Evening star., 1897-02-06

Sam Brant was, If ever there was one
professional beach-coniber and quite as
proud OF the name as the veteran is of mis-
sailor deserts his shin in a Pacific isIa nd
ne remains in hiding till the inevitable
search is over and the vessel sails and
then he makes friends with the natives
who rarely betray the refugee in their
midst. The destrter marries and soon ac-
qures the language. and drops into the
! customs of the people, but it is not till
years nave brought forgetfuness and Sc
cuftty that he ventures to the shore where
ship casts anchor
When I me- Sam Brant he told me he
was seyenty-cne years of age. though he
might have rassed FOR fifty he was SO
straight, strong and supple.
I've been beach-con,ber out here in
the Pacific, he explained, as We sat look
I Ing at the fiery waves below us and smok-
ing our pipes. ''for just fifty-fve years. 1
began when l was sixteen. Why did l
start? Well it's the old story I was horn
at Sag Harbor Long Island. My father
| and mother died when 1 was fifteen, and,
as was my own master. 1 signed articles
and shipped on the whaler John Adams
My, IN those days there was no kerosene
was the business. At one time there was
over 100 whalers. mostly Yankee out in
this ocean.
When firs& shipped it was with the
notion that one day I'd be ter myself
but then was a boy and fool. The CAP
tain of the Adams was a man named
Phipps. very nice and smooth on Shore
but hog when OUT to sea- We hadn't
doubled the Cape when another boy and
me made up our minds TO desert the first
| chance. and that chance came in the Bay
OF Islands. IN northern New Zealand. We
married and lived with the natives for two
years Then a war broke out We were
suspected. and Tom Dawson, my chum
was killed. My wife warned me, and /
! land. There shipped on an Englishman
bound for Fiji. This captain was worse
than Phapos. so deserted with Scotch
Lived with the Fijars till the missionaries
came. Then We left
I asked him if his departure was due
to the missionaries. and Brant said that
he did not dislike them personally but that
wherever they went, powder and square
observation-disclosures.
| A Curious Career.
The story of this mans life as outlined to
me. was one Of the most interesting had
ever heard. During his long career in the
!. Pacthc he had been In a dozen or more is
| lands ard knew as many languages, and
had adopted as many heather religions
Whenever he took his departure. he left be-
hind him children and at least one wife
But they didn't need much clothes and
could get all they wanted to eat. so that it
| didn't much matter where went" he said
by way of explaining his seeming neglect
of duty.
At tthis time Brant had a wife in tho
| Famine group of islands. He had come up
t0n H9nolvlH for change. and was about
toi FeiurnI to his last wife and last lot of
chi31fen in few days.
Ia But Rrant, as / afterward found was too
weli-traveled and too intelligent man to
be regarded as a fair type of the Polynesian
beach-comber. The great majority of these
men are ignorant, degraded, cruel and in
every way immoral. Their influence on the
ample minded and hospitable natives is of
the very worst character.
The cruelty of captains has, without doubt,
driven many good men to deSertion, but
my own investigations lead me to believe
that majority of these self-exiled out
casts from the world were melted to change
| by love of ease, dislike for law and
hard work. in addition to a craving for that
| form of sensuaiity which it would be an in
/! suit to the lower animals to call brutal.
1t is these beach-combers, rather than the
! natives of any POlynesian island or group
| that most need the efforts of our mission
| aries and the prayers of our churches. They
are not only barriers to the progress of
| these Eden-like lands, but the tendency of
| their example Is degrading, even to the
| most bloodthirsty savage.
Some day, and that not in the far future,
the civilized world. when planning for the
| religious and commercial betterment of this
| rich field, must reckon with the beach
| comber and his increasing offspring.
The Origin of .sIaaISe- DOodle."
From the Ladies' Home Journal.
Yankee Doodle is claimed by many ma
| tions. 1t was known In England as '.Nankee
Doodle in the time of Charles l. The Hol-
| ianders had an old song to this air called
.Yanker Dudel." It is said to be also an
| old French vintage song, a native Hunga-
| rian air, and the ancient music of the
sword dance of the Biscayans. In June
| 1855. DIR. Richard Schuckburgh regimentai
| surgeon under General Braddock. thought
| to play joke on the ragged, tattered Con-
| tirentals by palming on the ''Nankee Doo-
die" of the time Of Cromwell upon the
colonial soldiers as the latest martial music
| 1t at once became popular. but q quarter
| Of q century later the joke seemed turned
/ when the Continental bands played this
same Yankee Doodle" as Lord CORVALLIS
| marched out after surrendering his army.
/ his sword and the Enxlish colonies In