davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-07
RIVER SCENE AT KANDAvAW, FIJI.

Those who INDUCED In "long pig" de-
clared that they did not particularly care
for 1t as an article OF food; but the Gus
tom was a national one, and consequent
ly exhilarntlng. and a man always felt
better in sort of sentimental way when
he had partaken OF portion OF cast
enemy. 1t was a royal sport, too. to go
out skirmishing in the morning with the
mixed feeling that the fortune Of war
left 1t an open question whether the war
rior would be in the oven himself before
shutdown, or be n joyous partaker OF the
evening feast.
In those days the Fijian was proven
bial for every kind OF savage nbomina-
ton. Cannibalism had degenerated from
religious sanction into morbid crav-
ing, recklessly INDUCED In whenever ros-
slbe. Shipwrecked or helpless strangers
were nearly always killed and enten,
widows were strnngled Mt the death of
their husbands. slaves killed at the death
OF their masters. victims wero slain In
numbers at the building OF house or OF
n canoe or at the waits Of embassies
from the tribes, The lives OF individuals
were always subject to the caprices ri
the chiefs.
Their Modern Mode of Life.
Cannibalism Is now almost past his
tory in the islands. There is to-day hard
ly an act of cannlbalism to be heard
OF even in the most remote parts
OF any of the islands, nor scarce
" Fijian to be found who is
not convert to Christianity. The present
day life OF Fijian family is interesting.
Domestlcally they are exceptionally clean.
Their cooking IS done outside In n very
primitive fashion. Roasted, baked or
boiled yams. taro. bread fruit plantans.
and fish constitute the usual bill Of fare.
The I'll jan does not use milk. but drinks
water, and his favorlte kava." made
from the root Of the yaukona plant. The
intoxicating qualities OF this beverage go
to the lower limbs. In color It Is like the
Mexican pulque. and has the same med-
cinal properties when used as medicine.
On festal occasions the Fijian certainly
spreads himself, The amount of provender
required is something astonishing. When
one chief visits another, 1t means that
the whole community to be visited has to
busy themselves. The entire visiting re-
tinue, varying in size as to the Importance
OF the chief, has to be entertained on
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-07
crime Is mostly due to surroundings, and
\ not To the unchRngeable hereditary ten

crime Is mostly due to SURROUNDINGS, and
not to the Interchangeable hereditary ten
dency.
This being so, there is, hope. for :, 4 # !, j. j.
much easier to change the SURROUNDINGS
OF a child than TO change It's nature, =,
1t appears, then, that fully nine-tenths
Of the criminals In the land are suei'
That is to say, their crime is due main IN
Nv to bad social conditions, 10 an uh-
Wholesome environment,
Among the chief causes of crime may ay
be mentioned the following: .Tlt y IN
eparentage Neglect on the part OF MI ~ :
rents. Poverty. Evil associa tloh' Ing
Some nnJ parents are downright bad, and,
ms n matter of course. their cnliuren'
with perhaps, now and then an e%cet.lol'
grow up to be Just like their paIe,iis. a.
This does not mean thar me ilttie u'i I,
nre the victims of "heredltS; mat ~
their blood before they are borh' mls
the seeds Which are Inevitably 70 flne,n
info crime. aud that they are critl'iiihis
simply because their parents were cFilii-
'It simply means that they are crilnir
nnIs becnilse of association with crlni-
nails. whereas had they associated Wltn
good people, they would na ansen S,o"h W
Ia be upright, honorable clllIens' ,,,,,.
Again. there are parents WHO, WIN, ,a
they cannot be said to be crimll,hiiis, ~ :, .
outrageously neglectful OF their ch'''re''
They They I do not seem to care whether the
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-07

