Life — July 21, 1910 — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

NIGHTMARE OF A MAN WHO HAS BEEN SIX MONTHS ON A MILK DIET Mr. Ryan as A Missionary MP. THOMAS RYAN said, as he sailed away to Europe the other day, that it was probable that before he came back he would go to the Congo country where, as he said, he had more men looking for things than Stanley took with him when he went to find Living- stone. A year or two ago Mr. Ryan, Senator Aldrich and other solvent and adventurous gentlemen, got together a handsome collection of money and bought an appreciable fraction of mid-Africa from the late King Leopold. We believe some of the Standard Oil gentlemen went into the venture. Mr. Ryan confessed that to him it looked like a very good thing. His prospectors are looking for gold for one thing, but will not neglect any- thing that is valuable, noi even rubber or wheat or diamonds. “Moral and social opportunities” especially, were among the products which Mr. Ryan expressly enumerated as abundant in his part of the Congo coun- try, and attractive to its new developers. They expect to pay particular attention to the negro problem as it exists in the negro’s home. It was thought, as many readers will recall, that the late King Leopold neg- lected Lis moral and social opportuni- ties in the Congo country and devoted his efforts much too exclusively to rub- ber and ivory. It is going to be very in- teresting to see how much of a difference it will make in mid-Africa to have Leo- pold’s agents replaced by those of Mr. Ryan and his friends. They are prob- ably as shrewd and able a lot of money- making Americans as ever went into a big venture together; they have capital enough to do anything in reason, can command the best skill in the market, and are going into a great country where there is practically no law except what they bring. It all looks like a curious chance to observe what enlightened American capitalistic government can do when it has a fair field. In this country, of course, it is so much embarrassed and hindered by muckrakers, insurgents and _ legislation that its aims can no longer be more than partially accomplished, but the Congo is a grand field for it—everything to do and no one to hinder; everything to get and no competition; nothing to contend with but mere nature, including the in- firmities and reluctances of human na- ture in its more primitive stages. Be it observed, too, that this Congo gamble is chiefly a game for these ad- venturers, They are all rich, They must be going into Africa not so much to get more money as to work out a hard problem in civilization and indus- trial development. It is their game and they think they are good at it, and they like to play it. We like their spunk and hope they will play it to admiration and all get on the honorary degree list, along with James J. Hill, Jane Addams and J. P. Morgan. Dyspeptic Songs cAYANcAWwuste Y pipe won't pull And my mind is dull, And I'm blue as a bottle of ink. My eyes are dim As a flickering And my thinker declines to think. But I don’t care! There's sun somewhere, Far off on the Eastern se; And some old chump In Gayangawump Is feelin’ much better’n me. It takes the dole Right out of my soul, And the kinks right out of my brain, As I think that that Barbarian fat Is joyous and free from pain. That there's no care On the ambient air Of that beautiful Eastern sea, And the bronzed old bump Of Gayangawump Is feelin’ much better'n me. Yet all the same Tf that old cus came, Lit up with that Eastern sun, And flashed his smile On my ways awhile » I fear I should hand him one! I'd hand him two On his cyes of blue; By gorry, I'd make it three In short I'd thump That Orient chump For feelin’ much better’n me. Horace Dodd Gastit AN OVERLOADED STOMACH