The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1901-09-13

expensive. A colonist with expert
ence and machinery for drilling
wells through rock would he USE
full citizen for Monrovia to- secure.
However, most of the year the
water supply is ample the deficiency
being felt only at the end of the dry
season, that is, during March and
April. The subtel1anean supply
would in all probability he sufficient
if the wells were deep enough to
reach it, and is of good quality.
Krootown offers a striking con-
trast to Monrovia proper. The ma
tive conditions are very slightly
modified by the close proximity of
civilization. With a few exceptions
the houses are all of native style,
low square structures with walls of
course mats and the roof of palm
thatch. European dress is being
gradually adopted, but the great
majority of the population is thor
oughly savage in the sense of being
primative. Civilization is, however
taking hold. The people show good
Judgment in not adopting European
dress to a greater degree, for it is
entirely. unsuited to their needs and
methods of life. The civilized part
of Liberia wear too many clothes.
The Krootown people are mostly not
burdened with a superfuity of cloth
ing, although the wearing OF one or
two of the garments of civilized
outfit is common. From Monrovia
the"St. Pauls river is reached by
passing for eight, miles through
Stockton creek, a narrow, crooked
bayou. This is lined on both sides for
a large part of the distance with
mangroves at intervals, inte1spersed
with Pandanus, one Of the screw
palms in..Liberia generally called
Dragonsblood. The banks of Stock
ton creek are, of course, uninhabit-
ed except for an occasional native
settlement in places where the
ground is high enough to permit of
cultivation. The banks of the river
are high and the swamps cease at
the end of Stockton creek. For
twenty miles there is broad navi-
gable river, with many farms and
grounds. The various settlements
along the river are not villages in
the American sense but are clusters
of farms with township government
as we'll as the first settlement at the
right going up. Clay Ashland is
the nearest approach to a village
there being stores and houses close
together. just above Clay Ash
land is one of the characteristic
bridges of the country passable for
foot passengers only. Arlington
| is generally considered to be the
most fiousishing settlement in St.
Paul's region, if not in all Liberia.
It has expanded ..as far as possible
without the introduction of beasts
of burden. Several square miles
of coffee are under cultivation and
give many evidences of prosperity.
With the introduction of improved
means of transportation
the whole region Of Arlington
and Mt. Coffee might boone an i'm
portant beginning toward the settle
ment and improvement of the in
terror.
Beyond Arlington and Mt. Coffee
conditions are entirely primitive the
natives having been very little in
fluenced in their modes of life by
the proximity of civilization. Still
many of the old things have passed
away, the tribal organizations have
been broken and! superstitions have
lost much of their firceeness, though
chung to with the greatest tenacity
even in spite of the advantages OF
missions and school. The natives
barcade their towns and indulge in
wars which sometimes extend tc
the borders of settlements.
The barbados are constructed az
may be judged entirely of wood in
geniously held together by wilc
vines, in former times mission sta
lions were projected far back in the
interior, event to Bopora about
ninety miles from the coast. It was
never found possible to actually es
tablish these stations except in few
4 cases were not maintained except
for very brief periods. The interior
will probably not be penetrated by
Christianity until more or less civil
izzation is also carried,
The problem is as has been pointed
out in discussing combinations mere
ly one of transportation.
/ Among the Golahs, and in fact
all the interior tribes, houses arr
almost invariably constructed with
the walls plastreed with clay, and g
Golah town has an entirely differ
ent appearance from Krootown.
!: Yours Truly, s N. z. Settlemoyer
Jan 18th 1901, Liberia, Africa.
H.
= Mrs. johnson and four children
Of Calindar, Iowa, relatives of Chas.
Sundberg, are visiting the family
in Dewald township.
J Mrs. johnson a sister of Mrs.
Chas. Sundberg Of Calendar Iowa, il