The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1910-08-04

side Of q tWeiyemOnth. and
the Japanese government
has made a special appro-
uTiation OF S~7,175,0OO 70
pay the military expenses. w..
This is on account Of Hzz&
the camphor business. Tn ~
IN recently the entire
world has practically depended for It's
supply Of camphor upon Japan, which
has held a monopoly Of the produc-
ton Of that necessary article. But
the Germans have begun 70 manufac-
ture artificial (synthetic) camphor on
a large scale, and thus are competing
On the market 10 an alarming extent
Il is very necessary under the cir
c%umstauces that the supply from
Japanese sources shall be maintained.
lest IL be replaced and crowded out by
synthetic camphor. The camphor
trees which formerly grew plentifully
IN Southern Japan have been 20 q
great extent destroyed. owing to neg
lect Of a regulation that used 70 re-
qulre the planting OF one seeding for
every tree cut. and so the japanese
are obliged 10 look 10 FormosA, where
the camphor laurel nourishes over a
great extent Of territory. IN virgin
forests.
Unfortunately. Il is in the noun
famous interior Of Formosa that the
camphor laurel growB-that IL 10 say,
in a region which has been since pre-
historic times, and Is today. under
savage dominion. The EAvages who
occupy this territory are very fierce.
and earnestly addicted to head-hunt-
ing. Hitherto the camphor OF their
forests has been obtained only with
their consent. and Il has been ousto-
mary TO pay money 20 their chiefs as
an inducement TO refrain from destroy
ing the distilling OUTFITS. Neverthe-
less. trouble has been frequent and
the stills have been constantly de-
stroyed
An unlimited number OF laborers
can DO hired In Japan FOR ten cents q
day: but not for any such price. nor
for many times that much can men be
obtained TO go into the forests OF
Furmosa. U down the camphor trees.
and distili the gum. al the serious risk
OF losing their heads II ~ wen known
that the japanese do not lack hrnv.
cry. but head hunting 10 the Formo.
san savage II a religion: nothing
from his point Of view is so impor.
tent. and he will he IN wait for many
days 10 q time nenr n lonely path In
the woods for the sake o. getting one
chop AZ a passing camphor-secker.
Formosa is a big island-ns large as
SARDINIA and Corsica put together. II
Is eJ5 miles long mo IS miles wids.
More than half OF rs entire area Is to
day 20 the possession OF the savages.
For some years past Japan has pur-
sued n rather interesting method for
tho purpose OF bringing about their
eventual s~ubjuEatlou. She has cstab-
lishcd a guard line" all around the
mountainous interior. with small mill.
,ary ou'posts az intervals along Il. and
has pushed this artificial frontier
steadily forward. SO az 20 restrict the
wild people 90 a slowly but surely al.
minishinE domain,
ny this means Il was expected that
within nftCcn years OF tho present
time the entire island would be
brought under civilized control But
commercial necessity has made neces.
sary "a change OF plan. Camphor must
be had. and Il has been decided "a
wipe out or pacify all tho sAvagcs
within tho coming year. They can
take their choice which II shall be.
Their numbers are not accurately
;nown. OF course. but Il IL understood
hat they are split up into no fewer
than T23 tribes, whose villages com.
prise from three to upward OF three
hundred houses,
The tribes are divided into nins
groups. which are mutually hostile
and which dincr one another IN cus
toms and languages, some o. them.
particularly Ht the south end of the
island. have already been partly civi
Heed. and there Is even established
among them a sort 81 rural free deliv
cry NAH service, by native letter car
riers, In the central range Of noun
tnins dwell tho tribes OF the Vonuun
group, which are very fierce and en-
turprising head hunters. In 1905 they
became so troublesome that = military
attack was made upon them, result
ing IN thoir partial p~acincation.
The Atuyal. or nothorn Rvages, are
the largest and powerful group
They look upon ~head.huntinE as the
chtvf end and aim OF existence. A hu
mun head Is necessary as an Offering
in al their religious ceremonlals
When a dispute arises between indl
viduals. decision Is awarded 10 the
one who FIRST secures a head. A lad
"a not recognized ms adult until he has
taken 3 head But Il mnst be the
head Of a Japanese or Chinaman
Their customary method 10 20 lie IN
wait la the Jungle. near a frequented
path. several Of them together. In the
hope OF obtaining tho m~uchcoyetsd
trophy,
Thus civilized existence anywhere
neal 10 tho savage border Is besot with
90 little peril AZ the same time. the