The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1917-01-04
! ENGLISH coLoNisTs LIVE
: ON Mtp-PACtFIC ISLE
From the New York Telegram.


From the New York Telegram.
In the Pacific ocean, midway be-
tween California and Australia. ther
is a mountain Of rocks 1000 feet high.
with an area Of about two miles square
known as Pitcairn Island, whose In
habitantS, numbering exactly 100. in
Guiding a clergyman and his wife. have
sent an appeal through Capt. Griffith
Grfffiths of the steamship Port Hardy,
to the people OF the United States for
S.othing. paper n pencils. paraffin.
oil. soap and nails.
That is all we need said the clergy
man and the chief magistrate or gov
ernor of the island to Captain Crit
its way to the United States. stopped
after sighting w large whaleboats.
each carrying 80 men. women and
children. two miles off Pitcairn.
Captain Griffiths and the crew of
60 men gave the natives all the cloth
Ing they could spare. The women and
young girls. all baretooted, were greatly
disappointed ~hen told there were no
women's clothes.
A sailing vessel from Tahiti, 500
miles to the northwest and the near
est island, had called at Pitcairn 10
months before, which was the only
word the natives had heard Of the out
side world in four years.
Borrow an English Flag.
At that time they were told England
was at war. and the island being an
English possession the natives bor-
rowed an English flag from the master
! Of the sailing vessel and climbed to the
top Of Pitcairn. where the flag was
| placed and was still flying when the
| Port Hard came to a stop last June.
The natives Of Pitcairn are the d.
rect descendants Of the crew Of III. M.
s. Bounty. which. April IS, 1889. mu-
tinted and seized the vesselsafter set
ting the commander. Lieut.. William
Bligh. and those of the crew who
| wished to go with him.. adrift in open
boats. The Bounty put in at Pitcairn.
where IT remained for several months.
Fletcher Christian. leader, and IA men
/ then went to Tahiti. where IL men and
their. wives were taken aboard and the
return trip to Pitcairn was made. n
Bounty was then set on fire n de-
stroyed.
No one except the masters Of SAIL
ing vessels and steamships set foot on
the island no one ever stopped there
more han q few days until 20 years
lgo, when a clergyman n his wife
| vent from Melbourne on hearing that
the natives Of Pitcairn were very re-
.igious. but without a minister Of the
gospel. They are Seventh Day Ad-
ventists.
All Can Read and Write.
The clergyman on his arrival found
4 small hut built among the trees Of
branches and straw which was used
as q school where the mothers OF the
children gathered each day and gave
Instructions. He was so impressed
with the piety Of the natives that he
hast never left the island. The result
is that all Of the 160 persons know how
to read and write.
The soil of Pitcairn is volcanic n
fertile. the climate variable and rainy.
with a temperature ranging from 70 to
and fish and wild birds. They do not
like beef or pork. n alcoholic bever-
ages and tobacco are to them
According to the chief officer. Mr..
Allen, the inhabitants. aside from being
religious, are very intelligent and are
excellent painters. The women do the
finest of needlework. while the meE
make the finest of straw hats.
Three days each week everyone who
Is able bodied works at building roads
and improving the island. The other
three days are devoted to their own
homes. Sunday. after attending church
for three hours. they make calls or rest
, There Is little or no illness among the
inhabitants. Several hundred goats
are the only animals on the island. and
from these milk is obtained.
The ambition of the inhabitants al
IL ptSoIitt 10 \ uiiu Il ottipOIlt III
enough to trade their fruit for cloth
ing with the Inhabitants Of other isl.
ands. They have no money. theiv mot.
to being "An for one n one for ALL"
Bible Is Their Guide.
When four of the young girls were
asked If they would not like to go to
Australia and see other people, each
shook her head and said she. preferred
Pitcairn to any other place in the
world.
Several years ago, however. one
u woman Emily Mccoy, daughter
of Matthew Mccoy. sometimes called
King of Pitcairn" and a lineal de-
scendant of the famous old mutineer
and pirate chief. Matt Mccoy, did
leave the island. following the death Of
her mother. and came TO the United
States to study medicine. Miss Nc
Coy went to Bridgeport. Conn where
last June she was graduated as a nurse
and lived at the Graduate Nurses
club.
There Is no sin on the island OF
Pitcairn" Miss Mccoy said at that
time. for the reason that the only
book the inhabitants study is the bible.
No Opponents are of record and no
violations Of the marriage vow have
been known in the history of the ISL
and"
Miss Mccoy was anxious to get back
to Pitcairn. and left Bridgeport several
months ago. and nothing has been
heard or her since. 1t is believed she
went to Panama, where she hoped to
l. obtain passage OIL some vessel going
either to Pitcairn or one Of the nearby
islands.
.Iudoa MAJ Hvau. k:-..-v