Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1889-01-31
A Tribal Squabbie.

Three months ago, if the average
American citizen had been asked ':where
is Samoa! he would probably either
been obliged to confess his ignorance or
to answer in the words Of Mark Twain,
"where it was yesterday. But matters
in these days move rapidly and the bold
newspaper men in their desire to create
sensation in the dull season, are doing
their best to goad Uncle Sam into max
ing fool of himself by pulling other
peoples chestnuts out of the FIRE. The
people of Samoa are at present engaged
in one OF their periodical contests for
supremacy between different head chiefs,
and certain traders, German and Ameri-
can are trying their best to involve their
respective governments in the petty
squabble. Asimilar circumstance having
arisen some years ago, the United States,
German and British governments signed
joint treaty to allow no interference by
foreign powers in the internal affairs of
the islands, and as Bismarck stated the
other day in his speech to the Reichstag,
if the oGicer of the German vessel now
lying at the islands has exceeded his
duty, it is against the wish of the Ger
man government, and upon the receipt
of authentic information, the matter can
soon be rectifed. While we are fond of
sneerlng at the French nation for their
ridiculous susceptibility and readiness
to fly off the handle, and take offense
where none was intended, to Judge by
the fuss which has been made over the
present episode, it would appear to out
slders as though we were hardly entitled
to cast the first stone.
The islands are situated nearly midway
between North America and Australia
being 5000 miles from Sydney and 5000
from San Francisco. Their chief value
lies in their excellent position as coaling
station and harbor for vessels engaged
in trading in the southern seas. The
| islands are scattered over space OF
about 400 miles the largest being named
Savaii, Upolu, Itiula, and Mauna. The
surface is mostly mountainous with sew
eral extinct volcanoes scattered through
the group. The rocky foundation is gen.
orally covered with rich soil on which
the banana, breadfruit, cocoanut. nut
meg, sugar cane, pineapple and other
tropical fruits grow in great profusion
The chief article of commerce engaged
| IN by the 10000 Inhabitants is cocoanut
fibre which is exported to slight extent
The social system is semi-communistic
the women occupying a higher position
than is usual in that stage OF civilization,
though they still have but little to say
about marriage, as long as the parents
are satisfied with the presents of the
prospective son-in-law. Divorce is sim
pier than in Chicago and less expensive
In case of ''incompatibilty" the family
property is equally divided and both
| parties are open to fresh engagements,
A widow becomes the property of hei
brother.ln-law, his being already Bene-
dict not necessarily making any differ.
ence.
Dress among the Samoans is simple
| consisting principally OF broad smile
| with the addition of apron of .'ri'
leaves suspended from the loins. Full
dress consists Of tire addition to ordinary
costume of a coating of sweet oil, colored
| yellow with turmer1c and rubbed into
| the skin. IF Mr.. Barnes of New York
had been Samoan dude his hair would
have stood straight up from his head from
twelve to eighteen inches q la pompadou,
and surrounded by band in the centre
like sheaf of No. hard. The height
of fashion is attained if the hair is bathed
daily in solution containing lime, which
gives it an auburn or reddish hue. and