Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-03-11
The Beech COnber 0Dd The MQn-Ot-NOT.
By ]. F. R0SE-S0LEY.


The copra house was down on the rock
bound beach, some 80 yards away from
the store, a stretch of uneven, stony soil,
with grass patches here and there and
great black rocks showing out from the
surface, separating the two places where
the trader did his business. The old
man S weary feet had worn deep wack
across the plot; up and down he went
many times day. The copra house
the title is a misnomer, but it is always
used i'll Samoa-was but a mere flimsy
erection of rough boards, though iron
rooted and water tight. Further, the
tial paddock, which the trader was at
great pains to lock and unlock every
time he visited the shed, for the place
held the only merchandise the country
could prOduce-all that there was to
trade for. The little bits of oily, brown,
evil smelling copra must he kept dry or
else they would rot long before the time
came for shipping them to Europe. And
they must be protected from theft, or
else the cunning natives would think
nothing of taking a few basketfuls at
night and reselling them to the trader
next day. Therefore every time Samoan
came, perhaps with but a few baskets
of the copra, the old trader, with a
weary sigh, would take key down
from, Re Stnp,G1 ,,ai1 anI t,1pI
to the shed 1t was quite a solemn and
serious business, this purchase of few
shillings' worth of produce, and both
sides went about it with becoming gray
ity. The first question that had to be
decided was whether the cOpra was
green-that is to say, whether it had
been merely warmed i'll the sun or
whether it had been properly dried by
several days exposure.
As the copra is bought by weight, it
is, of course, to the native sellers in
terest to dry it as little as possible,
while the trader, on the other hand,
does not want to lose 20 or 30 per cent
by shrinkage So the two argue the
point out together, while | sit on the
wire inClOsed veranda and watch from
afar the wordy conflict.
Silei, the industrious girl, has got her
sewing machine out. She does not put
it on table, as the white lady would,
but rests it on a kerosene case on the
floor and squats cross legged before it.
OF course it is "a hand machine; natives
do not take readily to the use of the
treadle. She is fashiOning really gOr-
geous lava-lavas out of the brightest
prints Manchester can produce, and
when they are made they will be hung
up in the store and sold for half dollar
each, perhaps in exchange for the very
basket Of cOpra the native is arguing
about. He sweaIs with a fluency of
Biblical expression which only long
missionary training has rendered posi-
BILE that the copra has been three days in
the sun, whereas the trader, Judging
from his experience, asserts that at the
outside it cannot have been more than
one, and i'll cloudy weather too.
At last the trader, grumbling some
what, purchases the copra, for he knows
if he does not it will go to his rival
close by. He is consoled by the reflec-
tion that his balances are II pounds
out in every 100; also he is an expert
at weighing and hy deXterously manipu-
lating the scales can make the copra ap-
pear several pounds lighter than it real
ly is, and so under the waving palms
by the side of the ripping lagoon. ma
ture smiling on them with her most in
tha
their ingenious transaction. Both are
cheating, aud both know it. So perhaps
1t does not matter very much. The ma
tive, having been well taught by the
missionaries, will go to church three
times next Sunday and say his morning
and evening prayers more fervently than
ever, so that he will salye his conscience.
AS for the goddess trader, he has no
conscience. He has long since lost even
the memory of the article. So we need
not concern ourselves about him.
At last, after another half hour $ hag
CLING in the store, the native goes away
with the goods which he has been per-
suaded to take in exchange for the copra,
and the trader comes out of the house
and sea- himself wearily beside me,
mopping his face the while.
AS usual he harks back to the old
times.
Things We're different i'll those
days" he said. "Then we could do as
we liked with the natives. Now they
can do as they like with us. We have to
cut things fine to make a living at all. 4"
And to console himself he took Il long
drink of kava, emptying the cOcoanut
shell, which held about a pint, at one
draft.
Silei laughed the musical little laugh
of the Samoan maiden. The whir of
the sewing machine ceased and she look
ed smilingly at the nearly empty bowl.
She knew she would soon have to fabri-
cate more kava, an occupation which
she particularly enjoyed, | suppose, be-
cause it gratified her maiden vanity by
Inabling her TO exhibit herself i'll the
most graceful of attitudes.
Eyes, yes, girl, you can make some
more" said the trader. "It'll keep you
from the machine, and we don't want
that internal thing clicking away while
we are talking.
1.-The oil days were the times" he
began, "before any one invented this
cOpra and we used to take oil from the
natives i'll payment for everything.
Why, even the missionaries used TO have
big tank outside the church door and
would take up the collection in oil. 1t
af oil Of 1Al1