Daily Republican., 1885-12-29
PICTURESQUE st. THOMAS.

81. Thomas, from the sea, looks like
nothing 40 much ~ q piece of scene
painting In q theatre. There is nothing
real looking about 1t. It is the same
old set piece that one has seen 30 many
times Ne the background to acting or
singing. There is the background OF
green mountains with all the peculiar
effects of light and shade and all the
com binations OF color which
the scene painter so delights in there
are the ruined castles exactly where the
scene painter would have put them (;
there are the three pyramids of houses
with variezated roofs rising from the
edge Of tbs unnaturally blue aud tran
quill wa ter, and 80 ON through q long
list of details.
Everything is as 1t always is at the
theatre and at st. Tnoma#, but nowhere
else in the world. This steamship Ad.
vance dropped anchor in the circular
har5or, before day break. and / stood
on deck and saw the sun rise. A golden
light appeared over the mountains and
then. like the rising Of the curtain, the
purple mist disappeared and there was
the old familiar scene Of the theatre.
even TO the glare of the footlights anu
the tinting OF the clouds and the sk :.
n was all 30 like that should Dot
h ave been a DIT surprised to hear the
orchestra strike up and see q chorus Of
peasants trip ont on the stage, and begin
TO sing. Sure enough, from one OF the
ships in the harbor there came the
sound of singing, and clear and high
rang the well known shanty."
"Hsy, no, blow the men down!
rwae on y BLACK bAller WRsted my prime
Uh, give me some time to bl3w the mon
down."
Poor 81. Thomas the glory Of its
mercantile supremacy among theWind-
ward Islands is departed It's future is
undoubtedly that OF q winter resort
The withdrawal of the Royal Mail
steamers was severe blow to it, but
the United States and Brazil Mail line
and German line of steamers still call
there and people with weak lungs,
people who dread cold weather on prin-
ciple, and people in search Of the
uniquely picturesque are beginning to
visit the island. The town itself is q
curious mixture of French. Spanish,
Danish and English architecture, GUS
toms and people.
/ One OF the most curious things Is the
httle castle near the Kings wharf The
| little kingdom OF Denmark maintains
little garrison here and from q little
tower floats little Danish flag. Years
and years ago, when the fleet that few
the black flag was large and powerful
ono, two wicked old pirates lived here,
and their names were Blps Beard and
Black Beard. They had castles on two
neighboring hills and the ruins Of these
same castles and their solid doDjon
keeps still overlook the town. In the
bay below lay the pirate tleef, and when
funds we're getting low or the Blue and
the Black Boards we're getting troubled
with ennui they sailed away on cruises
after the galleons OF Spain or Of any
other nations, II Spanish ones were not
handy.
There was great rivalry between the
1.-TWO castles as to which should take the
most treasure and which should have
the biggest "blow ont" after the cruise
But it was all OF the most amiable kind,
tor Blue Beard and Black Beard were
10 "mild-mannered men rs ever scut-
tiled ship or cut a throat" In 1865 OF
Whereabouts, St. Thomas was offered u
several nations but failed to find q mar
ket. 1t was then that Bret Har:s
Iwrote q poem on the Island In which b,
Isaid
Very fair and full of promise
Lay the Island Of 81, Thomas.
Then said william henry Seward,
AS be cast his eye 10 ieeward,
"Quite important 70 our commerce
Is the Island Of st. Thomas"
In the same year great tidal wave
came sweeping into tho hsrbor and
Iplayed havoc with the shipping Ghere
) lin. Two large American ships lying
= In the harbor were torn from their
moorings and went dashtng from one
side to the other Of the harbor playing
havoc with the sh ipping. Every yes
SCI they Cana in contact with they
sank. Finally they came dashing
from opposite sides of the harbor ant
meeting in the centre went down 10
gether. Very languid and very plea
SAINT IL life on the island OF ST.. ThomaR
There are groves OF palm and bread
fruit, gorgeous tropical nights ant
Isplendid tropical days.
1t must have been in the mind o.
Tenpyson when he sang of "Summel
isles OF Eden lying In dark purple
Ispheres of sea-" Here bay rum and
guava jelly have their headquarters
and no one ever comes here without
buying q bottle OF the one and eating
IQuAnuCy OF tn0 OtuoE. Ct. Anonsl
would make an excellent naval station
for the United States or for some Euro
pean Power wishing to have stroni
Ifoothold in the Antilles. There is ,
Ideep harbor easy OF access but ais,
easy of defence. There Is sufficien
level ground at the waters edge u
afford place for the construction o
ldry docks and store houses. At com
paratively little expense naval station
Imiaht be maintained hore and all tn
fleets of the world could not force tn
Ientrancs of the harbor.
shc$ ix Enn-u