The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-10-16
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An Intelligent Georgia Negress Gives Her
Impressions of the African Republic.

An Intelligent Georgia Negress Gives Her
Impressions of the African Republic.
From the Atlanta Constitution.
Juna Hudsonhas arrived in Atlanta,
after an absence OF owe seventeen
years from Georgia. She was one OF
the negroes who went to Liberia soon
after the close of the war. She be-
Ionged to Major J. w. Warren of the
Executive Office, and was the nurse of
his children. The crazefor Liberia did
not captivate Juna, but it caught her
husband, a skilful mechanic, who was
a free negro in slavery times, and had
accumulated property.
In the latter part OF 1867 there was
a very large emigration ofnegroes from
the cotton States to Liberia. Aparty
Of about fifty was made up in Mus
cogee and adjoining counties, OF which
Hudson and his family were prominent
members. The negroes who composed
this colony were nearly all old servants
of well known Georgia families. They
reached Liberia safely, and founded a
town which they named Fortsville, jim
honor OF the well-known Georgia
family. The history OF the colony is a
sad enc. Most of it's members died of
the fever. Hudson prospcred and az
cnmalated considerable property. A
few months ago he died. His widow
determined to return to Georgia with
her two children and spend the rem
nant of her days among her old friends.
She reached Atlanta, and went at once
to see "Mars Joe' Warren at the Cap
itol, who gave her a cordial welcome.
Juna Hudson is Il wonan of remark
able intelligence, and appears to be
well educated. When asked what she
thought OF that country, she said: 81
never liked it. 1t is aremarkably rich
country and the climate is generally
agreeable. l don't know when ! have
felt a day as hot as this. The trouble
is with the fever, which never fails to
attack settlers, and it is very fatal.
1t takes two years at least to become
acclimated, and Idon't think the eli
mate even agrees we'll with anybody
but the natives"
as the population growing"
ono, sir. / think not. The natives
may be increasing, but there are fewer
American negroes there now than
there Use to be. Nearly all OF the tif-
ty that went over in our party died.
Some came back. On the vessel that
brought me back to New York were
twenty-one emisrants returning to
this country. They generally get
enough of Liberia in six months"
"What about the Government"
"It is modelled after ours. All the
officers are negroes, and there are a
good many politicians"
$40 the people generally seem to be
happy
happy in their way, but | don't think
the country would satisfy those who
had been raised in Georgia."
..What is the religion of the people?"
among the emigrants there are the
various denominations we have here.
The natives worship idols.
"NNhy don't they send missionaries
among them?"
"They do, but it is 81 hopeless task, l
think. Among the thousands DINA
tives saw whilethere, only three had
been civilized and Christianized. Mis-
sionaries are scattered all over the
country, and they find no trouble in
getting crowds of the natives into their
churches and schools. Many of these
profess conversion, and areenrolled as
Christians, but almost invariablythey
go back to idolatry when they return
to their tribes. The missionary work
in Liberia seems to be making no pro-
grcss-'
You don't think the future OF the
country looks bright?"
.tNo, sir. The emigrants who have
gone there from this country as O rule
arenot contente1. Many OF them come
back, and manv more would come il
they had the means. The country is
not going to fill up with intelligent
American negroes, and / don't believe
thenatives will ever be made into good
citizens. They are ignorant and brutal.
They are happy when they AN come
down from the forests loaded with
fruits to sell in the towns, and then go
back to their miserable huts."