The Fiji Islands have an especial In
terest for the American. both in their
past history. their present conditions and
contiguty to the Philippines, and their
future commercial value to the United
States.
1t was by the merest chance that the
group did not some fifty years ago be-
come a dependency or under the political
control of the United States government
When cannibalsm WAS In vogue on
these Islands and both the life and prop
crty Of Il white man were at the hysterical
mercy of those human hunters of XXI
bakola," or long pig" as they termed n
white foreigner. there were very few dis
Greet live long pigs" who cared to run
the risk of gratifying the highest desire
and pleasure OF the FijIan by adorning
the roasting ovens at Bau and various
other cooking centers. II was at this mo-
mentous and thrilling period that con-
siderable damage was done to the prop
erty Of the American consul there. For
mally n heavy claim was In consequence
preferred by the United States against
the then leading chief, Thakambau, but
which he was wholly unable to satisfy
AS n means OF liIudating the American
claim, Thakambau. on the advice OF his
friends. mostly English missionaries, Of
Great Britain, on condition that he re-
tain his rank and that his debt for dam
age done to the American consulate was
paid. AS a set-off TO the payment, he
offered TO assign over. II required, to the
British government the absolute owner
slrp OF cno,OCO acres of the most valuable
land in any one or more OF the group OF
islands within his dominion.
On receipt of this offer. special COM
missioner Colonel Smythe) was sent to
Fiji by the British government to make
full inquiry and to report specially upon
the prospective advantages and desira-
blity of accepting the offer. more par
ticularly with the view Of utilizing certain
points as naval and coaling stations. and
tn. country generally as possible coll
ony for cotton growing In the result
md on Colonel Smythe's advice the of
fer Of sovereignty was refused. Subse-
Gnently oyertures were made to the
Omitted States government on somewhat
The same terms but the Americans were
not to be cajoled into accepting an offer
hlready refused by the British govern
ment Moreover. ut that time the United
States had no particular interest. as
now. in these far distant regions. and in
addition to tho great risks consequent
upon accepting nominal possession OF
such barbarous lands and people, they
were too far from home, and at that
time the Americans were fully occupied
within their own country.
1t so happened that the following years
brought considerable increase to the
white population OF the islands. cotton
planting being stimulated by the Amerl-
can Civil War; and In the year 1865 an
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-07
THE HOME OF A FIJI CHIEF.

trlcts are grouped under the heeadsh hiDL,
there are II, and each of whom twice
year assemblies the Bulls of his province
In the Bose Vaka Tasana, O. Provincial ;hl
SoMnf where the Local al aalss 81 he
which local rates are imposed and to
which each, Bull makes detailed report
OF MI the West India Islands put to-
gett er-altogether the Islands. including
these arc Inhabited,
The two largest islands are viii Lew.
with an area of 1000 square miles. and
Wanna Leyu containing about $500 square
miles Kandavau Is l24 square miles.
Chalau i3 square miles and Layuka IS
Ing place. The total population Is esti-
mated at 122.o00; of these 10000 are ma
tives. 1000 Europeans and the remai lde
comprise lalf-breeds and foreigners. since
1882 the capital OF the colony has been
transferred to Suva, on the south coast
Of vad Levu where there ere, sa v ine
was on the little island of obalau.
Attractions and Value of Islands.
The country Is mountainous and IN
the southeast densely covered with forests
of large and valuable trees. The soil
is rich and we'll watered; for there are
thousands or alllucntS running iHto 5tho
main rivers, of which there are lnany;
some OF the largest rivers being navaga-
BILE for small steamers and fiat bot
toned punts and the whole group
and harhors. The interior generally is
of an unduatlng character. with every
where hill and valley peak and ,precipice;
assuming the most romantic form, ana
clothed almost always with beautiful
and lllxuriant negotiations. Peaks rise
from 1000 to 5000 feet and are surround
ed by Ineanderings rivers Of eNGeptlonAble
plctlresQueness.
November and April but not unhealthy
and fevers are hardly known there. .ss'5
Up to the present. the Eli Islands re-
habtanta devote themselves aim almost st en-
ttirely to the cultivation Of the soil, Or.
Finucane, a British official OF au-
thority and emnence and long resi-
dent Dc IN the ron country recently
silver Chloride anthony and manganese.
The m mineral r, wealth y as yet unknown y
strong reason for. believing that in the
near future Payable gold will be dsc cor Y,
cred N quantities.. as well as large coal coal
SO. far there are no railways, no elsc-,
triclty, nor Geographic system In the
islands. The only. mode.of Internal COM
munIcation, is a bl-weekly overland mail,
lands. few of which only have macadam..
lied roads, There Is an existing mail
service with Sydney about !, once 5 9. fort, fort
might and Wth Aaknsd ameM hssa
lands from San Francisco is 400 miles:
from Sydney New South Wales LOO
miles and from Auckland about 600 miles;
but by. the recently introduced cable sys,
teiS. they are within communication of
80 80" j. W. DAViiIs.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-07

