The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-24
LIEUT., l. c, RICHARDSON
is A PRINCE OF SAMOA
Officer of the United States Navy
Highly Honored by Pacific
Islanders.
HERE AFTER RECRUITS

Indianapolis has been entertaining for
eign potentate unawores during the past
two weeks I'm the person of Prince Tue Maui
ga. crown prince OF Samoa. or La Afusa
Ulutula. 1.-THE gentIe-mannered prince as
he Is known ~ -tlie-Tatives OF the far-away
island The prince, however, is not dusky-
skinned native On the contrary. he is an
American born ana bred and officer in the
United States navy. Lieut.. Louis c. Rich
ardson. who has been in Indianapolis in
charge Of a naval recruiting station.
The story Of koHE Lieutenant Richardson
was made a prince is altogether interesting
and decidedly romantic. OF course. IL has
the love element, and il due to the love
for him Of a Samoan princess. Of the royal
family of Tutuila. tfat he was made
prince. In the summer Of 1899 Lieutenant
Richardson was one OF the officers oil the
good ship Abarenda that sailed into the mar
Dor OF Pago-Pago, Samoa. The ship ana the
officers We're sent there to assist Governor
Benjamin F. Tiiey in teaching the natives
the forms and institutions of white man
government fathered by Uncle Sam Lieu
tenant Richardson was given special dlrec-
ton Of the work in the province OF Fungasa'
and he went to his task with unbounded en-
thusiasm and interest In the people and
country where it is always afternoon He
rapidly learned the language of the natives
and became a favorite with them, largely
because Of his royal good nature and an in
fictitious laugh which is of such nature
that he is still remembered In the islands
as 1.-The man that had that laugh that the
Samoans will never forget
VISIT FROM CHIEFS.
After about a years work among the ma
tfves the lieutenant and Governor Tilley
were surprised one day by the visit of
large party of chiefs from the province of
Fungasa, and still more surprised when the
spokesman announced that they were there
to offer Lieutenant Richardson the hand in
marriage OF Princess Lsoto Lelei. the Prin-
cess of F'ungasa, who had fallen in love with
the handsome naval officer. If the lieuten-
ant would marry the princess they agreed
to make him prince of the royal family,
present him with fifty mats, kill 600 pigs,
have three days, feastiag and declare hon-
day of two weeks. IN other words. they
would honor him as no other foreigner had
ever been honored by the people OF Tutulla,
and, furthermore, they-Nfere very much In
earnest.
The lieutenant was in decidedly embar-
RAISING position, but natural diplomacy came
20 his rescue and he made the chiefs a
speech in which he praised the country and
the natives, told them of his love for the
princess but wound up Dy expressing sae b ms
10 marry the princess because he was under
orders OF the Great White Father" at
washington and might be called away from
the island at any day. He could not take
the princess with MIN to his own country,
for the climate was such there that she
would quickly sicken and die, leaving him
heartbroken-
The speech made such an impression on
the chiefs that they declared they would
make the lieutenant prince even If he could
not marry the princess. and SO they did
They had big feast. Lieutenant Richardson
was with great ceremony declared prince,
given the prerogatives of crown prince,
with the right TO live in the royal palaces
and command the people. The Lieutenant
spent almost two years more among the na-
States and was forced TO bid his subjects
farewell.
PRINCESS MARRIED TRADER.
IN story Of this kind the end should
show that somebody got married and lived
happily ever afterward. and, while Lieu
tenant Richardson Is still bachelor. he has
since learned that the Princess Fungasa Is
not ptning away for love of him. but has be-
slowed her affections on an American trader
who settled in Pago-Pago and Is happily
married.
lieutenant Richardson leaves to-day for
Terre Haute 10 open up recruiting station
IN that city. and from there he will proceed
to louisville thence to Evansville and
thence to Paducah. Ky. In the two weeks
spent I'm indianapolis forty-nine recruits
were taken out of 143 applicants examined.
Accompanying lieutenant Richardson are
DIR. G.. r. Duncan. examining surgeon; ID. A.
Bachman. stenoErapher: B. w. Cole, hOSpi-
tai steward, and W. Z. Duglay, electrician.