Huntsville gazette., 1885-08-08

public.
From the Atlanta Constitution.
Yesterday Juna Hudson arrived in Allan
ia, after an absence Of seventeen years from
Georgia. She was one of the Negroes who
went to Liberia soon after the close of the
| war. She belonged to Maj. j. w. Warren
of the Executive Office and was the nurse OF
his children. The craze for Liberia did
not captiv,te Juna, but it caught her hus-
band, a skillful mechanic, who was free
Negro in slavery times and had accummu-
lated property.
In the latter part of 1867 there was very
large emigration of Negroes from the cotton
States to Liberia. A party of about fifty
was made up in Muscogee and adjoining
counties, in which Hudson and his family
were prominent members. The Negroes
who composed this colony were nearly all
old servants Of we'll known Georgia fami-
lies. They reached Liberia saf ly, and
formed a town which they named Forts
vile, in honor of well known Georgia
family. The history of the colony is sad
one. Most of its members died with the
fever. Hudson prospered and accumula
ted considerable property. A few months
ago he died. His widow determined to re.
turn to Georgia with her two children and
spend the remnant of her days with her old
friends. Yesterday she reached Atlanta,
and went at once to see Mr.. Warren at the
Capitol, who gave her cordial welcome.
Juna Hudson is a woman of remarkable
intelligence and appears to be we'll educa-
ted. When asked what she thought of the
country she said . Il never liked it. 1t is
a remarkably rich country, and the climate
is generally agreea BILE. don't know when
have felt day as hot as this. The troubr
lie is with the fever, which never fails to
attack settlers, and is very fatal. 1t takes
two years at least to become acclimated and
don't think the climate ever agrees we'll
| with any body but the natives
is the population growing ?"
''No, sir. l think not The natives may
be increasing. but there are fewer Ameri-
can Negroes there now than there used to
be. Nearly all of ths fifty that went over
iu or party died. Some came back. On
the vessel that brought me to New York
were twenty one emigrants returning to
this country. They generally get enough
OF Liberia in six months"
"What inducements are offered to set
tiers ~
Every family is giv.n twenty five acres
of land, and they can buy as much more as
they want for fifty cents an acre. 1t is the
richest land ever saw, too. had beau
tiful place with many improvements There
were IL, 900 bearing coffee trees on it, be-
sides thousands of bananas and plantains.
1t wss valued few years ago at So 900. -
Yet when sold it to get money tc come
back on all l realized was about 500. One
reason of this was the trouble wi h the culs
rency. Very little money is circulated. -
People are afraid of the money because it
is constantly being deprecated. Trading
Is uOUo diuOot oj-O6@tuCI Wy OdIber. i
could take my coffee and get anything
wanted. So with syrup and fruit. But
when my property was offered for sale for
gold could hardly get anything for it
The Legislature is trying now to make the
money of the country good. Crops are
untifnl, but every necessary of life is
high. Pork is thirty cents pound, beef
twenty cents. ham fifty cents and goo
| very high"
"What about the Government ?"
1T is modelled after ours. All the off,
GERS are Negroes. and there are a good
many politicians.
"Do the people generally seem to be
happy ?"
"Well, suppose SO. The natives are
happy in their way, but don't think the
country would satisfy those who have been
raised Georgia"
what is the religion of the people ~
among the emigrants there are the va