The sun., 1903-08-02

nv q Rule do WeRl-COlOmfcs OF
! Them at the Atlantic seaports
We INDIAN Brides OF Americans.
While he was riding through West
| Indian village the other day, an American
tourist stopped to take drink and have
a chat with the natives. School was just
being dismissed. and the boys crowded
around him. The American asked few
Of them what they were doing to do when
they grew up. Without an exception they
replied:
Going TO America, cir, ~ soon ~ ever
I can get enough money for the passage.
That's the place where West Indians get
on. for there's no room for them TO go
ahead here
The tourist made further inquiries among
all classes OF people, white and black, and
found the same story everywhere. Every
family had son or daughter in the States,
or one saving up money with the idea Of
going there and making y fortune.
There arc large British West Indian
colonies in Boston. New York, Philadelphia.
New Orleans, Newport News, Baltimore
and other cities along tho Atlantic sea-
board. They cling together. and make
. point Of hunting up new arrivals from
the West Indiss and helping them to find
their footing among . strange people in
q strange land.
| They retain q. feeling of loyalty and
/ affection toward their native country
Rarely does British. Danish. Dutch or
French West Indian take out naturaliza-
ton papers aud become an American
citizen, however long he may dwell in
this country. In that respect they differ
most from other immigrants.
When they gather together. ss they
often do. on festive occasions. it is TO cele-
brate one Of their own national holidays
and pay honor to their own flag and their
own monarch. But, though they thus
decline to. be assimilated, they esteem
American institutions and form an ex-
cellent element In any community in which
they settle.
| Usually they come to this country poor
Many young man arrives at Boston or
New York from Jamaica with Ave or six
dollars in his pocket and not the slightest
notion OF what he is going to do. or where
he is going to look for job.
West Indian immigrants are incredibly
reckless. They will throw up a good job
in Barbados. Jamaica or Antigua. spend
almost their last cent buying hrst-class
steamship tickets, and land in Anne rioa
| with wife and family, but neither money
nor prospects. Yet. somehow or other,
they always make good.
| when arrived in this country" said
a Jamaican, i was youngster of eighteen.
who had never seen big town OF city
had just % In my pocket, and my chum,
who came with me. had "a.
| Boston scared us at first, il was 20 large
and so full Of people; but Some West Indian
friends took us in hand, and We both got
places as clerks In business ofices the
first day we looked for work. It was hard
for the two OF Va to live on - until our
first pay day came around, but wa man
aged ii; and ever since then we have both
| gone ahead steadily.
! American business houses, as a rule,
are glad 70 employ British West Indians.
They are we'll educated. trained TO re-
sponsibity from earliest youth, intent
on making their way, and familiar, OF course.
with West Indian products and require
men.s. IL 10 true, they don't know many
Of the things that every American clerk
knows but then they know many things
that no American clerk knows, and that
more than compensates. from the en-
ployers point OF view.
Il have followed the careers of hundreds,
of West Indians who have come over here,
and have known very few OF them 10 fail
and 60 back home. Those few have made
the big mistake of getting rsmittsnces from,
home.
y have known young West Indians who
tramped the streets. worthless and penniless
and nearly starving, while their fathers
dreds Of negro and coolie laborers. A letter
would have brought them all the money they
wanted but they we're too proud to ask for
helg;
said word about their struggles until they
bound to make good In any American city. .
Boston contains the largest West Indian
colony in America. There are nearly
four thousand West Indians there, mostly
Jamaicans. Many OF them are enga ged
in the banana trade, Of which Boston Is the
American headquarters and Jamaica the
In New York there are probably three
thousand West Indians and one street
turning OF from the lower part OF Ninth
avenue Ia almost entirely inhabited by
Jamaican negroes.
In Philadelphia. according TO A Barbedian
who lives there the West Indians number
nearly twenty-five hundred. and occupy
many leading places In the world of com
merce and industry.
From all accounts" said this Barbadian
who Ia in q big way Of business, "the exc dus
from the British Wsst Indies Ia going 10
increase. Indeed. il is increasing all the
time.
"The growing poverty Of the islands is
making it impossible TO 20 ahead there,
however shrewd one may be, and naturally
all the bright. enterprising young men
como here. The cost Is much less than that
Of going 10 the mother country, and every
West Indian is firmly convinced that tners
are plenty Of dollars to be picked up here
while he Is dubious about England.
Look at this paper he continued, pick
ing mp a recent copy Of the Standard, Il
newspaper OF Antigua British West Indies
See what II says about the matter" and
lte read as follows,
The number OF those who have lei, fol
United States, Of the pick Of The 81. Kits
and Antigua young people OF beth sexes,
some OF them In the Government service
s1oo-,s S rs ns snggestvs @ OF rats leaving sinking
Really, the situation Ia becoming serious
If the immigration were confined TO om
nc'er-do- wells. u might no thought a mere
TINT they should leave their country for
their coun'Eys good. but, unfortupately, tho
majority Of this ela'a, remain, and az 4 CON.
services OF competent, trust worthy 70 unr
men to All such places nm clerks Ia the vp ne