Father Rougier
Memories of One of Pacific's Notable Personalities
WHENEVER an old resident of Tahiti comes across a Christmas Island postage stamp, this small bit of paper recalls to his memory not only the stir in the world of philately caused by this unique issue, but also that very pic turesque per
sonage of C h ristmas Island fame — Father Em manuel Rou gier.
Father Rou gier appeared at Tahiti early in the 1920 decade. Autho ritative hi s -
tory informed us that, years before, he had acquired Fanning Island. He had transformed that barren atoll into a flourishing coconut plantation which he had lately disposed of for a goodly sum.
Subsequently he had leased Christmas Island and had selected Tahiti as the base from which to supply his new plantation.
Apart from the fact that Father Rou gier had been a priest somewhere in the South-western Pacific, his pre-Fanning Island career was something of a mystery.
Actually, Father Rougier became a citi zen of great consequence on Tahiti; where he lived in baronial state in an old mansion surrounded by broad acres of coconut plantations. During ten years, there were few councils for the debate of civic and economic problems that did not invite Father Rougier to a seat of honour in the assembly.
Why Father Rougier issued the Christ mas Island postage stamp, no one has clearly understood. Perhaps, as monarch of his little island kingdom, he sought thus to proclaim his sovereignty. Or it may be that he hoped to emulate certain Administrations which, by the issue of new series of postage stamps, have gar nered from the collectors of the world substantial sums for Colonial Treasuries.
The Christmas Island stamp was never recognised by the Postal Union and, consequently, was never valid for post age. Collectors did, indeed, send in for specimens; but when it became noised abroad that the Christmas Island stamp was unrecognised, the inquiries ceased.
Father Rougier passed on early in the 1930 decade. The chronicle of the dis persal of his very considerable fortune would require an historian endowed with a talent akin to that of a painter who can stand off and hurl pots of red paint at a purple canvas to produce a picture of Valhalla in Flames. The fiery glow over Tahiti, during that period, was the
herald of an eternal sunset.-