Phoenix tribune., 1921-09-17
BARBARIAN SCOFFS
AT AMERICAN idea
OF CIVILIZATION

(By the Associated Negro Press)
Emporia, Kans., Sept 15.-Anyonel
who attended the Chicago exposition
in 1898 will remember the much ad-
vertised village of pygmies from Cen
ira South Africa, one of most sensa-
tional exhibits of the year. The VIII
lage consisted of twelve Negro saw
ages, brought from the Victoria Ny
anza region by an enterprising show
man.
Eleven years later these same IL
pygmies were shown at another expo
sition in st. Louis, decked out in all
the pomp of barbarism. <Again the
were the center of attraction. After
this exposition they were given 5000
and offered transportation back to
their native village by the Snowman.
Most of them remained here. Scat
tering over different part of the coun-
try these twelve pygmies from entral
Africa blinked at twentieth century
civilization until, as the time went on,
slowly one yone they succumbed to
new and strange diseases.
OF the twelve who left the village on
the shores of Victoria Nyanza in 1893
to come over the big waters to the
white mans bazaar, there. is only one
left. He is Charlie Oliver and he now
is working as day laborer in the EN-
poria gas plant.
Several days ago. he, came to DR.. J.
c. Brickels office with a burn on his
arm. Charlie, the savage from Cen
trail Africa, is a short, stocky, quiet
Negro in blue overalls. Here is the
story he tells in answer to questions:
81 think the people over here are
all wild, all crazy for killing. Back in
the village we were not like that
will tell you why think so. When
left the show in ST. Louis theman who
had charge of us told me and my
mate, Now you are in another mans
country, and you must be good. You
mustn't hurt anybody
"For twenty years my mate and
worked in the south. We were good
and didn't hurt anyone, just as the
Snowman told us. But we didn't like
the whit man in the south. So a
year ago we moved to Tulsa. There
my mate and l bought house. She
stayed in town to keep our little son
in school, while I worked on a. farm
two miles from Tulsa. We heard talk
of trouble between the Negroes and
whitemen for months, but were not
afraid. We believed in this country
and the people. If we went about our
work quietly no one would hurt us.
'Then one day as l worked on the
farm | heard shooting in town and
people coming back said there was a
war between the Negroes and the
white men. But l was not afraid for
my mate. knew she would not go
out of the house if there was shooting
ing in the streets. That night the
sky was red with fire and big col
umn of smoke rose from Tulsa Then
l began to be afraid for my mate.
Next morning l hurried to town.
found my mate and my son buried
under the flaming ruins of our home
For two days l could not pull the
charred boards from their cooked bod
les. White men driving like mad dev-
lis through the streets in autos would
shoot at me as l worked.
81 don't understand it, but this l
do know. My mate didn't hurt any
one. She always remembered that
we were in another mans country
These people are mad for blood.
white men here have been very
good to US and l bear no grudge
against them. Why should L? But do
know this: If ever 1 find the man
who set fire to our house 1 will crush
his bones to toothpicks.
81 hear white men will rebuild the
homes burned during the two days
fight but do not care what they do
j with mine. am never going back.
1.-TWO months ago came to Emporia
to work in the gas plant. When l get
enough money I am going back to
Africa. My mate is gone and my lit
tie son is dead, so what has this
country done for men that / should
stay?
Il want to go back to my people in