The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-10
BY WALROND DOUGLAS.
Copyright, 1904, by F.. r. Warner.

King Hickey has the power of life
and death over these brown subjects
OF his. but he never uses it. He holds
II in reserve to punish crime, but there
do not appear to be any crimes COM
mitted in his kingdom. He has no
police force. except the overseers on
the plantations. Every man is direct
~ responsible to his King for his be-
havior. The laborers are drilled as
soldiers, but there does not seem to be
any immediate prospect of their going
to war.
The capital of King Hickey is called
James City, and he and his courtiers
live there. Every fortnight a steamer
leaves for and arrives from Rio
de Janeiro with mail. Brazil officially
recognizes the Trinidadian mail SER
vice. 1t has been big source OF in
come to the King, for he has had
printed thousands of dollars worth
of postage stamps, which he has sold
to stamp collectors in the United
States and In Europe.
This steamer, which is also King
Hickey's navy. keeps the Kingdom in
pretty close touch with the outside
world. The King and his subjects get
the latest books and magazines, and
the daily New York papers are well
read by them, as are also the Paris pa
pers. Nothing big happens in any
part of the world without the Trini-
dadians getting full accounts of it
within a couple of weeks time at
furthest.
The regular steamer carries the prod
ucts of the island to Rio de Janeiro.
Unitel States or Europe. In return
1t brings back machinery, farming inn
Elements and other articles which the
Trinidadians cannot produce.
Their social life is simple. The
white mobiles have little to do except
to take an occasional ride over the
plantations. Many of them have indie
pendent incomes from property in
other countries. King Hickey himself
has property in New York and in
California.
They live in big bungalows, sur
rounded by thick tropical verdure-
palms, n1angoes and banyans A clear,
sparkling brook gurgles down the
main street, which is so thickly shaded
that the light of the sun penetrates
as a green glow. The have occa-
sional court functions, but most of
their intercourse is confined to chats
on the verandas, the men smoking ci-
CARS and the women lolling in ham
mocks.
The Chinese. of course, are the COM
mon people, and have no social con-
IdCL With the WHITE dTlSlOcTdCys MANY
of them are employed as servants
The servant problem there is no prob
lem at all; the cook must stay un-
less he gets a royal permit to remove
from one employer to another,
The mobiles, of the Court Of Prince
James have no worries. Their bust
ness interests are looked. after In Rio
de Janeiro and New York by Com
suls." for the United States has Off
cially received the consul of Trini-
dad. There would probably be a
Trinidadian legation in Washington if
that were not too expensive luxury
for Prince James.
But he is well represented in New
York by his consul general M. lie
Comte de la Boissere, at one time his
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
M. LIE Comte looks after the business
affairs of his compatriots. He is. con-
signee for their shipments, collects
their bills and buys all their neces-
saries and luxuries. Sometimes a
Trinidadian "comte'' or baron" comes
up on a visit, as Prince James often
does himself. but on the whole they
seem to prosper their lonely island
home. ..