The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-12-05
VA TUESDAY. DECEMBER

the side of an immense hill, almost
mountaiu, from whose top the A.
lauuc Ocean may be seen. Ia
houses sre white, with green blinds.
aud 70 IS painted red, and surround
ed with green foliage. The town is
built on three hills, Cor rather uu-
dulations Of the Que immense h'll
which rises back of it,) sloping down
to the water and presenting au *
cellent representation Of the tieur.de'
is Many OF -cts Of interest present
themselves as one enters the harbor
of St. Thomas, prominent among
which are the lez4retto or quaran-
the flee, with its well appointed
buil,i lgs and spacious grounds, the
hoauUg dock, capable OF receiving
steamers and large vessels OF over
5000 tons. the marine slip and rail
way for repairing vessels of smaller
craft, the immense cisterns for the
storage of water for the supply OF
vessels, the factory, where can be
made nearly every kird Of iron
work for the repair of vessels,
and last, but not least in point
of iuteret, Bluebeard's Castle, a
white buldlug, with tower, resembl-
ing a castle, located on a hillside
near the waters edge, with spacious
grounds ornamented with tropical
trees and shrubs. To the usual 10
ouirv made by the traveller rs TO the
nature aud character OF the build
ings, the otacular answer-"blue-
boards Caslle"-ls invariably given
DR.. Taylor, of st. Thoml IS, (of whom
more anou), in his excellent, instruc-
tive aud attractive book on 81.
Thomas aud the Danish West Indies
weaves g. veral Legendary stories con
cerniug Bluebesrd's Castle in eXquis-
lte sty les, but how the building CAM
tobe called Bluebesrd's Castle al
whether il WAS ever the abode o.
Bluebesrd's or Of genuine pirates OF
the Spanish main, remain a mystery
10 your correspondent. Perhaps IT
the mystery were dlspelled che charm
would be lost. A Virgins gentleman
and his wife, who were Of the party
which VISITED St. Thomas, had
fneods at Bluebesrd's castle aud Wis
tied them, aud reported to your cor
respondent that the young ladies OF
the house, although they have never
been away from the island Of ST..
Tnom4s, would readily rival the
otll7s OF New York IN elegance and
r. Il Iement.
Your correspondent has been in
formed that in spacious mausiou
yet standing on the brow Of the bill
10 the rear ofSl Thomas, Santa Anna
made his abode after his discontinue
by the American arms Ia Mexico.
II seems pretty certain that 81
Thomas was at one time Inhabited
Oy the Caribs, the tribe OF Indians
who have gwen name to the Carrl-
bean Sea, jlst ss Porto Roo was
populated by the B)rluquens, whose
uames is still preserved 10 many ways
on the Island. A popular dry goods
ests sbllshment in San JOAN bears
upon its front the legend-"Ls hioa
de BJrinquen," (rne daughter of the
b BIrIuqueu)
Z TX Smldt, the Dane, arrived al
S.. Thomas 10 1866 IL ship called
DE Z ldrscbt" aud took possession
of the Isl 40 ii for Denmark. Its actual
history begins from the time JOrgen
Rersen became iis Governor, May %.
1872, and is one at N 4rked prosperity
and reverses occsssIoned by hnrri-
canes, earthquakes and diseases
Or, vslent IN the tropics. For years
1t Justly held the proud title of Em.
porlum of the Atilles, being the en-
trepot for the entire West India
trade. AS late as eighteen or twenty
years ago It's spacious harbor, which
will readily accommodate 200 vessels,
was crowded with the ships OF all the
great commercial nations. aud the
streets of ST. Thomas, from early morn
Ing until late at night, we're crowded
with men of every nationality,
set king wealth in its great CONNER
clal activity. Enormous stocks OF
goods were bought and sold, as its
huge warehouses now demonstrate.
and fortunes we're acquired in a
comparatively short time, and taken
away. These conditions no longer
exist, and st. Thomas is no longer the
distributing center for the entire
West Iudia trade. It's port, however,
is still visited by a number of impor
tant steamship lines, which maintain
their docks and extensive warehouses,
with iron tracks running alongside OF
them for the carriage of goods. Toe
Hamburg Steamship Company, the
French General Transatlantic Com
pany, the British Royal Mail and the
Quebec lines each has number of
steamers calling monthly at st.
Thom4s. Naval vessels frequently
visit its safe and commodious narbOr
for coaling and other purposes. Its
Importance as a cOallng station has
not been overlooked by the United
States. Mr.. Seward visited the island
IN 1866. which gave rise TO talk of its
acquisition, which has, at different
times since, been renewed with more
or less esrnestness.
DR.. Taylor, in his work already
alluded to, says with respect to the
advantages of St. Thomas as a naval
station :
"You can coal cheaper, telegraph
cheaper. repair vessels cheaper and
water vessels cheaper, aud with bet
ter water than else where in the West
Indies"
There are several churches in st.
Thomas, or more properly speaking,
in the to9n Of Charlotte Amslis !:
The Lutheran, which is the State
Church the Roman Catholic, Mora.
viau, Episcopalisn, Dutch Reformed
and Methodist. Tne IsrselItes have
also a pretty synagogue, which 10
past days was filed with large and
ID pfiuentlAl congregation.
The only hotel is the CONNER
cial," where satisfactory aecOmmo
sl