Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-03-22

method one may be sure OF unwatered
| milk but there ~ little danger OF that
In any event, since water N sCarcer
than milk In ST. Thomas. Even wa
| ter FOR drinking purposes has often 10
be brought from some other island, es-
! peclally near the close OF the dry sea.
som ana you may be sure that among
hol pallol, very little Of 1t Is squan-
dered In bathing or the washing Of
clothes.
Among the sights Of Charlotte ANA.
liza is reckoned "Bluebeards Cave"--a
deep, dark hollow running back under
the cliffs that environ the harboi--n
which II Is said. the notorious buc-
cancer buried much Of his treasure. IL
Is doubtful, however II any OF the pi-
rates who freQuented these parts In the
seventeenth century ever saw the cav
ern. AZ any rate, no treasure has been
found IN it through 200 vars Of diligent
search, aided by the divlning rods Of
negroes. But odd lots OF the freeboot-
ers hldlngs have come TO light IN other
places from time 10 time Many cOp-
per pot and IRON chest, filled with gold
en- doubloonA has been unearhed In tho
neighborhood Of ancient landmarks,
and scores OF lazy negroes have been
ruined for life by the finding Of Span.
ish pieces Of eight" such as every
sohoolboy has read about In 1.-THE Pi-
rates own Book and Clark Rus ellis
sea stories, BY the way, the island OF
Ayes-the very last stronghold of those
seafarng folk OF predatory propensltles.
whore Rev. Charles Kingsley wrote his
pathetic Lay OF the Last Buccaneer,"
IL some distance farther down, near
the South American coast.
IL takes the stranger considerable
time 10 get used to the overwhelming
majority Of black faces In 81. Thorn
asa pure white one being rarely seen
on the streets during the heat OF the
day You observe, too, that there APP
pears TO be a great many more women
than men, and that the former make
the most noise and appear to do most
OF the work. Many Of the young mu.
addresses are really beautiful, with
perfect ngures and natural grace that
would well become North American
young ladies Of fairest compilations
one does not wonder that their black
err reat-grondmothers, captivated the
rough buccaneers, or that intermarri-
ages between the races are still com
mon. Today hardly 10 per cent Of the
population OF these islands are white
and the color line Is very lax, If
drawn at all. Some Of the blacks are
OF n superior class, not only by reason
OF a prepOnderance of white blood in
their veins but because they have al
ways enjoyed the same rights and priv
ilcges as the whites. The descendants
Of the slaves are another class alto
gether as different as the Chi
nese coOlie Is from the man
DARN. Even these are improving with
every generation, education being COM
pulsory under Danish rule the chill
dren Of white and black going TO
school together. There ls also no
distinction OF color In the churches or
IN business circles. Danes and English
men recognize a man for his worth,
wealth ana education, and never dream
Of excluding nelghhor from the same
social business or religious privileges
they themselves enjoy on account Of
difference in color. In the colonial
council OF Sc. Crolx are two black men.
and they M their places with credit
20 themselves and to the satisfaction OF
their associates. Not a clergyman on
the islands objects TO performing the
marriage ceremony between black men
and white women. There is property
clause In the franchise restricting vot-
ers to citizens who own property, or
have an annual income exceeding Ave
hundred dollars. At present this gives
st. Thomas island less than two hun
dred voters, Denmark standing army
In her western possessions consists OF
2j0 men. They are volunteers recruited
from the veteran corps in the home
country and sent to the Islands for a
term Of six years. They have guard
and barrack duties to perform but those
who have trades may work at them
when not on duty--therefore the Danish
army in the West Indies looks more
like shoemakers, bricklayers, etc, than
soldiers. When their term OF service is
over they receive free transportation
home, or II they desire 60 remain, are
given positions on the police force,
AS TO the business possibilities of
these islands, under proper develop
ment, they are practically unlimited.
Last year the imports Of st. Thomas
alone amounted to nearly $4,000 and
those Of ST. Croix, the much larger but
less populous island, about $3.50 600
They consist mainly Of food stuffs and
manufactures most Of which ought TO
be produced on the spot The exports
have long been a miscellaneous and |
shabby lot hardly worth mentioning. |
Those from st. Thomas, amounting 10 |
about $4,000 per annum, so to the |
neighboring Islands. st. Croix sends |
s275000 dollars worth, or thereabouts, |
Of sugar and other tropical products, |
chiefly to the United states. Little st. |
John CJan" in Danish |
only twenty-one square miles and a |
population Of one Observation-Disclosures |
itself To the raising Of cattle, to sup |
ply passing vessels with fresh meat. |
The whole island Is grazing land and |
all the inhabitants are black, except |
half a dozen government officials. |
There is q Danish Judge, who fills sew |
eral other important offices, such as |
chief Of police. harbormaster post |
master, customs officer and head Of |
the truant school, sort OF reform |
institution situated on the tiny island. |
His police department consists Of two |
members besides himself ST. John Is |
only twelve miles on the eastern
of st. Thomas-a pleasant half hours |
sail Profitable stock farms might be |
established here with small invest |
ments; and the possibilities Of fishing |
and OF canning establishments are |
great The water about all these ISL |
ands Is fairly swarmlng with the best |
fish In the world and is so clear that |
the bottom, far below, may be seen
at any point At present almost no |
fishing is done around st. John, al
most no gardens or farms are Guilt |
waited, and the beautiful harbor OF
Coral Bay--one Of the best protected |
natural harbors IN the West Indies, Is
very little used. Indeed, the world at |
large has hardly heard Of It, though |
Il is second only TO that OF Charlotte
Amelia.
FANNIE y. WARD.
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