Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-27

Kroohoys for bringing US into n place
like thlsw he broke out. II shall b.
clad 10 see the last OF them-though
they'd take charge OF the ship once OF
twice. Go down and see TX any mead
man can pilot US In We snail nave t'
! stay all night; / won't risk going Out n
the dark"
The mate descended TO the deck, where
! come 200 Krooboy laborers. returning tc
their native country in the I.iberian busl
| aftar a labor contract with the factors OF
/ Tho oil rivers and the Gold Coast. lay
about I'm picturesque simplicity of attire
[ Tsroad shouIdered muscular fellows they
! were. with "a blue stripe tattooed down
J the centre OF each ebony forehead, the
I marked OF the Kroo nation. Some were
| Clad in crimson flannel Jackets and bat
tered silk hats. but the majority were
! content with the simple waist-cloth-"a
| healthy and very economical garment"
as the Scotch engineer said All about
| ,hem Law cases az Hamburg gin and sharp
| motchets. which represented part of the
| fruit OF their labor, wages in West Africa
being mostly paid in kind.
"Anv OF YOU Krooboys NJ take 'teamer
ip9~ asked the mate. and Immediately
there was n babel of voices and a crowd
of eager applicants. Nothing delights a
negro more than the assumption OF lit
tie brief authority. The choice was made,
and a broad-shouldered giant, rejoicing
I'm the name OF Old Man Trouble, stalked
pompously to and fro upon the bridge,
his woolly hair projecting through the
place where the crown OF his silk hat
should have been. once he laid his hand
upon the telegraph but the mate was too
quick for him.
mo Niger touches that; you're only
here TO show the way, not TO command;
savvy?" said Captain Orme.
mot niger, sah," answered the man;
"only low bushman and Liberia man
Niger" Then his mouth expanded into
the broad grin OF the African, and point
ing to a white-walled building among the
palms. ne added, New custom-house,
sab: Krooboy burn him one time"
The mate. who posed as an ency-
clopaeda in West Africa matters, laugh
ed. "The old question--free trade versus
protection" he said. "They play it out
vigorously here, sometimes as a comedy
and sometimes as a tragedy. In any
case it's rough on the Krooboy, who
doesn't want TO be governed at all, TO
be taxed extortionately to pay for i'm
provements i'm MonrOvia. / wonder how
many custom-houses he has burned"
Old Man Trouble, who understood the
speech, hooded approval. "Liberian man
bushman," he said. 1--WE fit to fight
him too much"
1.-THE Krooboys be hanged" broke in
Captain Orme; I'm sick Of them. Well
have a Liberian officer aboard now to
charge us five hundred dollars for land
ing this crowd of which he'll pocket half
Blow the whistle for the canoes"
Three times the deep boom of the steam
eel ~ rrt
palm-cad bluff ashore. until the sound |
died away and was lost in the monoto- |
nous song of the surf. Then the Dun |
Inns propeller turned slowly astern and |
her anchon ratified down.
Presently a little launch steamed out |
from behind a point Of surf-swept rock. |
and when she shot alongside. a sable rep |
resentative of the Liberian republic, |
covered with furnished gold lace, strutted |
towards the bridge with the air Of an 7
admiral Of the fleet. you are fined $50 |
for anchorng without permission, and if
you desire TO land those Kroomen you
must pay $3.50 a head" he announced,
and proceeded TO climb the bridge-ladder.
"Stop where you are, daddy said the
Captain. laughing "'No one sets foot on
this bridge until he's asked. You'll get no
so from me. and as to paying two and
4 half each for the Krooboys, that's more
han the best niger in Africa Is worth,
wen If he is a customs officer. However,
here they are; you can sail in and collect
{ yourself. Don't be too exacting, though,
or they've all got matchets."
Hardly had the dignitary or the black
'epublic reached the fore-well than pam
lemonium of angry yells rose from the
.rowded deck, and bright matchet-blades
FILTERED above q maze OF naked arms.
raDtain Orme, who had been fined too
many times on frivolous pretexts TO love
he Iiberians. smiled grimly as the GUS
oms officer hastily returned TO the loot
II the bridge-ladder. His teeth were
,hattering and his knees shook ike an
acacia leaf in the rush of the harmattan.
'You shall pay for this he gasped'
IF you attempt 10 land one boy I'll fire
N you, and advise MonroVia 10 PUT our
lavy on your track"
IF the Liberian navy gets in my way
II run over the thing" replied the cap
ain; lit looked like an overgrown launch
he last time I saw it. Is your western
auadron like the other eh If they won't
,ay. the Krooboys must go on TO Sierra
Zone. for they shall not take my boats
shore for you to confiscate-see? Here's
. word of advice. This Is hard crowd
fighting tribe from the interior; they
hight fancy swimming off in the DARK
or we stay here all night and we dare
Tot try to stop them. If they do, you'd
,etter look out. Remember, too, that
title civility costs nothing; and now,
The black official answered nothing. |
His self-esteem was wounded and with