, 1896-08-28
ONLY A FEW
The Fate Of the $50 Gilbert Islanders
Who Were Taken to Guatemala.

pathetic tale when she sailed in
through the Golden Gate yesterday.
She brought the news that of the $50
Gilbert Islanders inveigled to go Guat-
enala in 1892, to labor on the planta-
ton of Eugene Disable. under a con-
tract for four years. only 254 were now
alive. OF these but 227 were returned
to their native land, the Island of Blu
taritari. the majority of them broken
down in health. The others, 81 in num-
Der. found it to be their inclination to
remain in Central America. Thus ends
the Infamous Guatemala slave deal in
1892.
The details of the 'blackbirding' eX-
petition are still fresh in the minds of
the American public. 1t was conceiv-
cd by Capt. Blackburn, of the Montser-
rat, who. t"o years ago. mel death at
sea. Knowing there was a big demand
for cheap labor to clear land for cof-
fee planting in Guatemala, he confer
red with Disable, a large landholder in
the Central American republic, who
was much taken with the idea of profit
ing off the ignorance of the dusky ISL
anders, and authorized Blackburn to
contract with 1000 of them, agreeing
TO pay Sc a month for the labor Of the
men and 81 a month for the labor of
the women, besides finding their food,
for a term of four years. Blackburn's
task was an easy n He first won
the two kings who reign in the Gilbert
islands over to his side, and their in
dorsement of his scheme made it &C
ceptable in the eyes of the natives.
There was a perfect rush of the latter
to sign contracts to go anywhere and
do any kind of labor at any price
Blackburn would name. Stories Of new
sights they would see in a land so much
more advanced than theirs were cir
culated about, and so enthusiastic did
the islanders become who had signed
away their liberty that they could
hardly wait until the day when they
would be put away over the sea, while
those who had failed to secure for
eign contracts felt that they were I'M
fortunate in having missed a grand OPP
%portunity.
Four hundred of the islanders. who
were to experience lh%ardships unknown
among the slaves of the south of this
country before the civil war. left their
native homes on the Montserrat. 220
of them were carried on the bark Helen
w. Amy, and 230 were borne on the
brig Tahiti. The Montserrat and AL
my landed their cargoes safely at San
Jose de Guatemala. but the Tahiti,
while lying off the port awaiting sig
mails to land from the Montserrat. was
struck by a gale that capsized her. and
every soul on board was drowned. in
Guiding Capt. Ericsson and his crew.
The $50 islanders who got ashore
alive entered upon the life of the slave
in all essentials. They worked long
hours under driving masters, were fed
On the commonest food. not always in
sufficient quantity, and were taxed
heavily for everything they enjoyed
above the meager fare. AS before stat
cd. but 254 of them possessed the con-
situations which enabled them to cling
to life through the four years Of their
servitude. Many died of fever, while
others were worked to death. The sur
vivors. when their time had expired,
had no savings. The 20 cents a day
wage that was paid the males. and the
13 cents which the females received for
their druggery had proved barely
enough to keep them free from debt.
The Almy was chartered to return
the laborers who lived through this
four years of h%ardships to the Gilbert
islands. Some of them werepicked up
at San Jose de Guatemala and the 9TH
ers at San Benito. All expressed them
selves as heartily sick Of the Del Monte
plantation of Eugene Disable. and the
transports of joy into which the freed
slaves were thrown by the sight OF the
shores of Butaritari and their friends
and relatives awaiting them there
brought tears to the eyes OF more
than one OF the Almy's able seamen.-
San Francisco Chronicle.