Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-16

western cyclone cellar" and then we shall
have the satisfaction of having bestowed
upon the jewellers in that region all the
blessings of an improved civilization.
That is. with the system and the cellar,
the islander will be able to predict the COM
ing of the hurricane in season to aunt a
shelter somewhere and await the taking
off of their roofs and outdoor possessions
For, a rule, everything that cannot be
taken in cut of sight is likely to be carried
off to nowhere and smashed into intinttes-
imal smithereens.
sorrow and Disaster.
There is no humorous side to the hurri-
cane; 1T is all solid sorrow and disaster.
But for these terrible cyclones, which the
abCrigines called ''ourdgans," and which
have periodically visited those islands from
time immemOrial. they would be paradise
cal, in their advantages to man. as retreats
from the carking cares OF the working
world. Yellow fever and cholera they can
in a measure guard against, but the hur-
ricane comes Upon them unawares and with
the resistless force of the elemental cata-
clysms.
This severe blow will probably be another
argument for annexation to the United
States, and It will not be a matter of sur
prise if all those southern islands follow
the example OF Jamaica and come knock
ing at our doors. However Uncle Sam
can't annex all outdoors, and he will prob
ably cOnStdef the proposition awhile before
committing himself to such an important
step. The advantages to be gained are not
all on the side of the islands, but will also
inure to the United States as well. always
barring yellow fever and hurricanes.
The Island Of Barbados would in all
pi disability, be the last 10 seek shelter I'M
der the protecting wing of the American
eagle. for II has always boosted that il has
been an English possesSion-no, not a pos
session. but an acquisition-ever since IL
was first settled in 1925. You can tel, a
Badian barn an bred, sah,'' by his erect
and dignified carriage; even Bar5adians
black as coals-and they are more numer-
GUS than those as white as chalk-wiN
proudly assert their allegiance to the Brit
ish queen. They are Britons to the back
bone. and are proud Of it. As indeed WHY
shouldn't they be? Does not the queen
maintain the island as the HEADQUARTERS
of II. NJ. forces In the West Indies under
a major general. who resides in the ISL
and?' Certainly she does; and moreover
the governor of her majesty's appoint
nent. has salary of $4,000 a year. with
another thousand allowance as table
money The treasurer of the island gets
5000 the bishop another sum equally as
large. and there is also a host of officials
With fat salaries whom the people are glad
to have among them; even though the ISL
ard revenues are-or Were lately-a thou
sand pounds under the expenditures.
The Resources.
The imports amount in round numbers
10 about 100000 and the exports 10 IS
0o,oVo The trade IS chiefly with the United
States: and no reader OF The Star need be
told that the principal products of TIE
island are sugar, molasses and rum.
Barbados is but twenty-one miles long by
fourteen broad. with an area of only 1888
square miles, yet boasts a population of
over $4,000, or about lila to the square
mile. When l was there last l was told
that China wasn't in it, with Barbados:
and as to the quality of the respective pop
ulations. why. there was no comparisoni
1t is this superabundant population that
makes OF the 'Badian negroes men vastly
superior to the average of their race. he
just has to hustle for a living" and no
mistake about IT. To be sure there may
be some malevolent Malthusians who will
see In the recent removal of several hun
dred of them by the last hurricane a PROV
idential dispensation. which will no. meet
with the sanction of the Barbadian. with
its schools and colleges-among them Cod
rington College, the Laaanda.ion Of which Is