The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-07-16
A JOURNEY WITH THE PORTO
RlCAN SLAVES" OF HAWAII


uuua from their former home land tp
Port lUs Angeles. on route for Homo
miu aud who arrived in this city with
them CARLY last Thursday morning has
written for the Times the following ac-
ruuut of the trip with his Impressions
of the methods employed by the emi-
lratlon company and the characters
tics ~ the emigrants.-Los Angeles
Times
EIGHTH E%PEDITlON-HOw RE
CRUITING WAS DONE
The story Of the recruiting Of these
poor. homeless, penniless peasants is
more interesting than Is the tale Of their
trip from Porto Rico to New Orleans,
and from New orleans to Port Los
Angeles. Having observed this people
In their huts, and In their different hab-
its Of living for the last eight months,
and accompanying them on this last eX-
pedition from the recruiting stations in
Porto Rico to this port the writer feels
that to the public is due the infOrma-
ton.
The Hawaiian Sugar Plantation AS
ISOLATION needs more labOrers and prom
Uses to men. women boys and girls,
steady wages, house rent, light, fuel,
medicine and medical attendance, an
agreement very tempting to the poor
classes of Porto Rico.
Il. A. Macfe of San Juan Porto Rico,
is the recruiting agent for the enter
prise. He has a number of agents un-
der him who are continually securing
the hills and interior districts of Porto
Rico. enlisting all who will go, negroes
rejected as much as possible. 1t mas
been found that these latter cause the
most trouble and create dissatisfaction
when aboard the ship.
The people of that poverty stricken
island regret very much this exodus OF
their working brothers. prophesylng
slavery for those who so and higher
prices to be paid for home labor. The
natives have experienced many hard
ships from their former masters, and
though they love their beautiful but
destitute island, yet their needs force'
them to go. often husband Is talked
into going to Hawaii, but the family
does not wish to leave the home land.
Sometimes. as on this last expedition,
lovers were induced to go to Hawaii,
and sweethearts followed them. a few
widows and fatherless children were
encouraged to pick up their baggage
and go to "the best islands of the Pa
cific" and some crippled brothers or
cousins were allowed to go just because
their supporting friends We're engaged
to go.
THEY DON'T FLOCK.
The people of Porto Rico do not flock
to the recruiting stations in great num-
bers offering to go. 1t is necessary that
the recruiting agents go out and find
their men and talk them into 1t, make
plain the offers of the company to fur
nish free transportation, free mainte-
nance new clothes from head to foot,
and medical attention throughout the
journey, and yet many hesitate to join
the poor. half-Clothed, sickIy and starry
ed ones that do accept the offers. They
often live so far away from the coast
town that the recruiting agents must
furnish oXCarts to haul them to port
or else they never would be able to join
the expedition. When with those who
are enlisted to go to Hawaii they are
happy When out among their friends
there is a hush. Hawaii smacks so
much of Slavery and never to re-
turn" The recruiting agents had all
their emigrants congregate at the small
port town of Guanica, for four different
expeditions. When the seventh eXpedi-
tion left that port town, May "a, the
rich plantation owners came in great
numbers and induced their laborers to
remain with them, promising them the
same wages as they We're to receive In
Hawaii Much trouble ensued at the
hour when the ship came in and en-
harkation commenced A number ran
to the mountains and hid themselves
to evade going Others deliberately .
picked up their baggage and walked out .
of town and trusted their old friends .
for better support.
CALLED "DESERTERS." I
The emigration agents called on the .
police and stationed two at the edge
Of the village where all the "deserters"
would have to pass, there being only
lue road. As soon as the Mayor Of the
town learned this he called in the po-
lice. on the grounds that these people
had perfect right to the use of the roads
ut any hour or day that they choose.
70 hold their people together and to
secure better civil protection from the
police against these opposing clements
he cmlrration agents transferred their
amhaIkiuE point to the Ponce playa,
where the spirit ~ tho people was more
favorable 20 the emigration Many Por-
20 RiCans complain that since these re-
'ruuuE agents receive 81 per head for
zach omIgr"0t they secure they are
practically selling their own brothers 20