The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-11

Marvellous Work American Brains and
Cash Is Doing There.

| ""ANS'OuS "S'S -A"S' -" D'"'hS uuu
Cash l." Doing hhere.
recent traveller in Jamaica, tho largest
and most important OF the British West India
islands, has said that the country is like a
woman with a history, and the smile is doubt
less good one. The island has past COM
pared with which her present condition is de-
! cidedly commonplace.
| In the good old times sugar was king sla-
very was divine institution, slaves were very
plentiful. and the planters amassed immense
fortunes, which. coming easily. were spent
most freely Jamaica was Great Brtain's most
valued possession in the West Indies. but
quite suddenly decided change took place In
the Western hemisphere, the founding OF the
T., -. 800, y. a. go =, pos Eio". i"o'ot
any, great rs naval n% m ue ~,
depot the Home Goyernment lost ira iptarost
IN tbecolonv and II vas lett 70 sbitt for i,sos
when, in 1888, the imperial Government re-.
vived its interest sufficiently to abolish severv
y, ~, - -, ,., " eti '"'Vi,
In the island the planters main source of wealth
disappeared. Then the rise and rapid growth
of the beet-root sugar industry began to crowd
them TO the wall Sugar was their chief and
almost only product and the price of 1T fell
40 GU io"oi. no nVE,oo hau oocon'e
very INDECENT continuous labor could not be
imnorted in largo runb IN order 70 Loar ,bo
ilnpor'eu III large mum DOTS IN oroer 10 Keep the
became mors and mora aDatbstIc snd tba
planters got thoroughly discouraged. Estate
alone over tb,rtv Iarrs md prosnerons estat sa
have revertad ~ bush p" in The nast conaro1
Ion. Where in 1888. there were sixty-nine
sugar estates, there are now but twenty seven.
But new era has dawned. and now the
future Of Jamaica is bright with promise. In
many respects it has all the boom and activity
and bonafr,no.s -, = Waotorn sect 49,
nnu hopeiuihesH Oh western S'a'e. nor peo-
rie have taken fresh heart. and are becoming
nalkaple cnanee Is american influence.
American energy. American enterprise. and
American dollars American energy has
stirred her people, out Of their lethargy. and
and avenues Of h,hero
OIL Americans own and are running her rail
road her telephone system. her electric
aud great many Of her most I'm
portant and prosperous industries. and, II
could be gratined. Americans would be run
ming her Government Jam9icnns owe little
the Star spangled Banner IS as conspicuoS s
as the Union Jack. and on f6te days 1t would
be difficult to s4lX, which of the two flags is dis
siderable comment In the English newspapors
Of late. and British merchGnts are urged to
,Jamaicans seemed to have quite settled in
their minds that theirs was a country OF sugar |
and OF sugar alone that when sugar failed |
them there was nothing TO be done but to |
abandon tho country. In the past few years |
their eyes have been opened The awakening |
was probably due to the enterprise OF Yankee |
sea Captain. Capt. l.. d. Baker Of Boston was |
formerly master Of a small American schooner
He carried down to those Islands mixed cargo |
Of American products. and usually returned |
with cargo OF logwood. On one OF these trips, |
about the year 1880. Capt. Baker called in |
mt tho little town of Port Antonio. on the |
north side Of JnmRica and succeeded In pro- |
curing number OF very fine punches OF ba- |
nanas. these bananas wcro So much superior