd that even gypsy royalty will caper mid career ca-reer uround In fnntustlc dances for the coins of a cnsuul visitor. HOW AN ISLAND WAS DE- STROYED BY A NATURAL INFERNAL MACHINE Recent volcanic uctlvlty In Hawaii serves to emphasize tho fact that tho Pacific, ono of tho groat "safety-valvo regions" of tho earth, ls seldom freo froi" an outpouring of molten materials. mate-rials. Many of tho IsJunds of this largest ocean are of volcanic origin. Great streams f lava went up first In m one part of the Pacific then In nnother. UM One of the grcnte.st regions of vol &M caijlc disturbance hns been In nnd near H the Island of Java, In the southwestern ijB corner of the Pacific, where thnt body Bj of water meets Die Indian ocean. Bl Volcanic-made In tho tlrst place, nnd Ml constantly being remndo by them, Java Bj hits more volcanoes than nny area of Bj Its size In tho world. Estimates of 'Wi the active and extinct craters range Bfl from 100 to 100. Everywhere In Java, . BJ In the huge crater lakes, In fissures ''H thnt now a i e river beds, even m nn- (B Oleut temples, half finished when in- 1BJ terrupted by some fiery convulsion, nro 'fla evidences of cataclysmic forces such oBi turbulent forces as now nro In con- i Millions hysteria In the Valley of the Ten Thousand Smokes In Alnhkn, and break their crusted surface cage Its Yjm .termlttently In Java. 'Am The "treacherous Klot," ns the nn- ;B7 lives call It, all but wiped out the jHj town of Hiitnr, but even Its dovnsta- jBJ Hon, as reported to the state depart- -jB incut, was mild compared to the vlo- jHI lent upheaval of Krukutoa In IRS!. 1BI Then mother nature turned anarchist JBl and planted it gargantiinn Infernal ma- jfl chine on thu doorstep of Java. Ujk Krukutoa is n little Island In the MM Sunda strait, between Sumatra and ! Java. Australians, us far from the IB explosion us New York ls from El B Paso, heard tho terrlilc detonation; jS more than half the Island wns blotted B out, parts of It were flung aloft four B . times us high ns the world's highest B j mountain, nnd to touch bottom below B i tho water's surface whero most of the . B Island had been, henceforth required .B I a plumb line twice us long as the ,Bfl height of the Washington monument. jflfl I Skyscraper waves Hooded adjacent Is- Hfl lands and rolled hnlf-wuy around the B earth. Every human eardrum heard. jB though It may not havo registered, the Mm nlr waves as they vibrated Uirec or jBfl four times uround tho earth. jHB Krukutoa levied a smaller toil In 'm human life than Klot, becnuso of Its SB Isolation, nnd many of tho .15,000 flfl deaths from Krnkatoa's eruption wore 9M nt far-dlstnnt points by drowning. mU An eruption unywhure on tho Island Bfl menus disaster, for Java, about equal UM in em to New York state, supports a BBJ population greater than the combined iH populations of the Empire slute and jnfl the four other most populous states IBB ln the Union Pennsylvania, Illinois, 9m Ohio and Texns. H.B In tho native folklore nro Innutner- jVjBJ nhlo stories of tho enrth opening tip 1 to swallow n dancing girl. Such talcs SjVj betoken another uhyslcnl feature of HjBJ the lsb.nd fraught with human trag- 9M edy. Not only hns It steaming vents, Hfl spouting geysers, sulphur lakes, but 9KM great chasm optr and close, and they lWm hnve been known to swallow villages. iHfl TEMPLE STONES THAT H MAY BECOME HEARTH j M STONES B Cublo reports recently stated that aBBl Harborough Rocks, ono of tho best- BBI known of tho so-cnlled "Druid Circles" BBI of England, would bo broken up nnd Bl used by u company for building homes. BB Tbo reports bring to mind whnt HBI might bo termed the "fight for sur- BBi vital" of the monuments and works of BbI urt of past age 8 against tho activities BBI of later generations. UWi During thu dark ages priceless mar- sBI hie statues hy Praxiteles and other Bl Greek masters of sculpture were BBI burned to make lime. In northern Africa ami Asia Minor, In numerous Bl places where classical ruins are found BBI beautifully chiseled stones physical iBB symbols of "tho glory tlmt wns Greece BBI und tho grandeur that was Rnino" tBI hnve been built Into the uncouth huts Bl of tho natives. The smaller stones iBI from "Druid Circles" and "uvenuos,' HBI lying on the surface of the ground, .BBi ready quarried, hnve long fallen prey Vfl to near-by peasants In nil the coun- JHH tries In which they occur. Even the BBI Stoueheiige, on Salisbury Plain, Eng- B land, famous ns the greatest of the BBn supposed Druid temples nnd one of I Bl tho most striking of tho unlnscrlbcd iBVI monuments of tho world, bus not en .iBI tlrcly escaped tho hand of the vandal. BBI The larger monoliths are too massive BBI for easy removal, but some of the BBI smaller stones huvo disappeared und HB uro reported to hnve been built Into )BH bridges und mill tlums of the adjacent 'Bfl countnsltle. Hll Relatively small stone circles nnd , (Bffl parallel rows of monoliths known as IBJB "iiveiiut'S," uro numerous In England, Wnl oh, Scotland und Ireland. They Bffi also are found In numbers In western (HIS Europe, espcchilly In France, und to 'jflili a lesser degree In northern Afrlcu, and ' Hi In southern Asia us far east ns India. BKi Among them, however, tho coinpnra- w. tiBV tlvely few great groups stand out "' vlBB prominently. Stonohcnge differs from IbBB most of tho other circles ln tho grout Bfl size of the upright stones, and In the fiB fact that inuHslvo lintels are placed hBW from upright to upright, forming tril- 'mmM Ithons. The placing of tho concentric imWw circles and outlying marker stones of 'fl4 Htoneheuge In such a way that It ljRi& axis points pructlcnlly to the rising WmM sun on the longest duy of the yenr 111 thu summer solstice lias led to gen- JB9 oral ucceptaiico of tho theory thnt IfljB this was ii temple for sun worship. B8 Hccuutio of nn astronomical change flBI which slowly tdilft tho apparent point 9H of suuiiso at successive summer sol- Ul slices, It has been posslbio to compute IflH tho date ut tho building of Stnuchoiige ifll us approximately 10S0 R. O. It ls be- H9 Moved that the smaller circles anil the Ml avenues nnd other monuments of great Owl stones belong to approximately the XN sumo period, which Is the lute Neollth- JXmI Ic uge. While tho larger circles like BkB (the Stonelicnge und Hiirhorough Rock jwJj doubtless tiro temples for sun worship MB and human sacrifice. It Is believed that Bm the smaller groups of stones mark bu- BUB rial places. gitvS |