The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-09-06
COCOS MONARCH
PROVING KINGDOM
z
CIunIes Ross Files Royal Fa-
TIERS viii III London.
NO COURTS m. SsDOMAIN.


Present Head Sf4n adfaSh Ocean Cocoa
nut Isles IS Fourth Of Reignins Fam
lily and Graduate Of English univer-
Mixture Of Scotch and Malay
Blood, PIeheians and Royal, In Veins.
John Sidney Clunies-Ross, now in
London, is a figure as strangely roman
tic as was ever pictured by writer's of
the most lurid fiction. just now he
is a well educated and wealthy gen
tle1nan. descended ON one side from
an aristocratic Scotch family and on
the other from royal Malay blood, but
at home, in the CocOs islands, he is
monarch of all her surveys, and he sur
veys a good deal.
Clunies-Ross, whose father died a
month or two ago, is the fourth of his
name to rule over the little group OF
coral islands in the Indian ocean. The
story of his family is that of man
who would be king who lived nearly
100 years ago.
The original Clunies-Ross bore the
same name as his great-grandson. He
was born in the Shetland islands,
whittier his family had fed, proscrib-
ed, after the failure of the Jacobite
uprising in the early eighteenth cen
fury. But he obeyed the call of the
sea, and in the course of his rowing he
fell in with one Alexander Hare, a
dissolute, imaginative, not overhOnest
man, who had come under the spell
of the east to the extent Of adopting
most of its vices. He was in disgrace
with his employers and found a change
of residence imperative.
Pick Out Kingdom.
In Clunies- Ross ne met man as
daring as himself, though honorable
and straight living. He proposed that
the pair of them should seek out an
uninhabited group of islands and live
thereon, like oriental potentates.
The young Scotchman liked the idea,
and the two proceeded to the Cocos
islands, 500 miles from other land, and
established themselves, together with
about 100 others. Hare took harem
along with him and prepared to spend
his days in riotous living. Clunies
Ross took his lawful family, was sat
listed with the primitive life and look
ed about for chance to trade.
He tried spices and coffee and failed.
Then he pitched on cocoanuts as his
best investment and planted great
} groves Of the trees. While they were
growing he traded as best he could.
: and good many Malays, with few
whites, were attracted to the island.
Hare tried to enslave the darker por-
gtion of the population, with such Ill
success that he was forced to leave
the island. He went to Singapore,
where he died not long afterward, de-
serted by his harem and ''courtiers."
Fortune In coeoanuts.
The cocoanuts grew, and Clunies-
Ross began to make money out of the
oil and various other products of the
trees. Trade prospered in other direc
tions Also and the island attracted
more inhabitants The rule of Ross
was recognized and welcomed. He
was just and kind and withal canny in
matters of trading.
Then John, having ruled twenty-sev-
en- years, died in 1854. He was sue
ceeded by John George, his son. In
his time the territory was proclaimed
under British protection, but the
change was merely nominal Nobody
interfered with the absolute rule of
John George. He further strengthened
his position by marrying a Malay
woman of royal blood and fine char
acter. Together they developed the
islands and saw justice done.
The chiefs six sons were all edu-
Gated in Scotland, for the cocoanuts
were bringing in tidy sum. George
was the eldest son, and he studied en-,
cheering that his islands might have
the benefit of his skill. When he sue.
ceeded his father he devoted himself
not only to carrying on trade, but
to perfecting the native arts. He in
turn married native woman, who
proved as worthy helpmate as the
wife of John George.
All Educated In England.
LIKE LIS lOTD6dTS, 0eOESc 4CluuleS-
Ross had many sons, all educated in
England. He was in England with
them when he died, in June of this
year. His son, John Sidney, succeeds
to the kingship, or whatever it may
Sbe called, and the property. There
has been trouble in England over pro
batting the will, because there is no lie.
gal machinery for doing such things
In the sCocos islands, butt this little
difficulty does not affect the status Of
SJohn Sidney. The islanders, who num-
Der about 700, are well satisfied with
the justice of the Clunies-Ro dy~
nasty and have no desire to invite
change of government.
There are neither soldiers nor police
In the Cocos islands. The natives live
at peace with one another and with
the great spirit they believe in They
have plenty of this worlds goods
plenty, that is. for simple, healthy
wants.