The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-12-06

| hest oranges, just picked for a cent each.
| other fruit ia proportion. ! top off each
neal with big slice Of the best quality OF
muskmelon ever grown. Big ones are two
| or three cents each.
There are twenty-four miles of steam
| railroad in operation, running across and up
| the east side OF the island. rhe road used
TO be rickety old standard gauge affdi-,
| nut the directors have employed an Amer
lean to reconstruct the whole business and
| he Is putting 1t in frst-class condition. The
| tram" or street cars are rocky old affairs
six seats, drawn by two sleepy mules and
piloted By colored driver and conductor
each wi h a white helmet hat and "A general
aspect of disregard of the flight OF time
American enterprise will some time put in
an electric road, and then the young dark
eys will skip for the open country.
Regarding the Importance of Barbodoes
as shipping and commercial port, / may
say that more American ships stop here
than at any other foreign port in the world.
Ia 1897, 1884 vessels called here, of which
37S were steamers. This is exclusive OF
the very large number which put in but
were not compelled to report at the custom
house.
Nearly all the principal food products
consumed here are imported from the
United States These comprise all the
wheat and corn -four pork, salt beef, bacon
and all that class OF goods, and nearly ev-
erything in the grocery line except canned
n.
lean "tinned goods" find very little sale
here. Decent tobacco is absolutely I'M
known, Nearly all the lumber used-pine
comes from the States. There is an OPP
portunity for somebody to make a million
here in the manufacture or importation of
cement. There is one tobacco factory
operated by an American, but 1t is no vet
heard around the world Last year S53 $50
was spent on education in the island
Nearly, IL not quite all the driving carriages
and bicycles are imported from America,
and last year S27 500 worth OF the former
came in. The roads are fine for bicycles.
but the sun is too deadly hot.
Last year the total imports Of the island
amounted to S5,043,495 Exports, So ESQ.,.
Sl5. Imports from America, 81, 800 $40
Exports to America 81, LAT 635. This indi-
Gates the overwhelming balance OF trade in
our favor. From January to July OF this
| year the island has exported 81, 521 hogs
heads OF sugar, of which 81, S13 went to the
States. la this time it also sent out % OBS
puncheons OF molasses, nearly all of which
goes to Canada. The price of sugar is now,
on an average, So 20 per 100 pounds on the
dock. The price has been as low as 81 49,
and in the sos rose to $500 The latter
were II sh times. 1t cannot be produced
TOR less than So 90 per hundred and pay
the producer tor his work.
Sugar, molasses and rum are the products
OF consequence exported. A few fruits
occasionally go out, but su gar is the staff of
life here. When the cane crop fails or
prices go down, the bottom drops out of
everything. The tendency now is upward,
slowly, and | expect to see conditions grad
| ually improve.
A considerable and increasing business is
done in the expectation to the States of
Manjak, not MavjA Ak, as the American gov
ern ent spells 1t on its consular reports.
Manjak is substance resembling anthra
cite and is mined at different points on the
Island. Ii is species OF asphalt, and the
rougher grades are used for its manufact-
ure. The best grades are used extensively
in the manufacture Of varnsh IL is worth
from SID to S24 per ton here and $50 in
! New York. The business is fast being
developed and will prove a valuable
| industry.
| The general price here for ice, and among
the other islands which have ice plants, is
one cent pound. / think likely that il is
cheaper than that with you now, regard less
OF the political campaign. Beach bathing
is perfection, and every one lakes his or her
morning "dip" Flying fish, fried, are con.
tinually on the bill Of fare, until one is
weary of the name. In size, color of meat
ana taste, flying fish considerably resem-
bles trout, but here they are utterly
spoiled in cooking, being steamed OF fried
soft and served without seasoning. They
are fine fl tvored fish, properly handled,
and | CondOle with them on having fallen
into the hands of fool cooks. AS sorrow
,"' uaulol vi laCl, oelIeNe lue udJlVt COOK
I here can torture and distort and ruin a veg
etable, or fish, Hesh or fowl, in more differ
ent ways than beginner will play whis .
l would like TO express myself more forc
bly, and fully on the subject but it would ba
OF no use, You can damn colored islander
for an hour in nine different languages, and
then he will rise up and thank you voluby
under the impression that you have been
asking after the health o his family.
There is no prohibitory Inv here, but
there ought to be. 1t is the only place
where l ever thought one advisable The
country floats in all sort OF liquors, hard
and soft, but much Of it is too rank even to