The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-16
SLEEPY OLD JAMAICA
WHERE THERE is NEVER ANY HUR-
RY AND BUZZARDS CLEAN STREETS.
People of Kingston Amazed at the
Haste of Correspondents-Wh Ca
BILE Dispatches Are Delayed.
Correspondence of the Associated Press

Associated
KINGSTON, Jamaica, West Indies June
Con board the Associated Press dispatch
beat Wanda. 1.-THE city of Kingston, with
its narrow streets and picturesque people,
has population of 10000 and of that num-
Der only 5000 are white The women fill the
places of horses and wheels by carrying
most of the city's supplies on their heads.
The buzzards are the scavengers and aid
the street cleaning department. Just back
OF the city the mountains tower and be-
yond the mountains lies the interior, with
its ancient villages and simple people, every
inch of it interesting and historic. 1t is an
ideal place for dreaming, and if the Amer
scan fleet were not lowering about Santiago
de Cuba, only $50 miles distant, one would
be content to forget the modern world and
study for months this picturesque corner of
early American history. But the outside
world is waiting for news, and that is the
one fact that the native Jamaican
cannot seem to. understand He can
not comprehend why u there should
be such a delrious hurry about
telling the world what is happening down
here. The government is English, and the
crown controls almost everything. It is an
excellent government, too, satisfactory to
the people and sure always to secure for
them the best of everything, but for Amer
lean newspaper work the conditions are try
ing. j g.
The main office of the cable line to New
York, by way of Halifax, is located on the
north of the island land much nearer TO
Cuba is Port Antonio From Port Antonio
to Kingston is a telegraph line running
over the mountains. 1t occurs frequently
that dispatch boat with an important
V0iao Of \
Cuba to Port Antonio with the hope of send
ing the story overland to Kingston But if
the office has closed the news must wait I'M
til the next day. If correspondent knows
however, that he is likely to have an impor-
tant dispatch during the hours the office is
closed he may make written application to
have it kept open, and by paying 91 $50 an
hour may secure the use of the office until
his dispatch is sent over the mountains to
Kingston When it reaches the cable office
however, it may be delayed several days on
account of matter ahead. The regular press
cabel rate from Kingston to New York is 16
cents per word The commercial rate is As
cents per word. That is the lowest given by
any of the cable lines from the West Indies
to the United States. Press dispatches sent
over some OF the lines cost more than 81 a
word, and many of the stories of the war
read by the American people have cost thou
sands Of dollars for transmission alone, to
say nothing of the enormous expense of
eQuipping the dispatch boats.
Much of the work in the cable and tele-
graph offices throughout the West Indies
is done by negro girls who are intelligent
and obliging in their manner, but, like all
the natives, cannot understand why it is
necessary to hurry. The activity and rush
of the americans is a source of +h never,
the burning days the girls sit Ianguidty
tanning themselves as they work at the
telegraph keys, wondering why the Amer
leans are making so much fuss over little
thing like the war in Cuba. The telegraph
and cable offices are usually found in old
buildings dating back to the Spanish era,
with matched roofs and great palm trees
shading them. But the writers on the dis
patch boat encounter even more picturesque
difficulties. Last week one of the boats
put into a port on the Haitian coast. The
president of the island and thousand or
more natives were at the wharf TO meet
her The correspondents had no other
thought but to get to the cable office. But,
of course, the government controlled the
cable as well as it does everything else on
the island and the correspondents had
nothing to do but humor the local officers
caprices. The chief executive of the city
met the correspondents and. after a great
A concourse of natives followed. On reach
ing the house the official (who is to all IN,
tents and purposes the local king) FORCED
upon his guests several presents. All this
time the correspondents could feel the dis
patches fairly burning in their pockets; but
they must await the king pleasure
The time lost, however, in the ofnclaI S
company was not the worst of 1T. There
is a fixed rule of official courtesy in Haiti
that when the local ruler favorS a guest
with a gift the favor must at once be ac-
knowledged by a gift of equal or greater
value in return. The correspondents had
no articles of value with them and were in
great straits to know what TO do. If they
offended by failing to make a present the
Haitian official was likely to close the cable
office to them altogether. They went TO
the boat to talk over the matter and dis
cover if there was anything aboard suit
able for a gift. The only article that could
be spared was a fine, fat ham. A jug OF
rum was purchased at one of the shops and
the ham and rum were sent 10 the ON
cial. His Excellency was in raptures. he
felt that he had been honored in most ex-
traordinary way. The correspondents were
given every attention at the cable ONCE
The men who wear Uncle sam s uniforms
are not the only ones who are subjected 10
the dangers of the Cuban war. The men
on the newspaper dispatch boats, without
arms and without protection, are IN con-
slant danger. Not only are they likely at
any time to be captured by the Spanlards,
but when night comes they are IN Danger
of being fired on by the Americans and sent
to the bottom of the sea. Were II not Tor
the ifrportant news of the war ships the
dents and experiences of a thrilling nature.
Scarcely night passes that one or more
is not actually fired On or threatened with
dire punishment If she does not obey or
derS and keep outside Of the fleet limit