Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-08-25
ST. PIERRE HALF-BREEDS
THE FINEST MIXED RACE OF THE
WEST INDIES.

etraight as rains ana supple ana Tail
We're the Victims of Mont Pelee, in
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of the Women
Singular and Brilliant.
In describing the people of ST. Pierre
the people who have been buried in
one great black tomb of lava and mud
no better authority may be had than
Lafcadio Hearn, who for two years
lived among them, and who made u
close study of them. He says:
"a population fantastic, astonishing
"a population of the Arabian Nights.
1t is many-colored, but the general
dominant tint is yellow, like that of
the town itself-yellow in the inter-
blending of all the hues characterizing
mulatresse, capresse griffe, quarter
of rich. brownish yellow. You are
among a people Of half-breeds, the
finest mixed race of the West Indies.
straight as palms and supple and
tall, these colored women and men i'm
press one powerfully by their dignited
carriage and easy elegance of move
ment. They walk without swinging Of
the shoulders-the perfectly set torso
seems to remain rigid; yet the step is a
long, full stride, and the whole weight
is springingly poised on the very tip Of
the bare foot. All, or nearly all, are
| without shoes; the treading of many
naked feet over the heated pavement
makes continuous whispering sound.
, Perhaps the most novel impression
Of all is that produced by the singular
ity and brilliance of certain of the
women's costumes. These were devel-
oped at least a hundred years ago by
some curious sumptuary law regulat
ing the dress of slaves and colored peo-
pie Of free conditional law which al.
lowed considerable liberty as to mate
rial and tint, prescribing chiefly FORM
But some of these fashions suggest the
Orient; they offer beautiful audacities
Of color contrast, and the full dress
coiffure, above all, Is so strikingly
Eastern that one might be tempted to
! believe it was first introduced into the
colony by some Mahommedan slave. 1t
Is merely an immense Madras hand
kerchief, which is folded about the
head with admirable art, like turban
-one bright end pushed through at the
top in front being left sticking up like
plume. Then this turban, always full
of bright canary color, is fastened with
golden brooches-one in front and one
at either side.
"As for the remainder of the dress, 1t
Is simple enough; an embroidered, low
cut chemise with sleeves; skirt or
jupe, very long behind, but caught up
and fastened in front below the breast
so as to bring the hem everywhere to a
level with the end of the long chemise,
and finally a foulard or silken kerchief
thrown over the shoulders. These jupes
and foulards, however, are exquisite in
pattern and color, bright crimson,
bright yellow, bright blue, bright green
lilac, violet, rose-sometimes mingled
In plaidings or chickering's or strip
ings, black with orange, sky-blue with
purple.
ITO this display add the effect of
costly and curious jewelry; immense
earrings, each pendant being formed
cylinders sometimes two inches long
and an inch at leastin circumference
a necklace of double, triple, quadruple
or quintuple rows of large hollow gold
beads. Now this growing jewelry is not
mere imitation of pure metal; the
earrings are worth 175 francs a pair;
the necklace of Martinique quadroon
may cost 500 or even 1000 francs. 1t
may be the gift of her sweetheart, but
such articles are usually purchased
either on time by small payments OF
bead by bead singly until the requisite
number is made up.
But few are thus attired. The
greater number Of the women carrying
burdens on their heads-peddling vege-
tables, cakes, fruit, ready cooked food,
from door to door-are very simply
dressed in single plain robe of vivid
colors, reaching from neck to. feet, and
made with train, but generally girded
well up so as to sit close to the figure
and leave the lower limbs perfectly
free.
"These women can walk all day long
up and down hill in the hot sun, with
out shoes, carrying loads Of from 100
to 100 pounds on their heads, and il
their little stock sometimes fails to
come up to the accustomed weight
stones are added to make it heavy
enough. And the creole street cries,
uttered in a sonorous, far-reaching,
high key, interblend and produce ran
dom harmonies very pleasant to hear.
THE quaint stores bordering on both
sides Of the street bear no names and
no signs over their huge arched doors
you must look well inside to know
what business is being done Even
then you will scarcely be able to satisfy
yourself as to the nature of the COM
merce, for they are selling gridirons
and frying-pans in the dry goods stores,
holy images and rosaries in the notion
stores, sweet-cakes and confectionery
In the crockery stores, coffee and sta