Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-05-22

small box with a slit in it. in which
| the owner carefully banked his gains
Tor safe keeping until he returned 10
shol'.
Landing the passengers was always
! done in rowboats, which tied up at a
small pier from which a wheeling
little steam launch made daily trips
to Fort Royal. several miles down the
coas:.
Chief among the attractions for
visitors were the market place, which
was enclosed in a huge shed covering
city square; the botanical gardens
on the outskirts of the town, and the
drive up the slopes of Morne- Rouge. a
hiil which is situated between the
city and the heights of Mont Pelee.
The great gathering place of the
town was the m@rket place, where
every article of tropical food, clothing
or the other necessaries of life were
to be found.
chant, the next a purchaser He
would enter the market with a few
hsh, vans or tropical fruits, seat him
self in the first unoccupied spot and
dispose of his wares in exceedingly
small quantities for cash or trade and
the racket kept up was deafening, inter-
mingled with the shouts of the natives
being the barking of hundreds of lean.
half-starved dogs who sneaked in and
out among the stalls, stealing and de-
vouring any stray bit of food which
was left unguarded.
The botanical gardens were exten.
sive and We're filled with a profusion
Oh tropical plants and trees. A special
attraction to all visitors was a beauti-
little waterfall which leaped down a
precipitous and deeply verdant cliff
some sixty feet in height.
AT Morne-Rouge, which was reached
by carriages, it was said by the
ratives to rain every day in the year.
The rain was seldom more than a
slight drizzle except in the regular
wet season and the natives seemed
to think umbrellas very unnecessary
luxury.
The French Creole residents of the
town and the better class of trade
people were the personification OF
politeness and hospitality to stran-
gers
One American traveller tells the
story of an Illustration of courtesy
which seemed to him unusual to say
the least. He was walking along the
Rue Victor Hugo, the principal bust
hess street of ST. Pierre, and stopped
tt' examine a number of well-mounted
stuffed fish and big bullfrogs which
were on exhibition in a shop window
Entering the store the American at
tempted, In very broken French, tc
ask the price of one of the frogs
With some difficulty the storekeeper
French native, explained that the,
were only for show and could not h,
purchased. The Yankee offered :
good price for the frog, which he tool
from the window and admired. but il
was refused with many apologies.
Disappointed, he restored the fros
to its place and turned to leave the
store. AS he reached the door he was
surprised to find the .shopkeeper fol.
lowing him with the desired curio in
his hand. 1t was extended with tbe
accompaniment of very low bow on
the part of the native. Mystified 3,
the sudden change, the American took
the frog and preferred a silver ccin
IN return, but the latter was m
d1gnantly refused. Finally he man.
aged TO understand that the frog was
gift made to the American because
OF the latter's apparent admiration.
This, it was explained, was one of the
usual customs of the town.
The American returned to his SHIN
with the frog under his arm and with
his mind made up that the Inhabitants
OF st. Pierre were very polite and at
the same time decidedly unbusiness-
like.