116 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[January 1, 1911. 



OlR HOTF.L. 



peacefully and amicably it is worn one way; if an enemy ap- 

 proaches whom she desires to "cut," it is quickly shifted to an- 

 other angle, and so on with many variations, all of which are 

 as plain as print to the initiated. 



Not having seen any horses, I ordered a carriage with con- 

 siderable doubt, but it came, and I drove to the home of the 

 head of the Agricultural Department. Once there I found that 

 the man I sought was in Holland and his temporary successor 

 was indisposed and politely begged me to call on the morrow. 

 Reflecting that the morrow would see me on my way to New 

 York I drove to the home of the Balata Man. Here I got a 

 surprise. The Amsterdam partner had written about me, and 

 I had been expected for two years. I must come to dinner 

 that night and go over to the club and hear the music after 

 it. Not only that but my plan for leaving the next day was 

 out of the question. There were rubber plantations and all sorts 

 of interesting things to see, and almost before we knew it the 

 Balata Man was aboard the steamer, all of our luggage was 

 chalk-marked by a polite official, and we had agreed to stay and 

 were glad of it. 



The Balata Man was apparently about fifty-five years old, erect, 

 with black hair just beginning to silver, keen blue eyes, and was 



Ma.vcdexstraat (Maiden's Street.; 



as florid and vigoroils as an Englishman, and as hospitably gen- 

 erous as a Western American. Very much the man of the world, 

 he spoke English, German and French in addition to his native 

 Dutch, and besides this was an ll.d. He had been for thirty 

 years in the colony and was reputed to be rich. Beside his balata 

 interests he possessed large plantations, was interested in placer 

 mines and knew much about English and .American stocks. 



He lived in a substantial brick house, the lower floor of which 

 was given up to a spacious private office for himself, together 

 with offices for a number of industrious secretaries and assistants. 

 The floor above was presided over by his wife, a graceful, cul- 

 tured, comely lady, possessed of a full knowledge of all his 

 business affairs and taking a most intelligent interest in the rubber 

 development that was then having its beginnings in the Colony. 



We were invited to breakfast, tea, and dinner for every day of 

 our stay and availed ourselves of this privilege many times. With 

 two of his steam launches at our disposal, and the practical 

 planning of host and hostess we were able to see more in a 

 short time than otherwise would have been possible in a month's 

 stay. This was notably so, as they both accompanied us on our 

 trips, visiting the plantations, introducing managers, and in- 

 cidentally through their wonderfully trained servants supplying 

 most appetizing picnic lunches at frequent intervals. 



We paid several visits to the Botanic Gardens, to reach which 

 you go out Gravenstraat just at the end of the beautiful avenue 

 of mahogany trees, by the old burial ground, and take the first 

 narrow dyke road to the right. This leads one right into the 

 midst of the gardens, which are close to the town and very 

 beautiful. One might cover much white paper in describing the 



SHOPPING DISTRICT, PARAMARIBO. 



