The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-10
NEGROES OFF FOR LIBERIA.
4 Party From Alabama Left on The
Kansas City.

It is Said Many Others From the Black
Belt Of That State win Soon Leave
for Afriea-one of Them Said They
Had Encouraging Reports From
Others Who Had Gone Before and
Hundreds Were Preparing to Leave.
There Was a Plan on Foot Some Time
Ago to Transport Large Cargo of
Them to Africa.
There is a movement on foot to transport
from the black belt of Alabama to Liberia
& large number of negroes. The first party
of these negroes left Savannah yesterday
afternoon on the Kansas City for New
York, from where they will take passage
for Monrovia, the capital of Liberia.
The first party TO leave Alabama num-
bered about twenty, six of them being
women, and among them were several
children. They were brought from Birm-
ingham, Ala. via the Central railroad and
arrived in this city Thursday. steerage
passage being engaged for them on the
Kansas City to New York. The prospec-
tive colonists will reach New York to-
morrow afternoon.and their passage has
been engaged on a ship that will leave that
city for Monrovia on Monday morning.
One Of the negroes said that hundreds of
his race were leaving Alabama for Liberia,
and that while this was the first party I'M
der the movement that has Just been
started, many others were preparing to
leave, and other parties would follow
within a short time. They had received
word he said, that other negroes who went
there last year from this section of the
south were doing well, and he believed
that Liberia was a better home for the
negro than the United States. He said
other parties were now being organized
by people in Birmingham who had charge
Of the transportation arrangements and
would probably join them from time to
time during the next year.
Further inquiry about the matter de-
veloped the fact that there has been for
long time a movement on foot in Ala
hama to transport large number of ne
groes from the black belt of that state
TO Africa. Sometime ago it was thought
II would assume large proportions, and
there was talk of their transportation en-
mass through Savannah and direct from
here to Liberia by the employment Of
tramp steamer for the purpose. Parties
scheme, and the prospective and would
be colonists we're by no means backward,
there being from 800 to 1000 of them who
wanted to go. But for some reason the
plan could not be carried out as projected.
The plan was to send all of them to Savan-
nan and from here by steamers direct to
Liberia or any other part of Africa in
which they might want to settle.
There were good many negroes who
were anxious to make the trip, and the
promoters Of the plan. it seems. although
they failed TO make arrangements to send
any considerable number in one cargo,
have arranged to accommodate those who
are most anxious to get into the old coun-
try and make their fortunes. How many
more are to follow remains to be seen,
but from the way the negroes talked, il
seems that several other parties will
soon be bound in that direction. They
seemed thoroughly satisfied with the pros
poets ahead of them, and the reports they
have had from those who have gone on
before have given them much encourage
ment.