The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1892-01-13
LIFE IN The TROPICS.
No. 3.--Habits and Customs of Jamaica
PeODle

I
coolies.
The white creoles, or native horn
whites, form the aristocracy Of the
island. They constitute about one
tenth OF the entire population, and
nra generally well to do. Real pow
erty is almost unknown among white
people in jamaica, and many are in
circumstances o. afiiuence aud
able to enjoy all the luxuries Of lite.
Courteous, though proud, re6ped,
though reserved, they expect aud re-
ceive the homage and admiration, and,
often, the envy OF those beneath tAeu
in social lite. Tropical life among
white people in Jamaica is hest seen
not in the cities, but iii those prince
! ly country homes that stand in the
midst of the magnificent sugar estates
that grid the seashore. These sugar
estates occupy from 5000 to 10000
acr OF land. Tue sugar works and
distillery are in the centre of the es-
tate, and within easy distance from
the works stands the home OF the
owner or overseer. Built in the old
days of slavery, when labor and ex-
pense were no object, these homes are
suggestive of the palatial residence Of
the prince or peer-and truly our
planter friend who is the owner ola
successful sugar estate feels himself a
sort Of prince among men. Like Al
exander SeIkirk, he is monarch Of
all he surveys" or, like Alexander OF
Macedon, he has conquered his little
world, but, unlike the gentleman lost
alluded to, be does not weep for other
worlds to conquer, but looking at his
beautiful home surrounded by st telY
palms and adorned with all the at
fractions that nature ana art can be,
stow, looking at his many acres o
fast ripening cane and with vi-i IN,
before him OF hogheads Of sugar and
punoheOns Of rum, he smiles sweetly
at himself and feels something like
old Nebuchadnezzer telt when he said:
"Tnis is great Babylon that | have
built" We will suppose thtt our
sugar man has a family. He is mid>
die aged. TO he brief, let US say he
( is full, tat and fifty. His ewes and nose
are trihe bloodsnot, especially hi,
nose, be is a little inclined to rheu,
me- tism, or perhaps it is gou,, About
home he wears white piJh helmet
and white suiC Of clio hes. He wear.
loud Eeckte and voice. He also
wears cigar, snd d heavy gold watch
e. ain gracefully adorus the cardiac
region and heavy gold watch ticks
contentedly in his vest pocket. He
| is good talker. He can converse
sweetly with ladies, "cuss" niggers,
/ fttter the governor. discuss politics,
the weather, law, theology, or the
price OF sugar. He is PROBABLY
ma zistrate, a member of the Paro-
chial Board, a jus ice Of the peace
aud marriage officer. II his boys
are about grown they are probably IN
England finishing their education, or
possibly he has sou at the York
Castle high school, which takes the
lead OF all educational institutions IN
Jamaica. If he has daughters they
are probably bright, healthy, light,
hearted, lovabIe girls, and they are
sure to be skilled III music, painting,
fancy work and all those accomplish
ments dear to the female heart. They
en- ride horseback, climb trees, play
tennis, fish, shoot, sing, dress, visit,
attend parties, be tunny, or sentimen.
tai, steal and break the hearts of
young men and return same in due
time, after all, not much damaged.
So lite gldes On in the country
planter 5 family, happily and pleas,
antly from day to day, his children
enjoying themselves, but not insensi-
bic, let US hope, to the bright and
nobIer duties OF lite, and the planter
himself generally rules his little king,
dom to the satisfaction of all CON
cerned. Long may he live! and let
us hope that the smell of strong rum
will not materially deepen the pres
ent ruby hue OF his nasal organs.
The people who are called colored
in Jamaica are people Of any shade of
color between white and black. These
peorle form class by themselves,
and are not Jumped in with the me-
groes as in this country. They hold
the niger" in as much contempt,
Or more, than white people do, and
they try hard to forget or ignore the
fact that the blood Of the children OF
Ham runs IN their veins. So very
anxious are these high. born coIored
gentry to impress you with the fact
that they are not niegers that they
often put on airs which cannot but
suggest to one the old fable of the ass
III the lions skin. On the whole, the
soricst type of character to be found
IN J9naica is that OF the averate col
ored person, or the man who is
neither white nor black. suppose
this class constitutes about 0ne,tourth
OF the eutlre population Many Of
them IRE W II educated, and many are
wealthy, occupying good positions as
merchants, lawyers, doctors, minis
tiers Of the gospel, etc, rhe riches;
man IN Jamaica, H. w. Siebel, a
many times millionaire, is a colored
man, and so ugly that | would not
swap faces with him for all his money.
although | suspect that my own fg-
ure head is getting somewhat weather,
beaten. In spite of the f,ct that the
colored people, as class, are vain,
/ pompous, c0nceited aud shallow. there
are some happy exceptions, and, as
said some weeks ago, that human
hearts the world over are much the
same, so | want to say now that good
/ people are to be found in skins white
black, brown, red or yellow. The Rev
Alexander Edstbrook, a minister OF
The gospel living in the Clarendon
mountal rs, Jamaica, is colored man,