The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-11

sAAO '~HAASA OAeN'N7
catalogued as member of the class, but
he was member in full standing of the
class of '97 of the Cobb Divinity school
and was graduated with honor with his
class on May 10.
Mr.. Clinton, as he prefers to be known,
is native of the territory known as
Grand Bassa, in Africa, stretching along
the western coast some 1000 miles from
the gulf of Guinea to the mouth of the
Senegambia, and extending from $50 to
500 miles into the interior of Africa, and
as nearly as can be told is about 35 years
of age.
Mr.. Clinton's father was the king of
this people and his grandfather, Zea, was
reputed to be the greatest and wisest king
that ever ruled over this people, which
numbers about two millions, and is a
powerful nation in Africa.
The father of Mr. Clinton died when
his son Somayou was boy. Somayou
was the eldest son of his fathers favorite
wife, his people being polygamous and
his father having upward OF 30 wives.
Upon the death of his father, his uncle
usurped the throne, and while Somayou
was allowed to live, he was closely
watched, and the chances were that he
would not be permitted to grow to man
hood to be rival to his uncle, who de-
sired to retain the throne.
In spite of the watch kept upon him,
Somayou managed to escape, and fled
from the country, making his way after
many hardships to the settlements in
Liberia
Here he fell into the hands of an Ameri-
can trader named Clinton, who employed
him as an errand boy, and finding him to
be bright and intelligent instructed him
in English, and finally introduced him
to the missionaries, and finally to Bishop
Lewis Pennick of the Episcopal church.
From these two men, Lewis Pennick and
Mr.. Clinton, he took his name of Lewis
Pennick Clinton
By the advice and through the assis-
tance of Bishop Pennick he came to this
country about 10 years ago, and has been
time well in obtaining an education.
He went first to Harper's Ferry and en-
tered Storer College, the school estab-
lished there for cOlored students.
He remained at Storer College five
years, and then by advice OF Principal
Brackett of Storer College, was sent north
by the Free Baptist denomination, and
entered Nichols Latin school in Lewis
ton, Me-, in which school, he took two
years course.
He entered the class of 1897 of Bates
College, taking special course in Ian
guages and science, and at the same time
entered the class of 1897 in the Cobb
Divinity school.
1t is Mr.. Clinton's intention to spend
a year in travel in this country under the
auspices Of the Free Baptist denomina-
ton, during which time he will lecture
upon his native land and its customs,
and then return to Africa.
He will return to his native land, not as
a claimant to the throne to which he is
by birth entitled, but to work for his
people as missionary and teacher, to
bring them to Christianity and to civil
ization. He will tell his uncle that he
has no desire for the throne, but simply
desires to found schools for his people.
In his appearance Mr.. Clinton differs
considerably from the negroes who are
usually seen in this &C lntry, and he is
somewhat inclined to look down upon the
American negroes as rather an inferior
class to himself.
He is rather short, stockily built, very
black, and with an unusually broad and
fiat nose. He stands about feet inches
and weighs las pounds
He speaks English fluently, rarely hest
tating for word to express his meaning,
but speaks with peculiar accent, which
makes it rather difficult for one not &C
customed to hearing him to understand
him readily.
During his course at Bates he has aided
in supporting himself by lecturing in
different parts of the country upo.l his
native land and people. He is also pos
sessed of considerable ability as an elocu-
ZIONIST and mimic, and has often enter
tanned his mates at society and other
gatherings, by his stump speeches and
recitations.
An intelligent student, and at the same
time deeply interested in all the various
features of student life, a strong supporter
of the college sports, base ball, foot ball,
tennis and all others, though himself
playing nothing but tennis, he has been
very popular among his college mates.
He hassbeen during his college course
an active member of the Polymnian
society and an interested and interesting
participant in its debates, and has always
demonstrated his ability to hold his own
in argument