Wichita eagle., 1888-07-18
SCENES On GRANTSTOWN.
LAZY AND COMMENTED BLACKS or
THE BAHAMA ISLANDS.

Market Day. Saturday Evening In . Sa-
burb Of Nassau-Men, Woman and Chill
dren Gossipinx With Gusts-visit to .
Ihreepenny Ball.
Market day at Grantstown il in the even
| ing, and on Saturday at that
Over the bill on star lit night-they shine
20 low you may almost reach them With your
can-a white, smooth road leads to Grants
town. As you go down the slope little dots
Of fame appear beyond and the hum of pleas
ant voices, till In short time you reach an
almost continuous row Of cabins on either
side. snd thus is Grantstown-not our Gen
Grants but another Grants Sir Somebody,
at one time governor Of all the bahamas
under water and Just above 1t, for Grants
town Is colored suburb Of Nassau and hes
in hollow behind IT, The little flames
broaden as you approach, and you find on a
Fat stone for 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, child or 50,
and the market stuff spread in little heaps
Fivs sweet potatoes sell for . copper, four
gumbo pods for farthing, four little red
tomatoes and pepper for a 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 uiolasses bread. oranges, . sapo-
dilla In its russell coat, rarely banana, often
. yam ike a log of wood, little tied up
bundles of black maagrove roots for fuel,
10 ~fs
this hardly seems to be food. but only relish.
Where are the solids, the substantialsi
Eggs, bread, butter, euc-i Not any, In
Grantstowui
MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
You go on to find the crowd thicken and
the noise OF voices increases. Crowding the
road, tine blacks-nen, women and children
-jostls and joke. gossiping with gusto,
chatting and scandal tatslng-an outdoor
tea party without any tea
How dol massaI Pleas the Lewd, Tss
hopes yo' wellf'
..Yo' tax eveuin waaki TAX me wild
yo'F"
Dos gme copper, Use porel mol das awl
right
"Yo' no by o. mel das right Yo' tax a
waal-r'
What's thatl Souse, masal What's
sousei On, Fnassa, yo' doom knof dat' Wy,
OATS pigs head, n sour n salt"
And this then WIS the one luxury; souse
at sixpence a teacup full A Grantstown
darkey probably never had a bellyfui 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
gil sells for q 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 tho
voice which indicates anything but misery
rather contentment and a wealth Of animal
spirit.
Visit Grantstown when the sun is up and
zee the tropical picture, the matched cabins
EMPOWERED in climbing vines, encircied with
the pluny 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 its seedless green sunbaked loaves.
Everywhere the warm EMBEDDING sunlight
and the soft air, breezes that clothe and smell
ter.
Work-here, Ali that's vulgar; idleness
is virtue, AID nakedness is classic.
rHREEPENNY BALL
The Jingle of a triang 10, rapidly struck, at
tracts me to the corner house, where, through
window openings, guiltiess Of sash or glass,
see moving crowd At the door am met
by ''Gi' ne trup'ence. nlassa, an | dAwnce
wild yo', from the mouth Of buxora wench-
go way dere. Use proprietary OBJ dis ball
doom glib her ony srup ence, massa glib IL me-"
This from bury black in cast of suit,
may be one OF $40 suits, three-Quar.ers of
some time ago, and Q hat once beaver, but
now literally crushed hat, quite sppropri-
ate for ball.
The threepenoe paid admits me into . low
rooted cabin, about lox12 feet, crowded with
both sexes, eli smoking and somewhat booty.
The orchestra consists Of tamDourine, triangle
and accordion. Ths music is quick time; the
dances are the quadrille, the waltz, and the
Marango IA country dance. In dancing or
in Waiting the movement is all in the hips,
but little of feet or knees-a sort Of wiSSle,
IS if uncertain whether 20 dance or give It up.
Yes, boss we dawuces cherry ssenin' from
Monda' ober TIL Setda, Want dawnce yo'
sefs Only rrup'eacs TO- Marsngo and six
pence for de wai1s. Dis mos 'specs Die place
in Grantstown Ma name, W H. g. Gray;
dis ma keeTd (handing me his name scribbled
with pencil on an old almanac leaf Gwins
nov bossl Das right; KUN nodder time;
s'long "-"F. S." in Detroit Free Press