The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-31
SCENES IN GRANTST0WN.
Law AND CONTENTEO BLACKS OF
THE BAHAMA ISLANDS.

\
Market Day. Saturday Evening in SUI
burb of Na-sau-Men, Women and Chill
dren Gossiping with Gusto-visit to n
Threepenny Ball.
Market day at Grantstown is in the even
ing, and on Saturday at that.
Over the hill on star lit night-they shine
80 low you may almost reach them with your
cane-a white, smooth road leads 10 Grants
town. As you go down the slope little dots
Of flame appear beyond and the hum OF pleas
ant voices, till in short time you reach an
almost continuous row OF cabins On either
side, and this j. Grantstown-not our Gen
Grants but another Grants Sir Somebody,
at one time governor OF all the bahamas
under water and just above Il, for Grants
town IL a colored suburb OF Nassau and lies
in hollow behind it, The little flames
broaden AS you approach, AID you find on a
flat stone for a hearth, litter OF ashes and
little pitch pine sticks kept lighted torch
like and squatting on the ground beside each
old wenches toothless and sere a child or So
and the market stuff spread in little heaps.
Five sweet potatoes sell for copper, four
gumbo pods for tarthiEg, four little red
! tomatoes and pepper for check IA check -
one and one half penny there are also tins
of Guinea corn "a sort Of broom corn seed,
white maize from the out illanls, COW peas,
little cups Of ground nuts, peanut candy,
cakes. dark molasses bread. oranges, a sapo-
dilla in its russell coat, rarely banana, often
yam like a log of wood, little tied up
bundles OF black mangrove roots for fuel
and no investment need be over a check All
this hardly seems to be food, but only relish.
Where are the solids, the substantialsi
Eggs, bread, butter, etc Not any, IN
Grantstownl
MEN, wONEN AND CHILDREN.
You 90 on to find the crowd thichen and
the noise of ,,,ic. iroreaeoe Crowding the
road. the blacks-men. women and children
--jostle and joke, gossiping with gusto
chaiiiug and scandal tattling-an outdoor
tea party without any tea.
How do! massa! Pleas the Lawd, Use
hopes yo' wellr
'Yo' tax eveuin' walk TAX me vic
yoi'
BIOS g'lno copper Eso pore! NOi das aw.
right"
''Yo' no by 0 mel das right Yo' TAX Z
walk"
Whats that Souse, massa What.
sousei On, massa, y0 doom lno' dat Wy
dat pigs head, n sour n salt"
And this then was the one luxury souse
at sixpenco a teacup fuA A Grantstown
darkoy probably ney1r had bellyful OF
meat in his life.
Ground nuts or peanuts, which with us
are 50 large, white and cheap in Grants
town are scarce, small and black; quarter
gill sells for penny. They are another
luxury, and probably IA bushel would glut
the market But tor all the dirt, rags and
squalor there is something in the ring OF the
voice which indicates anything but misery
rather cOntentment and u wealth OF animal
spirit.
Visit GrantstoWn when the sun is up and
see tie tropical picture, the matched cabins
embowered in climbing vines, cncircled with
the plumy cocoanvt palm stored with all
good, trees golden aith oranges and the SIS
ter fruits, great sAaddock's bigger than ones
head. There the broad, deep cut bread fruit
tree ripens its seedIesS green sunbaked lOayeS.
Everywhere the warm enfOlding sunlight
aud the soft air, breezeS that clothe and shell
ter.
Work-herel All! that's vulgar; idleness
is virtue, and nakedneSs is classic.
A rHREEFENNY DALI
The Jingle OF ayriangle, rapidly struck, at
tracts me to the corner house, where, through
window openings, guiltless of sash OF glass,
see moving crowd At the door am met
by "Gr me trup'ence. massa, an / dawnce
wild yo - from the mouth vi u buxom wench.
go way dere Use proprietary oh dis ball.
doom glib her ony trup ence, massa gib 1t me"
! This from a Durly black III u cast of suit,
may be one @. $40 suits, threequarters of
some time ago, and hat once beaver, but
now literally crushed hat, quite appropri-
ate for "A ball.
The tkreepencespaid admits me into a low
rooted cabin, at,ut lOxl2 feet, crowded with
both sexes, all smoking and somewhat booty.
The orchestra consists of tambourine, triangle
and accordion The music 10 quick time; the
dances are the quadrille, the waltz, and the
Marango IA country dance. In dancing "
in Waiting the movement is all in tho hips,
but little of feet or knees-a sort Of wiggle,
as if uncertain whether to dance or give it up.
YES, boss! we dawnces cherry evenin from
Monda' ober till Satda' Want dawnce yO'-
self Only trupence TO- Marango and six
pence for dc walze Dis mos spect Die place
in Grantstown Ma name, W ii. u Gray
dis ma keerd handing me his name scrubbed
! with pencil on AL old almanac leaf Gwine
now, bossl Das right; kun nodder time:
slong IF s. in Detroit Free Press.