Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-07-29
RICH AND PROSPEROUS.

scenes Of his early life.
June called in THE ENQUIRER office
last Saturday, and after introducing him.
self, said he wanted copy of the paper.
1t was the first paper he had ever read,
and when he got home, which would be
in about two months, on account OF GER
tain business he had to attend to north
and in Europe, he would order it sent
to him regularly. He proved to be very
intelligent talker, and it was not very
many minutes before the reporter came to
the conclusion that he could tell some
stories that would be of considerable in
terest to the people of this section.
There were 166 men, women and chill
dren in our party, when We left Clay
Hill," he said. 1--WE sailed on the Edith
Rose. Two or three died on the voyage,
and SO or more becoming dissatisfied after
we got there, returned home. Of the
balance, nearly all are doing we'll, and not
one of them would be willing to come
back to this country to live under any
consideration"
"Well, you seem to have been quite
prosperous. Tell us how you got your
start. Did you have any money when
you got there?"
Eyes, sir; bless the Lord, I am doing
well. No, sir I did not have much money.
Me and Solomon Hill-Solomon is my
partner-had only few dollars between
US. The government gave us each 20 acres
of land-it still gives 25 acres to the head
of family and 10 acres to man who is
not married-and we went to work. The
first thing we did was to plant ginger and
coffee. It takes coffee five years to bear
after planting, and then it continues to
bear on for lifetime. Ginger comes
quicker. But we had to do something
while our crops were coming on and we
went to work with whipsaw, saving
out lumber for so cents day apiece. We
kept at this for two or three years, until
we began to realize from our ginger crops,
and then later, when our coffee began to
yield, we did not have any more trouble.
Now, between US we have 5000 acres OF
land and our coffee crop amounts to a
little over $4,000 pounds year. For this
we get Is cents pound, and realize about
10 cents pound net pronC.
"Here is a sample of our Coffee" con-
tinued Moore, producing box OF that
article. The reporter was struck with
the unusually large size of the grains
and suggested that the sample was es-
pecially selected. "No, sir" said Moore,
"that is what they, call elephant coffee. I
sold 200 bags of it in Liverpool, and it
| was all Just like this. This was taken out
of bag that I brought home to my peo-
pie. It is fast becoming known as the
finest favored coffee in the world, and
my principal business out on this trip is
to establish an American market for it.
Heretofore we have been selling 1t in Ger
many and England, and we want to
sell it in America ALSO" He went on
to explain that in addition to their farm
ing operations, he and Hill also conduct
ed mercantile business at Arlington,
Millsburg and Monrovia. The country
is divided into settlements of eight square
miles each. He lives in Arlington,
which was settled in 1869. At that time
no coffee was raised there; but now the
settlement produces about 3OO,OO pounds
annually, and he and Hill handle about
half of it.
Next Moore produced photographs OF
two residences which he said were those
of himself and Hill. Each residence Is
two stories high, and though constructed
of boards that appear to have been sawn
rather unevenly, they are neatly painted
and present very creditable appearance.
Hill's house contains 16 rooms and that OF
Moore II. He also had photographs OF
his own wife and children and HilPs
wife and children, along with several OF
their grandchildren.
"What about your government, June"
the reporter asked lis it etflcient?"
"Yes, sir we have good government.
Our president, j. J. Cheeseman, is son OF
an American slave but native Liberian.
He is an able, just and patriotic executive.
The legislative department consists OF
house and senate, just as in this country.
Crime is punished surely and swiftly,
and murderers are generally hanged. 1t
is not often that they get off on the plea OF
self-defence unless they have mighty
clear case, and it is not often that a jury
will say manslaughter when it is really
murder. immortality is punished more
strictly than in this country. A man is
allowed only one wife, and if he lives in q
single room house with more than one
woman, he will be prosecuted for lewd-
ness. have been on the grand jury time
and again, and I know just what am
talking about. Our educational system is
no. so good. 1t is under the control OF the
government but we have not yet been
able to get efficient teachers. All of our
business and all of our education is in the
English language. There are other
tongues spoken; but English is good any
where"
"How about labor2 Is there still op-
portunity for intelligent men without
means, but willing to work, to make
headway?"
"The labor is good and reliable. 1t is
better than the Negro labor in this coun-
try. We pay the natives 2 cents day
and Americans so cents day. The dis
elimination is for the reason that the
Americans are more intelligent, and,
therefore, more valuable. Our country
furnishes a fine opportunity for educated
Negroes who are willing to work. They
have advantages that they will never be
able to secure in this country ; but those
who are only fit for laborers had better
stay here. They cannot do any better In
Liberia"
"Any white men among your"
Only few Englishmen and Germans,
sir. We do not want white men except as
traders, and we don't allow them to own
real estate. They are too smart for the
NOR Neoro and if we should throw down