The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-05-15
Famed for Its Beauty and Pic
turesque Surroundings.
ITS ROMANCE AND HISTORY
Island of Martinique Famous as the Birth
place Of the Empress Josephine
and a SuItana of Turkey.

The city of ST. Pierre was
built at the waters edge, on the
slope of the mountain that de-
stroyed it. Up from the open
harbor the streets of the city
were cut in the rock. Some.
times they were so steep that in
stead of a roadway they were
there were steps in the hillside,
and always, from the vantage
point of a street crossing, one
could look down into the harbor
over the roofs of the houses built
but block below.
Mont Pelee above it, covered
with green to its very summit,
4,450 feet above the sea level,
the highest point on the island,
was known to all the inhabitants
as eruptive, but little they cared
for that, as Mont Pelee was
quiet, without even rumblings
within, and not since 1851 had it
shown any signs of activity.
Even in 1851 the people of ST..
Pierre were more scared than
harmed by the eruption, and they
regarded their monster as almost
a tame one.
The 10000 inhabitants of St.
Pierre, forming almost a third
of the total population of the
island, took life easily and gaily.
AS in all tropical cities, business
was suspended among them dur
ing the hot hours of the day.
Only in the evening and in the
morning were they to be seen at
their business and amusements,
but these hours they slept in the
open air on the streets, and the
city seemed always like a city in
fair time, with unending throngs
of brightly dressed merry max
ers.
And st. Pierre has always
boasted that it had no slums, NO
poor quarters within it. Its poor
were not paupers, and there was
never any lack of food or shelter
for all.
The cathedral stood ir the cen.
ter of the city. with two great
white towers, and around it were
many other public buildings, all
of them massive and well built
of stone, though often plain ex-
ternally. The public library had
a building of it's own, and there
was a handsome theater, which,
however, was rarely used. as
travelling theatrical companies
sometimes forgot st. Pierre fol
years at time.
The private houses were usu-
ally painted In a clear yellow
tone, and from this color and its
charming contrast with the brigh,
blue sky above st. Pierre go1
most of it's reputation for beauty
In every street there was run
ming water, which was a grea,
advantage to the city from a san
itary standpoint, and there were
so many fountains at the corners
from which pure cold water
spouted that not merely was the
best of drinks always at hand
but the effect in the cooling o1
the heated air was appreciable.
The mixed race which made
up more than three -fourths of the
population of ST. Pierre had
among its numbers all of the
market people. A fish and fruit
market existed at the north enc
Of the city, out the customers
did not 60 to them. Instead, the
strong, 1.-the natives took grea'
baskets of food upon their heads
and wandered through the streets
seeking their customers.
i The merchants who exportet
and imported goods were largel,
Frenchmen, or Of French de
scent, though q few British and
| American houses did business il
the city. Practically all of til,
foreign commerce Of the island
| amounting to q total of abou