The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-29

tion on the plan OF the Kah Tom, or
high priesthood, of the tribe of Talo.
There Is said never to have been deser-
tion from the tribe, and. with thiu
single exception, never from the Kah
Tom.
For many centuries it has been the
dream and purpose Of the tribe to con-
centrate in some land which they could
become known to and associate with the
Christian nations of the world. But un'
til recent years this has never been
deemed safe or practical. nor is 1t prac-
tical now in Asia. But having this in
view the tribe has for centuries been
boarding and burying In the ground, in
oriental fashion, the savings OF it's NOM
bers, until to-day it is said that, though
much of their precious metals is worked
up into ornaments, in weight their gold
is over So, 900, 600, 900, their silver Of half
that value, while in the higher money
Of the orient, rubbies, diamonds,
emeralds and other precious stones and
gems, they have sum greater than
their gold and silver combined. 1t will
be understood then that wherever they
may move they will be power.
In 1881 about thirty Of the most ex
perienced memb ers of the Kah Tom
were sent to Brazil, to the country on
the headwaters of the Amazon, to care
fully look up a location where the tribe
could be concentrated; and they have
been for twelve years making their tests
and examinations. They have found
region with extent and resources sufH-
cient and capable of almost unlimited
expansion as the tribe may grow. The
work of moving the tribes will begin
next year, and is expected to consume
twelve or fifteen years. Their nova
Bile wealth has, meantime, been con-
veyed to locations on the Asiatic coast
whore it can be transported wherever
desired.
But it would seem that some knowl-
edge OF the opportunities offered by the
undeveloped portions Of the older States
of the United States and the great
mineral wealth of Mexico and oppor-
tunities for extensive and profitable
manufacturing there, has led them to
consider putting large part of their
amount OF their capital in money, at
work in both countries; and their in
vestigations have been extensive. Four
mon are known to have been engaged
in looking up the Southern mountain
section and it may be others were at
work, as it Is known that over fifty have
been at work in all in the United States
and Mexico, including about half of the
South American committee.
These four were Ben Obal, Lab Sing,
Aram Oudhl and Virginian named
Keys, who went to Asia just after the
war and got into the Meaon-Tse country
and joined the tribe. Their work was
so quietly carried on, however, that
they got through the country before
anybody dreamed what was going on.
Obal, Oudhl and Keys have gone to
Mexico, and only Liab Sing is known
to intend remaining in the United
States. He has located himself for the
winter in Hagerstown, Md, nominally
to look after some cattle land and to CO.
operate in moving the colony to South
America, but it is known that he was
the chief authority among those in the
United States and was the head Of the
South American committees, so that it
is not probable he will be without
agents.
The whole story sounds like ro-
nance or an Arabian Nights enter
tainment, SO improbable does it seem
that such high state of civilization
should exist there. AS for the colon.
ization in this section it seems hardly
possible that an extensive scheme of
this nature should be put into execu-
ton. 1t will not pay Virginians to
disregard the use of the channels now
open to bring new inhabitants into this
section and wait for the elimination of
some such improbable scheme as the
above