The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-21


sary Medical Association, Buffalo, N. Y.
themselves and their women and children
numerically.
Thus it was that 1 established both a
police and church system.
l was the clergyman on Sunday and the
alcalde during the week, when cases were
brought before me every morning.
l had guard houses made, which could
easily have been knocked down, however,
by two or three unruly prisoners. To
avoid this l had stocks made weighing
700 pounds, which held the culprits down
on their backs effectually. Light offenses
would be fined in cocoanuts; there were
some offenses for which the offender was
kept in stocks as much as nine days.
The church phase was equally civiliz-
ing.
1 gave little religious talk on Sunday
morning, and finally taught my congrega-
ton to sing, Where Is My Wandering
Boy To-night2' which it did with pathos.
Then another hymn was this:
I have reached the land Of corn and wine,
Aud all its riches shall be mine,
Where shines unbliss O. one blissful day,
And all my night haspassed away.
At these meetings the dress was especi-
ally noticeable, though became used to
only; the men in one shirt only; and no
body wore trousers of any kind whatso-
ever. During the week these garments
were prepared with much care.
They were starched with the glutinous
cassava root until they stood out white
and stiff as Queen Anne roof from the
waists and necks of the women and men,
respectively, at an angle of about 45o
My costume was the same, which embar
raised me some when l took the pulpit
platform the first Sunday. But did not
wish to stir up any feeling of caste be-
tween myself and flock, and so l abode by
their fashion.
Then, too, the heat demanded some
thing of the kind.
There were no benches-not enough sit
ting room for the dresses and skirts.
Parallel lines were formed-women and
men alternating giving a ballet effect.
The women had their kinky hair
CREASED and smeared with cassava starch
after which they covered their heads
with flour. During service my laughter
was naturally rovided blythe grotesque
streams of white perspiration creeping
down their faces.
But controlled myself.
Gradually finer spirit went abroad
over the island.
I then divided the land in cocoanut
walks" or farms, with three, four or
five trees clumped at the corner of each
''walk'' to designate property rights.
The trees bore monthly about sixty
cocoanuts to, each tree, making for the
500 trees to each "walk" &c, 900 cocoanuts
monthly. AT the end of six months each
walk" had, therefore, produced 10000
cocoanuts
The natives, to sustain themselves
used 800 cocoanuts each per month.
Thus it will be seen how these cocoa
nuts accumulated. For example, there
were 10000 trees on the island, the issue
from which in six months were 25, 200, 900
cocoanuts. From this l had to deduct
the consumption of the 1000 natives for
600 cocoanuts at two and half cents
each, S576, 900.
l had gotten the island in good working
shape, and had my cocoanuts and canned
goods stored waiting for the vessel.
"A sail!" That was what my body
guard exclaimed one brilliant morning in
June and the populace rushed pell nell
to nell to the waterfront. All hands put
on their Sunday outfit and stood stiff and
starched, like tents along the
shore. There was much excitement as
the skipper landed.
He was surprised to see ne.
Said [: How are the boys in New
York, cap, and what was the quotation on
cocoanutsl"
1.-Two and one-half cents" said he, not
knowing what weighty words he spoke.
LOAD em up, said he, and with that
he gave orders to his crew to send the
cargo of provisions ashore.
Don't we get money for these7' said I.
''Never did, " said he, land never will"
clay hold on him, men," cried 1, "and
bring the crew ashore.
With pointed sticks they boarded the
vessel, and before two hours had passed,
after much bloody resistance, captain and
crew were all thrown into the guardhouse
and put into stocks.
Search the vessel men! !" They did so,
with myself in advance. In every corner
we looked. AT last we came across the
money, apparently intended by the own
ers to be paid for the merchandise.
Thus had fraud been going on untram-
meled for years and years.
l returned to the guardhouse where the
skipper was.
SAID I: Sir, what did you say the
quotations on cocoanuts was}"
Two and one-half cents" growled he.
"Then sir, you owe me just $576, 0GG, and
have counted out just that amount from
the money you have aboard"
''S'death !" said he, lam foundp
when the moral question came up to me:
viii it be right for me to sail off with
these cocoanuts and this money, too2
They both surely do not belong to me.
But cannot leave the cocoanuts, and i'll
take the cocoanuts and leave the money l
will be doing myself an injustice, as l
shall have nothing on my arrival in New
York to show for my services on the is
land.
1 solved it.
I brought the captain aboard and kept
him there all the way back. made him
sign paper accepting the cocoanuts for
the sum of money given TO me, 1915, 900.
The sneering reader will probably say,
Just here, that the vessel could not bring
%, 040, 600 cocoanuts.
Let him beware!
These cocoanuts must come on this YES
sel-no matter anybody thinks. The au-
thor has some rights left him, as well as
the reader.
And those cocoanuts came.
One of the first things 1 did when got
to New York was to have the money
hauled uptown. Then l called on Col.
Cockerill Mrs Frank Leslie, DIR. Tai
mage, Col. 1ngersoll, Nat Goodwin, DIR.
Depew, A NJ. Palmer and others, and
frankly asked them all had | not acted
straight all the way through in
The deal
And they all said I had.
Did go back againl
suo vo,, pottee how AFiss FnplIsh drons her