Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-12-17
PARADISE ISLAND.

In the year 1859 an Engiishman who had v
been a resident OF New Zealand for ten r
years suddenly blossomea out as an in.
spired leader of men. Ills name was Ben +.
jamin Marks, and be was anything but ,
and refined. His idea was TO SO ,
cure power and place for himself, but he
was 50 good at assembling that no one
mistrusted this until too late BY visions.
prophecies and downright lying he induced
sixty five people 10 set out with him IN
search OF IA paradise on earth. brig
called the True Blue carried the crowd
away, and was an apprentice on the brig
She had come out from England several
years before and had been sailing between
New Zealand and some Of the islands TO
the north. The day we left Poverty bay |
was Is years old, and a stout lad for my /
age.
The FIRST stop we made was at Sunday
Island which then had about 800 inhabit
ants There was neither law, order nor
decency among them, but Marks managed
to keep this fact from hts people. From a
trading schooner there he got such infor
nation as induced him to change the course
20 the northeast. and we bore away for the
paumotu group This group takes in
includes the Maruuesa, Society and Cook
islands IL Is on a direct east and west line
between Brazil and Australia, and il from
to 10 degs south OF the equator.
We had six weeks sailing after leaving
Sunday Island, and there were frequent
qnarrels among the elect, Many would
have returned II possible, and had not
Marks possessed peculiar personal mag
netism the troubles would have been more
- t....1
dead ahead, and before noon the people
had forgotten all their differences and were
happy again. The island is down on the
newer charts as Tubai, but for many years
was known as Paradise We came up with
IL at about O'Clock, and Marks and others
were rowetl ashore for visit Of Inspection.
The island is thirteen miles long by seven
broad but a mile or SO at either end Is low
and swampy and covered az high water
There Is also large marsh on the eastern
shore. After day and half spent in
prospecting Marks decided that the island
would do. II was finely wooded, had many
springs and creeks, and the land gradually
rose 70 plateau high and dry. Lying 80
near the equator there Was scarce need of
clothing. aud winter would be known only
by three or four weeks OF rain.
Ii took us about week TO discharge
cargo and get ready TO sail, some of the
sailors lent hand Ia help build temporary
shelter for the people Nhen the ship had
been cleared and everything WAS ready for
saying good-by the captain OF the brig
whose name was Dartwood, who had beer
reasonably kind to me, ordered me ints
the yawl with another OF the crew to pull
him ashore to deliver n bundle which hae
been forgotten | noticed that the boa
had her mast and sail lying in her, bu
this fact had no Significance to me JUS
then. The people had settled on the risins
ground d mile from the landing and a.
we reached the shore | was instructed t,
carry the bundle TO the settlement.
started of very hriskly. and In the eours
of twenty minutes placed the bundle II
Marks hands No sooner had turned L
60 than | was roughly seized thrown
down and my ankles and hands securel,
Iashed Upon demanding an explanation
Marks replied:
Il gave the captain g for you. and yol
belong 10 me. IL In no use to raise a rows
II you behave yourself you shall he wei
treated II not. You will get badly han
died"
| at once proceeded To raise a row wit
my voice, nyiling the whole band aite
fotesaztle fashion, but thaY turned 10 an
beat mo until ! Was forced to cry 70
mercy
buying the WAS 10 make me his slave AM
drudge The captain did actually sell IN
for - note. IN alleged and in after year
when | got him into court In Wellington
it cost him E5o0 III settle matters. Afte
being licked into silence | realized that m
best way WAS to endure what | could no
cure The brig had gone, and II did no
take hold with some show OF spirit Mark
would make life uncomfortable. expresses
sorrow al my conduct, promised 10 do bet
ter, and was united and put to work.
All the houses were to be erected on on
line, facing the south That of Marks ha'
already been begun. II was the snmme
season there, and one could lie out nj nigh
without the least inconvenience A certai
number were TO work at the houses Will
others cleared land and planted crops. an
even the children o years old had tasks a
lotted them While all were busy no on
had time for regrets. and | think it wa
fully six weeks before | received a hin
that all was not satisfactory. Every hu
was now completed and the crops planted
but the people had come 10 see that tue
va simply 10 make an easy living The
had no use for manners, dress, edncatio
or money While they had no taxes TO pa
or laws to Cypress them. they had no deed
10 the land aud whatever Marks said mus
be obeyed lie did not take on autocrati
powers until nil necessary work had bee
accomplished TAen he proceeded to shol
himself in his true spirit He WA 10
boss and idler. willis all othersworked an
obeyed. His arguments were 10 20 with
ont dispute.
Had he not descended To trifes the peopl
would have borne with him, but by and b
he wanted 90 dictate In even the smailss
things, and one day there wss an awft
row between all hands Fists and elnt
were used and many were injured. and u
result was secession Thirty persons witt
drew from the Marks government. and 8
mp for themselves under the leadership
man named Baker They demanded b,
OF everything, and the Marks faction hi
10 grant IL or bring on another fight. Tn
10 three months from landing in "pal
disc" we had state Of affairs which won
have disgraeed an African village.
Marks had treated me fairly well mp
the time Of the split. Ny sympathies we
with the other party. and learning Of q
he tied me- TO q tree and whipped me nm
] tainted away. lie then chained ma TO
log for q week, and when was released
forced me TO drudge from daylight
dark. One day ran away 10 the moi
aud OF Ihe iNlnnd and for tao wazkA 4 N,