Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-20
BACK FROM LIBERIA.
What Georgia COlored Woman Say
After IL Years Stay.

What Georgia COlored Woman Says
After IL Years Stay.
Juna Hudson, cOlored, has returned to
Atlanta after residence of Il years in
Liberia as colonIst. When asked by u
Constitution reporter what she thought OF
that country, she said: ~ never liked it.
1t is remarkably rich country, and the
climate is generally agreeable. l don't
know when have felt day az hot as
this. The trouble is with the fever, which
never fails to attack settlers, and is very
fatal. 1t takes two years at least to be-
come acclimated and don't think the
climate ever agrees well with anybody
but the natives"
us the population growing?"
''NO, sir; | think not. The natives
may be increasing, hut there are fewer
American negroes there now than there
used to he. Nearly all Of the fifty that
went over IN our party died. Some came
back. On the vessel that brought me 10
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
tlers?"
every family is given % acres of land :;
and they can buy as much more as they
want for soc. an acre. 1t is the richest
land l ever saw, too. l had a beautiful
place with many Improvements. There
were $4,000 bearing coffee trees on it, be-
sides thousands of bananas and plantains
1t was valued few Years ago at $4,000
Yet when | sold it to get money to come
back on all | realized was about 5000
One reason OF this was the trouble
with the currency. Very little
money is circulated. People are afraid of
the money because it is constantly beng
deprecated. Trading is done almost al
together by barter. could take my coffee
and get anything | wanted. SO with
syrup or fruit. But when my property
was offered for sale for gold ! could hard
ly get anything for it. The Legislature
is trying now to make the money Of the
country good. Crops are bountiful, but
every necessary of life is high. Pork is
SOC. a pound, beef 20c., ham soc. and good
flour very high"
"What about the governments"
cit Is modelled after ours. All the
officers are negroes, and there are a good
many politicians"
"Do the people generally seem to be
happy"
swell, l suppose so. The natives are
happy in their way. but l don't think the
country would satisfy those who had been
reared in Georgian"
"What is the religion of the peoples?
"AmOng the emigrants there are the
various denominations we have here. The
natives worship idols"
"Why don't they send missionaries
among them?"
They do, but it is hopeless task,
think. Among the thousands of natives
l saw while there only three had been
civilized and ChristianZed. Missionaries
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 CONVEX
sion and are enrolled as Christians, but
almost invariably they 90 back to idoIa-
try when they return TO their tribes. The
missionary work in Liberia seems to be
making no progress"
you don't think the future OF the
country looks bright?"
"NO. sir; the emIgrants who have gone
there from this country as a rule are not
contented. Many Of them come back, and
many more would come il they had the
means. The country is not going to fill
up with intelligent American negroes,
and don't believe the natives will ever
be made into good citizens. They are
ignorant and brutal. They are happy
when they can come down from the forests
loaded with fruits to sell in the towns,
and then go back to their miserable huts."