or apron made of the fibre OF the paper
mulberry which Is tied on the right side
and Is sometimes long enough to form
train! a good many women wear sulus.
Qoin cloths) OF English goods, and cover
their busts with a short sleeved. short
bodied dress OF the same fabric. This sulu
Is from six to nine feet In length and a
yard wide. 1t goes round the waist and
reaches down to the calf of the leg,
Some men also wear sulus, but the
majority cover their loins with sort Of
sash. made from the mulberry paper,
white brown or figured
The native house Is OF various forms-.-
some are built upon posts ana are OF
great size, occasionally 100 feet long and
40 feet vide thatched with loose grass ana
without windows. The initial frame work
Is inclosed with cane, arranged IN va
rious patterns, known as timbi timbi. and
is the long blades of the sugar cane.
pncked % ths deT from n It the he ernnnd
and then covered with a good bedding
OF dry leaves and several layers of mats,
Social Life Among the Natives.
rho family is the unit Of political So
ciety. The FAMILIES arb grouped into
townships or otherwise under the lessor
chiefs, who In, turn owe aileglance to
tribe.
The chiefs are a. real aristocracy, ex-
ceiling the people In physique. skill. In
telect and accomplishments of all sorts.
The great. reverence at one tine felt
for them Is now, however, rapidly dl-
A peculiar form of socialism exists on
these islands among natives-called , kere,
to give to him who has not. All that a
man has is really considered as belonging
chiefs property belongs to the people,
and they are as ready, to give as to
declare the contents of the plantation ,, to
opal has somewhat degenerated. The
law are apt to live upon the Industrious,
and there is. therefore. not much Induce
ment to aecumuate 2'rIope,rtyt ese neon,o
Is solevu, which enables one district IN
want of any particular article to call on
It's neighbor, TO supply it, giving labor or
There Is also a system Of feudaI ser
vice tenure extant there known as laLa,
on which the social and political fabric
lows H5 i7 the CHIEF to cali for the labor Of
any district and to employ 1t IN plant
ing, house or canoe building, supplyin1Ig ~
food on the occasion of another CHIEFS
visit and other reasons and events.
Local Government in Fill.
The political unit is the villaEe-in
e erecGi aHE heredltary but nomnally ap
pointed by the District Council. He is
assisted BY. Council Of Elders and , Ger
tan aXef te ehes bTohe a
constables Ito carry out his decisons). q
town crier "a hereditary and important
oiiicer) and q garden oversee r 80 .o,,,o-
times few, sometimes many-are grouped
together under superior ofilcer'atnse
IG6f the d Els town VINO ch Gefs and p aa
trict Z Council. on the affairs Of the dis
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-07

easily and naturally the peculiar vernacu-
lar of the ranchman. the half-breed or
falling into the more familiar intonntions
of the American man of business.
One special feature of these stories IS
the Indian folklore contained in the ones
of which "Sioux Sam" is the author.
The folklore of all peoples has an ele-
nlent that never fails to enlist sympathy
and engage attention. The lore OF the
American Indian is beautiful, and Is as
yet like a manuscript with many blank
pages, But Mr.. Lewis has written on
some of them what he knows about Mob
Kwa. the Wise Bear" and the Great
Rattlesnake's" widow. who lay beside
.'Moh- Kwn's" freside and fastened to do
his bidding, ana those who have read
these pages hope that in time to come
others will be filled and the tale made
complete,
One of the finest of the twenty-seven
stories told at the BLACK Lion Inn" Is
that which Informs the reader how Jim
Britt Passed His Bill" The picture OF
Jim Britt, with his shaggy beard and his
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-07
CRIME AND ITS CAUSES.
Bv REV. THOMAS B. GREGORY.

children turn out we'll or ILL., They
never think to instruct them aa to the
paths in which they should walk. or
should not walk, With lazy Indifference
they permit the children to grow up as
they may, and oftentlmes they grow up
wrong.
en- them at home the children go out
Into the world TO become the easy prey
of the designing ones who await them. &
The evil associatlon, which, with the
right sort OF home training would serve
but as a spur TO rectitpde. becomes tho
ready means Of q complete moral ruin.
In many homes. again, poverty, acute,
grim. terrible, absolutely Forces tho chill
dren to crime.
At first the crimes arc OF trivial ma
turc, like petty larceny, perhaps; but
gradually the nature IL hardened and by
aud by the young person is full-fledgeti
crninal--a criminal against the original
bent of his nature~a criminal, to start
with, by the grim. stern logic or the neces-
sty which "knnWs no law"
hut ii Is the saloon which, according to
this government puhlcatio is responsible
for large share of the crime that stains
tho country,
II is in the saloon that the young are
debauched and made ready for their
journey along the downward road that
ends In physical, intellectual and moral
death, .,o.,
and Its Cure
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-07
A NATIVE SETTLEMENT IN FIJI

