Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1884-07-03

the Rev. Mr.. Bishop and the Rev. Mr.
Jones, two Methodist Ministers we'll
known in the island. These men went
out there as poor missionaries, few
years ago, but are now enormously
wealthy. Rev. Mr.. Bishop is the
leading banker of Honolulu, and en-
p!oys dozen clerks in his banking
house alone, while tie Rev. Mr.. Jones
still breaches the Gospel all over the
islands.
When Mr.. Benedick and his 20
associates arrived at the plantation
they were conducted to large build.
ing where between 200 and 300 men,
women and small children were con-
gregated, and Informed that these
would be their quarters. There was
but one room in the building, which
was entirely open, SO that person
standing in any part Of the building
could take i'll the whole room at
glance, and all-men, women, and
children--slept together, without bed
ding or covering of any kind. If they
preferred they could sleep out in the
open "corral" or stockade around the
house. The climate being very mild
this can he done with impunity; still
many would have preferred to have
clothes to wear, but these were diff
ticult to obtain, and enormously ex-
pensive, as the laborcrs are allowed
only 25 cents for each full DAVIS work,
while fines for the most trivial offenses,
and dockages under various pre-
lenses, are SO outrageously enormous
and frequent that all the laborers are
kept heavily in debt, and unable TO
pay up, even by working unremlt-
tingly for years.
Arrived at their quarters, the new
corners were told that they could rest
two days and look around. They would
then be put to work in the fields.
After resting a while. Benedick and
three Others walked out of the "corral"
into the fields. But they had not been
out five minutes when horseman
having a club in one hand and re-
volvcr in the other, and who had been
watching them all along, rode up, ar
rested them, and took them before the
justice of the PEACE of the plantation,
where they were fined $3.50 each Tor
10 days work) for leaving their quar-
ters without permission. One of them
paid his fine; two of the others, hav
ing no money, had the fine charged;
while Benedick, who was by this time
more thoroughly alarmed than lie had
ever been since leaving San Francisco,
protested against the treatment to
which he, an American citizen, was
being subjected, and demande! his re.
lease. The Justice, seemingly sur
prised sent word to the overseer of the
plantation, and in few minutes a
printed contract, with all blanks filled
and binding Benedick to labor on the
islands for two years and to refund all
advances besides his passage money,
by laboring at 70 cents per day, was
shown him. The contract was signed
"Henry Benedick," his age and nativ-
ity We're correctly stated, the paper
was we'll executed and fulfilled every
requirement Of law. 1t was dated at
San Francisco, and counte1signed hv
the man Sutton, as agent for WEIGH
Il Co.
Benedick protested, pleaded, threat
ened, swore that his name had been
forged to the paper, even wrote out
his name and had it compared with
the signature on the paper; but all TO
no avail. The Justice of the Peace
informed him that, under the law, he
would be compelled to find the man
that had forged the name. AS Bene-
dick could not do that then and there,
he was compelled to submit.
The Monday following he and his
companions were led out to cane
field, where a boss showed them their
"task," or the quantity of work they
would be required to do that day.
They were perfectly green, of course.
and although they worked hard, when
quitting time came the boss informed
them that they would be allowed only
ga quarter day for that full days work
Besides each of them had been fined
once az .5O) for using tobacco while
1T work-so that they owed the mas
ters lOa days work more than before
going to work in the morning. At the
quarters they received one weeks
rations of raw fish and rce-which Is
all they got to eat-and which each
laborer had to cook tor himself or her
self out of working hours. These ra.
tons are taken to the plantation in
wagons once week, and distributed
at the rate Of u pounds of fish and
half pound of rice per laborer per
day. This is all they get, besides be-
ing allowed 81 worth Of tobacco per
month, which they can only use when
at quarters, out of working hours. At
the end of The first mouth Benedick
was informed that he had worked "a
days-having put in much overtime
but that he was 1888 in debt, besides
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