Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-06-02

Use for Athletics In Central Arrlca.
from The Atlanta Journal.1

from The Atlanta Journal.1
DoMBI, WIssMANN FALLS, LUEDo,
KAssA1, CoNGo, AFRloA-The abuse
of athletic sports in our American
colleges has caused q reaction
against them, which hope will not
go too far. / give an example. A
savage nearly killed me yesterday,
but I saved myself by the knowledge
of trick or two.
You have heard of the slave trado.
Hero we are in thick of it. 1t is
indescribably mean--aIl the attend
ant horrors Of which you have read
are true. The eating Of slaves still
goes on, and there have been thou
sands killed as sacrifcial offerings
this last year. One of tho common
est avenues of this slave business is
this: A trader gives his men cloth
to buy ivory and rubber with. The
men go and trade in slaves with the
stuff and make a good commission
by the time they turn in the ivory or
rubber This practice is illegal and
the source Of many riots and distur-
Dances in the villages. The traders
mon take the advantage of the fact
that they arc "white folks" to intimi-
date the natives. In my absence
from my station, Dombi, on Wiss-
mann Falls: one of orr colored mis-
sionaries, Mr.Phipps, West Indian,
had to 60 up to the town and forci-
bly, release a girl who had been stolen
by one of these rascally fellows of
the traders and was bound hand and
foot and tied up. OF course her re-
lease made the rascal mad, and he
was nursing his wrath when I re-
turned.
Yesterday afternoon there was
marriage feast in the town. 1t was
celebrated very much as tho "wed-
ding and cakewalE" are in Dinil.
AS. l passed l saw, however, that the
"razzer" was there, too, and likely TO
create trouble. One of the traders
men had stolen corn, and was now
trying to kill the owner with a long
knife. Some natives rushed up and
levcled their guns at MIN. Knowing
that the first shot would precipitate
a bloody riot, | rushed in and stopped
the natives, but the traders rascal
would not stop. Evidently his blood
was up. lie made another rush at
the natives. yelled to him to
put down his knife, and made a
dash to stop him. lie then turned
on me. Several weeks before, this
fellow and several others had drawn
their knives on their master, the
agent of the S. A. b., and made him
run. suppose he thought he would
do the same thing for me. Ills mas
ter was at Lucbo, 60 miles away.
But as he camo lodged and caught
his wrist and then the blade of the
knife in my naked hand 80 firmly it
did not turn, and then as quick as l
knew it was needed let him have it
between his eyes so heavily that
his face was covered with blood
in an instant. All the people
then came running up and he
ran. then walked down the
path towards our place, throwing his
knife away. 1t had not cut me, but
il was wonderful that it Gid not.
Imagine my surprise at seeing lin
come again with an immense stick
and stand directly in the path in q
most threatening attitude and with
murder in his eye. My people would
have killed him in a jiffy, but I
stopped them, thinking to teach the
fellow a lesson he would not soon
Forget. L am not very large man,
only about S feet 7 inches, and 15O
pounds. This savage was about 6
feet and big, all around. Please,
however, don't accuse me of boasting,
l am only encouraging legitimate
athletics. Keeping close eye on
him, | moved right up in front of
him. Had | wavcrod he would have
cracked my skull in an instant, I be-
liove, but the "bluo eye" of u white
man is full of unknown torrors to
these people. Soon as / was within
reach and too close for him to use
hia long stick CHAT is point, you
see), made heavy "footbalr" lunge
at him, and quicker than I can write
it, got his neck between my legs in
a vice, and he could not squirm.
Then | called to my people to get
some sticks and wear him out; and
they did. lie won't forget that grip
and chastiscment until he dies; and
| doubt whether he ever draws his
knife on another white man,