Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-08-08
NEGROES EMPIRE
GOES ON ROCKS
DISEASES or AFRICA DECiMATE
nklNG SANS LEGION
Steamer Which Carried U. S. Blacks
over lowed Back in Face OF
Great Cdos.


arrived at the end Of an S00foot tow
line.
Two years and eight months from
the day ii lifted anchor, the ship was
home again. and King Sam and
those OF his followers who escaped
drowning and disease are scattered
among the villages Of the west coast
of the continent OF their ancestors,
King Sam himself, according 10
officers who were sent out to bring
the ship home, has married the
dusky stenographer he took with him
and has had himself elected omahin.
chief of village in the bush where
he lives, clad in one garment and
does small business buying and sell.
ing cocoa beans. His empire" CON
sists of a tiny group Of African
natives living In mud huts in the
jungle.
The Liberia came in towed by the
Zealandia, a ship of the Universal
Transportation Company, after a mes
sage that in itself vas one OF the great
romanees OF the sea. When the Uni
versal company, in securing the seas
for ships with which to carry the
wealth creating eargoes that followed
the beginning of the war learned that
King Sans ark was lying deserted
off the African coast. they offered, II
is said, a prize of $4,000 to any one
who would 20 out and bring it back
the six thousand miles to Brooklyn.
Wreeking and towing companies,
whose business is to take hazards in
salvaging ships, and even mushroom
navigation companies ready for al
most any wild adventure from which
money is to be gained, passed the
offer by.
Eventually the c. W. Morse,
wooden tug. started out on the long
trip loaded with less than half enough
coal for the voyage. 1t was never
heard Of again. and shipping men be-
lieve the tug, its captain, his wife
and the crew are lost.
Finally the officers of the company
made a proposition to the crew OF the
Zealandia. their own vessel. The
crew accepted.
Two Brooklyn men were sent out
ahead to disentangle the Liberia from
the snarl OF maritime litigation in
which King Sans" peculiar system
Of financing had involved it.
In October the Zealandia drew up
beside the rusty lark" off Animaboe
and toward the end of the month the
long return passage. which took fifty
five days. began. Captain Miller and
his chief officer stayed on the Liberia
with crew of seven "Fantees." coal
black surf men from a neighboring
African settlement. who wore one
small blanket and no shoes, and who
were SO lazy that "a hookworm IL
chain lightning beside them" accord
ing to one of their white superiors.
The long return passage was
made In almost perfect weather and
that, according TO an officer on the
Zealanda, was the only thing that
saved the ship in tow.
AS the ships came northward the
"Fantees' began to suffer with the
cold. In November the ships stopped
al Barbaros for coal and there clothes
We're obtained for the natives. They
donned them for comfort and not for
modestys sake, but, on their arrival
here, tho covered with two and three
suits apiece and wearing head cover.
ings all the way from leopard skin
caps to bath towels, they could not
endure the shoes.
In port here curious seatarers wan
dered over the Liberals deck tracing
from what they saw the story of
King Sam and his voyage back to
the land OF black men, and they found
the ship yeritable historical mu-
scum OF the undertaking
Sans Holy Room was the star
exhibit. A little twelve-toot room att
OF the saloon 1t was. where Sam was
said to have secluded himself when
ne withdrew from the resi- Of the com.
pany for mediation" Outside the
door hung a sign lettered in gilt with
the word Holy" On the wall hung a
crude oil painting Of landscape in
the background Of which were roughly
drawn red rooted houses and peal
them three crosses against the sky
Above them all were the strange
words
'Whi Onyankopong Guiana"
And underneath the cushions of III,
seats about The wall in curious prnx
lmty, mildewed, We're white rob,
and an ironbound billy club" which
looked as If Sam might have held i
In reserve to influence his followers
when exhortat on failed.
In The saloon, backed against th,
wall, was an upright piano the If,
OF many a clog dance and many .
meetin on board. but today capable
OF yoieing only muffed tunk-a-tunk
funk.
Near the piano circle of doubl
thickness Of llloleum had been wor
thru by heels of clogging darkness. an
I'll around The wall in front OF tn
seats were jagged marks where heel
had stamped the tempo in the foo
On the same seats were scraps G
hymnals and inscribed with names c
the colcnists and the home towns /
Oklahoma and Kansas which they ha
left behind.