The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-10-19
HOLIDAYS In PLENTY
LIVES OF MANY WEST INDIANS
La CONTINUOUS FETE.
Nothing Else to Do-Live on Nuts
and Fruits-The Labor Problem
in Jamaica Has Been Solved in
Part by Years Of Instruction.


Washington Star.
Toussaint LiOuverture. after his betray-
al and imprisonment at Fort de Joux,
Frurce, was subjected to many fortunes
to compel him to reveal supposed hidden
treasures on the Island of San Domingo.
YES" he said. "Santo Domingo con-
tains immense treasures-incalculable
but to obtain them these things are in
disrensabie-liberty, peace and labor
In striking contrast are the words of
one of his negro chiefs. who. refusing to
work, said: white man lives on bread
and meat. and must work to get it; black
man lives on fruit. and does not have to
work"
The recent statement of the United
States Department of Labor, July bulle-
tin. that Cuba has an area of about 1900
square miles of which only 3 per cent,
or 1920 square miles, was under cultiva-
ton in 1899, suggests therefore. an inter-
esting study. The bulletin notes some 10
crease in the acreage since 1899 and esti-
mates four acres in every hundred I'M
der cultivation. The disastrous wars and
the destruction OF sugar estates greatly
decreased the acreage. While these facts
are true. the need OF labor and the dis
like of 1t, as expressed in the sayings of
LOuverture and his chief, tell his story
of the tropics.
The labor problem has in part been
solved in Jamaica by long years of in
struction. The best labor is obtained In
that and other English islands. but the in:
ducements offered to the citizens of those
islands are seldom great enough to in
duce them to leave home. And unscrup-
ulous planters so often failed to keep
their agreements that even q contract
and payment in advance were looked up
on with suspicion. Contracts have been
violated and pay withheld, SO that the
unwilling victim becomes practically a
slave.
The best remedy consists in the educa-
ton of the natives themselves. but 1t Is
doubtful If the present governments in
any of the islands of the West Indies. ex-
cept those belonging tn European powers,
are able. either by example or the pre-
cepts of their leaders. to bring the people
up to a respect for labor or a regard for
its emoluments. In fact the Spanish idea
of offieeholding is a salary for being mas
ter over the people, the slaves. The ex-
ample is not inspiring and does not re-
suit in the advancement of the people.
The only fruit is revolution. an attempt
to depose the leaders and>to become mas
tiers instead Thus the people are given
to idleness and to their holidays, which
are almost without number.
The holiday fetes of the inhabitants Of
these islands are interesting. The people
are quite proficient in the manufacture
of fireworks and the decorations, though
simple are profuse. Colored tissue paper
and the leaves of the palm are the mate
ria,s used and village decked out In
holiday glory gorgeous in the extreme
The palms are planted every few feet
he STR m Gida
close to the matched cottages. and cords
are stretched across the street from palm
to palm on these cords are knots of
tissue paper, each knot different in color
from Its neighbors. They are knotted on
an inch or two apart and the street is
thus spanned and walled with colors
Women arrayed in their best and bright
est gather on the sidewalk at the various
doors and the effect is not displeasing.
The music is not of the Sousa impress
siveness. The village band usually plays
three pieces, one of which is the national
air, the other After the Ball" which
was appropriated some years ago by a
Spanish publisher of music, who put 1t
on the market as his own production.
The third is piece especially designed to
give the tom-tom players the entire exc
cution. AS the bands play an hour or so
at each piece and play all days and all
night this feature of the village holiday
does not conduce to the happiness OF tho
foreigner who may be within the gates.
All labor ceases, the ships arriving In
the norris must wait for laborers to un-
load or load cargo and often. as at
Easter when the holidays last TWO weeks
continuously, there is considerable loss
to the unfortunate ship owner. The Eas-
ter ceremonies are the most elaborate.
IafI the
larger cities they are interesting. The
most important of the Easter parades are
held in the evening about o'clock. prob
ably to avoid the heat of the day. Three
novitiates carrying emblems precede. fol-
lowed by a hundred or more boys carry
ing candles. Next is a band and a cho-
rus of male voices preceding raised
platform on which is carried one of the
images usually found in the churches.
This platform is borne on the shoulders
of young men who are frequently relieved
by others at their side. A military guard
surrounds them The images are lie
size. made of wax and arrayed in silKen
robes or velvet Tall lamps of crystal
glass hold candles which light the image.
The canopy above is of silk and Is sup
norted nv rods of gold. Following the
first image come officers of the army
and navy and dignitaries of the church
other images. similarly attended and pre-
coded by bands, follow, with infantry. All
carry candles except the soldiers. There
is little attempt at regularity, the narrow
and crooked streets preventing any at
tempt at formation or keeping step.
Only one band is permitted to play at
a time, a practice which might well be
initiated in the United States. The pro-
cession over, there is a short service at
ba daV ia done. This
continues every day for two weeks. com
mencing a week before Easter. Most of
the holidays. though church holiadys' are
not celebrated so soiemnly' but all mean
cessation of business and idleness.
In February twelve holidays AL OBJ
served follow consecutively. All Souls
day is most interesting The little ceme-
terry is enclosed by high stone fence and
entered by narrow gate. 1t has
greater population per square Ioot thah
soarce1v any walks and hardly stepping