Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-07-21

physician resided. InlS man name
was Kittredge, and as he was a partner
with Hitchcock in the plantation, the
patients found little mercy before him.
Early in his term of servitude Ratzborn
was directed to assist in the building of
a flume, where he had TO stand in wa
ter up to his neck during the entire dav.
On the following day he protested that
his health would suffer from such work.
He made n show of refusing to work.
for which he was fined 50. Soon after
on attempting TO rise one morning he
fell back upon the planks which formed
his bed. The Kanaka overseer came
to him and ordered him to rise and po
to work. Ratzborn protested that he
had the fever, when the Kanaka ordered
him to go into town for the doctor.
When Ratzborn said that he did not
have the strength to walk SO many miles
over the hills he was removed from his
bunk by force, taken before a Justice
of the peace, and by him sentenced to
forty days imprisonment in the Hilo
Jail. The jailer, however, was more
merciful than his Kanaka taskmaster.
for, seeing that his prisoner was sick.
he brought him physician, procured
him medicine and mattress, and, after
a severe spell of sickness, the slave left
his prison a well man once more.
RatZborn recites several instances
OF cruelty committed on the defenceless
Norsemen. 1t was common sight to
see their eyes blackened and bruised
and their bodies marked from the kicks
of the overseers. The Norwegian con-
sui paid no heed to their complaints,
and anyone who dared to demand his
assistance not only received no aid, but
was fined or imprisoned and starved af-
terward. Soon after The Chronicle be-
gan its exposure of the abominable serf
system prevailing on the islands, the
consul who is German named Slade,
for the sake of appearances, made
tour of inspection among the plantations
OF which he Ownes one, which is like
wise workedby contract slaves. The day
was gala day for the poor creatures,
for Hitchcock killed a bullock, and
when Consul Glade arrived the half
starved bondsmen were for once enioy-
ing the luxury of abundant food The
traffic in human flesh is becoming more
and more common. 1t has become an
everyday affair to see the bond-slaves
COuSlOtIdllO0. "A
good strong man is at present valued
at about 5000, but a buXOm lass will
sell readily for $500. Ratzborn tells of
one instance of bargain and sale which
had in il some elements of humor. Pre-
vious to the latest departure of
l. Orange, the government agent, on a
slave-hunting expedition, he had a
handsome Norwegian girl and a young
man to dispose of
He had no difficulty in selling the
man, but for the girl he wanted an ex-
traordinary figure, because she had for
n lover free man, who was then saw
ing up money enough to buy her.
l. Oranges departure, however, occur
red before the lover could raise toe re-
quisite amount, and rather than lose
even few dollars by the speculation,
j. Orange sold her to third person in
trust. The lover, however was success
full soon afterwards in getting the nee
essary number of dollars together, and
when he arrived at the L'Orauge estab-
lishment full of prospective bliss, he
found that the girl had been sold al
ready. fastening to the new purchas-
er, he was informed, to his utter dis
may, that female flesh had risen in val
ne, and that he would have to pay an
advance. 1t took him several months
to finally make up the purchase price,
and he is now happy in the possession
of wife, who Is the more his own as
he bought and paid for her. Another
instance of bargaining displays the
horrible monstrosity of the system in all
its hideousness. Among the people on
the Hitchcock plantation was an attrac-
tive young Norwegian girl wdo had ia
Vor in the eyes of a neighboring sugar
planter. He had not found favor in
her eyes, however, and all his advances
had been scorned. Becoming doubtful.
therefore, of being able to secure her
with her own consent, he asked Hitch
cock that she be sold TO him as favor.
Hitchcock complied willingly with this
request. The exact purchase price. of
course, is not known, and the last her
countrymen and women saw of her
was when her purchaser and new
master was leading the weeping girl
away from the miserable hut which
had given her and her companions
shelter from the rains. Her fate may
only be conjectured. Besides the
women there were about thirty children
on the plantation for whom no pro-
vision had been made. Their fathers
and mothers worked all day in the
sugar-cane fields; there was no school.
and in consequence they grew up like
savages. As time wore on and the
few effects which the immigrants had
brought from their northern homes be-
gan TO show signs of wear and use,
their condition became more and more
pitiable. The monthly pittance given
to them rs wages hardly suf1iced to
keep body and soul together. There
was no money to spare for clothes, and
many of them had hardly sufficient to
cover their nakedness. Their over
seers became daily more brutal and ex-
acting, fines were imposed with over
increasing severity, and all hope for
change gave way to settled gloom and
despair.
The hour for Ratzborn's and Ander-
sons liberation came Unexpectedly.
They were detailed to assist in the load
ing of the Emma -Claudine at Hilo.
Finding countrymen among the crew