Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-23
IN A LAND OF PROMISE.
What n Recent EmfGrant Says Of His
Experiences I'm Liberia.

George Bowden OF Galveston. Tex. an
industrious colored man Of good character
and fair education. left the United States
on the 18th OF January. and arrived in
Liberia on the 23d Of February last With
the view OF making a home for himself IN
Liberia, he had saved from his small earn
ings a sum sufficient 20 establish himself
there on the little tract OF public land which
the Liberian government gives to any emf
grant who will make a homestead Of It
His intention is to make a model farm,
and especially TO cultivate the Liberian
coffee. which is most favorably known In
the markets of England and TO some extent
in the United States. This coffee is native
in Liberia. very easily cultivated and there
is an unlimited demand for IL at the high
est prices in gold.
The American Colonization Society aided
Mr.. Bowden to the extent OF a free pas
sage from New York to Liberia. and in O
letter recently received from him he gives
his first impressions Of the country:
Il landed in Monrov1a the Esd uitimo, ana
have enjoyed the best of health ever since
have seen a good deal OF this city and the
adjacent country. and must say the panor-
anna is beautiful
Il have seen Mr.. Stevens, the society's
agent, and also the government agent but
1 have not yet decided where shall locste
have been waiting on the fever, which has
TO acclimatize In other tropical chimes, I
am not at all alarmed about the present
MY voyage hither was O very pleasant
one, for although the Elder. Dempster q
dations. / Jared very well aboard their
steamer Sherbro. The route from the
United States to this country, via LIVER
pool. would be extremely inconvenient and
trying for steerage passengers, including
many women and children, as the steamers
running to this coast are fitted TO carry Q
limited number OF first-class passengers
only, and steerage passengers are compelled
to pass the most of their waking hours on
deck.
THE Liberians are industrious ana OF q
kindly nature, and some OF them are very
highly educated. and, considering the power.
full odds they have had 10 contend with
they have done well Located as they ara
between the dependencies Of two great and
greedy rival powers, the political horizon
in Liberia Is cloudy. The French demanded
and got by treaty the territory between
the San Pedro river and the Cavally, and
they have since taken by force and intrigue
half Cavally. The Liberian government
has recently restored order on that coast az
a great cost and do not know what IL IN
tends to do in this matter. The present
administration is composed OF some very
able men.
The thing Liberia needs most of all n
immigration: the country is prepared for
IL, and there are thousands of black fami-
lies in the southern parts OF the United
States anxious TO come to this country. and
IL they could be provided with a cheap, d.
rect passage they could very well take care
of themselves after their arrival here.
IF the friends of Christianity would as
sist intelligent, Industrious. honest able
bodied Christian negroes TO settle IN this
country, they would do far more for the
cause Of humanity and the moral Develop
ment Of a barbarous people than they can
ever accomplish by sending out white mis-
sionaries."