Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-02-11
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=@F BANQUET

DA AA ~ ~ ~ Il
to the largest shack in the village, and
when everything had been arranged
we Americans were invited in to taxa
part in the conference.
'As the procession passed US on it's
way through the village we had made
out that the tall man at the head of the
delegation from the mountains was a
White man. His face and hands were.
white, and he wore big blond mus
tache. So far as dress was concerned
he was a native pure and simple.
FINALLY the head natives of the Wiz
lage came and asked us to join them
in conference. We went. The ma
tives were uatting in half moon
about the fire. At the very center sat
the white man-whom we recognized
at glance as Capt. Buffer.
"The negotia tors on our side spoke
same way. We were able to reach q
satisfactory conclusion in a short time,
Buffer acting as interpreter.
"After the decision had been reached
| and the conference had adjourned T
took advantage of chance to talk to-
Buffer. He told me story something
like this:
Il was never anything but a nom
combatant, you know. Finally got L.
letter of dismissal as correspondent.
At that time the column was with
! was way up in the interior of the is
land. I was thrown on my own re-
sources, without any chance to form
another profitable engagement. And
l had no idea of going back to where Z
was known and appealing for help.
81 had picked up good deal of the
dialect of one of the tribes-I was al
| ways quick al that sort of thing. And
when my money was gone simply left
| the column and took up my residence
with tribe which was not and never
had been engaged in hostilities against
the United States. I made up my mind
then and there that would spend the
rest of my life with them. AS a GER
tain method of burning my bridges be-
| hind me l married the daughter of the
chief of the tribe. She is my wife who
came down the mountain with me this
afternoon. We have little son, who in
the course of time, and unless there is
change of policy. will be the recog-
nized chief of our people.
"'My people have never done any reg
ular work of any kind. They were not
warlike, but depended chiefly on the
unassisted product of the tropical jun
| giles for their livelihoo
81 was the first great ref ormer who
had ever come among them. Ny serv-
ice with the army of the United States
had taught me that the soldiers were
! always hungry for potatoes-the good,
old-fashioned Irish variety. knew by
experience how hard it was to find
them away from Manila. and one of the.
tirstthings1 Gid after taking up my res
idence with the natives was to send a.
runner across the country to friend
of mine in the army after bushel OF
them.
1.-The potatoes came and we split
them up and planted them in the sandy
soil of the mountain slopes. The
ground was made for potatoes and the
crop. was enormous. About the time I,
was showing my people how to dig po--
tatoes along came column of soldiers
and l sent some of my men down the,
mountain to sell the crop to them, and
every potato was sold at what to the.
natives was huge price.
"'Even before that I was a prom
inent man in their counsels, but now T
was made king. Ever since then Z
have been known as the "Potato King,
of Banquet, and I don't suppose shall
ever win a prouder title. At any rate.
| am perfectly satisfied. I have made
up my mind to spend the rest of my life
here with these people. None of my
old friends knows where am and none
Of them shall ever know
early the next morning Capt. Bull
fer, his wife, and retinue started on,
their return journey up the mountain.
I watched them until they had gone
out of sight behind the tall palms and:
the tangled vines, which lined both.
sides of the trail. Just as thew turned,
into the thickest of the Jungle the tall
blond man at the head of the column,
turned and waved white cloth to me.
Perhaps that will be the last communal
cation he will ever hold with civilizas-
ton as we know it."-Chicag go Tribune
Woman with a ttSpearo