The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-09
A PLEASANT TRIP.
David G.. Browne Has Returned From
the East.

David G.. Browne Has Returned From
the East.
Great Falls, April S.-Mr and Mrs.
David G. Browne have returned to this
city after an extended trip of several
months. Their itinerary included, be-
sides New York and Washington, run
down to the Bahamas and the winter
resorts in those islands. This part of
the trip was particularly delightful. The
thermometer stood at II degrees near
ly all of the time they were there. al
thugh the summer season Is approach
ing. Mr.. Browne says the natives are
the most peaceful and the most ignor-
ant in the world. They have not had
but one murder in two centuries, and
theft is almost unknown From Mas
sau he was rowed across the bay to an
island with a magnificent bathing
beach of white coral sand. Clothes and
valuables were left unprotected, and he
was assured that there was not the
slightest danger of loss from stealing.
Before going into the water the ma
tive boatmen picked from the trees all
the oranges the party could eat. and
the fruit was a revelation to a North
ern-born man.
One morning Mr.. Browne and his
party drove for three miles around a
plantation planted entirely with CO.
coanut palms. Later he met the pro-
pTlelOT anu asked WHeTe ne IouHu d
| market. America" was the reply, and
that was all the man, undoubtedly
wealthy, could say about it. He had
heard of the war between the United
States and Spain. at least he had heard
| there was some trouble, but did not
know how the affair had ended, or
| whether it had ended. He had also
heard of man named Dewey, but was
| not sure what nationality he claimed.
| His ideas about the government of the
| United States We're equally vague. Yet
he was an exceedingly wealthy man.
The houses and the roads around Mas
sau are built of coral rock. dazzling
white to the eye in the tropical sun,
and very cheap for building purposes
and the natives keen both houses and
roads in neat condition. But they are
| of a trifling class and about century
| behind the people of this continent.
One curious place to which tourists
are taken is spot off the coast known
as the Garden of the Sea. Native boat
men take sghtseers to this place with
| skiffs, which have a pane of glass set
| in the bottom. The water is wondrous-
! ly clear and one can see the floor of
| the ocean so feet below. 1t is also filled
| with beautiful forms of sponges, coral
and seaweed, and when the patron
sees anything he may fancy for a
keepsake the boatman is over the side
| III d lWlIh1e, ulNIhS eltel lLc tpJS,
and rarely failing to bring it up. While
Mr.. Browne was there an old gentle
man in the party lost his eyeglasses
overheard and some time elapsed be-
fore he discovered his loss. About so
boatmen We're lowering about the
ground, and when the word was passed
all began to search for the glasses,
scanning the bottom through the panes
in the boats. At last one man went
over the side of his craft. then another
until finally all of the boatmen were
| diving and cropping about on the bot
tom and the glasses were ultimately re-
covered An cid Spanish fort built
nearly 400 years ago, is another curios-
ity. and is as we'll preserved to-day as
if it had been in existence but two OF
three years. The trip was of great ben
eft to Mr.. Brownies health, and al
though he has no desire to reside ir
that country he was interested suffi
GENTLY to prompt him to take another
trip through those waters next win
ter, which will include Cuba, Porto
Rico and possibly the Danish West In
dies. At the present time the weather
and social conditions in Havana are
rather against visitors.