Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-01-30

PRESBYTERIAN, seventeen Moravians, six
United Methodists, free missionaries,
eight from the London Mission Society,
and one independent preacher-not to
mention scores of state-paid rectors
ard curates of the Church of Enlgand
and Scotland. But, in spite OF all,
the mysterious terrors of Obnlsm still
sway the mass of ignorant blacks; and
at night, in the depths of the forest
and the recesses of the mountains,
heather rites worthy of darkest Africa
are practiced to propitiate the serpent
deity and retain the favor of the
"duppies,' or ghosts. The negroes
have childish dread of the dark, and
of thousand creatures of the imagin-
alton, and, like monkeys, are happy
only in crowd. Somebody expresses
their temperament exactly by saying
that their laugh is ever set on hair
trigger. Set one to yelling with de-
light and the whole gang, yards away,
will ''yah, yah!' in sympathy, without
knowing or caring in the least what it
is all about or who pressed the button.
A great many of their huts contain an
Oboe idol, rudely carved of wood, with
brass-headed tacks driven in for eyes,
and fringe of skunk skin stuck on for
hair, and whiskers; and maybe it
stands side by side with crucifix, an
image of the patron saint or a Metho-
dist hymn book SO curiously is religion
blended with the superstition of their
ancestors.
Five daily newspapers are published
in Kingston; and besides, there are
three weeklies, two semi-weeklies,
seven monthlies, three fortnightly,
two tri-weekly newspapers and quar-
terly review published in the island
Taxes are light indeed for British
province. The property tax ON farm
land, cultivated for sugar, coffee, grain,
ETC.. is only cents an acre; for infer
ior land 2 cents. Hotels pay license
fee of 500 per annum in Kingston,
and $50 elsewhere. Merchants pay
tax of $50 year; shopkeepers $37. 30,
and newspaper proprietors only 81. 90.
Some of the stamp duties are surpris-
ingly heavy. Banking corporations
issuing notes pay 1926; barrister ON
his admission $75, and solicitor for
his certificate $500. Postage on letters
going from place to place in the island
is cents per half ounce, if prepaid;
ON newspapers l cent, double rate If
not prepaid. Telegraphy is cheap in
Jamaica as compared to other places in
the West Indies; from Kingston to
New York it is 81. so per word, address
included. The constabulary consists
of 695 men, 1874 of whom are stationed
in Kingston, or one for every 266 in
habitants. The qualifications of
constable are that he must be able
to read and write and measure not less
than thirty two inches around the chest
and be feet inches high. Then he
receives the munifcent salary OF 80
cents day. There is reserve rural
police force to be used when called
upon. Of these the head men-one in
every seven-receive an annual wage
of $50 and an additional 81 cents day
when actually on duty. Labor of all
sorts is cheap in Jamaica. The ordi-
nary wages for carpenters and brick
layers is so cents day; their help
ers" 80 cents each. A teamster, with
his cart and two mules or three oxen,
which he feeds himself, receives about
$3.50 a day. Food costs about the
same as in New York except that the
best of beef is only 10 cents pound,
sailed beef 81 cents, sailed pork Is
cents. Clothing is cheap, such as it is;
ready made, hand-sewed shoes, 81; a
mans felt hat, go cents, and English
cloth much less than the regular price
of the same in London. Free Masonry
fourishes. There are three grand
lodges, the District Grand Lodge of
Eastern Jamaica, the Provincial Grand
Lodge of Scotland, and the Provincial
Grand Mark Masters Lodge of Eng
land, of whose mysteries of course, I'm
not expected to tell you anything.
ODD Fellowship has also been intro
duced, with feeble offshoot of Daugh
tiers of Rebeckah. There are Knights
of Pythias, too, and the Good Templars
have thirteen lodges with member
ship of 1000. AS the annual product
of rum is something over 100000
gallons it furnishes plenty of work for
each Good Templar to do.-Fannie B.
Ward, i'll Inter Ocean.
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