The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-09-04

I like the unconventional life, the
free and easy way Of living and | like
the climate said Miss Edith Cabot
10 the Reporters representative. while
discussing life on the Fiji Islands at
her home in this town. Thursday
Miss Cabot has recently returned al
Ter five years absence, large part OF
which has been spent in the Fiji Is
lands and in Southeastern Africa The
life OF the Fijians in their far away
country is extremely interesting and
doubly So when related by Miss Cabot
IN her own charming manner.
When Miss Cabot left Skowhegan
i've years ago, she went TO Honolulu
where she remained for six months
She credited Honolulu with having
the most beautiful climate of any
place in the world. never very hot
and never very cold and there never
seems to be a distinct rain or very
dry weather. said Miss Cabot. While
there she was at the Macdonald, a
delightful hotel. which was once the
Court Chamberlain residence II is
near this hotel that an old palm tree
stands, planted by one time queen
about which there is charming leg
end. The tree has seven branches
for the seven islands and it is claimed
Dy the natives that if anything hap
pens to one of the branches of this
tree. there will be some disaster for
one OF the islands 1t is needless to
say that this tree is carefully guarded
Life there, said Miss Cabot. is much
the same as in the United States ex
cept for the japanese servants and
possibly the plantation life, but this
life is not even of the primitive kind.
After her six months stay in Honolulu
Miss Cabot went to the Fiji Islands.
about twelve days being consumed in
this journey. There she remained
for nearly three years. In these
wonderfully interesting islands. Miss
Cabot found the white people to be
mainly Australians or New Zealand
ers. She was first at Suva, which
is now the capitol, although probably
only one-tfth as large as Skowhegan.
Ii is practically the only town in the
island although Lebuka, which used
10 be the capitol, still exists with its
one street There are no trains
there and no trolleys, in fact the only
train on the island is a slowly NOV
ing sugar train in use on some OF the
plantations with a track two miles
long. Suva has but three miles of
good roads but in spite OF this there
are quite a number of automobiles
there and it is possible to cover some
thing like twelve miles in motor
vehicle, but not very comfortable rid
ing. Travelling is done largely
there by naptha launches. For Il
time. Miss Cabot stopped in a tiny
village established by the Vancouver
Sugar Co. where there was a mill,
few Chinese shops, a magistrate and
Il very few other buildings This
town has been done away with how
ever. and before Miss Cabot left. the
buildings were being torn down, be
cause of labor difficulties The lab
orers there are Indians and Miss
Cabot said that the Indian coolies
rule everything The
plantation life is most primitive.
Are there churches there" queiried
the Reporter.
Yes there are churches, replied
MISS NdDOt, Dul YOU uOH see Hiu'H
of them. They have very little use
for missionaries" Apparently the
Fijians have been rather disappointed
in some of the missionary workers,
which have come to THEW islands and
il has been suggested there it would
be wise to dispose Of missionary
Bibles and traders whiSkey II left
alone. the Fijians are very loyable,
and are like big. numbering calves,