Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-03-22
SCENES IN GRANTSTOWN.
LAZY AND coNTENTED BLACKS OF
 THE BAHAMA ISLANDS.

LAZY AND coNTENTED BLACKS OF
 THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. Market Day, Saturday Evening in . su-
 dren Gossiping with Gusto-visit to a
 Threepenny Ball.
 Market day at Grantstown is in the even- ing, and on Saturday at that. Over the hill on a star lit night-they shine so low you may almost reach them with your cane-a white, smooth road leads to 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 is Grantstown-not our Gen. Grants but another Grants a Sir Somebody, at one time governor of all the Bahamas under water and just above it, for Grants town is a colored suburb of Nassau and lies in a hollow behind it. The little flames broaden as you approach, and you find on a fat stone for a hearth, a 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 a copper, four gumbo pods for a farthing, four little red tomatoes and pepper for check Ia check is one and one-half penny); there are also tins of Guinea corn Ia sort of broom corn seed), white maize from the out islands, COW peas, little cups of ground nuts, peanut candy, cakes, dark molasses bread. oranges, a sapo- dilla in its russet coat, rarely a banana, often yam like a log of wood, little tied up bundles nf h1acl rOOfS fOy. fual and no investment need be over check. All this hardly seems to be food, but only relish. Where are the solids, the substantialsl Eggs, bread, butter, etc.s Not any, in Grantstown!
 MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
 You go on to find the crowd thicken and the noise of voices increases. Crowding the road, the blacks-men, women and children -jostle and joke, gossiping with gusto, chaffiing and scandal tattling-an outdoor tea party without any tea. ''How do! massa! Pleas the Lawd, Ise hopes yo' well!"
 ''Yo' talk eveuin' waaka Tak' me wid yo'9"
 "Bos g'me copper, I'se pore! Nol das awl right"
 ''Yo' no by O me! das right! Yo' talk a waal1!"
 "What's that? Souse, massa! Whats souse3 Oh, massa, yo' doom kno' data Wy, dat's pigs head, n sour n salt" And this then was the one luxury; souse at sixpence a teacup full A Grantstown darkey probably never had a bellyful of meat in his life.
 Ground nuts or peanuts, which with us are so large, white and cheap, in Grants town are scarce, small and black; quarter gill sells for penny. They are another luxury, and probably a bushel would glut the market. But for all the dirt, rags and squalor there is something in the ring of the voice which indicates anything but misery rather contentrlent and wealth of animal spirit.
 Visit Grantsto~n when the sun is up and see the tropical picture, the thatched cabins embowered in climbing vines, encircled with the plumy cocoanut palm stored with all good, trees golden with oranges and the sis ter fruits, great shaddock's bigger than ones head. There the broad, deep cut bread fruit tree ripens it's seedless green sunbaked loaves. Everywhere the warm enfolding sunlight and the soft air, breezes that clothe and shel- ter.
 Work-here! An! that's vulgar; idleness is virtue, and nakedness is classic. A THREEPENNY BALL. 1 The jingle of a triangle, rapidly struck, at CraCCS me to the corner house, where, through window openings, guiltless of sash or glass, I see a moving crowd. At the door I am met by "Gi' mo trup'ence, massa, an I dawnce | wid yo'," from the mouth of buxom wench. "Gosway dere I'se propritary ob dis ball; doom glib her ony trup'ence, massa glib it p
 This from a burly black in cast off suit, may be one cf S10 suits, three-quarters off some time ago, and @ hat once beaver, but now literally crushed hat, quite appropri- ate for a ball.
 The threepence paid admits me into a low roofed cabin, about 10x12 feet, crowded with both sexes, all smoking and somewhat boozy. The orchestra consists of tambourine, triangle and accordion. The music is quick time; the dances are the quadrille, the waltz, and the Marango Ia country dance). In dancing or ill waltzing the movement is all in the 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 ebery evenin' from Monda' ober till Satda'. Want dawnce yo'- self Only trup'ence fo' Marango and six. pence for de walze. Dis mos 'spect'ble place in Grantstown. Ma name, w. H. G. Gray dis ma keerd (handing me his name scribbled with pencil on an old almanac leaf. Gwine now, boss: Das right; kum nodder time s'long."-"F s." in Detroit Free Press.