The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-07-01
eN.klNG OF lLION ISLANDS
VISITS CAROLINA FRIENDS
John F. Hobbs, OF Dutch Fork Sec.
ton, Wrecked Sailor, RHtNrNc,
From New :Ie!;r;dp>.
Augusta Chronicle.

~ AuSUStG NUEOtlC4t.
Columbia. s g., June 21.-"hinS
Hobbs today called on Gov. Ansel ard
paid his respects H IS " SoU,2
CaroliMian ana l@,o s@y"r@.gM Il Il"
= Ilion islands Of the New HebEides
group in the South Pacific. He is in
h Columbia visiting friends and rel;;-
" tives: Before his majesty" became
t'his majesty" he was John F. Hobbs,
Of Dutch Fork section in Lexington
d county, just across the river. Gov.
ID Ansel was glad to welcome him to
] the State, and the meeting was most
democratic. although it was a gov
D ernor and king.
The one-time ruler of the Ilion
islands is a graduate of NeWberry
college Of the class of 10. He is now
h On his way back to New York from
r Newberry college, where he attended
the commencement exercises Of the
institution. His wanderings over the
face of the earth have not divorced
him from his alma mater.
king" Hobbs story of how he
4 mounted the mat throne Of the Ilion
Ia islands and HINGED it over 10000
z dusky New Hebridians for nearly
~ year sounds like a chapter in robin
ID son Crusoe.'
E& Wrecked in the middle of the
8 Asouth Pacific in a typhoon, he foated
I&leor two nights and day with life
belt around him until a canoe full OF
New Hebridians picked him up. They
MI carried him to their island and soon
allayed his fear of being Immediately
put in the pot by their kind treat
ment. After a while war broke out
between the natives Of the Ilion is
!. lands and the people Of neighbor-
A ing island, John F. Hobbs of Dutch
III Fork led company of 400 men into
a. battle as their chief. His side came
III off victorious and his rise in diplo-
R matte New Hebridian circles begai-
Old King Died.
h The king of the Ilion islands, fat,
i lazy old savage, died in the course
d of time without leaving an heir to
m his mat throne. A big talk fest was
N in order. All the chiefs and medi-
I cine men got together and gabbled
for days. The hitch in electing
new king was that no one wanted to
elevate one sub-chief above the rest.
as this would be sure to precipiIate
Ia civil war.
~ Finally one old chief arose and in
@ glowing language suggested that the
~ crown and purple robe be given TO
Chief Hobbs, the official representa-
tive of the Great White Spirit. His
y suggestion met with instant favor.
The biggest medicine man in the
bunch hot-footed it over to the cocoa
nut palm, where Chief Hobbs had
AaSe1> sitting and garbed him in the
kal robes. Unlike Caesar, he cid
thrice refuse the crown. He fail
B% to say so, but possibly the vision
the pot still haunted him and he
has afraid to thrust aside the scep-
Ter.
@ Such, says Mr. Hobbs, was the
fHRmanner in which he donned the pur-
3 pie. From his mat beneath the CO.
III coanut tree he meted out justice to
&his brown subjects for several
3 months.
State Functions Boring.
'tWhy did you leave your throne"
Viking Hobbs was asked.
"well, you know" he said rehec-
lively, being king. 6gets mighty
honotonous. AS the o,te King Ed
Yard said to me when he was Prince
Wales, state functions are very
ring And, then, too, aside from
e weight of the crown, a man wants
get back home and see old faces.
b I left my island kingdom, when |
I'D a good chance"
King" Hobbs is as hale and hear
king as one could wish to see
Although possibly on the wrong side
Bsbf 40, except for little gray around
his temples he seems none the worse
for wear
A newspaper correspondent,
elobe trotter, familiar with most OF
khe earth's out Of the way corners,
ind especially with the South seas,
Grr. Hobbs Is full of entertaining
tories and "reminiscences. When
ked if he intended to publish the
tory Of his reign in the South seas
gSbook form, he said: "I've got it all