The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-04-19
MRS. WARDS LETTERS.

Queen Wilhelmina's American Colony. Thu
Dutch in South America. Queer as 1
Rare-bit Dream.
Especial correspondence of The Journal
PARAMARIBo, DUTCH GUAM A.
March l, 1906. One of the peculiarities
of this strange town is the absence Of
trees. Except the gnarled and stunted
almonds that struggle along the rivel
banks, a few cocoanut palms in a mead
ow east of the town and row of mag
nificent old tamarind trees in front Of
the government house, there are absO
lutely none outside of private gardens.
The glare of the tropical sun upon
these bare white walls has ruined many
pair of eyes. Another striking feature
is tine unusual number of churches and
cemeteries, remembering that in more
prosperous days than these the town
never had a population above $4,000.
Among the most conspicuous places OF
worship are two Jewish synagogues, two
Moravian churches, two Roman Catho-
lie sanctuaries, two of the Reform
Dutch, a so-called Military Temple, -
and an enormous tabernacle built ex-
pressly for the poor. Each faith has
its own special burying ground. besides
those for the general public. Notwith-
standing the number and size of the
cemeteries, they tell us here that Para
marble is not nearly SO unhealthful as
the world has been led to believe.
Though hot and moist as Turkish
bath. the climate is said to agree won
derfully well with the resident Euro
peans.
SMALLPOX. cholera and fevers some
times make brief visits, as to all low
living regions near the equator, but
there are no endemic diseases. Among
local distempers, the most to be dread
ed are leproSy and elephantiasls, both
of which are brought from the West
Indies by negroes and are confined
almost exclusively to them. Leprosy is
here known as boassi, and its victims,
when discovered, are sent to the laZ-
arctic at NaorZoorg or to the newer
leper settlement at Batavia. up the
COppename river.
The last named place has about 600
inhabitants. but some of them are per-
sonally free from the terrible disease,
having gone into voluntary exile with
their suffering relatives, and many are
children born IN the colony.
Passing along the broad shell-streWn,
sanded road, you come to the handsome
government house, with its graceful
columns and arches, topped by the
Netherlands coat-ot- arms, carved IN
wood and goIgeously cooled. lhen
comes the Stadt house, Court House
and other buildings of the colonial gov
ernment-all built of wood, tWo-storled.
white painted. OF Dutch architecture
so quaint and crazy that 1t lmpreSSes
the stranger like the visions of mnce-
pie dream In front of them stand
the old tamarind trees, like a row of
giant sentnelS-Strange trees, like
those of Dore's imagination, with lean
distorted limbs and twisted bodies, that
might once have been rheumatic
Dutchmen, now suffering eternal pen
ance in this guiSe, with gEarled roots
half above ground, writing about like
Serpents, twenty to thirty feet from
their trunk. Behind the government
house is an extensive and beautiful gar
den Which is at all times open to the
public. 1t contains a dancing pavilion
anu DOW ing dlltN, SlloollilS Sdllciy 3.
beer tables and restaurantS-ln short,
all the accessories of a perpetual Turn
verein, as dear to the German heart as
the Erglishman's jocky club and tennis
court and the Yankees more rapid but
less harmful amusements. Balls are
given in this popular beer garden on
Sunday evenings, attended by the best
society of ParamaribO, dance music be
ing furnished by the garrison band.
Queerest of all in this land of the
queer are the people. Black faces and
brick-dust brown, shading to pale
chocolate and ecru, of course predomi-
nate-it being officially stated that
there are not more than 700 Europeans
in the whole colonial population of 20,
600. which includes 1000 bush negroes,
1000 West India negroes, 5000 Hin
docs, 900 Chinese, and an uncertain
number of Indians and unclassitied
mongrels The chOcolate-colored ere
oles are most conspicuous-not because
they out-numDer other types, but be-
cause they are most active and given to
perambulating the streets in snowy
costumes. The men invariably weaI
complete suits of white duck, as in
China. but the women dress in gayeSt
coiOrs and both as rule 90 bare-foO IT.
ed.
The most glib-penned fashion writer
alive would find herself troubled to
describe the freaks of the tickle goddess
in Paramaribo. The dress OF the female
Creoles is of printed cotton, cut by the
extraordinary rule that the skirt should
measure precisely the length of the
wearer, from the top of her turban to
the tips of her toes. Tied around the
waist by a pickering string, it is OF
course a great deal too long; but the
slack of it is pulled up to the waist by a
second string and fastened there by a
bright-hued handkerchief, so that halt
the skirt falls in an enormous double
tounce or puff around the hips and alb
domen.
This surplus part is often utilized as
huge pocket for carrying things, such
as fruit, vegetables or babies, and it is
as hideously disfiguring to any human
shape as the plague of bustles, leg -of
mutton sleeves and other absurd things
which Dame Fashion occasionally in
hicts upon her whittier devotees. The
body of the gown is constructed from a
single strip of calico, cut sacque- fash
ion, low in the neck and very wide at
the bottom, and like the skirt starched
stiff as a single, projecting straight
out in all directions and protecting the
person like coat of mail.
~ IKIc, ont tIII1