The sun., 1899-03-22
CANNOT GET TO LIBERIA.
.,pors FROM THE WEST BLAME THE
NJGRiTION SOCIETY.

Al aN
r,.y Have Paid Their Passage to tho So
-,.,, stalled in Jersey City-The Society
,,,.,oim. Any Responsibility for Them.
r-, yastern colored farmers. the Rev. W.
n oH,ves and his brother. Sam Hawes, OF Zion.
0.,, Guthrie. oklahoma, applied to United
s..,.s Commissioner Shields at the Federal
.audinr Yesterday afternoon for an order to
.rsI the International Migration Society OF
buckingham. Ala. to furnish them with trans
...o,ion TO the republic OF Liberia. The
.irr.,sr said that he and his brother were
~. LADDERS Of band OF twenty seven COL
- families, numbering lOl persons. VINO
w.. hspn stranded in the Jersey Central
n' ,., a, Jersey City since last Wednesday.
Ts.v arrived there from Oklahoma in smi-
..r, cors eyrecting TO find possaGe 20 Lii
go. arranged for ,hem by the Birmingham
..,,o,r This passage. the minister said. had
vail for by the head OF each family at the
-. ~ So for each cmiRrant over IL years OF
.ae and half price for children over years.
,.corling to the story of the Ha Fes broth
=, ogant of thc:International Society visit
"A ,nat part Of the Territory In which the col
orod neople lived and urged thom to emigrate
,oIiberia. The colored folks there cultivated
,h.Ir own farms Of 100 acres apiece. or OF
oicb,y acres. one half Of Government allot-
mcnt ard had horses and COWS and other
,,ocs and good buildings. Their farms were
,or,h from 500 to $1,000 apiece. according to
,hs extent OF cultivation. The people were
,,As from the OPP ressive. and torrorizinc con-
d,ions OF many parts Of the South. Never
,n.less. after lis eninG to the Migration Soci-
,,,, agents descriptions OF life in the black
rsrublic some families determined to emil
er,,e They sold their farms. few as long
0so "a last July. and. Halves said. paid pas
SAGE money amounting to $1,000 to the agent
NJ ,he society The society advised delay.
writing from Alabama that conditions. in Lii
b.ris were not proptious at this time for coll
ored Ame rican emlgrants. But about two
weeks ago forty families concluded to start
and telegraphed to.ths Birmingham office Of
the society that they would be in New York
ready take ship for Liberia by last Saturday.
When the forty families got TO the Western
railroad station after a short trip acr oss. the
plains, It was found that thirteen did not have
money enough-S35 for each passenger-to
ray their way to New York. Twenty seven
families came on. although the society tele-
graphed them not to. On the journey and
during their stay in Jersey City their ex-
penSas for.food. &c. have used up $455 be:
longing to the minister and about 500 Of
Sam Hawes's money. When the farms and
stock were sold mortgages had to be paid.
aud. with their expenses. tho funds OF the
The colorsd men showed letters signed by
T. b. Cottngham. Secretary Of the Migration
Society, advising delay. The letter head
T. Du Deud. both Of Birmin CHAN. is Secretary.
Commissioner Shields told the colored men
that there appeared to.be violation OF the Fed.
S, sTs laws but no IsterEed them to the f9ss
mails in its dealings with the colored people
might be looked into Circulars urging the
colonization OF Liberia were distributed
coorsd people. as well as contracts: for pas
siGs TO Liberia. Neither had q copy OF tho con-
tract and they were sent back to Jersey City
The Hawes brothers told Commissioner
.or through Daniel Bacon Co.. Of the Produce
stsamship % Company D my and % Of the h; i British and
office o. the firm 1t was said that the society
vas reputab bic one and had sent colonists TO
Liberia by the compaDys steamer Applica-
ton for rates OF passage had been made to the
arm by the:soclety.'ome;time ago. but no con ;;
K. ,ssct eE was entered INTO The Haweses showed
telling the would-be colonists they must wait
unl! at least LOO in all were ready to go. pay
lag their own expenses.
soc.ety telling OF the arrival Of the emigrants
mere their expectations and present plight.
Al answer came back that the colored people
hal come on here in violation OF the society g
Instructions and that It could not and would
not assume any financial obligation for them.
Ihe Hawes brothers said that they would
NE society and try to get back to tho West. or
10 Liberia II they could raise money enough
Ing tare from here via Liverpool is about
twice what the Migration Society charged
negroes halter
average Southern negro. They wore broad
trimmed I souch hats, are tall and lank. fairly
are quiet spoken.
, ine negroes. men. women and children, are
sh nuudled together In two cars provided for
them then, by the railroad officials The cars are
sanuihg on sldetrack Just north OF the pas
sSsnger Depot The. railroad company keeps
ine cars heated and furni shes oil for the lamps.
s. Sli me negroes have TO furnish their own pro-
tbs tbs.oHs W, some OF the men take trip across
are sni Washington street Gap during the day
sha buy the, provisions. They get food
%ttSoy St ,Sa cooked and canned goods, Some
nave nave 70 depend on the charity Of the others
rhPp,afe Tnp are better of financially. At night the
rIreh are put TO sleep on the seats while the
st0 stown people sit up and catch what sleep they
c% @n Under the exceedingly unfavorable cir
cumstances.
.,,Il was slave in Baltimore before the war. =
Sa su d WIlte-hair"d man, who said he was 7J
bsSfS oid To u reporter last night. but never
t Mal such an experience as this. We paid our
VDmeI ana expected to 60 right ou to Liberia
Sots SSEe are tied up here and some Of us haven
sunInSs those ;, who have money help the others
'SpEoSe suggested the reporter
vel, sometimes they do and Rometime es
snT ne' I9h |, replied the old man. There amt
Sn Sng ot US got more money than we need. II
sbinlethlng ism done pretty soon I'll tell some.
'"Sls s mat somebody won't like to hear"
ohe IN the party seemed to know what
r.poulc .n Iouulc was. All of them with whom the
Wasn WNpo'er talked had firm conviction that they
M ,bse going TO Liberia under the auspices ol
tbs, ;ihiEratl9n ;hSE Society and had no suspicion
hi,Ith hSS, the society had repudiated all responsi,
Sss,i Sg ior them. They are in expectation OF
ana SHE na from tho society at any moment
iSDac iSg continuing their Journey. Unless some.
viii ha is .Gne HGne IN a day or two. they
AZ kOe ohlged to seek other quarters
tRaHht ht railroad company will not proyidt
isJIW iM WNh permanent shelter and their money
Sesm Sesmm,.uiihg ,Si away. The women OF the parti
tSeH,to 70 be more cheerful than the men, bu,
oui s' az Srg al worrying about how they are 10 ge
WonI% II 'heir present difficulty. Some OF then
moSar return to Oklahoma II they had thu
ciinnar3{ "a nay their fare. Many Of them are in
TSeS,. 20 seek employment here.
ter ~ Il greatest hardship has been in the m at
and I11leep, The cars are otthe ordinary kind
o@t SY aA except the few persons who can stretcl
s'aav., ~, lhe HoOr in the aisles have to get Wha