Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-10-05
A PLEASANT PICTURE.
The Remarkable Muscular Development OF
Mankind in the Tropics.

Mankind in the Tropics.
Then you begin to look about you 9
the black. brown and yellow faces tina
are studying you curiously from be
meath the yellow-striped Madras tui
buns. or from under the shadow G
mushroom-shaped straw-hats large a
umbrellas. Watching the bare backs
bare shoulders, bare legs and arm
and feet. you find that the colors o
than the colors OF fruits. And it il
only with fruit colors that many o
these skin tints can be compared a
all, the only terms OF comparison USED
| by the colored people themselves being
terms of this kind, such AS peau.
sapoHiie, "sapota skin" The sapota
or sapotille is n juicy brown fruit
with rind satiny like n human cuti-
Gle, and just the color, when fresh and
ripe, OF fine mulatto skin. But
among the brighter half-breeds think
the colors are much moro fruit-like:
orange colors, with occasional Pushes
OF pink showing through. like the first
pink Of the mango Agreeable to the
eye the darker tints certainly are, and
often Very remarkable, all tones OF
bronze being represented; but the
brighter hues are absolutely beautiful
In certain half-breed types, coolie and
quadroon. Standing perfectly naked
at doorways. or playing naked in tho
sun, astonishing children may be seen
-banana-colored and orange-colored
babies But there is one peculiar type
totally unlike all the rest: the skin is
an exquisite metallic yellow, perfect
gold tone; the eyes are long and black;
the intensely dark ard lustrous hair
falls over the neck in heavy mass
OF thick. rich. glossy curls that show
blue lights in the sun, What ming
ling of races produced this beautiful
typeP There is some strange blood in
the blending, not Of coolie, nor of Afri-
can, nor of Chinese, although there are
hinese types here of indubitable
,,-anty.
All this population is vigorous, grace
ful, healthy; all you see passing by
are well made; there are no siclsly
faces, no scrawny limbs. If by
some rare chance you encounter per-
son who has lost an arm or II leg, you
can be almost certain you are looking
at victim Of the fer-de-lance-the SER
pent whose venom putreiies living
tissue. Without fear OF exagerating
facts. can venture to say that the
development OF tho working
men here Is something which must be
seen in order to be believed; to study
fine displays of it, one should watch
the blacks and half-brceds work
ing naked to the wnist-on the
landings, in the gas houses and
houses, or on the nearest
They are not large mon,
perhaps not extraordinarily powerful;
but they have the aspect of sculptural
or even of anatomical models; they
seem absolutely devoid of adipose It's
sue; their muscles stand out with
saliency that astonishes the eye. 1t is
marvellous. AT n tanning-yard while
l was watching a dozen blacks at work.
a young malutto. with the mischievous
face of u fauu, walked by, wearing
nothing but u clout about his loins:
andnover, not even in bronze, did see
so beautiful play of muscles A DEM
onAtrator of anatomy could have used
him oraclass model; a sculptor, wish
ing to shape II fine Mercury in bronze,
would be satisfied to take a cast of
such "A body, without thinking Of MAX
ing one modification from neck TO heel.
Frugal diet Is the cause of this ply
sical condition" young French pro-
fessor assured me. "All these men,"
lie says, Live upon salt Goldfish and
fruit" But frugal living alone could
never produce such symmetry and sal
iency OF muscles race-crossing, eli
mate. perpetual exercise, healthy
labor many conditions and surround
ngs must combine to cause it. Also
u Is certain that this tropical sun has
tendency to dissolve spare flesh, to
melt away all supernuous tissue, leav-
ing the muscular fiber dense and solid
NJ mahogany, Heaim, in
hdrpey's Ma3agiRe.