The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-30
The Sufferings Of King Vey-John.

The shareholders of the Panama Canal
Company. many Of whom invested all their
savings in that ill-starred enterprise. have
been the objects Of much sympathy. One suf-
ferer, however, aroyal parsonage, who keenly
feels the collapse of the great undertaking.
has been overlooked. 1t Is time the world
understood his grievance. He is no less a
person than King VEY-JoHN called plain
JOHN GRAY by the English, the richest and
most influential person In the great Vcy tribe
OF Liberia. This royal gentleman poured n
tale OF shattered hopes into the ear of re-
cont visitor. He was most anxious to know
when the shovel and tho pick would again
be busy on the Panama Canal and he added
that the stoppage OF digging there had pre-
vented moro dollars and cents from flowing
into his substitute for pocket than he could
think of without poignant affection.
After the visitor to Monrovia, capital of
the Llberian republic. has paid his respects
TO tho President and visited the graveyard,
the lighthouse, and tho other sights of tho
metropolis, no Is told that he cannot alrurd
to leave the country without seeing tho
most married and richest man in it. He
therefore hires q canoe, provides himself
with a couple OF bottles OF bceror some other
slight token OF good fellowship and friendly
feeling, and takes his way across the Mes
surado River to the grass palace OF the great
King OF tho Veys. II his Majesty is not
making his quarterly tour through tho
country on visit to his numerous wives
the visitor and his bottles OF beer are very
graclously received. Like his subjects, tho
King is scantily attircd, but he IS dis
tingulshed from them by rel fcz which he
alone is privileged to woar. A recent Ger
man visitor describes him us n largo, power
ful, elderly man, with "a sweetly innocent
and inexpensive cOuntonancc." III this
respect King VEY-JoHN resembles the
Heathon Chlnce Of Mr.. HARTE's poem, for
he is reputed TO DO the cunnlngcst old fox
and tho sharpcst at bargain along that
part OF the coast.
The special pride OF King VEY-JoHN is his
numerous family of wives aud children. IN
like most othcr potontates, the King scattcrs
his wives throughout his largo country or,
In other words, the entire northern part of
Liberia is dotted with his domestic hearth
stones. At regular intervals he pays them
all visit, which involves good deal of
travelling. and reflects much credit upon
AS soon as his humorous sons reach use
iul age King NEY-JoHN removes from them
the temptation TO SOW wild oats by hiring
them out to the whites and cnlored citiZens
of Liberia. 1t is not difficult to secure in tho
labor market Of Monrovia Il scion OF roval
blood TO juggle boxes in your store or weld
hoe on your coffee plantation for the small
sum OF SO q month and found, which is GER
tainly very cheap for prince, The price
would doubtless be higher If King VEY-JoHN
had not rather gutted the market with
princes. His Majesty, besides, dsposes not
only of the labor OF his own sons and slaves,
but he has the undisputed right to make
similar disposition OF sons and daughters of
his subjects. Regularly once month he
collects their wages, and the air in that lati-
tude being close and rather sticky a very
considerable part OF the hard-earned cur
rency is said to cling to the royal fingers.
But the largest contract King VEYJoHN
ever undertook was to assist AIr, De LEssEPs
to dig the Panama Canal. Tho time came
when the natives of tho West Indies woke
up to the fact that far too many Of them
were digging their graves as well as the
canal, and the survivors at home began TO
bGht shy OF the glittering proposals Of tho