The Washington weekly post., 1899-05-30
LIFE IN TIE lADR0NES.
Islands Not Inhabited by Thieves, but by
Communists

A. A. Alderman Lieutenant Z. s S Oregon. In
Golfers Weekly.
Perhaps few people ever see the name
LadroHes on their map of Micronesia
without thinking Of pirate junks. Malay
krisses, and a fierce people, whose sole
occupation in life and object in living IS
the taking Of things that do not belong
10 them. This is most unjust to these
nine or ten thousand simple Islanders.
1t is true that there were thieves there,
but Capt. Glass took away the principal
ones in the Charleston. Consider the
situation 37S years ago when Magelhaens
discovered Guam. The wants of the ma
tives were so few and so bountfully met
by nature that the Spaniards claim 10
have even taught them the use of fire.
They formed a little commune in which
every one shared with his neighbor-there
were no eXponents of the Apostles there
yet. Still distribution was made unto
every man according as he had need
1t was as IL they had not yet tasted of
the tree of the knowledge Of good and
evil. What they wanted they took from
each other, and there was no thought CT
exacting repayment on certain or any
date; that might or might not follow as
circumstances arose There was no such
thing then as the three days of grace:
nor, for that matter, OF three hundred
and three: but all of the seventy times
seven quittances the Master taught. Capt.
Magelhaens had several ships. and each
carried a number of boats; the natives
took only one. Probably they thought
he had more than he wanted, or that
they needed il more than he did The
historian is silent as to the circumstances
which might easily admit of further ex-
tenuatiOn. However. Magelhaens landed
a large party of men. and, after killing
a number of the natives recovered the
- v,-f1 avt, h., To-, -
Spanish cOnquistadores. IL seems hard
that Legaspi should call these islanders
thieves
Nearly 80 years after, Maria Anna of
Austria, widow of Philip " Of Spain, es-
tablished a mission In the islands, anl
supported IL with a pension from her pri-
vate purse. The Spaniards thereupon
changed the name of the islands u Mari
anas in her honor. GeOgra piers have
continued, however, to print over the
group The LadrOneS or Mdriands II now
seems timely for the United States Board
on Geographical Names 10 remove Off
cially, at one and the same time, The
stigma from the islanders and the implied
reflection on the honesty of cevout and
charitable lady.
What the future Of Guam is to b. can
as yet hardly be prophesied. no artesian
wells have been driven. and upoh their
successful application the proper irriSa-
tiOn of much of the land must depend. |
The soil is fertile, and is composed of a
disintegrated volcanic rock. apparently
somewhat similar 10 that on the Island
OF Oahu. AT present excellent coffee !
sugar cane, sweet potatoes. and rice are
raised, but only for consumption In the
island. Pineapples, watermelOns bananas.
oranges, lines cherimOyas, moHgoes and
breadfruit are also grown. The lines
are most fragrant. and. probably through
being crossed with the lemon. remind one
somewhat OF the famous Bonnie Brae
lines of San Diego, Cal. There is said TO
be an abundance Of game on the island. |
and a number OF deers' antlers were |
brought off for sale.
The Mexican dollar Is the current me- |
dunn Of exchange Capt. Taussis, of the !
Bennington, on his arrival, directed that !
one United States silver dollar should !
pass as the equivalent of two Mexican
dollars The natives accept this rate OF /
exchange without demur-provided the |
United States dollar is bright Doubtless !
they think IL odd that they should give |
two silver collars for one; and when tnat |,
one is lead color il is plainly asking too |
much. Their ideas of money and It's value |
are still primitive. One Df the OREGON : |
stewards paid s. in gold for a dGzan !
fowls: but another obtained twenty. a live /
pig. and bag Of cocoanuts in addition 1
from the same native for an OH blanket 1
and a Mexican dollar. Another native /
had number OF pretty shells for sale. |
he refused money. What ne wanted, |
strange 10 say, was writing pller
There is a considera bic numbe- of cat !
tie on the island: but as they were heay- |
ily taxed by the Spaniards. who also fixed /
th- price AT which they should be soid a /
a very low figure, the natives made 10 /
ef1ort 70 increase their number-in fact. |
them as A certain eXpase and /
an uncertain source ~ income New, |
howe they have been told hat they
will rot be required 70 sell at q lower /
price than they demand, and N consc- /
qUence are allowing lhe herdE to increase
At present Agana Is governed by an
acting Mayor; there Is also an admins 1
traitor or custodian AMI fisburser OF tax /
-. and an assessor. What they all pro-
fss< to want. however. Is a real Amer
lean Governor, who will be their Judge /
ard protector. and tie then. fast to the
great republic