The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-07
esTHE LIBERIAN FEVER"
No More Negroes Leaving This C0un-
try for Africa.

ters from an Emigrant to Liberia-No
Real Desire to Emigrate There-The
Emigration Fever Worked Up.
Savannah, April IA year ago the
steamship Horsa sailed out of this iport
for the west coast of Africa. She was
loaded down with black people. who were
anxious to jump out Of the Southern
frying pan into the African fire. The
departure Of the steamer was made the
occasion of great demonstration on the
part of the black population of the Forest
City. They swarmed all over the streets
of the beautiful city and crowded the
wharf and Fits approaches from which
the steamer was to sail. From the ap-
pearanoe of things it looked as il the
black population of Chatham county had
there had been enough Horsa in COM
mission to transport the people they
would have all gone at once to the land
of the sun and the jungle. The people
here felt that way, and the press de-
spatches were colored in that way. lit
was also predicted that the Horsa was
only the forerunner of regular line of
steamers destined to ply between our
Southern ports and the west coast of At
RIGA. The passage traffic from here and
the freight traffic from Africa, it was
shown, on paper, would make such a
steamship Inca gold mine. The promot-
ers of the enterprise INDUCED in no ifs;
they employed only the imperative mood
in speaking and writing of the subject.
Well, the Horsa has not SO far proved
forerunner, but only d tramp in the bus
mess; the steamship line between our
Southern ports and West Africa is still
an idea, formless; and if there is an ar
my of black people in Florida, Georgia,
Alabama and Louisiana who want to go
to West Africa. have failed to find them
during the past four months. They may
be here, but they certainly are out of
sight. The agents and advocates of AT
rican repatriation are still visible to the
naked eye, and they are still talking
through their hats, but they have no
considerable following.
Now and again one of the Horsa's pas
sengers struggles back to. the neighbor-
hood in the South from which he went
a year ago with the pride Of hope reared
upon great expectations all over his face
and in his eyes, broken in health and
spirit and purse, to begin anew in the
land of his birth the hard struggle of ex-
istence; but others less fortunate are
compelled to remain In exile and to write
here to friends and relatives a tale OF woe
undertakes to answer. A letter from one
of the Horsa's people, ". r. Haffer.
written at Johnsonville, Liberia, Dec. 4,
1895, is being circulated in the Southern
States. The publication of it here last
Saturday in the Weekly Tribune. a race
organ, created quite a sensation among
the people who mad turned out to see the
Horsa sail away year ago. In his let
ter Halter says:
"My dear Mother: / have written you
three lettesr since have been over here,
them; SO l write you this one through
these parties, SO that can get hearing
from them. hardly know how to tell
you about this country. Something to
eat is scarce over here, mother. The
chop we eat consists of rice, stock fish,
salt behring's, casada, eddoes, oollard
greens, potatoes; palm oil is our grease;
DON'T have any meal or -four. We eat
twice day, when we can get it, though
since have been over here | have been
glad enough to get one meal of dry rice
a day, and nothing in it but salt and
water, no grease at all.
Mother, you give this letter to Char
ley, aud tell him say to have 1t struck
and send it to the newspapers, 80 every
body can read whab l say. Tell the
people l say tor them to pay no attention
or heed to Bishop NJ. Turner. nor no one
else that makes lectures concerning COM
ing to Liberia. because we have suffered
enough. We came over her April, 1885,
and ever since we have been here we
have been IN suffering and starving
condition. and as for me, l have never
been in such fix before in my life.
Bishop Turner, for his part, did not
tell the truth all down the line. He came
over here this year to conference, and he
did not take time to stay and tend to his
business on account Of he was afraid he
would take the fever. One of the DOCTORS
was telling him about the late emf.
grants, that they were sick and needad
medicine. Well, he said he would write
an order, and the doctor could get it and
distribute it among the newcomers; SO
he gets right up aud takes his little grip
and goes out, and when he was seen
again he was in the rowboat going to the
ship The doctor sent for him to come
back and get the medicine. Bishop
Turner sent him word that he was not
coming back to take the fever. and, fur
| thermore, tine newcomers could go right
ahead.
"Mother, ! am in hard luck now;
never was In suoh fix in all the days OF
my life; money have none; friends
have turned their backs on me, and I
HAYS been having very uncomfortable
position"
Bishop Turner lives in Georgia. He
has the African conferences of the Afri-
can Methodist Episcopal Church under
him. He does not believe that the negro
has any future in the United States, and
advises that he go to Liberia and make
| that republic grand and glorious.
In another letter to his mother Haffer
says:
~ am now having sores on my right
| foot, one behind on the inside and the
Other one in front of the ankle, and l
can hardly walk. They have been on
my feet ever since the second weeJr in