The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-05-10

~ ~~"s 0'ss'ets ~ Fosmooa.
Inc japanese insist upon two on,
cial house cleanings a year. and al
they are executed under q policeman'a
vlgilant eye, there Is nothing slipshod
IN the undertaking. All a mans chat
tells. his lares and penates, his wives
and children, even to his cherished
opium pipe. are heaped unceremoni-
ously In front Of his dwelling, and the
work OF securing begins.
During the summer months Dajtotei
presents its busiest face, for it Is then
mat the tea season is In full swing,
Inc colonnades Of the tea hongs, If
such an imposing architectural term
as colonnades can be fttingly applied
to such unimposing structures, are
alum with the staccato accents Of
chattering tea pickers. These are
generally young girls, as old hands
are too numb for the deft manipula.
ton Of the tea leaves.
Seated on low stools before wide
wicker trays, these bright-eyed maids,
IN their peacock-blue smocks, their
front hair clipped in bangs, and with
a gay posy or two stuck in the braid
ed knots at the backs Of their necks.
are In animated contrast to their
rather drab surroundings.
Everywhere one sees coofies pack.
ing the gayly lowered, lead-lined
| boxes that carry their sensitive freight
| OF tea to America. About 80 per cent
OF Formosa Oolong goes to the United
| States.
The population of Formosa is main.
| ly agricultural The cultivation of
rice, and more especially sugar cane,
Is encouraged by the government, and
these are grown in great quantities.
Monopoly in campher.
However, the most interesting indus
try Is the production Of camphor, and
1t can truly be said to be peculiar to
the island. when it Is remembered that
Formosa holds practical. monopoly in
the worlds market Of this valuable
drug.
Shortly after the japanese came to
Formosa. Is years ago, the camphor
industry became a government mOnop-
oily. Before that time thare had been
great deal Of ruthless waste. both in
the cutting down Of trees and in ex-
tracing camphor from them.
At first the japanese, too, were
careless in this respect, for the supply
Of camphor trees seemed practically
limitless, but the great increase in the
demand for the product in late years
has made scientific afforestation neces-
sary. Now large tracts Of land are
given over to the cultivation OF the
camphor laurel. The oldest Of these
cultivated trees are now some twenty
years Of age.
In point Of view of value, few trees
can rival the camphor. An average
tree. say with a basal circumference
Of II feet, will yield about 50 picus
Of camphor Approximately $500
pounds. which, at the present market
price, Is worth several thousands Of
dollars.
Native stills ara scattered here and
Shere throughout tka districts where
crude camphor Is eollecte:, packed In
tins and carried down precipitous
mountain paths on coolies backs to
the nearest railway line, whence Il
goes to the refinery at Taihoku.
Ever since we have any authentic
record, Formosa has been peopled with
wild tribes Of probably Malayan and
Polynesian origin. They arg nearest
in point Of resemblance to the Dyaks
Of Borneo and. although their origin
has never been proved beyond a doubt,
they are sufficiently like certain Of the
South Sea tribes to justify US in as
cribing to them a common ancestry.
They are found on the island today
in all stages Of development. The
raw" savages, as the Chinese term
them, live much as their ancestors did
centuries ago, while the ripe" saw
ages, living on the borderiand between
their wild kin and Chinese settlers.
have more or less assimilated Chinese
ways Of life. The savage population
of Formosa Is estimated at about $780,
900.
At present Formosa enjoys greater
freedom from savage attacks than
ever before in her history. This is due
to the fact that the japanese have In
stalled live-wire barrier from Karen
ko, about midway on the east coast. to
Pinan. in the south, distance of
about a hundred miles. to serve as
protection against savage raids.
The future Of Formosa under its
present benevolent paternal govern |
ment looks bright indeed. Never be- |
fore has this island, SO beautiful to
the eye, enjoyed such degree Of proc
perity.