The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-06-10

Press Publishing company Of Mount
View, Cal. My grandfather and aunt
and the few others who came back
from Norfolk sland taught the ma
tives what they had learned and this
was the beginning OF educational
privileges to be had out there. 4
We all have one religion. the Sew
enth Day Adventist church; the pas
tor of the church teaches also, and
just before left the church had sent
"a teacher who remained out there for
four years. She said that owing to
the work my grandfather and his
daughter had done, she was able to
take the people a good deal farther
than she had anticipated
Just how far did you go, educa-
tionally?'
well, we got as far as the begin
ming, OF algebra, mathematics. We
also studied history, English, reading
and writing and the usual things
taken up in the grammar grades.
The people go to school until they
marry, but that is usually at an;
early age, in the neighborhood Of 16
or II. The people are quite religious,
observe the Sabbath day with much
punctiliouSness, and in every way
follow the doctrine of trying to do
to others as they would be done by.
OF course there is no money, so
there is no bargaining for anything.
People repay in service to each ether
whatever they gain in gifts or service.
Their occupations are many and
rather primitive, as they have no ma
chinery to assist them. The women
must keep their houses clean and
make their own clothes. That is a
problem. 1t rs much easier to clotne
the men than the women, because the
latter can wear what the men Of the
trading vessels and the English gov
eminent ships leave. But there aren't
so many women's garments in these
lots. One way they had of making
clothes was to take the bark from the
paper mulberry tree. From this they
extracted the green and then, put
ting it on stick, they beat it. AS you
understand, the widest part OF the
bark of tree is at the base OF the
trunk, and it grows narrower as IT
tapers to the top. This natural
shaping served the lady's figure ex-
cellently, the width coming at the
bottom and the narrow part at the
waist After they had beaten for
some time they would get a piece
about one4hAlf yard wide and five
feet long. Another piece they would
use for draping the waist"
do you think you ever will go
back to the island?" Miss Mccoy was
asked, for doubt had been expressed
in the village of her doing so, both
because Of the difficulty in getting
there and the isolation she would ex-
perience after she had arrived.
II want to- she said wistfully,
~ cO q nnn
could see that her whole life since
she had been away had been arrang-
ed with a view to helping her people
with the information-and perhaps a
shipment Of things from the states"
which she would be able to take
back with her. But" she added,
"one isn't always permitted to do all
that one would like.
would you be made queen Of the
island if you went back?
.I'm afraid that queen idea has
been overworked by some OF the
newspapers" she answered. laugh
ing. "My father, James Russell Nc
Gov. is now the governor OF the is
land. They have little parliament
OF seven men. But OF course you
know the island is really controlled
by England. l have brother who
lives there also. He is married ana
has one child Also / have several
sisters. If my father should die IL
is possible that they might ike enc
of us to take his place"
A typhus plague, brought TO the
island by a victim on chance sail
ing vessel resulted in sending Miss
Mccoy out into the wide world IN
search of medical knowledge. She
c,id that the people had no idea or
preventive medical knowledge, and
when the visit of the sick man re-
suited in the spread Of the disease
all over the island the sick ones were
apportioned two to a house to De
nursed. Even now there is no sani-
taticn of any kind, in the modern
sense of the term.
Miss Mccoy first went, on leaving
pitcairn Island. to Samoa, where she
learned nursing land took course IN
dentistry. While there she entered
the. family Of Robert Louis Stevenson
in a nursing capacity. She said that
this was after the death of n. l.. 3,
hut she knew Mrs. Stevenson, her
daughter and her SON, Lloyd Us
ho,,rne. She described with keen
reminiscent interest the rectangular
shaped library where, she said, some
Of Stevenson's most precious booas
and treasures lined the walls.
From Samoa she went to Honolulu
and then came to America. Deciding
she wanted to be registered tram
cd nurse she took a special course at
RattIe Greek. Mich. She has been
living at Bridgeport Tor about eight
years.