The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-09
FOR AFRIC'S SUNNY SHORES.
TWO HUNDRED EMIGRANTs on
THEIR WAY To LIBERIA.

ternatiOnnl Migration society. " no
Says Vessel il Expected Here for
Them. But Just when lie Don't
KnOw-The EmIgrunts Camped in
Railroad Cars.
The party OF negro emigrants from tho
interior bound for Liberia arrived I'm the
city last night at O'Clock via the Florida
Central and Peninsular railroad.
The party is about 2'0 strong. There are
is adults and youths. and between thirty
and forty children under five years Of age.
The ages OF the party range an the way
from sucking infants 20 white haired old
men 70 years Of age. The males are slightly
in the majority. Most Of the men are farm
ers, with a few carpenters and black
smiths along. All are firmly convinced
that Liberia is a country where liv-
ing is much easier to be obtained than in
Arkansas, where most Of them came from,
with cotton at s cents a pound
The party includes representatives. from
every southern state and several Of the
western states There are not more than
three or four Georgia negroes i'm the party.
however. About half Of the party are
from Arkansas. one party Of nfty-eight
having left Pine Bluff Wednesday at noon.
Mississippi has the next largest represen-
tation and Alabama and Tennessee con
tributed the majority Of the remainder.
There are several from Texas one from
Colorado, one from Illinois and two from
South Carolina. A party Of four from Flor
ida arrived I'm the city yesterday to Join
the Liberia party here. Savannah will
probably contribute several, and several
recruits are reported TO be on their way
from South Carolina. II is likely that the
agent viii find Savannah a good recruit
ing point If there is no hitch in the ar
rangements here.
one white man come In with the party.
His name is r. d. Howard of Birmine-
nam, and he is secretary OF the lnterna-
uonal Migration Society which has charge
OF the Liberia movement. Mr. Howard
was seen by Morning News reporter
Immediately after the arrival Of the en-
igrant train and furnished the information
given above. He was not able TO give any
positive information as TO when the party
VIII leave savannah or when the ship
which is to carry them away from here
VIII arrive. He understood, he said, that
ship had been chartered in Philadelphia
from the company headquarters In Biz
mingham, and that she is now on her way
to Savannah. He had no idea when the
snip would arrive, he said, but was in
hopes that the party would not have
long TO wait here.
Il viii telegraph to Birmingham to-
night" he said, "and will be able to give
exact Information tomorrow as TO when
the ship will arrive and when the party
will leave Savannah"
What will you do with your emigrants
while you are waiting for the shp2" he
was asked.
Il will find some place to quarter them
har oh
replied. They will be taken care Of"
Each negro paid SAL he said for trans
portation from Savannah to Liberia, in
GLIDING keep while enroute. The fare TO
Savannah was extra, but a very low rate
was made by the railroads.
what will they do when they get to
Liberia2 Have any arrangements been
made to receive and care for them there?"
he was asked
None that know Of" was the reply
''They will simply strike out for them
selves. Most of them have enough money
to come back on if they do not ike the
eorntryk The .Liberiam government is
encouraging immigration and the immi-
grants are taken in hand and looked after
on their arrival They will be cared for
by the government for three or four
months If there is no work for them.
President Cheeseman Of the Liberian re-
public has given work to a number Of
have been sent out by the company already
have sent back satisfactory reports of the
country and their treatment there"
This movement" continued Mr. How
ard. lis a big thing. There are thous-
ands Of negroes in the interior who are
anxious to go to Liberia. The Interna-
tional Migration Society is composed OF
negroes who pay a specified amount each
month until they have paid up the amount
of their passage As soon as a sufficient
sum is accumulated a party is sent off.
This party was only gotten up on short
notice. We could easily have gotten twice
as many. By the time the ship returns
from Liberia we will have another party
here twice as large as this one ready to
go out The society now numbers about
400 members scattered all over the south
and the number is increasing rapidly.
Mr.. Howard said that the secretary. f.
B. Cottingham of Birmingham, is also
a white man. He will arrive here this
week and will accompany the party TO Ii
IBERIA. All the agents of the society, he
said, are negroes.
The three cars occupied by the emil
grants were shifted out into the Central
railroad yard, permission having been
granted the party to remain in the cars
over night. They viii have to find some
other quarters to-day. A Morning News
reporter went through the cars and talked
with many of the emgrants. They are
a stout, hearty looking lot the majority
being young men and about on the aver
age of negro intelligence. They did not
appear to be especially elated over their
prospects, probably being worn out with
their long trip. Sine of them seemed to
think that Liberia is a land flowing with
milk and honey, but the majority said that
they were going there to work for a liv-
ing All seemed to be under the impression
that living could be had more easily
in Liberia than in Arkansas or anywhere
else in the south. The low price of cot
ton was the excuse most frequently given
for their departure from the south.
Il sold my cotton at 424 and 400 said one
young fellow. i don't think it will be
any better next year"
Some folks sold at g and cents" said
a man standing nearby. They say it will
be cents next year
Arkansas done played out" was the
reply made by half a dozen different
ones '"Tain't no use to try to make a liv-
ing there no more. We are goin' where a
Niger got a chance to live"
you can dig more potatoes in the
woods there than you can grow here"
declared one. And bread grows on
trees" said another. jokngly
What are YOU going to Africa for Tn