g SUNDAY, MARCH 17. 1963 MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFOHD, OREGON '
Unhappy People of Tristan Da Cunha Start Journey Home
(Editor's note: Thil week
nd, the first of the bewil
dered, unhappy people of
TriiUn De Cunha begin the
long journey back lo the
only home they ever h'rt
known until, lest than 18
months ago, disaster thrust
them into a frightening new
world. United Press Inter
national Reporter Robert
Musel, who tells the Da
Cunha story in this dis
patch, sums it up in a sen
tence: "Our civilisation has
failed them.")
By ROBERT MUSEL
United Press International
Calshot, England - (UPII -The
chill winds of winter
whipped across Southampton
water and through the stuc
co walls of the house as
though they weren't there.
Willie Repetto, choked with
a chest cold, huddled so close
to the fire he was in danger
of being barbecued.
"It's this climate," he croak
ed. "I have never seen such
anow. 1 have never been so
cold. Four of us have already
, died of pneumonia."
How shall I describe Willie
Repetto?
In the records of the lo
cal labor office at Calshot
outside of Southampton he
is simply listed as an unem
ployed laborer, 60 years old,
a bachelor with no special
skills.
An unemployed laborer?
No special skills?
Values of Civilisation
But these are the specious
values only of our own civil
ization. There is a place where
Willie Repetto is a leader,
headman of an entire com
munity, and none more dar
ing at launching flimsy long
boats into raging seas.
No special skills?
This Is the giant of a man,
loubled over now In the ag
ony of a coughing spell, who
courageously led his people
from the isolated South At
lantic island of Tristan Da
Cunha when its long-extinct
volcano suddenly erupted on
Oct. 10, 1961.
And this is the man who
tomorrow begins leading them
back again, disillusioned but
not without hope.
Melancholy Saga
The melancholy saga that
began that October afternoon
when the little church of Tris
tan shuddered under an earth
tremor at Evensong is playing
its last net here in former
Royal Air Force married quar
ters at Calshot, 7,000 miles
away.
The whole world watched
the drama of the rescue of
the Tristans from their is
land that let the 20lh century
pass by and cheered the
efforts of the British tb set
tle them somewhere they
would feci at home.
, It hasn't worked out. Our
civilization has failed them.
Now every man, woman and
child of the Tristan popula
tion of 260 is so homesick
they can think of nothing but
going back.
They appreciate that Brit
ain has done everything pos
sible. Don't Need Money
"Money, money, money
that's what people live by
here," Willie said. "Wo don't
need money on Trislan. We
grow the food we cat. Here
you must work at something
you don't know or like lor
money to buy even the sim
plest things.
"We've tried your llin and
we would rather have our
own."
That Is why, tomorrow, Wil
lie will be lending 50 other
Tristan adults (20 of them
also unemployed) and two
children to the Tilbury docks
In London where they will
board the Royal Mall Ship
Amazon on the first stage of
the long Journey buck.
They are heading for Rio
De Janeiro in Brazil where
they will transfer to the S.S.
Boissevain. They should
reach home April 10.
Won't Want to Leave
"When we put foot buck
on Tristan," Willie said fer
vently, "none of us will ever
want to leave it again.'
The Colonial office Is send
ing Peter Day back as admin
istrator of the Island with
the advance party, and an ag
ricultural supervisor will help
the Islanders retrieve the po
tato patches that provide a
staple of a frugal diet of fish,
sea birds and their eggs, and
some vegetables.
They call Tristan al
most halfway between Africa
and South America the
loneliest island in the world.
"It's a lonely island," Wil
lie agreed, "but we are not
a lonely people."
Exploratory Party
An exploratory party of six
islanders traveled back to
Tristan in. August, 1962, to
survey the volcanic damage.
They reported that the is
land could be restored and
now Willie's group will put
the 65 thatched stone huts
each with running water and
modern sanitation, ironically
installed just before the earth
quake disaster into shape.
Then in October two
years after their forced de
parture the main party
will follow In the motor ship
Bornholm, chartered by the
Colonial office.
The Tristan Islanders have
tried our way of life the
television, the automobile,
the airplanes, railroads and
buses, labor disputes (in
which a few were involved
when they got Jobs at an oil
refinery.)
Life Hard, Dangerous
But they prefer the home
they know even with the
threat the volcano may be
come active again, even
though they cling lo a small
tongue of thin arable land
only two miles long and half
a mile wide on a plateau
stuck out from a 7,000 foot
peak. And even though life
is hard and sometimes dan
gerous.
When I saw Willie I had
Just bought an inhaler for
mv own mild cold and the
headman of Tristan looked at
it longingly. I handed it to
him and after a few sniffs
he smiled for the first time.
