Gilpin observer., 1913-08-07
AMERICAN KINGS
c. s. RIPLEY REFUSES TO BE.
COME A cRoWNED-HEAD-RoY.
AL BLOOD IN HIS VEINS.
By CROMWELL CHILDE

venture" magazine, Mr.. Cromwell
Childe has a very interesting article
entitled American Kings.
In this article Mr.. Childe tells the
storY, of Nambuka, king of Latu, who
originally came from Albion, Ill. The
next king chronicled is Pope, king
of the Pueblos, a hard, grim fight
Ding man, and his great distinction
is that he is the first king mention
ed in American records. Then comes
York broker. who reigDed for a num-
Der of years in the South Seas and
was known as Eta Mora, THE Inn
maculate One. The history of HON.
er Lea, the international Man of
Mystery, follows, and then a short
description of the Mormon King of
Big Beaver Island, who also was Of
American birth.
Mr.. ChiIde then goes on and tells
the following, relative to Charles s..
Ripley, a resident of Central City:
A Naval Lieutenant
Throws Away a Throne.
Eut the story of the kings of Ann
erica has its most interesting and
seemingly most Impossible incident
in the historic chapter of the United
States Navy Officer who Was offered
the throne of Samoa by three great
governments of the world, and refus-
ed it. Lieutenant Charles IS. Ripley
was the man, The strange feature
OF this real romance Is that Ripley
was not adopted by a king, did not
get the chance of reigning through
superior prowess. He was discover
ed, on the death of a certain Sa-
moan king, to be the NEXT in line
the heir apparent. AS a matter
of fact, he was the king. legally and
beyond question. He had a dk-
ficult time in making the Powers
see that he would not become a
.sipply gave up the kingship, letting
1t pass to the next in line.
Probably there never has been an
other American, before or since, who,
by any right of descent has been a
king. 1t came about in this way.
Lieutenant Ripley had an ancestor. a
sreat-great-uncle, who had sailed from
Maine, and had never come back. 1t
was always supposed by the R.pleys
that he had been lost at sea. Moth
ing so commonplace! What had real
ly happened was that he had been
wrecked ON the shores of Samoa,
and had grown up as savage. Lieu
tenant Ripley heard of this when he
was a navy officer, stationed at Sa-
moa, aboard the Vandalia, for the
purpose of safeguarding American in
terests in the harbor of Apia- 1t
was the time of diplomatic quarrel,
and the United States, England and
Germany each had war-ships on
guard.
The king of Samoa at that time
was one Maietoa. In such cases it
ds the custom for navy officers of
various nations ito meet the reigning
sovereign. Etiquette has to be nice
ly preserved under such conditions.
1t WAS very extraordinary, the inter
est the Samoan king took I'm Lieuten-
ant Ripley. He showed him every
honor, and more than once took him
aside and asked him questions about
his family.
One of these little conferences
terminated dramatically. Suddenly the
king threw his arms about the Lieu
tenants neck and tod him that he
was Of his own family. of the ruling
house of Samoa, and next in line to
the throne after his son, the Crown
Prince. The king. systematic old
potentate, was sure. The Ripley that
had vanished years before and had
for generations been thought drown
ed was Malietoa's own grandfather.
When such records as there were.
were looked up. the Samoan king was
seen to be right. The news did not
greatly interest the American officer.
He had no fancy to rule In the Pac-
1fic, and no love for dark,skinned
princesses. AS matter of diplomacy
he had to submit to sort of adop-
tion as the SON of Malietoa. Nothing
else would satisfy the old monarch.
and Ripley went through It. half with
curious sort of pleasure. half bored
and disghsted.
Then the scene changed for the
Lieutenant. He was called away on
other duty. Several years went by.
and he was in turn In many other
parts OF the world. Malitoa, mean