Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-20
STRANGE FLAG STORY
A Confederate Ensign Found Among
the Samoan Natives.
FEAST IN APlA HARBOR
A Chiefs Legacy From an Un-
known White Man.
A Deaf H B ed 0 A 7 II
EATH- B ED O. 7 II

|
Soon after Judge Chambers. who is now
| a member Of the Spanish war claims COM
| mission. was sent to Samoa by President
| Cleveland he attended one o. the great gala
| festivities and feasts so famous among the
| natives of these Pacific islands. These
| feasts are never to be forgotten by those
| who once attend. The natives come from
| many miles around the islands. Most Of
| them reach Apia. where the feasts take
| place. in boats. Sometimes there are over
| 500 boats, with from two to eighty-four
oars each, and containing people enough to
| fill them. The scene Is one of the most
| picturesque to be found in any part of the
| world. Before the feasts boat races and
aquatic sports take place in the harbor of
| Apia, and up to the time the islands were
partitoned the representatives of the for
| eign governments were interested specta-
| tors, and the natives considered the pres
! ence OF the foreigners a great and impor-
| tant honor.
| The feasts might be called picnics, for
| they are held in the open air, but instead
| of pies. pickles, cakes, sandwiches and lem
onade the customary refreshments at pic
mics, the natives kill and roast hundreds of
! pigs. geese, chickens and other fowl be-
| sides having many varieties of fish Some
| beautiful grove is the only table, and the
ground where the food is spread is covered
with the rich green leaves Of the banana
| tree The greatest hospitality is always
! evidenced, the natives paying especial at
| tention to their guests. At the conclusion
Of the feast 1t is the custom to divide the
remaining food among the people, it being
proportioned according to position-the
higher a man stands the larger the amount
| Of leftover food he has sent to his house.
In this. as during the course of the feast
| there is the greatest precision in the man
l A. a Sprar mil
| The occasion Is a delightful one to people
unaccuStOmed to 1t.
Flags of All Nations.
| "All the native chiefs bring flags of some
| kind when coming to the feasts, and take
| the greatest care Of them" said Judge
Chambers in describing a Samoan feast to
a group of friends the other day. "They
| are fond of any kind of a flag. Those
chiefs who cannot secure the flags of ma
lions use fancy pieces Of cloth and tattered
| garments. He is poor and unfmportant
| chief who does not own a flag. Looking
! out on the beautiful scene in the harbor
of Samoa on this gala day that 1 have
! spoken Of l noticed a boat flying a flag
that I could not make out. I took a glass
and saw what l thought was a confederate
| flag. l could not believe it possible how
| ever, and waited until the boat came near
| er. Then | saw plainly that it was genu-
| Inc flag of the confederacy. I naturally
was greatly interested, and sent one of nv
| servants to ask the chief to come to see me-
| When he came l began questioning him
| about the flag, but he would give me no
| information, and his reticence excited my
| curiosity. He was man of good features
and was apparently chief of consequence
in his neghborhood. 1, Of course, wanted
| to get possession of the flag. and did not
suppose that 1 would have the least trouble
In doing so. particularly the natives
| We're fond of exchanging flags. and that
| of the United States was a fayorite with
them. the flag of England being next and
| OF Germany next
II The Chiefs Refusal.
Il offered the chief flag Of the United
! States for his confederate flag He said
| quietly that he could not make the ex-
change I then offered him a new flag Of
England or Of Germany. He refused these
also, and 1 suspected that he was trying
to drive shrewd bargain with me- 1 next
| offered him a bolt of cloth worth con-
| siderable money, and when he refused that
/ offered him barrel of meat, the most
| tempting and costly thing in the mind of
native. AS nothing could induce him to
make the exchange 1 asked him his rea-
! sons for refusing.
The Strange White Man.
'In reply he said that one day long ago
| white man came to his hut He suppos-
| ed the man had come from Apia He had
several bundles in his possession and pre-
| served them with the utmost care The
| stranger the chief told me, was a man of
| great dignity and of an amiable DISPOSE
| ton. The natives soon came to love him
much and took pleasure in providing him
| with every delicacy they could obtain The
| chief himself became deeply attached to
! him. and when the white mans health be-
gan to fail there was universal regret
| among the natives. When the stranger
| saw that his end was near he called the
| chief to him and directed that one of the
| bundles in his possession be opened. Then
| there was displayed beautiful silk flag,
| but worn by handling.
| Dying Mans Request.
"'See that flag said the stranger: well.
| it was the flag of my nation-a great peo-
pie. 1t went down In defeat, but I decided
| that it should never be surrendered. So 1
left home, kinsmen and friends and came
| here with it. I am going to give 1t to you.
| Never let white have it in his
| hands,
THAT was the dying Injunction of the
stranger and the chief had sworn that
! the nag should always remain with him.
| He had made his tribe swear TO keep it
! and never part with it; that when he died
| the succeeding chief should take 1t and
| bury 1t where no other human being would
| ever know of it's hiding place.
Fruitless Efforts.
"The chiefs story was told In simple
| but affecting words. I made many other
offers to secure the nag, but he was firm
| to the end and went away that afternoon
| with the flag in his boat. 1 Instituted some
inquiries later and sent several trusted
| natives to the chiefs home to make offers,
but they were unsuccessful
when came back to this country and
| told the story to some confederate friends
! they agreed to take steps to recover the
| flag If possible. Some years later they
! began systematic effort. but the old chief
| had passed away, the flag had disappeared
and the members Of the tribe would give
| no information as to its whereabouts
Horses Knew the Noon Hour.
| From the New York Sun.
| A pair of intelligent horses attracted the