The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-25
SIXTY YEARS OF FREEDOM.
UHIT TT HAS DONE ron THE
VEST INDIA NEGROES,

They Are Not w 60 the stsas.ra or Aver.
team Coiored Folks, but they Have
Learned How 60 Live Happily on Meta
log a Hesr-Primiuts Domestic Eco-o-y.
After visiting nearly all the principal islands
81 tho West India group, the impression left
upon one IL not only Of towering green noun
tains scrapinR against the sky, end Of palm
groves and cane fields and white beaches streyn
with strange shells, but also Of crowds OF ne
groes everywhere who live ss nearly in mans
primitive condition as is possible for civilized
people. The impression made by the negroes
perhaps IL stronger than any Of the others.
An American going down there" said the
young botanist, cannot fail 10 be interested In
watching the colored people. and learning what
condition they have reached after more than
half a century OF freedom. I knew before start
ing that some Of them At least have done we'll
in commercial life, because In my early days I
was employed by q West India commission
house In New York, and learned something
about them there. Our customers ordered what
ever they wanted through us. and In return sent
US suers. conee, sponges, fruits, or anything
they happened 10 have. The only cash customer
we had. IS far as I know. was q West Indian.
whom I will call Mr.. Smith. and he
was our star. There was no trading busi-
ness with him; his goods went down by one
steamer and the check, or the bag Of coin, came
back by the next, and his orders were always
large. 80 when we learned one day that MI.
omith was coming 70 new hork Dy the next
sVesmer' some preparation was maze 10 receive
and entertain him. I was very much fiattered
when the proprietor sent me down to the
steamer 70 meet MN ana escort MN TO the
omce' ana very muon surprised wheh the purser
LOOK me 70 Mr. emitns staVeroom anu lhtro-
duced me TO . oomical little man with a skin as
black as q felt hat and SO stout that he was
A,moss as oroeo = ne Wss ione.
out star customer vase tuil.olooded negro;
anu atnousn II was IN december ne wore .
STRAW nat seersuekor coat linen trousers ana
o" ehoes. nne'ef eouiu nave eot Mn through
~ snVe, VooA nun up 70 tne once In
. oNo' sno stterWHro " tne taiiors. But
snrousn tns ssoou customer came I'd thihk the
west inoies Iun OF such prosperous colored
men' anu was disappointed 10 ma myseit mis-
eeken. mere are some suen men there' out
very ,ow. MOST OF them are very much as they
must nave oeen lmmeoiaoeiy AFTER the emanci-
pa.ion' ana In Trying 10 describe their con-
oit'oh must REMIND you that there 10
"sreat dig snas tnae any one must run against
at INC outsot VINO tries 70 give an account OF
.hem- inas snae 10 miscesenation- IL would
DO hAro Ior = NOW iorker 70 imagine q class OF
people VINO are oiack men socially but white
men commercially. Ihat H. the oiack strain In
'heir oioou' however sheht IL may oe, deprives
them OF any social position out does not inter-
iere III tno ieast Win tneir business success
those isiands are fuu OF such men.
BUT they are not Iairiy representative OF the
african race IN the west Andies- IL Is the real
nesroes reier 70 VINO make no pretension 10
peinR anStninR OUT "nas tney are. Ana 1 am
t'8o 10 ooaoio u oesin WIN them oy saying
that up 70 certain point tney are the most self
eelprul people i ever saw. l mean that they Will
oekin sauit W. win nothins put y shirt ana q
pair OK trousers ana soon estaolsh themselves
VI suitable htue nomes' WIN sucn comforts as
they require. some OF then methods OF home-
making 1 hh'e mentoneo oetore; out let me
take an average coiorcd boy Just growing into
MANHOOD ana NOW you now ne proceeds TO set
TIC nimseii IN hie. he IL q young Fellow or
twenty, lot us say one OF a family OF SIX or
eight ohiidren' VINO all i've with their parents
IN a singie-room mouse ABOUT Twelve rect
square lie mas FOUND the girl no wants FOR
wire. ana very likely mas oeen courting her TOT
TWO or three years. Counting her. TOO. as vir-
tuousiy and chivairously as any white boy. not
withstandlng tho freedom OF action common
among ooth sexes OF tropical negroes. He has
oeeh writing her the most suited letters copied
from some complete letter writer ana they
nave oetermiheo 70 marty ahu striko out Tor
themselves
"here i@rh ianu u % oouEhU lot % an
acre httie piot dig enough ior a nome Is worth
only a rev shiihhgs' anu the boy goea u WORK 10
earn the shihihss. ierhaps ne WORKS IN the
heids' or perhaps ne ships on spongihR schooh-
err or goes nshing' or WORKS In q store In town.
Inc shiuings are soon accumulated ana the land
bought ana there Is the oasis' IL Is ohiy oit'
less thar q quarter OF an acre, out IL Is enough;
and the next step 10 10 ouiid . mouse. MOST
likely the land Is covered with stones; out II IL
Is not plenty OF them are lying ABOUT loose ana
the owners are gao 10 nave them picked up
and carried away Inc BOY ana MS girl ooth
set TO WORK gathering stones Tor their walls
and their doing so attracts no attention.
because 1t Is the customary thing to do. John
an Sally's a-goin' to be married, an they's a-g!t-
TIN their house together
|"Xhen enough stones have been gathered II Is
49, n,o,ar .nd Iohn Lnou,a
NECESSARY so"o ~ "a onu A"o"S
how 20 make II. Most OF the Islands are COM
posed OF limestone rock, but burnt shells make
-. 49,. - nra,.rs shaus Soroa ,-tandIv
llulc, u Uo pECLCI5 f9oil4C AChA