Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-03
LIFE IN MARTINEZ f.
Incidents of the Stay of the Cruiser
Montgomery There.
Correspondence Providence Journal.


Correspondence Providence Journal.
Following q delay of ten days, spent in
the completion of necessary repairs to the
engines, the United States cruiser Mont
gomery will clear from this port tomorrow
for Port Castreis, Saint Lucia, British West
Indies. where the cruiser will be coaled and
provisloned for the continuance of her voy-
ago to South America
In more ways than one the advent of the
Montgomery at st. Pierre was boon to
the natives. For more than ten years past
there has been no American warship at the
Roads. and the pOpuace of the little city
beneath the shetering heights of Mount
Piquet had almost forgotten the benevo
lence and unbounded generosity of our
sailor lads.
Yesterday for the first time since our visit
liberty was given to portion of the crew.
Their approach to the shore was heralded
through the village as though it were the
coming to some great show. Natives soon
Hooked to the Wharves, and as our jackies
passed up between the ebony coored lines
of humanity there was an unmista ka BILE
manifestation of rejoicing on the part of the
denizens who were aware of what good
luck invariably follows a visit from man
oWar's men.
During the day the men passed about the
city, taking in the sights followed by
horde of curious natives who were con-
stanty begging. The sailors experienced
no end OF difficulty in changing American
money into French coins. Here was where
the bankers and shopkeepers ycaped their
harvest. and rich one it was.
One sailor visited one of tn" most promi-
nent hotels OF the city. entered the
cafe to be served. and W e finished his
repast and went to pay III, nill the express
sion of his Countenance can better be i'm
agined than told.
His dinner consisted Of four eggs. half a
chicken, two slices of rye bread two small
pieces of cheese half pint of claret and d
cup of black coffee. This cost him s., in
American money. The price of the same to
the cafe was 81 cents. purchased in open
market directly across the street. Butter
is wholly unknown the island. Beer is
~ cents. American money. a pint: claret
wine, of the poorest quality. 80 cents pint
Beef sells at any figure that the seller de-
sires to name. There are no choice cuts or
prime rOasts. The carcass Is cut up into
small, convenient chunks: that of the rump
usually sells for % cents a pound, the other
at from 16 to ~ cents, according to the
amount of bone there may be in the piece
There is no trimming One must buy and
lose all the offal. Porter house or sirloin Is
thing unheard of.
The people are a curious lot and the way
the sailor boys watched and noted all they
saw was amusing. Women do all kinds Of
manual labor, carrying the bod, quarrying
stone. working on the roads. driving teams
as stevedores unloading cargo filling ships
bunkers with coal and many follow me-
Chanical professions One cooDerage eYn-
pioys none but women. while all the asri-
cultural work is performed by them On
the little slOOpS and schoOners that ply
from port to port of the island CARRYING SUI
gar cane 10 the sugar refineries hundreds Of
women are employed and do the work of
sailors going aloft with the same sure foot
of the opposite sex.
They are poorly paid. The labor Is d.
yided into three classes. The first class is
paid - cents per diem, the second 81 cents
and the third % cents. On this pittance
they must subsst. l am informed on very
reliable authority that there are hundreds
OF women that have never eaten beef or
meat In their life. and that the major por-
ton of their food consists of rice and sugar
cane juice.
The majority of plantation owners never
pay the women any money. They have A
system of checks. and in this way pay for
the labor. These checks return to the
owner a certain percentage when he buys
them back from the market people 1t will.
therefore, be seen that labor is really
cheaper than above stated
Inc chief products of the island are sugar
and rum 1t is shipped from the island in
large quantities. the greater portion of it
gong to France and Spain. There is very
Little money in circulation on the island 4
United States treasury check for sum less
than $1,000 could not be cashed by the com
bined cash of the banks of ST Pierre 5rd
Fort de France.
France maintains a small military force
on the Island. consisting of French and ma
i've troops. The total is less than 800 men
There are a number of well-fortiied points
on the coast.
AS whole. Martinique is not the most
desirable place on earth. There will be
many nome in Rhode Island that will re-
ceiVe an elaborate account of the sights and
the expensive side of life here Imagine
paying 50 for JO-cent breakfast. and 81 tn
ride one mile in Il rickety old carryan
drawn by dilapidated old quadruped that
mas seen better days. not to say ANYTHING
OF having a whole company of soldiers
hustling up stamps for you that Won may
send a letter home, and besides nav III
per cent for the exchange Of good America,
gold for worthless paper money.