The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1892-06-30
FROM WEST INDIES.
AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM G.
FARR AT JAMAICA.
(EGtTdcts from q PrtUGts Letter.

1 - ASNHA w xSo NNAAAbSS
AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM G. L
FARR AT JAMAICA.
(EGtTdcts from PrtUGte Letter.
JAMAICA, W. This morning we
were called to conduct the funeral ser
vices-or as they call it here commit
the body" of a poor old woman who
several years ago had stroke Of paral'
ysis and has been helpless ever since.
She was the most distressing specimen
of humanity that I ever saw, think.
Lived In hut about ten feet square,
bamboo sides, thstch on the roof all
rotten so that the rain poured in. Her
bed was just board bench with few
rags on iI. There she spent all her
time, sometimes sitting up to rest her
Old bones from the hard bench, then
lying on the board to rest from sitting
up; and when it rained crtnging up in
to the corner to not get quite so wet.
| Her support was one shilling week
from the poor rates. wonder how
people here live when they get old and
decrepit. She was buried down near
the sea on fat place, in q hole not
more than four feet deep dug in the
soft rock-in a coffin made Of the knot
test pine boards. When they dug the
grave they found bones, showing that
it had been occupied before; 80 they put
them in an old cloth and put them on
top Of the coffin. We held a service OF
about half hour, bare-headed in the
broiling sun. The sun seems very hot
now, but the temperature In my room
is not above 81, and there Is delight
ful breeze all through the house. Last
week we attended
TYPICAL JAMAICA FUNERAL.
It was q young man. He hal been
living with a woman seven years, but
they were not married. His Old father
asked us TO commit the body" and at
the hour we went down. A rain was
coming up, so the old man asked US to
make the services short. There was q
crowd around-men women and chill
dren-laughing, talking and having a
jolly time. Just as we got there they
were putting the body in the cofin-a
hustling time. Finally they hustled
the coffin out and put it on two chairs
Just outside the door. The old man
Strengthened the head around, the
hands, &3., then ordered the lid nailed
on. Several nails were driven in with
q big hammer. Just then big black
| man who seemed to be master OF Ger
emonies," standing in the door, called
out to the widow ~ who was half way
across the yard, Have you got the
towels readyY She meekly shook her
head. He again called in commanding
tones. "Didn'G you know it was your
business TO furnish towelsw They
were tor carrying the coffin. They have
no handles, SO they take SIX towels(veIy
dirty On this OcCasiOD) and tie two and
tW o together and put around under the
coffin for the men TO carry by. When
they came big black man tried them
and one pair pulled apart-shoWing the
| wisdom Of the precautlon. We called
the crowd to order and sang hymn,
then announced that the services would
be completed at the grave. There was
then a general stampede for said local
ity, which was some forty rods away,
partly up steep hill. Small boys, dogs,
etc., struck out TO get there before the
crowd. The six bearers seized the
towels and struck out at brisk pace,
Swift and Farr ahead. AS We were
W bAO 4AAA AOeSA ~ NSA4-
siderable discussing and brief ordering
behind me. Then the men began to
rush past me, and finally two stalWart
men with the coffin on their heads ran
past faster than l cared to walk. In
few minutes the crowd was collected
with excited interest around the grave.
There was a calling for ropes. some
scOlding that they were not on the spot,
and the remains were hustled into the
grave and the CHIEF actors settled back,
leaning on their heavy kOeS, waiting
for the ceremonies. A heavy rain was
coming, so we only sang hymn, Swift
offered prayer, then another verse Of
hymn and pronounced the"Dust unto
dust" throwing in little handful, and
the diggers set vigorously to work.
The crowd always stand by and sing
Justify while four or six men fill the
grave, round it up and smooth 1t on.
Just as they were putting on the finish.
ing touches the rain struck and the
crowd broke and run. AS is the usual
case, Just as we were leaving the house
one or more female voices struck up
wall which increased to the most hid
eous shrieks and hoWlS. That night
they had the Jamaica" "settin' up,"whlch
means that a company come together
man and women-and sit up and sing
and carouse all night. They have a
supper and usually the men bring pint
bottles Of rum. On this occasion they
got into a regular drunken row and
knocked out part Of one side OF the
house. The superstition is that the
spirit comes back nine days afterwards,
aC which time they have another set
tin up" 1t is a relic Of old slavery
times, and was carried to such pitch
once that the government made laws
against it.. Many things like that are
heathenish as they can be in India.
Another curse that is raging In Ja-
maica now is
OBRAHISM.
kind Of pretended Witchcraft. The
Obeah man claims that he has secret
powers 0y which he can do wonderful
things; Can cause misfortune to come
to people, can kill them at his will just
by his magic, sc. think they usually
have some old kettle in which they
steep different kinds Of herbs, &C., and
this they keep hidden away secretly.
These people are not usually very su-
perstitlous, and such things have q
wonderful influence On them and it Is
working havoc In the Island. They
stand in mortal dread Of the Obeah
man. They 60 to him secretly for faV-
ors, for which Of course they have to
| paw roundly. II another has cheated
them or Injured them in any way they
90 to the Obeah man to have him spoil
bis crops or cause disaster in some way,
or even to cause death. II q person
dies suddenly, or an accident happens
to him he thinks the Obeah man did
it. 1t is about impossible to get any
| tsstimony in law against those who
have committed crime, those knowing
anything not daring to tell for fear OF
Obeahism. 1t Is spreading and having
such q demoralizing influence that the
government has taken it up and made
laws against it. In Kingston recently
an old Obeah man died a terrible death
from some frightful disease, and
before his death he made great con-
fession; said he was going to hell,-that
he had caused the death of 100 men--
and gave a long list Of persons who had
been to him, among them some OF the
first citizens, even ladies, and some
members Of government. The list in
cluded nearly all the women who tend
| stalls In the great Kingston market,
and all of them except Two had to quit,
so that for a few days the market was
nearly broken up, which caused much
trouble. The confession Vas printed
and thousands of them sold until the
authorities stopped it. 1t made q reg.
ular panic In Kingston. or course
Obeahism is all q humbug, but just as
harmful for all that. The great power
of It is In secrecy. No one will own
that they believe In it, or will tell who
an Obeah man is; but when 1t Is spoken
Of or preached on there are sly looks
and filters. which show who believes
in It. Another terrible thing Is that
they seem to have perfect liberty In the
homes with the women and girls, max
ing the Vileness Of Jamaica even more
vile and lcathsome, If possible.
THE ROUND HOUSE,. Work on the
Central round house Is moving along
nicely. The foundations for the en-