Evening star., 1898-08-06
Something About the Next Door
Neighbor Of Cuba.
SUDDEN IMPORTANCE OF PORT ANTONIO
The Population a Mixed One
Change of Industries.
A r Z 1 n f D F O r T

Written for The Evening Star.
Cubas next door neighbor to the south
is jamaica 1t is twelve hours, usually
stormy hours. from Santiago through the
entrance of the Caribbean sea to Port An
tonic A few months ago Port Antonio was
known to the vessels which frequent West
Indian waters as comfortable haven, the
leading shipping point the north coast
for an extensive fruit business that had
grewn up with the United States. One
morning a fleet Ct newspa per Dispatch boats
put into the port, and without waiting for
local regulations to be complied with half
a score of correspondents We're on shore
making a mad rush for the post office
which was also the government telegra phi
line. On that line messages might be sent
overland to Kingston, and then cabled to
the United States. Up to this time it is
doubtful il more than a shilling message
always payable in advance-had been trans
mitted to Kingston. A shilling paid for
twenty words. The agony of the CORE
spondents on learning the extent of the
telegraph facilities" the subsequent ex-
perienceS with English official methods.
which drove most of them to the verge of
insanity and violently prejudiced them all
against the Anglo-American alliance form
a chap er which would be better understood
by members of their own profession than
this coming of the newspaper boats was
the introduction of the Sea-coaSt village to
the outside world for thereafter dis
patches via Port Antonio became SO COM
mon that every newspaper reader learned
there was such place. The occasion of
the dispatch boats arrival was the definite
knowledge that Cerveras fleet had been To-
Gated in Santiago harbor. The theater of
the war was shifted and they shifted with
1t from Havana and Key West to Santiago
ana Port Antonio. Afterward the port oc-
casonally sheltered one of the warships
DONG duty as scout or one of the trans
ports which had brought the American
troops from Tampa. These could put in
for water or ice or some other purpose per
mlsslb!e within the twenty hours allowed
vessels of pelligerents in neutral port
first Acquaintance With the island
My own acquaintance with Jamaica and
Jamaicans was made at time when the
possible effect of Americanizing Cuba was
the uppermOst topic. This was after the
victory at Santiago. l went across from
Siboney in order to take ship for New
York. and few days wait gave the chance
10 learn what the people in this English
colony We're thinking and saying. They
felt that the future of Cuba could not be
disassociated entirely from the other West
Indies, and while they feared the colony
might suffer still further from it's present
depression that did not interfere with their
good will.
The stranger can see no reason why ia
maica should suffer through the prosperity
of its neighbors. Sailing into the bay the
impression is of natural richness to reple-
ton. The Blue mountains might better be
called green The azure haze on their sum
mlts is less striking than the verdure on
their sides so tropical and luXuriant that
1t leaves only rare glimpse to be had
of the white limestone. In the days when
the pirates and the buccaneers made this
quiet haven their resort, they are credited
n II I1
and pass their old age in this region. Their
good resolves were never carried out
Where sea and mountain blend as on this
Jamaican coast and the palm mingles with
the green branching trees. the restless spirit
of the buccaneers could not have been con-
tent. The surroundings are for meditation
and meditation is not good for the soul of
a pirate.
Characteristic Village.
The village OF Port Antonio, they told
me, was a characteristic one. That is, its
long, narrow and struggling street. lined
with boxes of wooden and brick houses,
was like other villages, while it's lazy
good-natured and gossiping inhabitants
were like the population of other coast
towns. They work sometimes, because the
monotony of idleness pals on them and
an acquired liking for the artificial com
forts of life cannot be gratihed by watch
ing the cocoanuts drop from the trees The
outward appearance of the village is not
improved by the municipal government
buildings These are too small to he mas
sive, but they are ugly enough tc demon
strate the solidity of the British empire.
1t Is in reality the Americans who, in fol-
lowing out commercial Instincts. have not
forgotten the natural surroundings They
have not tried to beautify or InoderniZe
the struggling street, but have gone up
to the hilltoDs and covered these with
villas and cottages, which convey more
than a suggestion of paradise. The years
are rot many since Skipper Baker putting
into Pert Antonio for some chance pur-
pose, decided to take to Boston a cargo of
bananas on venture. Out of that Ven
ture has developed The fruit business,
which is almost the sole hope of Jamaica.
Out of it, too, has come the influx Of Bos-
ton people. who are going to make the is
land winter resort. They have chosen
Port Antonio as beginning. In the sea-
son colonies of them sit the porch Of
the cosy hotel talking mdgwump politics
anG the literary defecls of William Dean
HoweIls
A Cuban BARRIERS Dilemma.
While the story of the Yankee ship cap
tains lesson to the Jamaicans on their
wealth of natural products is interesting
and instructive, 1t will bear telling some
other time. l was more entertained, if not
instructed. the Gay of my arrival by the
dilemma of the Cuban barber. The whole
village knew of his perplexity, and ne was
glad to take strangers into his confidence
You wouldn't like to wait till Sunday,
would your he said, insinuatingly. To ask
a man with a three weeks jungle of beard
to wait over night for clean shave in any
circumstances would be a rasn proposition.
In this instance it met with a savage re-
fusal The Cuban barber resigned himself
to his work, ana between intervals of Iather
and razor unfolded his troubles. II ask
everybody to help me celebrate the freeing
of that beautiful country he said. Every
body came except that d-n Spanish store
keeper by the bridge. Those coolie Indians
C1indus) help me celebrate. those Norwa-
gian sailors help me celebrate. the Ameri-
cans help me celebrate. We have a good
time. Next day all come again. They say
Celebrate some more l say, Yes, cele-
brate the freeing of that beautiful country
some more We all celebrate some more
Iy wife send word for me to come home. I
send word to her too many customers in the
shop; must not leave them. Today she
again send word for me to come home. To-
night at IL o'clock she come after me. I
tell everybody wait and get shave Sunday
Nobody will wait. Tonight at II o'clock I
go home. Sunday will be very long day for
me-"
Other men in other countries celebrating