The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-01-15

Tho Yappers have no ambit,o..
worries. and few jealousies =
10 no trouble about gettine ~,
done because there Il no is,ss
do. The bachelors Of 4 trihs -
and live In what corresponds !.
fraternity house. When m ~.
ries. he builds = hut for ~.
housekeeping. and Returns q ~
mems quarters mainly Tor
vows and other ceremnn,..
which women are not invited !,
children Of zap roam abous Is:
pick up food anywhere. ana ~.
Is often in one house % 4 !.
other.
Stone Money.
Life Is reduced to III ,a.
terms without sacrificing coms"@
Yet the people of this islanS 4.
not 60 to the limits Of commu,s..
They believe strongly in per,o..,
property. and they have 4 Az
monetary system. It is extrsrs,.
rude to enter another's houss nv
out invitation. Az for the ma.
it ID not in constant circulaf,s.'
for there is not . great deal to -,
but there is 4 good deal Of ~
evidence. To purchase SOM -
ket. or flsh from the Usher
shell money is used. But IN -
transactions, in q real estate ~
or in buying a canoe, stone No.
must be produced.
This stone money Is quarried =
an island 400 miles away and Az
ped to Yap where 1t is ofYicial ~.
rency. Each piece is as round /.
the cutters can make 1t, and haa !
hole In it. Size determines tae ri.
alive value of the coip. A snail
coin would be about q foot in a.
ameter, . middle sized coin wosN
be the size Of q cartwheel, ana 4
big coin might be q much n
IL feet in diameter.
OF course. these biggest piecs
Of currency cannot be carried
about. They cannot even be gottaa
inside the native houses. USUALLY
the owner Of the fortune has /
propped up against the house, or
against a tree in the yard, and
there it stays. Nobody could steal
1t without rousing the neighbor-
hood. And there is practically ne
theft in zap. anyway.
When small pieces Of stout
money change hands, the nav own
er hoists his pay on a pole ant
staggers home with it. II the pay
ment is too unwieldy for him Il
roll or drag it home, and no doe
not wish to call in assistance. It L
quite customary to leave the none!
at the former owners house an
perhaps mark it so that the new
owner can claim It
1t is not at all necessary 70 b
able to point out ones treasure 4
be known AZ . wealthy citizen II
zap. It is satisfactory to be tn
rightful owner OF the money, on
to have it so known among one
friends. Thus. one prominent fam
lily had q great piece Of ston
money made and was bringing
home on q raft when the ston
Topped overheard and sank. tn
crew escaped drowning and cam
on to zap to tell of the occurrence
1t was not accounted . financis
disaster, for the money existet
There were a number Of reliabl
witnesses who had seen 1t, an
could show the place where it dis
appeared. 1t was just as good I
the bottom of the bay. they decid
ed, as it would have been in tb
front yard Of the family mansion
So the family continued to be n
garded IS wealthy. and this none!
for several generations, has h.
the same purchasing power as IN
visible currency.
These people who find life $
simple are not semi-civlizcd q
even barbarians. but they are ratf
er high up in the savage scale. D
Furness describes them as "of th
Malayan type-a light coffee co.
|ored skin; hair black and incline
to wave or curl, not crinkly, lik
the Melanesian and African, eye
very dark brown, almost black
cheek bones rather high and nose
inclined to be hooked, but nc
prominent. Since the sale Of !.
toxicants and gunpowder has bee
prohibited. except to the trustwol
thy chiefs. they are gentle. docil
and lazy"
These natives cannot read q
write, even their own language,
they may not know that the Unite
States is engaging in an after tn
war conflict over their little islam
They probably would not care. AM
way. SO long as the battle RACES
q distance. All the Yappers wal
is peace and quiet.