, 1894-12-22

sugar industry" k'Fallint off = he exclaim-
ed, 'nonsense, who has been telling you that!
. Why we make more sugar, and better sugar,
now than ever "How is that possible 2
said /, "Jumpin,' said he. as he carriage
drove. up and we wilR talk of that as we go
along!''s We then drove out on to the high
road to Basin. AS we passed along there
were Signs of prosperity on all sides. Elk
tehslve works at intervals, tEumway h.re and
there, and the whole country covered with
fields 'ol stout, healthy canes. well" said
my friend, after he had been watching my
admiring chances for some time, do you think
this looks like a falling off. "No, indeed" l
replied, your sugar arpa, may be less, but l
Am not'snrprised that, with. such fine c%ultiva-
ton, your outputs more Just So said he,
"but you must also know that our extraction
ia far superior to what even the best factories
could make in your day. Add to this, that
economy is rigidly p~rabticed in every de-
partwent, no waste being allowed anywhere,
and you car We4 understand that there are
some firms and some Individuals here who
are growing rich"
BY the time we reached Kings Hill it was
getting dark, but'my friend assured me that
ALI The country right up to Bassin was of'the
same character; he also promised to show mo
sone Of the advanced sugar works before | left
for home.
Hopeton was 3 Basin merchant, and after
havingdsscribed the signs If prosperity that
L had seen everywhere scarcely need say that
| found him also prosperous AMI with a COM
Portable as'well as a happy home. spent a
very happy Christmas with him and his amia-
BILE family. / found the life inBas5in much more
lively too, than in former days. Trade was
brisk; the houses were mostly III a sound and
bright condition; the streets at night as well
as the larger dwellings were lit by electric
lights; there was a handsome tOwnhall where
lectures and concerts were held and where II
company Of amateurs sometimes gave theatri-
cal performances; and in the same building
there was a public library, which contained,
besides q good stock Of first class fiction, q
goodly number of valuable books, literary,
historical scientific and so on; and. what was
very strange to me, .who had only known the
old Santa Cruz, these books were actually
borrowed and read. While l was speaking one
day over the great changes which | observe
cd my friend said, !"By the way, YOU nave not
yet seen the East End; you must see the
East End, for it has had a great deal to 10
with the improvement Of Bassin. "Ihe Eaat
End" said, II thought that the whole OF
that part of the island was hOpelel5ly atlnr
dontd to bush" well in your day l believe
it was pretty nearly in that condition, but
you shall lake drive out there this afternoon
and see.for yourself" We drove out to the
East End accordingly, and the drive afforded
me one Of the greatest surprises that came to
me while in the island. Instead of bush, |
found rich grass, with cattle and sheep in
abundance everywhere, and here nd there
new residences and Buildings, not exactly like
those Of the north, but'.well adapted to the
climate and needs of the place. The tops Of
the hills were covered with trees and there
were clumps Of shade trees in the fields, which
we're regularly fenced off from each other.
Indeed = | said this is more like the work
Of fairies than of the Santa Cruzians whom
I used to know Nevertheless said my
friend "it is all real, and it shews you what
energy, once arouse can accomplish.
At that moment we passed over a rise, and
ac6ol breeze from the sea straok us. | gave q
little shiver, and woke to find that the wind
had increased during the night and was blow
ing in at a near window, which for the
sake of fresh air l had left open. So
was not in the busy Santa Cruz of
the next century, but in the quiet
Santa Cruz of 1891; which, after all,
is by no meals d bad place to find one
self in.
[ have STAGE told the 9~eam to a lady
friend who is supposed to be vPrSed in dream
lore @ut She hesitatcs to give me an inter