Stories from Deli

Java Bode 21-07-1869

Medan, July 1896.

Whether it is in response to what I wrote in my previous letter or not, I am not certain, but I was pleased to see that the Deli Courant of the 11th of this month also addressed the so-called patent tax as it is applied here and concluded in plain Dutch that the application of this tax is “nonsense.” I point this out specifically because if it has thus far escaped the attention of the appropriate authorities, perhaps this will bring it to their notice. Another reason for dissatisfaction regarding taxes here is that the tax bills are always issued far too late. The law allows payment in five installments; however, in Deli, it seems that the population is so highly regarded that they do not need to take advantage of this arrangement, and issuing the bills in December is considered timely enough. Many with large families and small incomes undoubtedly feel differently, and for their sake, the committee responsible for reviewing the bills could meet a bit earlier. Of course, it is quite a challenge to get all the committee members to have a free week at the same time, but with a little goodwill, something could surely be arranged.

Otherwise, there is still plenty of prosperity here, and fortunately, many do not have to worry about a few dollars, as evidenced by the appearance of the Willard Company, which enjoys a guarantee of $2,000 and offers us, for an entrance fee of $3 per evening, four operettas: Her Majesty’s Ship Pinafore, La Fille de Madame Angot, La Cigale, and The Beggar Student. Just as last time, they probably won’t be able to come back unless the guarantee is raised to $3,000. If Mr. Willard keeps his word, Deli will likely be spared from this English or Anglicized nonsense in the future because it is truly overpriced, even for Deli. The troupe is too small to properly perform the pieces in their repertoire, so we are only getting a shadow of what was promised. Nevertheless, the audience turnout has been very good, thanks to the favorable impression the troupe left on a previous occasion. However, it is now evident that the company feels sufficiently covered by the guarantee. We were also disappointed when the troupe arrived about 14 days later than initially agreed. This gap was filled when Mr. Wilison arrived with his horse show, which kept the public entertained for a while. The local population, especially the natives, enjoys such shows and provides the organizers with a well-filled purse. Yes, the Deli dollar is still attractive to traveling performers; it even seemed that Mr. Wilison was so attached to the ringits he received here that he had his workers whistle while loading the wagons of the Deli railroad. The entire group stayed around the station until the evening, telling anyone who would listen about the incident. The circus then moved on to Aceh, where it will undoubtedly entertain the honored public within the lines.

From someone who was recently there, I heard that it is now at least safe there, and one can move around freely within the lines. That was not always the case. Peacefulness, however, is a condition in the East that always seems susceptible to change. For example, it is now calm in Tamiang, but for how long? Someone in the know told me that the bomb could go off there tonight or tomorrow, perhaps sooner than expected. If that happens, let’s hope the paddle steamer Tamiang doesn’t suffer damage again as it did recently when one of the propeller blades or rudder blades (I’m not sure which, and it doesn’t really matter) had an unwanted encounter with a tree trunk. The damaged part has now been sent to the Straits for repair, so the vessel cannot serve for the time being.

The sudden death of General De Moulin also caused a sensation here. Now the question arises again: who will become governor, Stemfoort or Van Heutsz? Both gentlemen are well-known here, and the decision is eagerly anticipated. As a result, there is still plenty to discuss, aside from the topics Deli itself provides. Regarding the latter, there are once again some changes on the horizon in the plantation world; the chief administrators of the “British Deli and Langkat Tobacco Co. Ltd.” and the “Tabak Maatschappij Franco-Deli” are both stepping down, not to mention the many other changes in the regular European staff of these companies. It is, however, quite a coincidence that it is precisely those employees who have served for a long time, earning a relatively high salary and no longer having a contract, who are being let go by some companies. Such austerity measures may be well-intentioned, but they are less pleasant for those affected and make the other companies that value good personnel through pension funds or bonuses stand out favorably.

It’s unfortunate that the law does not address this because what often awaits the assistant who, after about ten years of working for the same company in the tropics, receives his walking papers? There are, of course, sometimes cases where such treatment is justified due to shortcomings, but all too often, the reason is the closure of a few estates or an overabundance of staff, thanks to the recent influx of young people who come here to make their fortune (?). Recently, there have been a few more cases of cholera with less favorable outcomes; the disease has not yet taken on a serious character, as the number of patients is still relatively small.

A relief for the administrators of the plantations around Medan is the departure of the Chinese wayang that was here for about a month, much to the delight of everyone with a queue who answers to the name “Chinese.” The performances were also a relief for the surrounding Europeans, who were treated to the “music” (I don’t have a better word for it) of the kettle drums, much more than they could bear. The performances were always held in front of the Chinese temple in the heart of the village, so all the residents, whether they liked it or not, had to enjoy the “beautiful music” until midnight. We are usually stuck with the Chinese theater for a long time, but perhaps the consideration that such gatherings are less desirable during a time of cholera prompted the authorities to end this public entertainment sooner. On busy days, hundreds of Chinese stand clustered together, making it easy for the infection to spread.

The number of leprosy patients among the Chinese in Medan is increasing alarmingly. Although the asylum established by the planters’ committee has already taken in about a hundred patients, the number of those still roaming free is very large. It’s unfortunate that the government did not accept the planters’ committee’s proposal to establish a joint asylum for leprosy patients. Leprosy is not contagious, so the government concluded based on the authority of a doctor who claimed he could even cure the disease, although he has yet to do so. Leprosy is not contagious, so the government decides, and as good citizens, we should believe this and even, if necessary, invite a leprosy patient to join us for tiffin, were it not for the unfortunate history of Deli, which has already shown us through (fortunately only a few) examples among Europeans that the opposite is true.

P.S. Mr. Justus van Maurik arrived here on the 13th of this month. As soon as the Willard troupe leaves the stage, we will surely have the pleasure of enjoying him once or more. Finally, something truly Dutch, guaranteed to be good, which will surely refresh the people of Deli once again. After those four caricatures of operettas, such a refreshing dose of healthy humor and seriousness, presented in the well-known talented manner, will certainly be beneficial.