Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1922-05-05


cial house cleapings year, and as
they are executed under a policeman's
vigilant 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 Daitotei
presents its busiest face, for 1t Is then
that the tea season is In full swing.
The colonnades Of the tea hongs, II
such an imposing architectural term
as colonnades can be flttingly applied
to such unimp0sing 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-bue 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 coolies pack
ing the gayly lowered lead-llned
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 camphor.
However, the most interesting indus
try Is the production Of camphor. and
it can truly be said to be peculiar to
the island, when It's 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 government monop-
oily. Before that time there 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
4.
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 basal circumference
Of II feet, will yield about so piculs
Of camphor approximately $500
pounds), which, at the present market
price, is worth several thousands Of
dollars.
Native stills are scattered here and
there throughout the districts where
crude camphor is collected, packed in
tins and carried down precipitous
mountain paths on coolies backs to
the nearest railway line, whence 1t
goes to the refinery at TaihokH
Ever since we have any authentic
record, Formosa has been peopled with
wild tribes of probably Malayan and
Polynesian origin. They are nearest
In point of resemblance to the Dyaks
of Borneo and, although their origin
has never been proved beyond 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 borderland 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,
600.
| 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 q
protection against savage raids.
The future Of Formosa under itl
present. benevolent paternal govern
ment looks bright indeed. Never be
fore has this island. SO beautiful to
the eye, enjoyed such degree Of pros
perity.