Long Valley advocate. (Lardo, Idaho) 1904-1907, 1907-01-24
LEAD SIMPLE LIFE
CUSTOMS OF THE NEGROES OF
THE GOLD COAST.
Divorce Is Rare 9TH
or Love One of Their Strongest
Points-Strict Laws as to
Property Rights.

1t is said that divorces are rare
among those tribes who lead a simple
life undiSturbed AS with civilized
people, marriage cannot be dissolved
without Formally. Princesses of the
gold coast only have the privilege of
separating from their husbands with
out fOrmality. Some white clay hand
ed to the husband is sign of dis,
missal
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 I
she is no longer welded wife. If
the divorce is granted TO the man, the
wife's family must return the equiva-
lent of the purchase money.
Old age among the true negroes, as
among many other peoples, is held in
high esteem, says the Southern Work
man. Contrary to the popular notion
the family life of many African tribes
before they came in contact with
European civilization was beautiful.
The large family prevails.
There is probably no race in which
offspring is SO highly priced as among
the negroes. Infanticide is rare here
in comparison with Polynesia and
Melaneisa. They rejoice at the birth
of child. In this respect they are
much like Europeans. Mother love
| is very strong, If 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, as with us,
| either by fee or allOdium. 1t is said
that tenure of land among the Daho-
meys and Bechuanas is in fee simple.
| In asst Africa it is everywhere allodial.
On the gold coast property in the soil
is acquired by bringing it under Guilt
walton. All the land in the neighbor-
| hood of a town is considered as be-
longing to the inhabitants 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 com
munity in goods between a man and
his wife. Each keeps separate estate
women owning and holding property
| under 106nC1cdl COnQltlOuS Will ihO'A
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 un
DERIVING idea in the inheritance o.
property seems to be to keep the
wealth OF the house, i. e., the estate
together This is somewhat s1milal
to the idea underlying the English law
of inheritance. The strong and the
cunning, as with us, defraud the veal
out of property, particularly womeI
and children who have no powerfu
| relatives.
In spite of abuses there is definite
. and acknowledged law, to- which al
appeal can be made by persons of al
classes, provided they have the mean
of setting the machinery OF the law Il
motion. There are wills, but they ar
not the rule. Gifts take the place Q
wills. A rich man gives things dul
ing US lifetime to his friend or favor
lite wife or child or slave, so that
can see that they get what he wishe
them to have.