Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-01-23
ANAA AND ITS PEOPLE.
An Island that OnCs Had a Population
Of 5000 Has Now but 400
An Interesting L'ttcr from Nou"s
salt Lnisc Missionary - she Won
dsriui Cocnnnut Tree nnh ita Uses


Surprising, or at least hoping, that n
few lines would be Of Interest to you
ani your many reaicrs, Joke pltasufe
ia Whiting YOU a. to cur labjfs. Pe1-
ple a. q rule have litilo conception Of
the poculir customs, habits and oc'u'
nations Of this braach Of the House Of
Israel.
Il is mauy years since this people
fret heard the Gospel, and c3mpara'
lively few aave needed ita teaching'.
When the Elders fret landed here on
the fourth dhy Of May, 1915, Auaa
wrsa fiourishing leland Of come 5000
inhabita It's, the mos, Of whom were Of
the Woodworking elias. Deep cllrench'
ments were thrown up and ttro cuiu'
waited which answered for hluf. In
fact they accomplished macy tasks that
the people Of this day aad generation
dare not attempt. Since The iuiroIue'
ton Of fl1uT, cIo,hlsr and liquor by
the Wholesale, they have ceased mahu'
muluflng their own cloth, stopped cue
tvhtlug tarD aud other vrsutNiou,
atd adopted ioicign grain for tus'
tenancy. This has not agreed win
them, ~ God haa boon dirplrasui Win
tnslf actions. Tho result " Anna has
now population Of uoi more lhan
four hundred.
Al one time there were ninu cities,
while now thufu arc tut siE, and theso
nfe lull Of empty dwellings and places
where houses have bouu.
what has become Of the ptople'
Who can tell2 are questions almost ut-
nuswcrable, out ono thing II true,
their oflspflng has decreased. Tue
minority Of tho people drink heavily
Ana the mon not Ouly habitunlu them
selves 10 the evil, lut women are like.
wisetqually prone 10 drunkenness AMI
dlsslpation. When community con.
tlnunlly indulgca Ia this kind 0i wyrs,
any sensible man eau iofc'ee thoif
fiufe condition, hut who eau Oder
,hum m acceptable remedy We PIE.
sent the Gospel. Do they receive ~
Very few. Bill tho salvation VI every
soul In important ~ Cos.
There are three religious denominh'
t.ous here, one Of which held IT, con-
ference Ia this city three weeks ugl.
At that date the people had q great
least, killing twon,y.nine ulgs and
baking that many SACKS Of iiIur. OF
course liquor was not distributed
among them ~ meat AMI bread
Bul It was nevertheless obtained
Whom night dawEed many were sop
heAvy0 and these maize great deal
OF noise during the darkness, tut never
molested W. therefore, we cannot COM
plain.
During the past three months nine
haptisms were mate. This mnkca IA
TtioiceanG we feel Ike prennng On.
ward and upward. NJ a rulo our pto'
pie are softer, good mon anu women,
who seek to obey the Gospel aud COM
ply with our Teachings.
Al the October conference held Ai
Tunhora, Saints from the surrounding
islands aud tho following Elicra we're
In attendance, President Joseph w.
DaInroB, w. A. Surgmillsr, IhGm 10
Jones, Charles j.. Carson aud Th0mas
L.. Woodbury.. The report for the
past six months showed lOrly.iiyu hap
isms and good prospects Tor the future.
The conference lasted thtce days. All
OF tho brethren expressed thumeelye Fl
No feeling well and deeply Interested la
tue work. The meeting adjourned ioT
six months 10 the leland Of kRuehi.
President DamT0u has LETT Tor Ill
kuefn and Brothers Jones aud Larsen
arc nj Tukhpoto. These islands have
been opened Tor pearl diving and
many people have n1cksd There.
From latest reports there were ls0OpeC-
pie at Hikuern anu more coming every
day.
This 10 the wet or rainy season. One
day the wind will blow aud water pour
down IN torrents whilo the next day
viii probably be calm aud no warm
you are hardly able TO onduteiL This
kind OF weather IL unhrallhy, causing
the natives 10 continually complain.
Tho missionaries appear 10 stand IL
better than tho natives.
Thc chief occupation Of tho native
10 manufacturing cOpTa from the cocoa
nut. Perhaps the process would be
interesting ~ you.
When 1 was boy wo were taught
that cocognut trees were too Ia gh Tor
men 10 climb aud monkeys were sent
up IN their stoad. IL Il not trun here,
and dOn'I believe there is tree too
tall Tor these people 10 Acsud. II the
tree Is perpendicular the naive ties
some coooanut leaves together, max.
Ing a figure eight Of them; putting
both feet through the olphur4 hn as.
cends tue tree in scientific manner,
holding by his hands aud drawing his
feet under, or placing them close 20
his hands; ho then holds by hi icct,
etraightens bis body Aud repeats the
process. II tho tree be on an angle
on slanting he walks up on all tours
The nut IL enCOmpassed by tOl a.
hbtOus husk about an inch thick
which IN used tor the IN ,uuiactuu
NJ ropes, fuel, etc. The musk Is tori
Raunder by a man thrustlug 10 upon
pointed stick aud prying IL from ia,
nu', when this process is complete,
lhe nut NJ broken In halt and content
dried by the sun, When dry the mea
i- shaken from the shell nuI snckei ~
ready for shipping. Thousands Of ton
ure made hero annually,
The COcunuut ~ the most useful trrl
known. People build houses cOmplet
with the wood, husks AMI leaves. I'M
nut Il eaten by man and beast. TIL
top OF tho tree Is tender uul Wuul
cooked resembles cabbtgv, Tho hui
Is ,xtensiycly USED Ion mluumu,uriuI
harness mattresses, etc., utsiiuB max
ing the strongest OF yopv,uuu the leAv,
are good for making baskets, roofs
mats, mats, anu uy2Hu other usslu
articles
1 Will close by asking the reader
question. Can you show mo "a tIe
snd ils fun that man, bis tamil.
aud animate can tuh.et ou2 +. tuuI
unU,hcrtTre that you can lulll shipssu
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