Australian company was formed for the
purpose Of taking over Thakambau's debt
and with 1t the acceptance of The 100000
acres of land already offered In payment
thereof. But local feeling was averse
to this scheme. and once more Thakam.
bnu was advised and persuaded to again
repeat his offer 10 the British govern
ment. This time he succeeded, for on the
advice of Sir Hercules Robinson. then
Governor OF New South Wales. sove-
relgnty was finally accepted by the Brit
ish government In October, 1874. and
the United States government was thus
relieved of the hazardous obligation of
exercising Its power In enforcing payment
OF It's claim or Of assuming any political
responsibility In default.
Since then wonderful. and certainly I'M
foreseen. II not unexpected, things have
happened In tho development of thse
islands In turn the FiJians have been Sue
cessfllly civilized and Christtanized by
the unflagging and admirable efforts Of
missionaries OF different creeds, from
various lands: they have been persuaded
to wholly abandon their oannlbalistlc
practices. and last. but not least. they
have been brought into closer touch with
the whole world by the recent cable con-
nection with the British Imperial Pacl-
fic Gable. and at no distant date they will
enjoy the mutual benefits and advantages
of similar cable facilities from America,
about to be enjoyed BY tfcir neighbors
in the Philippines, and together will
provide n new commercial sphere for
Americans and ultimately come within
the arena Of modern and progressive
civilization.
Fijians as Race.
The only stigma which. the Fijians
were guilty of was that they were cam
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-07
THE UNDER DOG. Written by F. Hop

THE UNDER DOG. Written by F. Hop
kinson Smith, Published by Charles
Scribner's Sons, of New York. For
sale by the Bell Book and Stationery
Company, of Richmond.
"The Under Dog gets It's title In a way
which the author explains when he says:
I'm the strife of life some men lose place
through physical weakness or lost oppor-
tnnities or impaired abilities; struggle on
as they may, they must always he the
Under Dog In the fight
''Hhesa under dogs-graye and gay
have always appealed 10 me. Their sto-
ries are printed here in the hope that they
may appeal to you
Several of Mr.. Smiths stories have to
do with the Kentucky monntalneers,. and
the way In which the strong arm of the
United States Government swoops down
on them for the ilSt m mar and
evidently is, In Mr.. Smiths opinion. an
Under Dog" to be Pitie OUT, The vivid pic
ships of an unfortunate as we'll as unr
prlncipled class Of citizens Who cannot
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-07

to uniformity, much after the Circas-
sian beauty style. Most OF the young
male dandies wear It as long as posi-
BILE; others have 1t trimmed shorter. 1t
is becoming to them, and they certainly
take care OF 1t. even to the extent OF
using most uncomfortable looking head
rests as pillows. These latter are OF
wood like long. low narrow stool
carved out OF a single piece of wood. or
formed from some suitable branch or
root
Tho natives of the Yas-a-w was Islands,
also part OF the group. are all six-foot-
ers and fine specimens. The sckly and
birth, until British annexation changed
matters. The Fitlan Is magnificent
sailor when he wants to be. although he
does not care to 30 beyond the confines
OF the group to any extent. He Is inde-
pendent but courteous and friendly,
and. like the peon OF the in-Ameri-
cans, he will divide what he has: as n
general thing he has little--a taro or yam
patch, fringed with plantains or bananas;
a bread fruit tree, perhaps; his isaali or
machete, and a few fish spears, and per-
hapa a canoe His wife has the fishnets
and few calabashes, gourds and carved
wooden trays and vessels. which serve
their needs.
Speaking generally. the Fijians are
acknowledged to be exceedingly hospi-
table, open handed and remarkably
polite They are very sensitive. proud.
.yindctive, boastful and most clearly In
their habits and In their homes. They
possess good conversational powers. are
witty. have much sense Of humor. tact,
and perception OF character. Their code
OF moral life and etiquette Is rigid, min
ute and elaborate. and the graduation
OF rank we'll marked.
In the Days Of cannibalism. ett9
It is dif1icult to realize that the good
natured hymn-s!nging natives to be met
with to-day about Suva, Levuka and
Yuma are the children OF men who feast
ed their day upon ''long pig" around tho
ovens at Bau, and Mt the festal grounds
among the mountains OF Viti-Levu and
the Businesses of weird Vanna-Leou. Yet
among the survivors OF the old regime
there are yet to he found men who con-
sumed their share OF XXI bakola" at the
old time merry aking. when tribal VIC
tories were celebrated by the cooking
and eating OF the yanquished warriors,
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-07

