The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-07-10
Barbados, B. w. I. June Is.
-llt7 HIT " Vot lIIuIl 4'IoIiII y NJ
most thickIy populated country in

HIS little West India island is the
most thickIy populated country in
the world, with the single excep-
tion of China In 166 square miles
there are about 200 600 inhabitants. The
greatest length OF the island is twenty
one miles and the greatest width only
fourteen. It keeps the large popula-
tion scratching lively to earn a living.
Iaborers can be employed for p cents
a day- Men and boys even dive in
the hsrbor for coal that has fallen
overheard from the barges, bringing it
up by the handful. After hours Of
work one of these divers will acCumu-
late quite a pile Of coal, Of which he
gets half for his labor, the other half
reverting To- the coal company.
Living must be very cheap where
wages are SO low The poor people Of
Barbados subsiSt principally on sugar
cane sweet potatoes and flying fish
The average piCkaninny can get along
very well on sugar cane, while flying
fish at cents a dozen makes a good
diet for the grown-ups- Catching fly
ing fish is an interesting industry,
which gives employment TO many men
and BOYS. The sail boats 20 out to sea
for a distance of ten or twelve miles.
saThe nets are attached to round hoops
and the fish are scOoped up in great
numbers.
4N4AAS A1AA III -C@4Ac4AAA-
Flying fish are not only considered
q deIicacy BY the negroes. but they are
much i'm demand by certain deniZens Of
the sea. The dolphin prefers them to
any other sort Of food and is untiring
III their pursuit The little flying fish
live near the surface Of the water.
Upon the approach of danger they
make swift start upward, spreading
their E6uze-like fms In the air as they
emerge. They sail along at a very
rapid pace and frequently 60 the dis
tance of city block before they fall
hack into the water If the dolphin
gets its eye on one of them at the start
Fl keeps the same direction under the
wafer and all iJ has to DO IS to open its
mouth sand the flying fish tumbles into
g. The latter cannot change its course
when flying unless il II DETECTED By
rhsk wind. Owing To the many eager
sto41achs in the sea and on the land.
thR poor little flying FISH is much pur-
sued and leads a very uncertain life.
The dolphin is also hunted by the fish
eTmen. and specimens measuring four
or five feet are frequently taken. The
meat is cut of and sold in steaks
The production Of sugar cane has al
ways been the main industry Of Bar
BADGES. In former times the planters
were immensely rich. but new methods
and the influence of new competition
have changed conditions until the BUSH
ness has almost ceased 10 be Temuner-
ative The planters have slUng to
their old methods and their enc crop
until they are almost b@ggared. Their
plight Is another Illustration Of the ne
cessity Of diversified crops In order to
be sdfeguaTded against changing con-
diuOns, any agricultural community
should not depend upon one thing alone
Brazil had made this same mistake
with its coffee No country can have
earrr rs.r- q
lies solely upon one crop. Market ma
nipulati0n, over production. weather.
transportation. competition and politics
are agencies that are constantly at
work and whose influence cannot be
ciTcumVenJed or overcome. The sugar
industry OF Barbados is far behind
the times. Tn BridgetOWn there is an
old Dutch windmill which has been
furnishing the power for grinding cane
sipce the year 1929. Negroes still pull
s. hogSheadS Of mOIasses through the
streets OF the capital like they did in
the days of slavery One planter ex-
cused the retention Of these two old
practices By saying that men were
cheaper than horses, and that the wind
mill was serviceable because there was
always sufficient wind TO keep II I'm
motion.
Revival of Cotton Industry.
Al attempt is being made TO revive
the cotton growing industry ia Barba-
does Sea island cotton is said to be
the finest grown and commands the
highest price in the American and
English markets II IS used for thread
lace heavy yarn, sail cloth. lining
for bicycle tires, and is utilized in the
United States Tor making mail bags.
The British Cotton Growing associa-
ton IS back Of the movement to raise
cotton in the West Indies. At the