Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-09
JAMAICA'S FAIR.
SIGHTS AND INCIDENTS AT THE
PLANTERS ANNUAL GATHERING.

Tho Island. Agricultural Show at Cum
berland Pen-Great Display of Rum and
Sugar - Tho People and Their Dress.
Cool Drinks and Gingerbread.
The agricultural fair is one Of the great
events Of the year in Jamaica Next to the
races it is the greatest day of all. For months
before the people are preparing for it and
talking about it and getting things lady TO
exhibit The actual fair differs very little
from one Of our own county fairs, but the
circumstances under which il is held are
peculiar to Jamaica Here are GOO, 600 peo-
pie living on an island $50 miles long and
80 miles broad, and they all want TO attend
the fair. More than nine-tenths OF them live
miles away from the railroad, and must
travel over the mountain roads or by the
coastwise steamers. But there are not con-
veyances enough in ell Jamaica to carry the
half nor quarter of them, and many who
are anxious to see the fair are disappointed
The show is held at very convenient
place, called Cumberland Pen, on the rail-
road, and near to both Kingston and Spanish
Town, and the visitors who come from dis
tant parts of the island make Kingston their
&
by train. Those who come in carriages,
even if they start from the furthest corners
Of the island, find the best of roads to drive
over; know of no country districts In the
United States where the hiehroads are at all
comparable with the smooth, hard roads
that lead all over the island Of Jamaica In
every part Of the island they are fully equal
to the fine drives around Long Branch and
Saratoga, barring only oa the plain of King
ston, where they are often extremely dusty
These roads lead in many cases over the
mountains, following for miles the river
banks, with all dangerous places protected
with stout stono walls, and the rivers bridged
with stone causeways that look as if they
were intended to last for all time. Some Of
these old bridges, believe, were built by
the Spaniards when they had possession Of
the island; but the good roads were all made
by the English, and are relics Of the days
when Jamaica was in her prime.
Cumberland Pen ia one OF the most beauti-
full places imaginable for fair ground Pen
is, as have explained before, tho Jamaica
name for o farm, and Cumberland pen is
what we would can Cumberland farm. That
part Of it in which the fair is held, space Of
perhaps 100 acres, IL covered with rows Of
old, wide spreading trees, forming arches Of
foliage that completely shade the entire
place. Cumberland pen is the property Of
Mr.. Louis +. Vcrley, a large landholder in
Jamaica, and the fair is held there every
year 1t is reached by short ride in the
cars from Kingston, and every train, on the
day Of the fair, stops at little platform near
the entrance TO the fair grounds But when
tho fair is in progress, although special trains
ore kept constantly running, every car is so
crowded that it is as much as ones life il
worth to got scat. Curiously enough, after
all the elaborate preparation, the fair is held
for only one day in year, and only, indeed,
for q small part Of that day, for it is not for
mally opened till noon and it ends at 5
o'clock
As we had taken the precaution to go early
TO keep out Of the crowd, we had fnc
chance TO see all the curiositfoA The exhibits
Of sugar and rum occupied a good deal Of
space. and were Of more interest than one
would suppose such things could be made.
never imagined there were SO many kinds Of
sugar in al varieties OF color and made by
81 the many processes-centr1fugal vacuum
pan, Wetzel pan, Aspinal pan, steam clari-
fers, hellcl and Aspinal pan, open battery
Of boilers, ranger cured, ordinary process,
ordinary open battery, old Wocess-these are
some Of the ways in which sugar is made in
Jamaica, and though the terms sound strange
70 northern ears they are common enough
thsre. And the r,lIn-in al the r,sInmy
shades Of color. from the deep brown Of tss
West street Jamaica Article TO tho pais
amber Of santa Cruz I suppose tho
Judges bad to taste all THESE varSsties before
fi,Au ~ssx1d xnrA ns v--i1n b.,.% I.S
not got at IT Jet when EFF
IL IL inevitable that most people living On
an isolated isiend shall Be . litt1s behind the
age n toe matter Of dreaaL Thrs are always
sosne who travel and See what Ia going on In
the world, but the great majority Say at
home, from necessity rather than inclination,
and skey osnnos keep peos With swift chang
Ing fAshionA 30 At tbs Cumberland Pen
fx&, although there was . c-ai of f:n. irsD>
Ing, mos Of 4 was ot tbs style of . SEASON CT
two ago. But shrs ver> sozns y7ang ladies'
thsH whose o.assy ~ not 70 - spoiled By
any odcity IN eyle Of sarnentx Carrtaas
loe6 aStr carriage bod OF planArn md p;ar,t-
- exmzxs drove tuso tAs E,uzndA, and sAs
eoeehm were stood 10 iaDg rows unaes IL
Fsea Some a Am hAd oocns many ~asy
miles over tae mountains. STARTING days b.
fore tie opszang Of tie fs4r, ss,d making hsra
. Witt and there viGs q plAnsafon houses
b. he way. 1hxe - graf dsal At socn
b Jamaica, enu<ada-irx d. long
esrnags to0osys ehss ha~e 70 b ak0
Tn dws62aAx ho1so ca soe7s of tAs sesAs
- fr s.ay from FL GDns 0k e:ylksassnn,
99 or - nsoaSs4.n adss, au6 soma ~ pos |
ruschsd era ~ . soAd. h6nx acre.ahks OILY |
ca k0Rbaek SorA places s9nznd I'd Of |
Do vsa1n pioneer who sunoo.csd h1sts- |
teGtkoo % move fsrthsr q, became sooekz |
family 30 9exasd oafy axssea tuAsD svsy,
eod naiGeh0s vss gsessng 800 aEsrk The |
yazzsuus ssm % d<sist4 IN sarA nxszxoa
In tho suburbs of f.s c5tta ssey bx1d t,e.r |
kcnss I'D back from tbs road md ~: a !
htyA sspns vHH nA . 10 q trs.s Ia front. |
When vixifed Coa Jaa5os. sxs cozzr7an1er |
a tie troops n Js1asca, - hts GIT ccssas,
up n ths und1usaxA be lid rzse ff<x IA |
ncsra. white nsighkcr Wa .k-rs r,n.s
svsJ, aod ssegA - tk;zk tAss - aa.. |
aho.t far e7oogh
Iha eSlH Il aEA 3Zzakaxa1 xsaeesAud,