Cañon City record., 1904-03-31
VOL. XVII.
Mrs. Sheetz
Tells Of an interesting Vii
and the Bahamas.


may share the pleasure Of a day in
Nassau with me is to write you about
il.
This is the Capitol of all the BAHIA
mas, a city Of about three thousand
white people and nine thousand color
ed. As the Capitol Of British Colony
it 10 the seat Of government directly
responsible to King Edward and his
parliament and has cost the British
crown no small anxiety and expense.
both to win and to hold, for the last
800 years.
Several forts. now in ruins and en-
TREY dismsntled, are evidences OF
past Importance and the envy OF the
Spaniard. II is said that Columbus
claimed il, hosting the standard of
Ferdinand and Isabella upon it, as he
did upon most OF the Csribs, and sailed
on without waiting for his claim TO be
sanction by any original ownership
or previous government. In honor of
this fealty, n statue of Columbus now
stands in the grounds of the Governor
Of the Bahamas.
The white population are almost
wholly English and altogether loyal
British subjects. The colored are the
descendants of the Africans brought
there by slave traders and the admix-
tures from whatever source that have
followed.
The home government knows no
black nor white in its census reports !:
only citizens or colonists. Very few
eolored people live in the city proper
Beside s small fraction Of house serv-
ants, all employees In the city retiring
to their homes In the adjacent villages
Of their own race soon after night fall,
streets Of Nassau are as quiet as the
most conservative Of New England
villages.
The streets and roads Of the city aud
entire Island are made Of white coral
line rock, and KEEP, in perfect order by
the government
The constaboisry are colored natives.
tall, finely formed, gentlcmanly de-
pertinent, wearing n blue uniform and
white helmet hats They are polite,
courteous and ready TO give any in.
formation.
The public -choj de are free : but the
attendance is mostly eolored. The
white children attend private schools,
sustained by the different religious de-
nominations
We attended st Andrews Kirk and
heard Seotch.Iri.h Presby erian
minister preach from n small wsy-up
pulpiti 80 high IL dropped n stitch in
the back of ones neck to look at the
the preacher. The cd time custom Of
publishing the bans three successive
Sundays before marriage. was read
from the pulpit on this Sabbath for its
frst announcement. On inquiry, IL
proved to be young colored couple
The white members have dispensed
with this usage, but the colored people
are 10th TO give up the rites and cere-
monies that once added dignity and
order in its observance. In the social
and domestic life of these people, had
the custom been strictly adhered to in
the past, their present condition would
have been more respectable than 1t is.
At the close of the sermon two white
and two colored elders passed the plate
for the collection.
Nothing like our winter reaches these
shores, and all that is known OF an icy
blast and binding snow is brought to
Nassau in letters and newspapers.
1t is a city without chimneys and
probably not half dozen heating
stoves can be found throughout the
whole island. Fires are used only at
intervals and solely for cooking pur-
poses. Fish is the principle meat I;
hogs are raised to some extent, other
domestic animals are scarce. All hay
and grain for feeding horses and stock
is shipped from the U. s. Milk is very
scarce, limitations in quantity very try
ing and the price is enormous. Con-
densed cream and milk substituting
for these luxuries In all ordinary do
mestic use, in ice cream, coffee, pud-
dings and pies.
One feels quite shut of from the
world OF news and the activities of the
nations OF the world. Regular mail
comes In but three times week direct
from Miami. U. s., and semi-occasion-
ally by steamships from New York on
the way to and from Havana and Key
West. The latter anchor outside the
bar and the lighters are sent out to get