The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-28
the time cutting supar-caue. picking coffee

the time cutting sugar-caue, picking coffee,
or gathering pimento. They can do every
the men themselves, and they are far easier
to manage. They will even carry heavier
loads on their heads than the men"
"Then why don't you break that IRON
bound custom and employ only women
at mems wages3" asked the American.
should not have a single laborer, male
or female, on the estate inside a week
You don't understand the conservatism
OF the tropics.
"Immemorial custom DEGREES that a
woman shall be paid ia cents and a man
"a. II I paid the women mems wages,
they would grow suspicious and refuse
to work for me
And even If they were willing to work,
their men-folk would not let them. Most
Of my women laborers support some lazy
hulking brute ~ q man ont ri their scanty
earnings. and yery often a family as we'll"
Some OF the women workers OF the tropics
are enterprjsine. and branch out into new
lines Of business ,,ndreamed Of by men.
A well-known American traveller In South
America tells Of a GOOD -natured old wo-
met IA a fellow ',a ssenoer On a steamship
nivinS I,otna vai,ara;.o nnd panama
This woman carries On business AZ a
deck trsdar and snen IA nract;callv the
whole Of her life afi6at between those two
~ ~ IA ;v, do tpnl
r. ods r;bhons hsts nanned Goods fresh
Sr,its v.nstabia. 'e "a !. thonssnd other
.rt;nI. 'etHoss, a.u ,ai, re, Ill trada
win ~. .teeraoa no sse" uar, hut that ia
no t h ."e rr;rn;ns1 P"s;nns s'' '''
SCI s.IIi l. u,,', q ,,,oro tho neon,e
4, ~ ,i.,tn vel hn nin sha neost 1 IL PERU
and Cbils sav. tbe traSaller aas the lead
AZ AVN, ~. , rne comm,,nitv ~
the M,..;s.;nn; Vaia,, nnd sha ca rr;es on
a large sde While the shin ia loading and
,,nIoa S;ns 90 700 heaidss 3;.tr ihmtino news
from ths other touns
.Shs ."e e,,nni;a. tha desert tou,ns with
pineann,es oranges and other fresh fruits
and pawot. bis. Sr"n' the Sertie regions
Of tho north and at almost every port
add some local nroduct 70 her stock in
trade. either nv barter or purchase.
.When the shin annroachea a mort she
spreads ont her va res in a most attractive
manner and ats in the midst Of them in
a h;1 rocLinr oho;r v;no a ,aim leaf
fan ana carryinr IN her ia reains and COS
sip at he same time.
AT night time and between ports she
puts her 1oods away in chests. boxes,
bags and barrels. unfolds a wire -wovel,
cot. unrolls a mattress, spreads a pair Of
clean sheets and a soft pillow with edging
on the slin. and in the midst OF her mer-
chandise lies down to plea SAINT dreams"
This Old woman started the deck trading
business eleven years ago, and has carried
it on regularly over since. Other women
pursue tie same curious trade on the steam
ships which ply between the West Indian
Islands and also on various South Ameri
can ooasting lines.
There is a black woman in Grenada who
carries on a prosperous business as butcher.
On market DAYS she slaughters sheep and
pies with her own hands, cuts them up in
public. and sells the Joints in the market
place an hour or two afterward.
Nobody regards her occupation as unusual,
for women blacksmiths, women shepherds
and women carpenters are common in
Grenada, as they are in many other parts
III had nv vav- said the Governor OF
one Of Ensland's tropical colonies recently,
Il would let the natives govern this country
votes to the women instead of to the men.
sTbsy are bv far the better half, They
do the work and they ought to rule the
roosf. There would be no fear of any
ooinc hsckwsrd into sayaeery il thew had
the control Of affairs.
sThey Appreciate the blessings of educa-