The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-09
THE HAPPY ISLANDS.
Visitor From Samoa on Life in
Southern Pacific.
THE MoRMoNs AND eENTlLEs.
Prominent Utah Newspaper Man in See
attic Talks OF Situation In Terri
tory-Tulalip Indians.

Mr. +. NJ Turner, of Chicago, who Is on bis
way home from a ten months visit to the
samoan islands, Is stopping at the Rainier hotel.
In speaking of his trip he said last night: sThe
journey to Apia. the principal settlement, is an
easy one now, because the steamers from San
francisco to Australia stop there, and you no
longer have to make a change in order to reach
the place.
Il was there six years ago and stayed eight or
nine months, so have been much interested
III OBSERVING the progress of the natives during
the interval They have certainly gone ahead
considerably, and the settlement OF 800 or 400
europeans and Americans at Apia has resulted
In the adoption of European dress and customs
to a certain extent
missionaries have been at work in the islands
Tor about fifty years and the natives are NOM
inally Christians, though they still re-
tain good deal of their early super.
sution. OF course their conformity to
the Christian religion is as yet largely super
nciaL They have never, so far as tradition goes,
been cannibsls. So in one respect, at least, they
were ahead of some in the Southern seas.
european dress Is being adopted-especially
among the women. The native costume Is the
iava-lava, piece OF cotton cloth, imported, or
native paper cloth, or of mating. fastened
around the waist and hanging down half way or
all the way to the knee. Both sexes wear this
habit The women are beginning to put on
Mother Hubbards over it, though on occasions
they throw off this outer dress without the least
hesitation
"The women are getting some little educa-
ton in the schools-but learning to read and
write their own simple language, is the extent
OF II. The men receive a somewhat fuller edu-
cation in the churches SO that they may become
teachers and preachers.
"As yet their ideas of morality are rather crude.
Polygamy is not practiced, though a chief will
have thirty or forty wives, but never more than
one at time. He will keep a wife until he
tires of her. and then he will send
her back to her family. A common
man does the same thing on a smaller scale, for
he does not find 1t so easy to put away an old
wife and get q new one. Formerly it was the
custom OF Europeans who came there to take
native women, who, though there was never
legal marriage, lived with them and were every
where recognized as wives. But the European
could, OF course, terminate the relationship
when he chose. But that practice is changing.
The women refuse to live with the European
men on such terms. and insist upon formal
marriage
'With such state of things as l have de-
scribed it is not surprising that an unmarried
woman who has q child is in no way ashamed
and does not lose caste. She carries the babe
around openly and is as good anybody. The
women are hardy and will not hesitate to take
bath in the ocean a few hours after childbirth.
"The rearing OF child is no great burden
upon the parents, and indeed its presence is
supposed to add strength to the family. People
do very little work there, for the cost of living
Is next to nothing and food is provided in
abundance by nature-a dozen different kinds
of bananas, bread fruit, coacanuts, fish, game,
ETC., without end
"The principal export product of the islands
is dried cocoanut meat. The nuts are opened,
the meat stripped out and dried. Then it is
packed in ships and sent to Europe and Amer
lea, where the oil is extracted, and is much
priced for making the finest grades of soap and
candles.
"The men appointed by the three powers to
look after the affairs Of the islands, Chief JUS
tiee Cederkrantz and Baron Won Pilsach, the
president of the council are not giving satisfac-
ton at all. Cederkrantz is weak and inefficient.
His duty is to frame laws, but be has done
practically nothing for nine months, and he is
now OF on pleasure jaunt to the Fiji islands
or somewhere else, ostensibly with the purpose
of finding out how to collect taxes He is really
useless or even worse No one has any respect
for him. Baron Won Pilsach is using all his in
fluence for the Germans and the principal mer-
camille house in Apia. The Americans and
Europeans are dissatisfied with him, and put no
confidence in him. Certainly these two men
should be replaced.
civilian b Blackjack the American vice-con-
sui general, is very strong and efficient man,
admirably adapted for the place. He conducted
all the negotiations during the troublous times
of lSSs, and was most successful. King Malie-
toa wanted him for an advisor instead of Baron
Won Pilsach.
81 saw quite little of Robert Louis Steven
son during my stay at Apia. He lives in the
hills a few miles back with his mother, his
wife, her son and daughter, and his stepsons
wife-quite little colony of them. At best
he is not a strong man, and he came to
Samoa for his health. He tried Australia for
awhile, but came back bleeding at the lungs.
For time he could not see any one, but now he
Is better-well enough 10 drive around and re-
ceive callers He has been working on the
series of letters now being published in the
observation-disclosures and several other news
papers, and he has also been writing on his
story, 1.-THE Wrecker.' l took luncheon with
Mr.. stevenson some eight weeks ago, and he
told me he never expected TO live of the islands.
Indeed the state OF his health will not allow il.
"a brother of Rider Haggard is one of the
agents of the English government on the
islands, and Rudyard Kipling is expected there"