Just then Joshua Green, one
of his klnfolk as are all
the people of Tristan - came
in.
"How you is?" Willie ask
ed.
Speak Antique English
They speak, these Trislans
cut off so long from the
world, the antique English of
the forebears who founded
the community in 1817 when
some members of a British
garrison put in there to fore
stall any attempt lo rescue
Napoleon from St. Helena de
cided to remain.
I "I's fine," replied Joshua,
n tall, bespectacled man who
said he was 35 though I had
guessed him at no more than
20.
"Worry good," said Willie.
The lend to pronounce v's
like w's. '
Another Islander was out
side the house basking in
a brief period of sunshine.
Sends Them Mad
'The television nearly
sends us mad," said Basil La
vorello, 30. "Cars, buses and
trains roar like thunder
through our brains. There is
no time to think here.
"On Tristan we don't even
have a theater. But we have
a community hall for playing
billiards and for Saturday
night dancing. We lock our
doors here but In Tristan we
have never had a jail be
cause we never had a crim
inal."
The famous island made its
first appearance in history
when it was discovered by
a Portuguese admiral who
gave it his name In 1506. Jon
athan Lambert, an American
who stlyed himself "King of
irismn, unsuccessfully at
tempted to colonize the 37-square-mile
Island in 1811,
hul he was drowned. .
Britain Takes Possession
Five years later Britain
took possession and installed
Its garrison. After a year the
garrison was pulled out but
Corporul William Glass de
cided to stay behind. He had
an African wife and two chil
dren. He persuaded some oth
ers to slay with him and there
are only seven family names
Glass, Green, Hagnn, Rog
ers, Swain, Lavorello and
Repetto, the last two ship
wrecked Italian sailors who
chose lo stay In the 1800s.
Al one time five women
TO BE RESETTLED Careful study of the be resettled. "We've tried your life and we
cattle and further surveys have proved that would rather have our own," a spokesman
Tristan Da Cunha, which was evacuated in for the islanders said. (UPI)
1961 when the island's volcano erupted, can
LOG ENDS
Quick Delivery
MEDFORD FUEL CO.
S & H Green Stamps
PHONE 772-2111
BUILDERS! CONTRACTORS! HOME OWNERS!
Specify the finest-Choose
"MAJOR LINE"
KITCHEN CABINETS!
If you are planning to build a new home, visit
our model showroom. See all the latest ideas in
kitchen styling. You'll love the beautifully finish
ed hardwood cabinets by "Major Line" . . . their
attractive designing . , , flexible arrangements
that can be made to suit every size and style of
kitchen. Available in a wide range of sizes and
finishes, competitively priced for remodeling or
new construction,
' "ft Q I)
THE KITCHEN CENTER, Division of...
SMITH LUMBER CO.
Take advantage of our FREE kitchen planning
service, let us help you pick the kitchen to suit
your exact needs!
EASY TERMS!
Comer of 8th and Fir Streets
Phone 772-7166
Distributors of
"Major line" Cabinets
and Kelvinator
Built-in Appliances
were brought from St. Hel
ena, some 1,000 miles to the
north. Now everybody is re
lated by intermarriage and
at least one eye doctor and
one Colonial expert are wor
ried this inbreeding may pro
duce blindness and mental de
ficiency. In three of the six wed
dings on the island in 1957
three of the respective grand
parents of bride and groom
were brothers and sisters.
Office Not Convinced
When the Trislans first be
gan speaking of going home,
the Colonial office was not
convinced that all of them
wanted to return. Especially
when G. F. Harris, a Colonial
office administrator, said,
There is grave danger that
In-breeding will produce a
race of lunatics. The old days
are gone. There is no new
blood coming from sailing
ships or naval personnel or
scientific expeditions."
And Dr. D. P. Choyce, an
ophthalmic surgeon, wrote the
British Medical Journal that
there were at least. 25 car
riers of a form of "early and
unbeatable blindness' already
in the Tristan population.
The Colonial office decided
on a secret ballot to deter
mine whether any really
wanted to stay but were be
ing forced to say they would
go back by pressure from the
others. All males over 21 vot
ed and the result was 148 for
going back, five for staying.
Have Changed Mands
Those five all changed their
minds and are coming back,"
Willie said.
'It's the weather," said Vic
tor Rogers, 50, one of those
who had voted to slay. "We
have never seen weather like
this. We cannot stand it. Many
of us have been ill. Our win
ter In Tristan Is like your
summer.
"We have taken into ac
count all the risks and we
must go back.
