The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-05
LIBERIAN FEVER AT WORK.
A COLONY OF 222 SAVANNAH Ne
GROEs TO LEAVE ABOUT MAY 20.

ternatiOnaI Migration SOcicty's Of
fee Here-Thrifty Negroes selling
ont Their Property and Effects in
order To Get Money for the Trip.
The negroes Of Savannah seem TO have
the emigration fever, and the startling
announcement Is made that colony OF
%. all from Chatham county, viii leave
this city on the steamship Horsa for Ii
IBERIA about May %
The trip is 10 be made under the aus
pices of the International Migration So.
ciety. the same that sent the last cargo.
This society has had agents quietly At
work here since March 10, when the Hor-
sa carried over its first crowd. They have
not made any particular concealment OF
their plans and purposes, for an office has
been established at No. IS jefferson street,
where Information is furnished, and the
dues are collected from those who con-
template seeking future homes in Libe,
ria.
This Office is in charge of Mr.. J. ".
Masters, general agent of the Interna-
tional Migration Society, who came here
on March 20 and within six weeks time
he says he has worked up a colony or
222 people. most Of whom are members
OF families
The Savannah and Chatham county ne
groes caught the fever from the first car
go carried over by the Horsa. The emil
grants came from the interior, and be-
ing here about ten days or two weeks
before their steamer arrived, they had
plenty OF time to talk TO their acQuaint-
ances made here about where they were
going and what they expected 10 do. The
representatives of the society who Were
here at the time, soon found that this
would be a good field to work in, and
10 all appearances Il has so proven.
Unlike the negroes the interior, however
the Chatham county negroes are not pay
ing their transportation fee at the rate of
dollar a month. They are nearly all
negroes who have accumulated some little
property and who are selling il out
70 pay their fare across. and to have a
little something to start on when they
reach the other side
A queer case in point is that of two ne
eIoes VINO owned little piece of prop
Sry together. on which there was a house
Inc deed contained both names, and il APP
Peared that one Of them at least wanted
70 dispose OF the property for the purpose
OF getting funds together to 20 to Africa
a purchaser was found and when the
oeeu was carried TO the attorney, who was
70 examine the title it was apparent at
once that the holder of the deed had only
half interest When asked about fbe
oShSr owner OF the property the holder
OF the deed said the other man was dead
lie soon found out, however that the 9TH
er man had to be forthcoming ana the
next step was the appearance OF a power
OF attorney, signed by both owners named
IN lhe deed Here was a case Of a dead
man coming to life very suddenly. and me
attorneys refused to proceed any further
, nnaess Doth those who had signed the
RIVER oI attorney We're produced. Both
o. them went 10 the attorneys office ves-
Ierday afternoon, and the supposed dead
man was ready to take an oath thar ha
was alive, but an identifcation was re-
SS gu I.ll before the deed and transfer win
This is mentioned as an instance Of the
extent TO which some of the negroes are
so.lng IN order TO dispose of their prop-
10y dnd emlgrate to Liberia. Others are
OoihB the same thing, and in fact almost
every one who will go on this trim has
accumulated some property. This is nee
sS saIiily SO, as will readily be seen since
ICY nave mad to pay in the $41 for passage
money practically within two months
some OF those who want to go but have
d A.. enough 10 start them. are making
amount together
"A representative of the Morning News
visited the Office OF the society on Teffer9
son street and found gathered there n
numper or colored men who were talk
ing Liberia and hearing it talked about.
NS nave colony almost completely
SAD Mr.. Masters, in response to n oIier11,
odahd expect to be able to sail about Nav
81 OF very shortly thereafter. We have
for it, ma ee''iHs ready
wa Where here are your emigrants from?' he
They. are every one from Chatham
county, Mr. Masters said, land Won vouId
- - lseq 70 ilhd out how many desire
70 20 70 Liberia OF the 222 who will
san with this colony, about 1870 are civ
negIoes' while the others are from the
country They are most all people who
own properly, and they are now dtsnosipSy
Tor the trip" ''
be What j. c. does the trip cost them from
They pay $41 for their passage from
S.aNahnah' We have formed this colony
since the Horsa left on March 10. and Of
course II has not been done on the a .
Hiontn Plan. Many of them have ma ii in
a. tiS f nSSessary amount or large portion of
u from property they have sold or will
dispose Of We have letters from some OF
lhoSs VINO went over on the Horsa and
such letters have also been received Nv
nesIOes IN ms country stating that the
entire crowd arrived well and in good con-
uluon, ana that the society did all for
nhem that was promised that is each
FAMILY received p acres of land from tie
government and three weeks provisiOns
furnished by the society Unless some
dhlng unforeseen should happen the Hor-
sa VIII be here by May 20, and the colony
VIII De ready TO sail very shortly there
There was in the Office at the time a
colored doctor, McKane who came 10 this
country from Liberia in 1855 He was
educated as physician at the University
OF Vermont, after which he came soatth
Win the intention of returning in a year
or two to Liberia where ne states he has
been elected TO a chair of science in the
Liberian college. He has been unable TO
return heretofore, he says but will go this
Liberia is not a heaven" he said. when
asked about his country. nor is it
by any means the other place. The col
ored people there are no worse off than
they are in the West Indies and in most
instances not as bad. They are by no
means thriftless, and they have attained
some degree of civilization. The peoDle
who go from this country to Liberia must
go 10 the soil for their living. They must
go prepared to a certain extent, and they
must be Industrious and energetic Tho
government will give them the land but
they viii have to work it. It is seen that
only an industrious and thrifty class of
colored people is wanted. such as have
attained some little education in this
country, and Liberia is in need Of some
of this class of negroes from this coun-
try to help build her up"
A letter written to A. J Kyle by an Amer
Jean emigrant to Liberia was READ by Dr.
McKane to those who were standing
around seeking Information. Sitting in
one corner was an old negro who had
seen pretty near his three score and ten
He wanted to 60 TO Liberia, he said, but
he did not see how he could finance the
scheme. He was much interested in the
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