The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-07-16
A JOURNEY WITHsTHE PORTOl
RICAN "SLAVES" OF HAWAII


way, man, with trunk on his head.
his woman and child, demanded per-
mission to go back home. The ships
crew was instructed to keep all aboard.
and the family was crowded back.
THE GRUMBLERS AND THE SPY.
! A number Of complaints began to be
heard among the emigrants on second
I day out at sea- 1t was noticed that
| the negroes We're the main agitatOrs
about the bad board received aboard
| the ship. The third day out brought
to light that the large, fat, sly-looking
second class passenger on board the
boat was Spanish spy, who was the
instigator of the trouble. His name
was Jose Bull, and he urged the Porto
Ricans to go no farther than New Or
leans, telling them that they are going
to slavery, and that they are free peo-
pie. When Captain Dyer of the ship
learned the source of this trouble, he
gave orders to the ships first officer
to not allow that passenger to talk
, with the emigrants
! We came up the Mississippi. stopped
at quarantine station, unpacked our
trunks, and had all clothing fumigat-
ed. This spy was very much wrought
up because he had to unpack his
trunks and follow out the quarantine
customs. When he was found to be
talking his anti-emigration sentiment
to the Porto Ricans again, he was kept
on the upper deck, with orders not to
talk with them at all. On Saturday
morning. June %, early work was be-
ing done by him from the upper deck
as platform, and his eXcftable, eager
audience below. The ship was within
sight of the Algiers S. P. dock, and
within jurisdiction of the cfty'S police,
when he instigated the immigrants to
riot.
Nearly 200 emigrants in the fore part
of the boat had been excited TO d
high pitch; they complained of bad
food and bad coffee on the boat en-
route to New Orleans, many of these
same fellows never having received
meals served in such regularity and
without cost. This spy urged the men
to shed blood rather than go on to
Hawaii. Three daggers were drawn
and waved in the air. table legs and
CLUBS were seized by the frenzied men
and women, feeling that they were
nearer right than when following their
own kith and kin, no matter what
vain sophistry was used. At one time
they cheered Long live Spain" Long
live Porto Rico They threw out
their coffee and their cups and crack
ers, into the river to show their dis
pleasure.
Shortly the police arrived, and hav-
ing no authority to arrest the man,
the captain hurried the riot-instigator
to be put ashore. The agents OF the
emigration company spoke to the peo-
pie to calm their excited feelings, ana
/ with fair success, DR.. A. J. Fulton,
the manager of the emigration from
New Orleans to the Los Angeles port
was called aboard by his right-hand
man, Mr.. F. H. Madura. and these men
proposed that all grievances and re-
quests be written down on paper by a
delegation of four of the emigraflts
and any troubles would be settled
amicably. BY 10 o'clock that morning
a happy agreement was again reached
by the restating of all the promises
which the company had offered and
the pledge that each emigrant fulfill
his part in going to Hawaii. and quit
instilling into ether dissatisfaction.
At the S. P. r. r. docks, Algiers
La, the emigrant train was formed
Sunday morning, June %, in two sec
tons. After much coaxing the Porto
Ricans were gotten upon the train, no
| force being used. Many cried, others
! tried to desert. There were four young
men and four young women who posi-
| lively refused to go any further. They
sat down on their trunks and would
not move out of their steps, wishing to
remain in New Orleans until the ship
| California returns to Porto Rico, June
! 30
JUMPED OFF THE TRAIN.
All along the route, the emigrants
gave much trouble to the train crew
by jumping off the trains at every stop,
often listening to wild stories told
them in desert places by Mexicans, by
riding on the platform of the cars,
and by continually complaining Of the
/ or eli Of Forty
Italians went from New Orleans, and
these emigrants We're happy and un
complaining, all along the trip. Ropes
were tied on each side Of the emigrant
car platforms so that in passing from
one coach to another for their meals,
the emigrants might not fall off.
Many cheered when they saw Ell Paso,
/ Texas, and said the town was more
beautiful than Ponce, P. r. They
kept close to the train while coming
through the desert, and many had con-
templated staying in San Francisco.
A SURPRISE PARTY.
| The emigrants were mucn surprised
/ Thursday morning when they awoke
and found themselves on Port Los
/ Angeles dock, their baggage going on
/ the ship. A great CONSERVATION seem
| ed to be over all. The emigrants re-
! fused to go on board until the inter-
! prefers summoned the compromising
committee. Many a man objected to
going until he received his $40 at Port
Los Angeles. They misunderstood the
! agreement, for that money is to be
given to help them start up with the
first month in Hawaii. Two lady inter-
! prefers seemed to have more power
| over the baulky ones than the men.
A number wished to remain here IN
this locality, but were induced to get
aboard, and once all were aboard, the
gang plank was pulled. a desperate
effort was made by one fellow to get
shore, but he was restrained by the
ships officers.
They sailed to Honolulu on the Coon,
which has been waiting it's cargo for
two days.
Though there was good medical at
! tendance on both sections. there were
many cases of sickness, and two
deaths among the Porto Ricans, and
none among the Italians. Three were
left in hospitals. Those who died were
given good burial, one at San Antonio
and the other at Ell Paso.
/ The emigration agents say it costs
nearly 500 to clothe, feed and trans
port each emigrant. and that the riot