"We will deal with the
problems of in-breeding when
and if they arise," he said.
"Most of us live to a good
old age and I myself have
never seen any of this blind
ness that man was talking
abiful.
"Believe me, it's like para
dise every day out there."
Treasure Tones
PAINT!
10 OFF
IVERSONS
Medford Paint
& Wallpaper
Corner 6th & Holly
Program on Ulcers
Scheduled Today
Questions concerning ulcers
will be answered In a discus-.
ion on "Adventures In Medi
cine" at 1 o'clock this after- J
noon over Station KBES-TV, j
when the topic will be "til-;
cer." I
Appearing on the medical ;
panel will be Dr. John N. 1
Reid, general surgeon, J)r. !
John R. Reynolds, specialist j
In Internal medicine. Ashl and,
and Dr. Earl L. Lawson, ra
diologist, Medford.
Parts of the discussion will ,
he further pointed up by the!
sketching of Herbert Hunter,,
medical Illustrator, as he as
sists during the half-hour pro-i
gram. I
fcep inffje Wart of
juSSr VfipSL nd monty to help pay
"Monty from Crtr Fi-
u Hii iii"jdiii ne li likt Monty From
Homt."
CRATER FINANCE
8 135 PINE "IV 664-1273
i a?
NO MONEY DOWN ON CREDIT AT WARDS-JUST SAY "CHARGE IT!
AYa
lAIAJ
e
war:
117 SO. CENTRAL PHONE 773-7301
9T- I M M I MM aw m MM W M M Mm MM M f M M M e M M M M J fl
SPECIAL NOTE
All of us Colleens and Paddies
will be decked out in Shamrock
Green look for usl Wa will
show you your GREEN Bargainsl
THERE IS SOMETHING GREEN
IN EVERY DEPARTMENT!
1 Day Only!
MONDAY
Due to the great day coming on Sun
day this year we had to move our
annual savings event to Monday,
March 18.
STORE-WIDE SALE!
veirythimig
OFF
OR
MORE
ireem!
Join in on the fun! Look for the GREEN Bargains! Anything GREEN or having a Fleck of GREEN will Qualify
for the Big 10 Reduction! If it's Doubtful That Your Selection is GREEN (Please, No Painting Allowed) State
Your Case-We'll Listen! Test Your Bargaining Skill!
7.98 Fur Blend Sweaters 3.50
6.98 Wool Skirls Spri,sly,o. $3
Special Tailored Blouses SR,,";",P $1
5.98 Terry Robes $4
2.98 Girls' Corduroy Gapris 7-m 1.90
1.98 Ladies1 Fashion Gloves P,. 1.38
59c Chiffon Scarves 3'r$1
Special! Misses' Petticoats 88c
Special Purchase! Panties L,dlM , 4 $1
Towels B..h 2 (or 39c Hini 3 f 99c
WashCloths 6fr99c
Vi Price
M Talon Zippers
(Ditc. Motil! .
22.95 Men's Sport Coats , 0mr $15
Men's Dress Socks ZV?" f, 38c
Reg. 14.95 Dinette Chairs 6.88
Reg. 49.95 Rocker Jr'L 39.88
Reg. 1.29 Panels T'l 99c
Reg. 1.98 Tier Curtains 36" Ant'd Colon 99c
Reg. 5.98 Sash Curtains D,n 3.47
Reg. 169.95 Auto. Washer 154.88
Upright Freezer 197.88
3-pc. Place Sellings SrL 99c
Wards Signature Toaster 2.99
5.98 House Paint 1......... 4.44
66" Sink Cabinet:1"" 119.90
104.50 12 HP Jet Pump EZk 97.88
Special! Shower Cabinet 39.95
Reg. $19 Box Nails 8d u,. $9
Reg. 27c Heavy Duty Oil c:B,,!k.rB,.in'qt 22c
Lures, Line, Kooks 40 Off
Special! htTstooLl.an.!ng 99c
Reg. 3.39 Trouble Light wBulb $2
Reg. 2 1.95 Sabre Saw 16.88
Reg. 6.98 Bullet Light 70y 2.97
Reg. 6.98 Oscillating Sprinkler 4.83
4.29 Peal Moss ftX fW $3
Reg. 24.88 Barbecue Wagon $14
WHEEL BALANCING
ONE
nAY
nNI Vf 'ncrease M''ea9e' Driving Safer
ONLY, by Wards Precision Balancer
R-S. 1. 43
PtR WHIll
INCLUDING WEIGHTS
ONE Rcg. $370 Combination
DAY 14 Ft. Aluminum Boat
ONLY! 3 H.P. Sea King Motor
33
$' per Month