The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-12
A MERRY-Go-ROUND IN SAMOA.
0ne-sided Success of IA show Among
People Habitually Penniless.
From the Chicago Inter ocean.

EGOUAG
From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
A misguided individual went to Apia not
long ago. Most individuals may be regard
ed as essentially misguided who go TO
Samoa without having completed their
arrangements for going further without
loss of time or else coming back; but this
was a glazing instance. The individual
brought with him merry-go-round a
triple combination of the wooden horses,
the melancholy hand organ, and the pea
nut rooster, all embraced in "a gaudy sign
board, reading, THE American Steam
Riding Gallery" with this triplet of
attractions the proprietor expected TO
gather a large amount of coin from the
amusement-loving islanders.
There was every kind of hitch In getting
the machinery put up, the track would not
ballast level, the boiler would not boil
water, the steam engine would not CO.
and the opening performance was continu-
ally being postponed until repairs could
be effected The only man on the beach
who understood such machinery was in
jail for arson, having set fire to the for
eign church. Some of the residents felt a
little nervous when he was leased to the
merry -go-round man, even though ii did
add a shilling day to the municipal rev.
enue, for IL was feared that he might
slip away from the fat half-caste police
man detailed to watch him, and might
set something else on fire. Those were
great days for the idle Samoans of Apla,
for as soon as the machinery had been
placed up and looked to be In running or
der 1t was necessary to give 1t test.
and that meant a free ride for all the
oilers In the neighborhood.
At last the machinery was tinkered to-
gether. the hordes were made to go
around the organ would play during part
of the show, at least, and the shrill whs-
tie of the peanut rooster rose above the
loud chatter of all the Samoans who had
gathered from miles up and down the
coast to see the "kifanga," or Jugglery,
as they call anything I'm the way OF amuse-
ment. 1t was sixpence to ride, and every
islander, old and young, had to have sig
pence. Never before had the white resi-
dents had such golden opportunities to buy
fresh vegetables. Eggs were drug on the
market, ana natives tried caJolery ana
tricks of all sorts to get the small coin
which would procure them the right to
career slowly around the circle astride a
diminutive wooden steed. The show be-
came a great nuisance by attracting all
the Idle and worthless natives from far
and near. 1t even got into the region of
the higher politics when towns In rebel
districts sought to get a safe conduct TO
come into Apia to ride on the horses. OF
which the knowledge spread far and wide.
The dlsaffected charged IL up an another
item against King Malietoa, that he shut
them out from this civillzing spectacle
simply because he was afraid OF them.
But with all this, the proprietor Of the
great moral show was not happy, He
had a large free list OF those who brought
wood and water for the engine and those
who had gratuitously assisted him IN put
ting the machinery in place, or said that
thed had done so. But II was like drawing
teeth to get the six pences. After a few
days he had to bisect his rates and give
two rides for sixpence. Even at that he
was forced to stop running every evening
and finally got down TO two performances
a week. It Is safe to say that he Will
never forget his disastrous attempt to be
a purveyor of amusement to a people
penniless. The month of his
exhibition was surely run at a loss, and
he had an unexpected bin for repairs.
When he set up his horses IN Apia they
were really a fine collection OF veil
groomed little steeds. Each one had a
flowing name and a rufiied tail, In color
with the coat OF paint with
which the body was ornamented Through
all the ages Samoa had been waiting for
of that sort. All the old men
there carry a iyfiapper of fibers tied on a
stick II is a badge Of office with some
and with all II Is a great convenience for
dispensing flies crawling between the bare
shoulder blades. By the time the show
was ready to pack up and move along to
more appreciative regions two things had
the connection between which
was anything but remote. Not a single
one of the wooden horses was left with
SO much as a solitary hair to mark the
former site Of name or tail, and most
of the elderly Samoans were tapping away
the flies with horse-hair flappers. Samoa
IS hoping for the coming of another out
ut of the wooden horses with real hair
trimmings