The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-06

It is still . matter of doubt as to
whether the United States will purchase
the island of ST. Thomas, one of the most
important of the Danish West Indies. This
Isle of the Virgin group is SO far out in
the Atlantic Ocean that it serves as a
key to the widely extended groups of ISL
ands which form a sort of chain from the
South American coast to Florida. In its
shores is a harbor, sharply indented, we'll
protected from the sea by its narrow en-
trance. and from the winds on all sides
by steep hills. The population, number
ing in all something less than 10000 per-
sons, is largely Danish, though Il may
be said that at least six languages are
current as a medium OF exchange between
the inhabitants and those who may visit
them. The town of St Thomas Is thor
oughly Danish in character. 1t is clean,
well built. and quaint in its architecture
and in the customs OF its people.
There is curious history attached to
this comparatively small spot OF earth.
1t was. according to local tradition. in
the sixteenth century that two pirates
chose the harbor CT st. Thomas as their
place Of residence and rendezvous. One
OF these bold outlaws was known as Blue
beard, and the other as Blackboard. Two
quaint and rather forbidding looking old
structures are pointed out to this day
as their respective residences. Standing,
as they do, on the heights above lie
town, they add wonderfully to the pic
turesqueness of the scene.
The story says that Bluebeard's wife
was the sister of Blackboard. and that,
when these two pirates settled on the ISL
and, they divided the land between them
and maintained separate fleets CT vessels
for their piratical operations, combining
only when obliged to face some enemy OF
unusual strength, or to sack some town
especially well defended. Bluebeard's wife,
1t would appear. was OF a jealous dispo-
sitlon, and seven ladies of the village be-
tween the two castles incurred her enmity
as being rivals in the affections Of her
husband, and she proceeded to poison
them all Bluebeard himself, upon learn
Ing OF the action taken by his wife and
actuated either by a sense of justice or
regret for the ladies WHO had been so sum-
marily disposed OF, determined to put his
spouse TO death. 1t was then that 4 sis
legend under the name Of Ann, climbed to
the ramparts of the castle and waved the
signal Of distress that Blackboard, her
brother, might intercede. The latter. to do
him justice at once responded, riding In
haste upon his barbed steed. II is TO be
remarked that he must have been an ex-
captionally good horseInan to have coy
cred the ground in the fine style he is re-
ported to have done. fer three steep hills
.wz~r h.@.w~ H.
upon these eTuinences is built the present
town OF st. Thomas, with its white walled
houses and red tiled roofs. The sequel of
the story Of the pirates. by the way. in
volving the fate of tie jealous wife, is,
unfortunately, lost TO posterity-
The town was once a prosperous place.
When the richly laden galle0ns sailed TO
and from old Spain from the shores OF
South America. and, in fact, as long as
the slave trade existed, there was rarely
a time when the flags of half a dozen ma
tons were not represented upon the ship
ping IN the little harbor. The limited
agricultural area OF the island was Tiled
TO its utmost. The warehouses Of the city
overflowed with the wealth OF the tropics
Merchants and traders, ship owners and
slave dealers. amassed fortunes with
rapidly and ease, while the ill-gotten
gold of pirates and buccaneers was oc-
casionany rife in the town. and those
gentry conducted themselves with fero-
cious and obstreperous gayety. Then en-
sued the destruction of the slave trade
the rivalry of Havana, San Juan, and other
West Indian ports, while a terrible
drought. continuing for a number of
years, destroyed all vestige of agricuI-
ture upon the island.
The harbor grew, day by day. more de-
serted. until finally St. Thomas became
only the refuge for occasional tramp Trad |
ing ships or storm-driyen vessels, and he
regular stopping place Of but one or two
trans-oceanic steamships The ware
houses became empty. the great firms OF
former days either failed or retired from
business, and but for handful of sailors
or an occasional tourist the community
might have followed the example of the
courtiers of Sleeping Beauty" and gone
into complete and extended state of
coma without adding materially to the
air OF lifelessness that now hung over the
place.
Then came the war between this coun-
try and Spain, during which St Thomas
was neutral port. According to inter-
national law, only one vessel Of q bellig-
erent power can enter a port at q time
This proved serious inconvenience TO
the American fleets. which we're constant
~ passing back and forth through the
West Indian waters
Then again the harbor became lively.
this time with white irorclads flying the
Stare and Stripes at their mastheads
Before the Spanish American war. the
quiet Of the place had only been disturbed
by salute to the Danish flag fired IRON
the guns Of an occasional warshlp visit
ing that part Of the world. So extremely
peaceful were affairs in the town that the
evening and morning gun from the little
fort on the hill divided the day into two
distinct periods. This gun is fred at 8
o'clock in the evening and s O'Clock in
the morning. These salutes are mean
ingl7 SIS now, being relics Of slavery days
Before the blacks we're set free they were
compelled TO live outside Of the city
limits The o'clock gun was signal
for them all to go to their homes; the
o'clock gun for them to return to tho
city, and resume their labors When
slavery was abolished, there was agrar-
emily no further need for these morning
and evening salltes. but the inhabitants
OF the town had become so used 10 hear
ing them that, thinking perhaps. Of the
added loneliness Of complete silence The
custom has been kept up By universal ac-
cord 20 this day. Some Of the people pa
thetically tell how. not so very long ago, !
the Government ran out OF powder so that
the salutes could be no longer fred. At
first the people not hearing the 8 O'Clock
gun, which was the signal for their re-
firing, roamed aimlessly through the
streets. seeking some reason for their
wskefuness. When, finally exhausted ~
their wanderings, they fell asleep II was
TO let the early hours Of the day slip by
UNDECIDED because no O'Clock gun awnke
them to their labors. All felt that this
state OF affairs could not last long; uni
VersaI nrOtesf was bea tho