New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-28
A ROYAL STUDENT.
PRINCE YUCA OF CENTRAL AFRICA,
HEIR TO TWO THRONES, AT UNI
VERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Philadelphia, Sept. 27.-When the University
Of Pennsylvania opened its doors for the fail
term at the close Of this month an heir to two
thrones was enrolled in the junior class The
academic catalogue gives his name as James
4. Parker and his home as Zolof Land, but
beside this unpretentious entry might also be
written Prince Yucca, YoWah, West Central
Africa.
If the student has a right to look forward
10 a future decidedly out of the ordinary, he
also has the right to look back upon q past which
has seen much more accomplished than is
usually the case with young men of twenty-five
or twenty-six born in this country. Prince Yucca
VAS master of five languages, had studied in
Jour countries, and had been graduated from
two American colleges before he matrcuiatcd
here During the last summer he has been
lecturing in various cities of the East, and his
audiences have found in the slight, erect, wiry,
Intellectual speaker tone and manner Of ear
.testness that left doubt as to the sincerity
of his avowed purpose, which is to return TO his
home and take up the rule which is riShuully
his, merely because he can in that way better
teach his people Some years ago he was bap-
TIED in the Lutheran Church. and he says that
ne had rather be q Lutheran missionary than
king, though he is perfectly willing to Try To be
both
ge Muhlenburg Lutheran Mission to Africa
Visited the Yoyyah tribe. He found them in the
main Of Mahometan belief. all Of them more or
less intelligent, and a majority Of them educated
to a degree which surprised him, until he saw
the amount Of trade which was carried on be
tween the tribe and the English German and
French merchants. The color, the facial char
acterstics and the single, flowing garment
which was worn universally, all indicated Cen
trail Africa: the ideas OF the people and many
Of their customs spoke Of a higher degree of in
telligence and civilization than is usually found
there.
DR.. Day converted all the members of The
royal family. The ruling King was Yuca's
grandfather, man of considerable wealth, and
when the young prince had been baptized the
old monarch decided that he should so abroad
where he might better learn those things which
should upiift the tribe, 50 in 1888 he sent
to London and entered in the grammar schools
Two years later Prince Yucca crossed to
France, where, in Paris. started To study
though his course had little more than begun
when petty misunderstanding started
brief between the Yowahs and the French
The trouble not Of long duration. but it was
long enough to compass the death of Yucca
father. then heir apparent, and to force Yucca
himself to flee from Paris. For a little more
than year he studied at Berlin and then
when peace had again been established he re-
turned to his grandfather to show what ad-
vanCement he had made.
The old King was so well satisfied that he de-
cided to send the young man who was to sue
coed him to America, and through he influence
OF Dr Day ne was entered at Lincoln Univer-
slty, near Oxford, Penn. After two years of