Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-01-30
WAYS OF AFRICANS SIMPLE.
ON the Gold Coast Divorce Rare and
Family Life Beautiful.

On the Gold Coast Divorce Rare and
Family Life Beautiful.
1t is said that divorces are rare
among those tribes who lead a simple
life undisturbed. As with civilized
people, marriages can not be dissOlveS
without formality. Princesses Of the
gold coast only have the privilege Of
separating from their husbands with
out formality. Some white clay handed
to the husband is a sign of dismissal
Common people, on the other hand,
have to appear before the chiefs, who
decide the case. If they present the
wife with a piece Of white clay she
must mark the trees of the principal
streets of the village as a sign that
she is no longer a welded wife. If
the divorce is granted to the man the
wife's family must return the equiv
alent of the purchase money.
Old age among the true negroes, as
among many other peoples, is held in
high esteem. Contrary to the popular
notion, the family life of many African
tribes before they came in contact with
European civilizations was beautiful
The large family prevails.
There is probably no other race in
which offspring is so highly priced as
among the negroes. Infanticide is rare
here in comparison with Polynesia and
MeIanesia. They rejoice at the birth
Of child. In this respect they are
much like Europeans. Mother love is
very strong. If a mans mother and
his wife, they say. are on the point Of
drowning and he can save only one he
must save the mother, for if the wife
Is lost he may marry another, but he
will never find a second mother
The original right to private owner
ship of land is acquired either by fee
or allodium. It is said that tenure Of
land among the Dahomeys and Bechu-
anas is in fee simple. In East Africa
it is everywhere alIOdial. On the gold
coast property in the soil is acquired
by bringing it under cultivation. All
the land in the neighbOrhood of a town
is considered as belonging to the inhab-
itants generally, and the man who first
cuts down the bush and grows a crop
is regarded as the proprietor Of that
portion.
Among some West African tribes
there is under native law no commu-
nifty in goods between a man and his
wife Each keeps separate estate,
women owning and holding property
under Identical conditions with men.
The laws Of inheritance vary. In some
cases the brother inherits; in some the
eldest or most influential son; in some
the chief slave The underlying idea
in inheritance of property seems to be
to keep the wealth Of the house.. e.,
the together. This is somewhat
similar to the idea underlying the Eng
lish law of inheritance. The strong
and the cunning, as among civilized
people, defraud the weak out of prop
erty, particularly women and children
who have no powerful relatives.
In spite of abuses there is a definite
and acknowledged law to which an
appeal can be made by persons Of all
classes, provided they have the means
of setting the machinery of the law in
motion. There are wills, but they are
not the rule. Gifts take the place Of
wills. A rich man gives things during
his lifetime to his friend or favorite
wife or child or slave, so that he can
see that they get what he wishes them
to have.