Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-30
FROM AFR ICN.
A Country Where the Light of Civili-
zatiou Shines but Dim.

zatiou Shines but Dim.
From, the Montgomery 4 deertiser.
Anderson Jones, colored, returned to
this city few weeks ago from Liberia,
in Africa, where he went in the spring of
1885. Reis now athome in Montgomery,
and says ne is here to stay. He is stop
ping at his fathers, out beyond the
Women's Home, in the eastern portion of
the city. An Advertiser reporter went
out to see him yesterday, and fro M his
own lips heard the story of the
travels and trials and stay in the land
that does not flow with milk and
honey.
~ left Montgomery on Feb. "a, 1855,
one year ago last February, for New
York, accompanied by my wife and two
children. We sailed from New York for
Liberia on the last day of February. In
our party there were fifty emigraats, in
Guiding men, women and children. We
bad very pleasant voyage and landed at
Monrovia, Liberia, on April 4. We went.
to Liberia under direction OF the Colonial
ton Society of Washington. The society
furnished us. according to promise, with
provisions to last us six months. After
we ached our destination we had our
land surveyed and set about 10 build
houses and settle. AS for my part / soon
found that the rainy season was too close
at hand and l did not have time 10 settle
on the land set apart to me. | then got
two acres from another man In the settle
ment and built a little house In which l
lived while there. planted and raised
few potatoes, and we ate them and enjoyed
them. The house l built was 10 by 10
feet. j built 1t with small poles and
covered it with bamboo. The rainy sea-
son set in about May /, and continued
| until along some time in November.
Sometim the rainfall would be steady
for week or two and then 1t would slack
up an hour or day and commence again.
But for six months we bad no sunshine
and dry weather. and during all that
time we were confined in doors and could
not do anything in the way OF outdoor
work TO earn living. In the fall che
rainy spell ends, and then there is MOTH
| ing but drought and hot sunshine tor six
months. We had no winter. and the only
cool weather came during the rainy
spell, in what we call the summer months
here"
There are many things that must
make an American feel very much out
of place in Africa. Continuing the
tale of his bitter experience Anderson
| said:
''In cultivating the soil the settlers, as
we'll as the natives, have to do all the
work with hoes. There are no horses or
mules or cattle In that country. in some
of the oldest settlements they have few
cattle, but they are very small and
dwartish. A full grown cow in Africa is
no larger than year old calf in this
country. In the settlement where we
lived never saw but the one poor little
calf, and not a singleshorse or mule in the
country. was sick about three months,
and was greatly troubled with blood
thirsty little insects known as jiggers.
They are smaller than a flea and far more
troublesome. They attack a victim on
the feet while he sleeps and work their
way into the flesh, forming bad sores. l
saw many people with several OF their
toes fairly eaten off by the little pests.
In my sickness 1 had no medicine and no
| physician. There was no doctor In the
| settlement except herb doctors, who
make their own medicine. People In that
country can't make money, and it takes
hard digging to make little something
to eat. / had a little money when / went
there, but everything was so high that it
was soon gone. The man who is en-
ployed by the Colonization Society to
| issue provisions to the settlers swindled
US out of supplies for twenty days, and
just at time when we needed help most.
''The people over there don't much like
for settlers to come away. But they can't
raise any objecti0ns. and the natives are
all peaceable. When man decides to
leave he has to post written notice OF
his intentions In q public place for ten
days and get a passport from The govern
ment. L wrote letters to my people here
and received replies. The letters go and
come around by English steamers. was
bent on coming back to Alabama, though
/ had no money and no means OF making
it. My relatives here and in Texas sent
us 500, and we sold our best clothes to
raise 1875. We did not have to pay fare
tor our little girl, and only $25 for the boy,
and 500 each for myself and wife. We
took passage on the barge MOnrovia, and
sailed from Liberia on July 7, landing In
New York on Aug. 8, and in Montgomery
on Sept. 8. had no cause to leave this
country, and now since i am at home in
Alabama once more, l will not
bother about going of again to 90 any
where"
Anderson Jones is SO years old. Ander-
son is above the average of his race in
point of intelligence. His wife is a light
multatto woman. They have two child
rem. They had one child born In Africa,
which died early and was buried there.
Anderson says that Liberia Is mighty
poor country to live in, and there are
many other American negroes there who
would come back If they conld. He
thinks this is Gods country and is will
ing to live his life out and be buried here.
He comes home sick with fever, and is
getting well slowly.