Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-04-12

| populuI winter IeSOIl anu SuHllhIluil,
and filing them with industrious and
desirable people. Although two colored
men already figure In the colonial coun-
Gil, they are natives Of the island, men
OF means and stability who consider
themselves Danes. Alien negroes would
be quite another matter.
There are other and more personal
reasons for opposition to the transfer.
The Danes who are now holding colo
NAL offices know that their salaries are
! al issue: and there are certain monop-
olies granted by the present government
! which would be null and void when
| King Christian has no more TO say
| about Il. Il 10 true that these islands
| cost Denmark about sixty thousand
! dollars every year more than they yield
| her--the bill being mainly for SOL
! diers and office holders and that
| therefore Denmark will be glad to
| get rid of the expensive encumbrance.
| Il Is equally true that Denmark Is q
| clog upon Island prosperity, a yeritable
| Old Man OF the Sea, who must be
shaken off before anything like pros
PETTY can return. Clearly, the "some-
thing rotten In Denmark" Is poverty
ana -behind-the-times conserya-
tism. There are men still living in
Charlotte Amelia who remember seeing
Spanish dollars wheeled through the
streets by the barrow-load, in days
when the harbor was crowded with the
products Of every cline. II seems in
credible that the present state Of pow
erty could have come about, where the
sun shines all the time and everything
IL the fruit and vegetable line grows to
perfection, If planted, One can live
GhHNuIN pnntlprh bapa
ent conditions, though the rich are
growing poorer every day and the poor
are, many OF them, on the verge OF
starvation. Gardens are few on st.
Thomas, only few onions and other
vegetables being raised-not nearly
enough 10 supply the inhabitants, who
get nearly all they eat from the United
states, but canned goods OF every sort
are cheap and plentiful. Clothing es-
pcclally tlen's wear made 10 order |
from the finest imported wOolens, cost |
less than half the United States prices: |
ana wines and liquors are altogether |
too cheap for the good OF the people. |
For six cents one can L''v bottle of |
native wine half Of which will make |
you see more stars than were ever dis |
covered IN the heavens.
Nowhere more forclbly than here, |
where seven-eighths OF the people are |
black, Is the fact more strongly i'm |
pressed upon you that the West Indies |
are the Negroes paradise, exactly suited |
to his taste and lazy habits because
the climate and the prodigality OF ma
ture enable him TO live without work.
After emancipation, nce-hourlshng
plantations had to be abandoned for
lack Of laborers. and their owners have
mostly returned to Europe, leaving
swarms OF idle blacks 10 practically
possess the place. They pick the fruit
from the trees the white men planted,
raise few growing vegetables J
and Just enough Gulena-grass TO pas
ture their goats.
Many Of the negro women are decid-
eddy good looking. and are generally SUI
perior to the men in all respects. doing
what little work Is done in the islands,
The habit OF carrying burdens upon the
head as soon as able to walk. gives to
this class OF females their notlceably
erect and graceful carriage. When
"dr sed TO kin their calico gowns are
In most brilliant coors the dyer can
produce. their stockingless feet are
shod with high heeled boots OF white or
red morocco. and their wool is bedeck-
ed with gaudy ribbons or, for extraor-
binary occasions, with hats and vells
worn rakishly tilted over horsehair
chignons OF the fashion OF a generation |
or two ago. These are the wives and |
daughters OF prosperous negroes, who |
have shops In the town, or hold petty
offices. Their sisters peg lower In the
social scale, make no pretense OF eth
er foot or head gear--except sometimes
the crownless brim OF mans discard.
ed hat, or half cocoanut shell invert-
ed. The dress skirts OF the lower class
stop Just below the knee so that a beyy
OF women at little distance look to
you like children.
The men wear dungaree trousers. cal
leo skirts and broad -brimmed straw
hats, and the youngsters sport shirt.
Or skirt, according to sex. or what
ever comes handy, for full dress"
and nothing at all for neglgee. For
eigners find much amusement In toss
Ing coppers from the hotel yerandas
down into the crowd which instantly
resolves Itself into tangle Of legs and
arms the heads being out OF sight In
ne center OF the mass, searching for
the coin.
No more animated scene can be i'm
lgined than the market costumes OF
he women, with their trays and bas-
iets on their heads the swarm OF ma
ted picaninnles. lodging about under
loot; everybody shouting, laughing
md chatterlng. In a good humor which
ieems infectious Indeed. | never saw
! happier or more utterly contented
community. always hilarious, singing
md laughing all day long.
a natural courtesy and spirit of kind.
hess prevails among the better classes
which charms the stranger. To gain an
invitation 10 ball In some planters
'r merchants house Is the ambition Of
very young sailor whose vessel Is de-
aimed In 81. Thomas harbor The Gre
DE bellies OF island aristocracy appear
Il their best when dancing--probably
BECAUSE the intense delight IL gives
hem. Their lives are very monoton-
us. passed indoors, In languor and sill
nee with no domestic cares, nothing
o read, nothing 10 do. no public amuse-
nents-nothing 10 vary the eternal
ameness but an occasional ball No
sonder then. that the soft. dark eyes
4 The West India Creole girl looks up
N her partner in the dance as her tenn
.orary knight and deliyerer, and she
egards I'm with a frank devotion
which ma scs her at once HIS sweet
cart pro TEN. Though the lonely
ellie and the sailor bold were stran-
ers few minutes before, a delightful
ttachment grows up between them
18th tropical speed, 10 be rellnquished