The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-18
People Of St Pierre Viewed
Volcano as a Protector.
ITS VELVET-LIKE SIDES
Where the Little Children
Played Under Its Vines.


was all over the island three weeks ago.
He spent several days in St Pierre
studying the people. the customs and
the condiugns Of trade.
III is Interesting to study the com
narrative times of the eruption OF Vesu-
vius with the three volcanic eruptions Of
Java. Honolulu and Martinique, said the
visitor yesterday TO an American and
journal reporter eve find that Fesu}lus
has in each instance indicated serious
trouble. The old mountain seems 70 be
a sort of stormy petrol. to tell where
there are TO be disasters in other parts
Of the world ] don't attempt TO assign
q scientific reason for this, but j eli
as fact that Vesuvius grows restless
Just before something dreadful happens
in another part of the world.
L am inclined to believe that the deaths
among the people Of ST Pierre have been
exaggerated. The island of Martinique
IS cut up with many deep ravines and IS
dotted with sheltered spots where hun
dreds Of people could. and ] think we
viii learn find shelter. This condition
existed in the case Of the terrible hurri-
cane of q number of years ago in the
British West Indies. The first reports
said that thousands or people had been
killed, but gradually. after the excite
ment wore off. hundreds and hundreds
emerged from hiding places which were
not known to exist. really believe that
we viii learn in afew days that there
are sheltered spots in the island of Mar
Unique in which hundreds Of terrified
people are now hiding.
But I am not so sure that We have
heard the worst Of St Vincent This IS
land Is thickly populated. especially in
and around Kingston. at the foot of the
Volcano To Soufriere.
THE people of Martinique are very
poor. although outwardly their homes
and shops have an expression of wealth
The buildings are very pretty are in
colore. red. white and blue and are kept
up pretty well. Inside the shops the dis
plavs appear to be quite lavish but there
are few moneyed purchasers
The credit system prevails almost ex-
clusiveiy. The majority of the people,
who are black. Of course. live on next
70 nothing -Four pence (eisht cents a
day is the usual wage for labor. and Is
about as much as the employers can af-
ford to pay The laborers work very
hard for the small wage.
"As IN most of the West Indian Islands,
the women greatly outnumber the men,
and do the brunt of the manual labor.
The sugar trade which is pract.cfily the
only Industry Of the island Of Martini
Que. has not been profitable of late years.
and The future of both Martinique and
Guadaioupe. even before the eruption of
Mount Pelee. was very gloomy.
The French government intends TO re-
move the bounty from sugar and with
out This bounty the industry cannot very
v,.l, sphsist Bur even with the best of
conditions il win be many years before
fhe island of Martinique can be worked.
Lava solidiaes In about two years. the
time required for it's cooling. I think that
Il Will he found TO he from thirty to nifty
faet deem an ST Pierre.
There were great many Americans
e. business In ST Pierre. The business of
the island seemed to ro about equally di-
,-i5oa soonc The French and American
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