ROMANCE OF RHODESIA

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1929, Page 7

ROMANCE OF RHODESIA

AN AFRICAN “OLD TIMER.’’

Rhodesia to-day is a land of pioneers. In both its northern and southern divisions the daring adventurer is .still opening out new country an: forming camps destined to 'be th cities of the future.

Living men can remember when tin lierfce Matabeles held undisputed sway over the vast area of unknown country between the Transvaal borders and the Zambesi River, and tin trior ions story of “Wi Ison’s Las Stand’’ will live to thrill generation of Britons yet unborn. But the handsome city of Bulawayo now staiids on the site of Lohongula’s capital, and the dream of the great Rhodes, the Cape to Cairo railway runs, through I lie heart of the country to which he has given his name. While Rhodes’ vision of a great British South African Empire was still only a dream, says Mr R. M MacDonald, in an English journal, a young man named John Painter, sailed from England and landed in Natal. There the pioneering urge seized him.- With a wagon and a team of oxen, some horses and cattle, he set out on the northern trail in search of fortune. Over mountains, bushland, windswept veldt, and along the fringe of the Kalahari Desert he forged ahead.

After many months Palmer crossed the Hanva-ni River, a tributary ot the Zambesi, and at length pitched bis tent at the base of a little hill or the midst of fertile country. Ho had trekked considerably over ’OOO mile* off the sea at Beira, in Portuguese territory. Other adventurers joined him on the way, and he was now the leader of a band of men. Some of his party went on to IJintaili, toward the Portuguese boundary, and from there the news of the great trek reached Cape Colony and Nataly

ASSISTANCE TQ THE SETTLERS. Meanwhile. Palmer selected ground, planted seed, grew poultry, reared horses and cattle, killed lions, and worked some surface gold formations. Other people, looking for a land o f peace and plenty, came in after him from the south, and scattered over the country, finding copper, gold, and coal or starting farms. Bnt the scattered settlers and miners soon found that they could not dispose of their produce. To assist them, Palmer organised a system of transport teams, and made tracks between the various mines and farms This work soon "row so important that it became bis sole business. The town of Salisbury grew up on land op which he bad camped, and, in time, postal routes were opened to the Portuguese railhead, and to the everadvancing Cape to Cairo line, now at Mafeking.

Years passed, the Boer War wa° over, and streams of settlers were flowing into the land now named Rhodesia. Round the mines had grown little townships, and SnlisW'v was -the centre of an outpost civilisation. The natives found that the white men were, good follows. an* l left their kraals to work for them—the (transcontinental railway crawled nearer.

Palmer was now a transport king, and took on contracts for all kinds of pioneering work, incidentally opening up new ground along- every new track ho made, and finding new mines. The latter he, not having time for mining, gave away to friends. Bnlawavo was growing up a few hundred miles to the south, and the famous steel-laid tracks still came on, followin'* Palmer’s own route.

Th'' yonr 1910 saw the initiation o f the Smith African Union, hut Rhodesia stood out from the States which formed it. By this time the. railwav liad passed Salisbury and joined with tlie Portumieso line to Beira. Bn. 1 the iron wav, while being a royal roa- 1 to prosperity to others, meant th° loss of his occupation to Palmer, and. not bavin? taken up any land or mine'- - except his first farm—he was soon forced to look round for other means of livelihood.

PALM ICR- BEGINS TO PROSPER

This was not very pleasant—ah Palmer’s old companions were now wealthy, and many had built fine town houses in Salisbury, leaving their farms and mines to the management of the younger generation. Many o! the mines, too, had been floated into companise in London—nearly all are

quoted on the London Stock Exchange to-day—and the new men going put to Rhodesia- from Britain to manage them and the farms found motor ears and tractors of more service to them than teams of horses or oxen.

It was about this time that the writer met the old pioneer, who was then over 50 years age. But Palmei was still a pioneer- Buying some land which he could have had for nothing in the earlier days, he resumed lm first of tobacco growing, which he had ibandoned when he had begun his transport career, and began to experiment with the cotton plant. Cotton growing had been tried before, but had proved a failure because of the ravages of a certain fly. Soon he again began to prosper. Then the Great War broke out.

When peace was declared many o Britain’s host sons who had been tern porary officers, finding that they conk not settle down to the ordinary life of civilised cities in the Homeland, wen' out to Rhodesia and, buying land began to live the free life of the col. opist. Thus, round Salisbury, Bulaway, Uumali, and other towns to-day the visitor, surprisingly frequently meets a man who does not look as i 1 he possesses the price of a meal, vei speaks in the cultured tones of Oxford and Cambridge! In Rhodesia, however, appearance.* are not always reliable indications and although some settlers may not be wealthy yet, the fact that Palmei has found out how to grow cotton with a leaf so smooth that the flj could not attach itself to it, (rives tin poorest the hopes that soon he wil also have a. town house in aristocratic Salisbury. •

FIRST TO GROW TOBACCO

Palmer, forgotten for years by all ex-ceot the old pioneers, again became a famous -man in Rhodesia. Now. thanks largely to him who first thought of growing tobacco, and the encouragement given to its use by Imperia preference, Rhodesian tobacco is be ginning to find its legitimate place in the affections of smokers. Cotton* growing is also fast becoming a flourishing industry, and an era of pros peritv is dawning for the country. Palmer, being a true pioneer, nevoi had the ’knack of amassing money, but recently the old man sold hi original farm for £22,000, and ,l 0" possesses the coveted town house in the city, which largely owes its ex istence to.him.