The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-06-27

family carriage, and under the
kitchen YOU will find where the
horses. cows and pigs reside.
The Young ladies-and some of
them are fairly good looking-nerer
walk on the streets unaccompanled
bv IN older female; usually an old
biacE woman understood to b" her
grandma. The girls 4re not unlike
the whit girls in The states. al. /
don't understand how they coulo be
kin to the old black woman, but evil
IDENTIFY it is u fact. The girls all 60
bareheaded in the sun, and yet some
of them have beautiful complexions--
powdered to kill though, which no
doubt accounts for much of the
surface beauty, Hats are seldom
worn bv the women; sometimes they
wear black lace veil over the head,
but as rule they wear no headcov-
eriug at all. Umbrellas are un-
known here. There are very few
churches, Today, Sunday, every
business house will be open until l
p. III. This afternoon there will be
4 great game of base ball, and every
one is expected to have a geod time.
There are not more than Is Eng
lish speaking people, in this town.
Everyone of us is trying to learn j
little Spanish SO as to make ourselves
agreeable with the natives. They
seem very kindly disposed toward us
and we are invited and freely ad-
mitted into the best homes. We
have coffee (''caffa" at 7:30 Il. IN,
breakfast ut eleven and dinner at 9
p. IN. After supper we 60 out on
the plaza "a small park in the center
of the town. and enjoy the cool
breezes and sweet music, Nearly
everybody turns out.
Practically all trading is done in
Spanish currency, though L. s..
money is very acceptable. One dol
lar in L. s., currency is worth S1.35
Spanish silver, 81 L. S., gold is
worth $2.09 Spanish gold. The
price varies from day to day, which
causes much confusion in the keep
ing of accounts, One feels like he
is getting the better Of a bargain
when he throws down aSl0 bill an1
is giveu 1880 in Spanish silver for
it. Prices are very high OIL some
articles. A necklie which may be
bought anywhere in the |. s., for
% cruts will cost $l.25 or more i'll
Havana; understand SOME articles
are reasonable though. | went to Al
first class store last night to buy Il
collar; could not understand what
the fellow said; called in an inter
prefer who told Inc that there were
no collars in stock, but they would
make ME one and have it ready this
morning. Did not take my measure
or ask the style desired, so | am real.
" q little afraid to call for the
article.
It is hard to realize that the tre-
n,endous resources of this. island
have so long been neglected or un-
appreciated. The natives are lazy
and want to do everything ''rIanana'
tomorrow. They make Il living SO
easy they seem to have lost the art
of acquiring wealth. 4 family IN the
country will have small banans
patch which supplies them with food
nearly the entire year:they need very
little clothing, 50 guess they think
they might as we'll live on the easy
side of Shady street. The soil is as
rich as can be-prac,ically no sandy
rocky or waste land at all. Yet the
country is thinly settled. There are
some immense sugar plantations
MANY thousand acres Of sugar cane
in single patch; indeed some of
DETERMINATIONS arc so large they have
individual railroads to attend them.
The company am with is more a
development company than rail-
road. We have no road in operation
at present. but some 900 miles under
construction, will be in operation
inside of yeM. The company owns
large plantations aud extensive min
ing properties which they viii! oprr-