The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-05-30

The eyes OF a pretty Martinique girl
were heavy with tears while she talked
with New York Tribune reporter the
other day OF her former home in St.
Pierre and Of her many friends who
were there at the time OF the disaster
The young woman and her sisters
like most white girls at Martinique, re-
seiyed their education In Europe. The
convent school, the girl explained, ad-
mitted all applicants, negro as well as
white children, and as the social lines
nre rigidly drawn in Martinique white
people in rare Instances patronized the
school. The speaker recalled many In
teresting habits and incidents Of Mar.
Unique home life.
I'VE were never apprehensiye OF dan
ger from the mountain" she said. "In-
deed, we never even thought Of IL as
volcano To us IL was always the
mountain on the side of which grew
such luxuriant verdure as no one can
realize until he has seen It. The lake
in the crater was the favorite resort
for the young men who bathed in It
and camped around It. Women and
girls seldom visited the crater because
Of the steep aud difficult climb as one
neared the summit
"The drive from st. Pierre TO our
summer home at Morne Rouge was Il
delightful one. Along parts Of the way
big sugar cane plantations waved their
silky arms In the breeze. At Trois
Points, village ON the way, barefooted
women wearing big hats, which they
wove from palm leaves, were always
10 be seen washing their clothes in the
river. The river bed was covered with
huge bowlders, which the washers use
I'm place Of washboards standing In the
river and slapping the garments on the
stones with a vigor that would have in
sured destruction to the fabric had the
process been applied by uninitiatcd
hands. out Of the palm leaves the wo-
men also made kitchen fans, which
served them in place of bellows to en-
courage their fires.
"The Jardin des Plantcs was a beau
tlful place, but Il was infested with
snakes. as axe the forests of the island.
Visitors had to look out for them.
There were beautiful ferns in Marti.
nique, but always noticed that where
they were most luXuriant snakes were
the most numerous. No one thinks of
exploring the woods for flowers, as
they do here. because of the serpents.
Beautiful orchids and other lovely wild
q la
chlds are usually found In Inaccessible
places, difficult even for the natives TO
reach. The country surrounding Trois
Points is especially wild and pictur-
esque.
Among the attractive sights of st.
Pierre was the early morning market,
TO which country women brought their
produce in big wooden trays on their
heads and from which women buyers
took home their purchases in the same
fashion. The wooden head tray was,
too, the laundress only vehicle when
she called for and delivered her Gus.
toners wash. The women dressed In
the most brilliant hues obtalnable.
AT Fonds Core outside of the city,
II was picturesque sight TO see the
fishermen bringing in their big nets in
the early morning great variety OF
excellent fish was plentiful in Marti-
nlque, and IL was SURE TO be fresh, for
II could not be kept from one day TO
another on account OF the climate. Ice
was expensive, but was used by the
white people. An icemaking plant was
one of the enterprises Of St Pierre.
= People Of Martinique are early rls-
ers. The colored population starts for
market by o'clock, and the white
people are awake and ready for their
FIRST coffee by q o'clock, Many people
drink cocoanut water, which is said
20 have the virtues OF vichy, the first
thing in the morning. The cocoanuts
are procured by the little negroes, who
climb the trees for the fruit and de-
liver IL fresh 10 their patrons when the
water is cool and sparkling. The jelly.
like pulp Of the young cocoanut is a
great delicacy. The dry nut, In the
condition It is received here is grated
and made into a delicious ice cream.
breakfast Is, as rule, served be-
tween Z and s o'clock and usually con
sists OF cocoa or chocolate, with
bread or biscuit and butter. The mid
day repast Rt noon is the hearty meal
of the day, and there are always fish
course, a meat course, vegetables and
dessert Of fruit in one form OF an
other. A lighter meal is served at 7
p. m, at which there are always a
meat soup, vegetable or two and a
dessert Pastries IN the shape Of pies
and puddings are little us 4. There is
wealth OF fruit. Some OF the vegeta.
bles common In the north, such as as
paragus and artichokes, are much
smaller when grown in Martinique,
but others are larger, The cucumber,
for instance, which attains giant
size in the islands, would hardly be
recognized here. Concombres farcls
sausages is a fayorite dish, The big
cucumbers are peeled, the seeds are