The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-05
Mr.. wAck AND THE cANNIsALs

Mr.. WAck AND THE cANNiBALS
We are indebted to Mr.. III. yelling
ton Wack-once OF st. Paul, but who
has enlarged the sphere of his activi-
ties lately, and whose latest undertake
ing is in the form Of a work in de-
Tense Of the king of Belgium in that
monarch's dealings with the blacks of
the Congo-for much needed light on
the effect OF cannibalism on those
ladies and gentlemen whose tastes lead
them to the practice of anthropophagy.
Mr.. Wack, who, it will be remem-
bered, started to make his mark IN
these parts in what he described in an
photographed sketch as "a silently
forceful way" went hence some years
ago with a mission. He had under
taken the superhuman task of making
people like and pay for the privilege Of
listening to Ellen Beach Yaw reach
the c above. That piercing note her
aided the coming of Wack, but, to
proved difficult of mintage, it also had
to do with his going, and he. we are
informed, went to Africa and did
things to so much purpose that ne
now subscribes himself F. r. G.. s.
The other day Mr.. Wack arrived in
New York from foreign parts and noti-
fed the public that he had also arrived
as factor in publicity by beginning
suit as a stakeholder in one of the
copper companies attacked by Thomas
w. Lawson, the object OF the suit be-
ing to restrain the frenzy OF Mr.. Law
son and introduce Mr.. Wack anew to
the people of his native land. Now he
has written a book. The tossing off of a
book in ones leisure moments seems
to be the easiest way for even F. r.
G. S. to compel the attention of the
unheeding.
And Mr.. Wack has done no better
thing since he discovered the high
Migratory power of the Yaw vocal
chords than in giving to the public his
experiences with the cannibaIs and
the conclusions he has arrived at re-
garding the effect of this practice
which has been held to be somewhat
reprehensible by the effete carnivori
OF Europe and America. Says Mr..
Wack:
The cannibalistic Azande are much far
ther advanced in the arts of peace and
war than many other tribes that are not
cannihal-the forest pigmies, for instance
Notwithstanding some peculiar customs
concerning them, they hold their women
In high regard. and never barter them for
tice among other central African tribes
Ineir skill. too. in agriculture, pottery
and in the making and playing of their
musical instruments seems quite incom-
patibie with their abhorred anthropophagy.
Mr.. Wack does not tell us whether
the practice of anthropophagy merely
dulls the commercial instinct or
sharpens it.. He says that the canni-
balistic tribes do not trade their
women for goats and cows. but he
avoids the opportunity for explaining
NAAS oAtNoNAOh. CIHdpS tlcy come 10
know that women are more valuable
than the cows. Maybe the ladies' of
the tribes wax strong and refuse to be
traded.
II. Wellington Wack, f. r. G. s., has
done much for science in the matter
of freak voices and cannibals, but we
shall await the fruition of his genius
before fixing his place In history. The
west side. which was the cradle of his
youth, may be measurably proud of
his successes to date, but We would
advise against putting him on the roll
Of fame by naming west side street
after him. until he, in his silently
forceful way, proves to us which is the
more elevating and profitable, the ex-
ploitation of the larynx capable of pro-
ducing the c above, or the diffusion of
knowledge on the effect of tickling the
palate with tidbits from the remains
of the late colored brother.