The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-03

reached his pocket, but was turned
over instead to the agent by Rams
employer. a,oa..assAaa
The Vow of a CoOlie.
At the end of the sixth year Ram
Sal felt the jingle of coin in his hands
for the first time, for the debt of a few
rupees that his grandfather had con-
tracted when he took Rams grand
mother to wife was wiped out. The
ring of the coins stirred up a strange
desire in the coolies lleart-it awak-
ened his ambition. and he vowed then
and there that he would be rich some
day and planter himself.
To that goal, during the remaining
two years of his indenture, Ram Sal
saved every penny that he earned, and
his children, by their labor in the
fields, helped increase the amount. AT
the end of that time it was pitiably
srnall-something less than a half
thousands dollars-but it was more
money than Ram Sal had ever owned
before, and, what was more important,
it was sufficient for the execution of
his present purpose, the establishment
of himself ais a silVersmith in the Hin
doc quarter of Port -of-Spain.
India and was skilled in its ways, so
before long business was plentiful
with him and he was fashioni11g brace
lets and anklets and necklaces and
torques of silver, and sometimes of
gold, for the women of the better class
of Hindoos, whose custom it is to use
their women as walking banks for
their surplus. In short, Ram prosper
ed exceedingly, so much so that at the
end of five years he was able to go
into the interior and buy rundown
plantation adjoining the one on which
he had been bound for eight years.
Ram Sal, millionaire.
In the interims Ram had not forgot
ten how fields were made to yield
their increase. AS aaplahter he so d.
rected the labors of the hundred or
more coolies indentured to him that
his plantation soon became noted as
one of the most productive in the val
ley.
Ram Sal was now fairly started on
his road to fortune, and each succeed
ing step that he took brought him
nearer it, Year by year he added 10
his possessions, sometimes a planta-
ton, often real estate in Port-of-S Spain,
where he set himself up in a mansion,
whence he went about directing his
ever increasing interests.
Thus Ram Sal prospercd until two
years ago, when old in years, he died;
and when his heirs came, to reckon up
the estate. they found it to be worth
nearly a million dollars.
1t is true that Ram SAILS efforts at
money getting were exceptional, but
it is also true that among the coolies
in Trinidad and jamaica are many
11rif fxy oil nj oh
whose individual possessions are val
ued all the way from $1,000 to $4,000
on their governments tax books. And
these Hindoos, If they had not follow
ed the contractors westward at the
bidding of their masters, the bunnias,
would still be Shaving away in the pIa-
teau country of their native land IN
hopeless effort to clear off the fnher-
tied debts hanging over their heads.
That is why Mr.. Chamberlain, who
knows these things, spoke of his kings
West Indian possessions as the coolies
paradise. But the other man called
them the field of romance, because of
the story of a Rajahs son, and many
more like unto it. Here is the story.
The Romance of a Rajah's Son.
The eldest son and heir of Rajah
of one of the smaller states of Raj
putana felt so violently in love with
a beautiful maiden he had seen on
the streets of his fathers capital that
he laid aside all thoughts of his own
high caste and her equally low con-
dition and proceeded to WOO her.
Everything went well with the lovers
for weeks, until one of the princes
retinue, spying on him, found him
keeping a tryst with the girl. The
Rajah was promptly informed and, en-
ragged at his heirs loss of caste, de-
termined to wipe out the disgrace that
the son had brought upon himself and
his family.
With the craftiness of the Oriental,
the old Rajah received his son with
all the affection of devoted parent
until he discovered, through spies, the
next meeting place of the lovers.
Then, as they were seated in a secluded
pagoda, band of the palace guards
burst suddenly in upon them, and
without warning first slew the maiden
and then turned upon the prince. But
the latter was too quick for the SOL
diers. Selling his sword, he managed
to cut his way clear and, knowing ev-
cry idiosyncrasy of the palace and
grounds, escaped into the city, where
he hid.
A COOIie Prince.
During the weeks that energetic
was made for him he kept him.
self under cover, and not until the eff
forts of his father relaxed did he dare
crawl far from his hiding place. Even
then he was in great danger, and. real
izing that he could not hope to remain
in his fathers realm, he decided to
get as far away as possible. This he
did by Disgusting and presenting him
self to the nearest coolie contractor,
and a few weeks later he was on his
way to Jamaica.
He had worked as a common field
laborer for five years before his story
accidentally became known. Over a
certain number of coolies another
coolie is usually placed as overseer.
One day the Rajah's son and his over
seer disagreed over piece of work,
and the latter was on the point of
using a whip on the former when the
plantations superintendent, q young
Scotsman, interfered
The gratitude of the laborer was un-
bounded. For once he lost Oriental
stoicism and tears came into his eyes,
as he said: tAi
Master, you have saved me from a