St. Landry democrat., 1888-04-28
CALIFORNIA; SAVIOR.
Starr Kings "Night With the Cannibals,"
and What Came of It.

Starr Kings "Night With the Cannibals,"
and What Came of It.
General Scott declared that Cali
fornia was saved to the Union by the
eloquence of a young minister named
King This was undoubtedly true.
But, nevertheless the cannibals had
something to do with it.
Before he entered upon his glorious
mission to our Pacific shores, Rev. I.
Starr King was one of our most gifted
and popular lyceum lecturers at the
East.
He had been secured for the evening
Of October IS, 1859, by the lyceum
committee of the fourishing town Of
Marlborough in Worcester County,
Mass, where | had settled after a
twenty years exile in the Hawaiian
Islands. Our families having been ac-
quainted in Charlestown. we had the
pleasure of entertaining him, as well
as being entertained by HIM, during his
visit. Our other guests were all Ha-
waiian friends, two of them natives,
born of English and American parents,
whose fathers were officers of the King,
and one the widow of the former Chief
Justice of the island who since her
husband death has been living in San
Francisco.
As Mr.. King entered our premises
his attention was arrested by majes-
tic elm, the pride of Worcester County,
which ornamented our grounds. He
stopped short, took off his hat and
made to it low bow, saying that he
never saw magnificent tree without
feeling that his respectful obeisance
was due to it. Among the stories with
which he entertained us | remember
one Of cynical relative who had been in
clined to belittle his work as lecturer.
Desiring to convert him he persuaded
him to attend one of his most brilliant
and successful ones. The audience
were delighted and at the close of the
lecture many crowded around him to
express the pleasure it had given them.
Turning to the old gentleman, at whom
he leveled his most impassioned shafts
of oratory. he asked him what he
thought of it. ''Wall.n replied he, de-
liberately, ''you warn't half as tejus as
I thought you'd be-"
As we sat down to supper, | said
'.Mr. King, do you know you are
among the cannibals?" He replied
that he hadn't been aware of it, but
trusted that his lean condition would
be his safety. as none of us could be
tempted by it. explained that of the
seven at table he was the only one
who was not either native Hawaiian
or had been for years a.resident of the
group and of California.
Laying down his knife and fork, he
exclaimed: '.Is this really so? My
good star has brought me hither I
am in just the company in which for
weeks I have longed to find myself. "
He then informed us that he had re-
ceived som time ago call to the Unita-
rian Church in California, which he had
declined. That the invitation had now
been urgently renewed and most
fiattering inducements offered him,
and he had felt anxious to meet some
one from there who could give him
thy information he wanted about the
place, the people, state of society, cost
of living, ETC., about all of which he
was utterly ignorant. Fdelifag that he
wasas-:nst the man for the Impending
crisis, wks--4b gn essasssm aEY eloquence
was needed to awe the right direction
to public sentfess on aour Pacific
coast, we with ON accord urged him
to accept the invitation and gave him
the information he Needed. We talked
earnestly till it was time to go to the
hall, and on our return resumed the
conversation till midnight, and the
next morning at breakfast, the discus
sion being kept up till we left him at
the cars. He warmly expressed his
great satisfaction with his visit.
A few weeks later. met Mr.. King
on the train, when he said, II have
decided to go to California, and let me
say to you that received my deciding
impulse from my night with the canni-
balls. u B. F. Marshall, IN Boston
Transcript.