Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-09
A Visit to a Son of Lord Howard
 de Walden
AT HIS BEAUTIFUL. HOME
Up in the Mountains-Sugar and Rum Indus try-The Silk Cotton Tree-lmmora-
 ity and Dishonesty.


 came to this port. Situated at the head of the bay and nestling at the foot of lofty mountains is the quaint old town of Montego. It has population of 1000, mostly blacks, and only two doctors, and even they are complaining of dull times in their business. There is nothing to produce sickness that can see with my lynx eye or detect with my well develop ed olfactory. There hasn't been case of yellow fever here since 1851, so l am told, and that was imported from the Mexican coast and did not spread. They are more afraid of the states than we are of them, and we'll they may be, for every few years fever breaks out somewhere in the south and rages with intensity.
 Montego is the terminus of a railroad which runs across the island to Kingston. This road has just been completed and is a magnificent piece of engineering. ride up the mountain sides on this road is worth any ones trip to this island. It winds around the mountain side, over trestles and through tunnels until 1t reaches an elevation of about 2OOO feet. The view from the car as it ascends, is simply grand, embracing the bay, the town, the valleys and rivulets and the Caribbean sea for a distance of 100 miles. With pair of glasses the mountains Of Cuba can be seen, appearing like blue cloud on the horizon. Along the line of
 
 kinds of vegetables and fruits are grown.
 The vegetable productions are very numerous and I have undertaken to taste of everything that grows. There are the guava, cocoanut mango, bread fruit, papaw, sour sop, plantains, yams, cassava, orange, Hines, pineapple pear, shaddock, grape fruit, melons, avocado pear, tamarind, neisberry, star apple, plums, and many other delicious fruits and berries that I can't remember, The logwood, used for making dye. Is grown and exported in large quantities. Ginger, ->arrowroot chinchova lace bark, palma christi (from which is made that ex- hilarating liquid called castor oiD, pi- mento (which furnishes allspice). ochra. beans, tomatoes, pepper, etc., ad infini- tum, and with little of all of the apoVe in my little inside I haven't yet had n pain. don't believe anyone can get sick here if he should try.
 About fourteen miles from Montego left the train and took to my wheel and rode through the country for three miles to Montpelier, the home of the Hon. Ellls, second son of Lord Howard de Walden of England.
 had the pleasure of meeting his lord ship. which accounts for my wearing one eye-glass and rolling my trousers up at the bottom. But his acquaintance which his lordship is now noted. He was left a tract of about 10000 acres of land. which, few years ago, was practically valueless, but today, by the success of curious venture, ne mas turned his property to good account, and by the railroad running through ms hand he will once more be able to cut dash in London.
 A few years ago he imported several Vishnu and Mysore bulls, better known as the sacred bulls of India, and crossed them withsthe native stock. The result k-, 1.1, .ff 1an D1nc nct curious lot of cattle that I ever saw. At present he sells off nothing but his steers, for which he gets $150 per pair, whereas the native steers only bring $oo per pair .
 The imported bulls cost $2000 apiece landed in Jamaica, but they seem to be well worth the money. They are tre- mendous in size, very tractable, and have immense bumps on their shoulders
 Nothing but photographs or personal inspection of the place and the cattie could do justice or give any idea 0ftheir bealIty. I called on a photographer to see if I could get some Jamaica views. He turned out to be a dyspeptic yankee, who was too cross and mean to get along in America and actually too mean TOT Jamaica to tolerate. l asked nm LII, 1T ne had any views of the island, and with burst of profanity he explained that there wasn't a scene in Jamaica worth taking. How his idea of the beautifui couId he so completely lost I could not understand, for there isn't more pictur- esoue land to be found on this earth.
 l asked him how he was patronized m his business and there was another burst of profanity and indignation against the poor islanders for not f1ocking to him and having their pictures taken. l judged from his appearance that ne lsnt doing we'll As l was going down one or tae principal streets of Montego l met peculiarly dressed negro man who was being followed by detective and was told that he was an obie doctor. 1t seems that few years ago voodo and obie doc- tors worked upon the superstitious ln- habitants to such an extent that the gov ernment took a hand and have almost exterminated the pests It would take a lifetime to learn all the peculiarities Of the people, but what struck me most was their lack of honesty and morality.
 Sixty per cent of the children of Ja- maica and Central America are illegit- innate and most of them seem proud of 1t and will discuss it with you. It does. not operate on their social standing one iota. It Is only recently that fashionable white wedding took place and the cards of invitation read as follows: Miss Han- nah Harrison requests the pleasure of your company to the marriage Of her daughter. Miss Sallie Hart, etc., etc.
 It is no insult to say openly This girl ar boy Is a bastard,' the children born in holy wedlock being but few in com parison to the untold number born out side of matrimonial union. Only thus we may understand how an illegitimate son of the late president of Guatemala, Justo Rufino Barrios, could say in a pub lie speech in the presence of the legiti- mate wife of his father: "I am happy and proud to say that owe my existence fo pure and ardent love, a love not bound by the shackles of law and custom"
 As for their lack of honesty, I can hardly find terms sufficiently condemna- tory to describe them. The more dis honest they are the more they seem to be admired and honored. I speak partly from knowledge and partly from infor- nation derived from some Americans who have resided for several years among them. But, like most rascals. they have the sweetest, easiest and most plausible manner of speaking. You can hardly believe they are so tricky: In their stores you hear both clerk and proprietor say to a customer. My dear, what can do for you?" or Nothing else, dear? No matter how black and dirty, 1t is always ''my dear' with them.
 After a pleasant chat and a lunch with ~hls lordship I mounted my wheel and started for MontegO I coagted almost