The Penn's Grove record., 1894-08-24
A LITTLE EDEN.
An Americans odd and Prosperous Lit
tie Kingdom


An Americans Odd and Prosperous Lit
tie Kingdom
Amid all the trouble which is al
present worrying the islanders of the
nth Pacific there is peace and
p.cnty on one Of the isles. There
guano flourishes in untold quanti-
ties; there are cocoanuts plentiful
enough for armies Of apes to play
base ball with, and the natives are
absolutely friendly with M another,
knowing not the hideous war club.
The little Eden referred to is known
on every nayigator's chart of the Pa
cilc as Sophia Island, and the mod
ern Adam who holds sway in it is q
former San franciscan named J. ii.
Morse. He is rex, chief, lord, or
whatever other title has passed to
him with the island.
The isle is his by purchase and the
royal title, like many others, was OBJ
tained for money. When he bought
the island King Morse discovered it
to be absolutely bald. There were no
people, no trees, no houses. But to
the mind ambitious to do the think
ing for a small nation the objections
were very small ones, and within the
probability Of removal.
So King Morse caused hair to grow
On the bald pate Of his kingdom, and
to-day he yields his scepter. of au-
thority over quite a community Of
dusky subjects with the ease and as
surance of an expert club-swinger.
A schooner recently arrived here
from o trading voyage to the South
Seas, and from her commander, Capt.
Molstad, quite an interesting account
Of the white chief and his black
kingdom was received.
The location of Sophia Island is
considerably farther south than
either the Caroline or Gilbert group,
and the nautical position is in lati-
tude 10 deg. As min. south, longitude
Fl79 deg. 80 MIN. east.
At one time it was peopled by quite
a colony of natives, who were ruled
by one Of their tribe. The encroach-
ments of the whites, however, thinned
them out, and a number Of years ago
the disguised native chief went into
solvency for the benefit Of his credit
ors-principally, however, for the
benefit of himself. He disposed of
the kingdom to some unknown per-
son and his subjects snapped land
lords. The new owner did not prove
q pronounced success as a ruler, and
this time his secondhand subjects
became disguised, and, taking to
their canoes, padded away from So.
phia to some friendly port In the
Gilbert group, where they could be
well fed and we'll ruled at the same
time.
Having nobody to rule and feeling
the weight and worthleSsness OF his
ocean estate the ~boycotted owner
looked about for a good 'buy."
1t thus occurred that J. H. Morse
happened along in a trading schooner
one day and stopped at Sophia. After
a good deal of bartering the tract
changed hands a third time and fell
into the possession Of Mr.. Morse in
consideration of the sum Of S., 900.
With a laudable view of producing
a new and novel type of race to dis.
tinguish his inland kingdom from its
many neighboring rivals, Mr.. Morse
induced a medley Of whites, half
breeds, Samoans, and Gilbert Island
ers to take up their h~abitations iii his
colony, himself officiating from time
to time as king, sheriff, clergyman
and employer.
The barren spots in the Island were
covered with a growth Of banana and
cocoanut trees in great abundance,
and the Island has been subdivideC
into homesteads and plantations
Houses were built and are still being
erected. The Island is rich In guant
beds, which form one of the chic
profits of its commerce with trading
vessels.
King Morse governs his small EN-
pre- with %gentleness. lie carries hi
, code of laws in his mind, and does al
the planning, ordering and execut
ing. He does not fear a revolution o
a German protectorate, for he own
every foot of his territory. He is Oh
the best of diplomatic terms with til
chiefs of Bularlari, Taputeweal au'
other islands of note, and is general.
regarded as q power in South Sc
politics.
Mr.. Morse, who is well known Il
this city, is o comparatively youn
man, and has for years been engage
In trading in the South Pacific. II
Is perfectly contented with his 10
and manifests no desire to mix agai
in the hurlY-burly Of the San Frar
cisco world.
Capt. Molstad, who put into Sophi
Island to avoid dangerous gales, 0
his way to this port, states that tn
little Eden is increasing its prosper
ity. The crops are good and the n
t sources of the place are great consit
erlng its size and population.-Sa
!. Francisco Chrnnicla-
A Battle For Blood
Is what Foods Sarsaparilla vigorously fgli