educated In the schools of that town, He
was educated for the law, put afterwards
went into journalism
Anne Carmel, the heroine of Miss Gwen
dolen Overtons new story OF the same
name, lives with her mother and her older
brother Jean in the Canadian village OF
ST. Hllaire.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-07
An Hour With New Books

right and chivalrous. The best thing
about him is that he acknowledges MS
fathers teaching and remains true 10 u.
When the supreme test OF his ire comes
and he finds himself at "the parting OF
the WAYS. he is angry with himself to
find. also. that he is thinking Of sue
cess merely as wealth, where he had
once thought OF honor. achievement,
even duty" That he returns to his bet
ter and truer self Is because, as he says.
IT am inspired by a better and finer
gentleman than can ever hope to be-
my father"
Other characters in the book. old Raw
SON., the sturdy mountalneer; feray
Wickersham. Norman Wentworth, DIR.
Balsam and the feminine dellneations-
Lois Huntington. Alice Yorke and her
mother. Mrs, Norman Wentworth, Mrs.
Nailor and Mrs Creamer-al are DIFF
formulated and indyidualized In har-
mouy with the requirements OF the story
and the environments OF the people,
When, In the end, the success OF Cor
don Keith's life has been crowned with
the blessing of good woman's love, It
seems, because father and son have been
such confidants. the most natural thing
for him first of all to pour out his heart
to General Keith In telling him that
Lois Huntington has promised TO pc his
wife, on condition that the General must
snare the new HOIle VI VIC ioi
by his son and daughter
"For answer, the old gentleman quoted,
in regard to his sons sweetheart: In her
tongue Is the law of kindness. God
bless you both. Her price Is far above
rubles,' And after a pause he added
gently, hone YOUR mother knows of
this, ] think she must; she seems so
close to me to-day
Gordon Keith as whole, is splen-
did conception and execution. In many
ways 1t shows the finest work which
DR.. Page has yet done. IT cannot fall
to add greatly to his fame as man OF
letters and maker of the finest tyne
OF fiction,
AT THE TIME. APPOINTED. Written
by A. Maynard Barbour Published
by j. b, Lippencott Company of Phil
adelphia. For sale by Bell Book and
Stationery Company. Richmond. Price
slbG
The author Of "That Mainwarlng Ar
fair" has an agreeable hold upon the
Imagination of the reading public, inclin-
ing them faworaby to his spring book,
which he has named cat the Time App
pointed"
The story in this latter volume begins
with tragedy, the consequences of
which color the lives and affect the hap
niness of nearly all the characters In the
hook. The scene shifts from west to
east, but reverts to the west by prefer
ence The dramatis persenae are cleY-
erly sketched In and Invested with man
illness ana Intelligence on behalf of the
male characters, and with much womany
attractiveness in so far as the heroine
and lesser feminine lights are concerned.
The plot of the story is somewhat COM
plicated from the fact that John Oar
o.. =
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-07
THE BLACK LION INN. Written by
Alfred Henry Lewis. Published by
u Puscall nf Nav Yorl< la

THE BLACK LION INN Written by
Alfred Henry Lewis Published by
r. H. Russell, of New York. For sale
by the Bell Book and Stationery Com
pany. of Richmond, Price sl50.
Mr.. Lewis, who has come to be recog-
nized as one of the foremost American
humorists and racoDteurs, has added to
his "Wolfvlle" and "Wolfville Days" an
other choice collection which he has pub
lisbed under the title OF THE Black
Lion Inn"
Frederic Remington has drawn the un-
usually fine illustrations for the book, and
the "Inn," where company of travellers,
snowbound Of varying degrees and sta
lions in life, yet held for the time by the
tie of good fellowship, which such pro-
rirquity ofttimes develops, cheat time of
its dullness by telling series Of stories.
each evening as the circle is drawn be-
side the blazing fire, as the pipes are
lit after the evening meal.
The wide range of the stories and their
varying characteristics bring out the
splendid versatility of the writer, He
runs the gamut from grave to gay. from
lively to severe" and never false note
Is struck, each story-teller maintaining