New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-01-20
His Leading Chara cteristic EN-
pha sized by the Earthquake.

Last Thursday the British Colonial Ofice re-
ceived cable dispatch from Sir Alexander
Sweucnham. the Governor of jamaica II was
tho first from him since the earthquake OF Mon
day Among other sentences II contained the
following:
"The burned area is being cleared slowly. ow-
ing to the niisposition of the population to labor
even nj double the usual wages. The
population 8 wonderfully patient but lstless."
While who has read accounts Of the gen
eral disnclination OF the Jamaican lahorers 10
exert themselves vigorously on the Panama
Canal is prepared % find that he is not a hard
worker at home, would hardly expect 10
find him in the face of Jamaicas dire need as
| lethargic as this dispatch would indicate The
description Of Kingston and the inhabitants Of
Jamaica in book that island by James Hen
derson. just issued by the Macmillan Company,
helps one 10 understand this attitude 81 the
people.
las you round Port Royal" he writes you
discover Kingston. large. white. struggling
town entirely hemmed in on the land side by
| the Blue Mountains. and seward washed by
| the waters Of lagoon seven or eight miles long
and nearly half as wide Slowly we steamed to
| the town. passing ancient dismantIed and
| deserted fort. which once mounted its hundred
guns.
| made fast to the wooden quay, and the black
| faced. white-coated laborers grinned us greet
| ing as We stepped ashore, After some excite
| pent with many halfcastes representing tho
| customs. the hotels and the buggies who each
and all claimed n portion OF our baggage we.
| safely emerged from the dock district into the
| dusty main road of Kingston. IL was strange
| to find up-to-date. twentieth century. American
| electric screaming along roads which if
fGnyyN h,,fft oil
pleted two centuries hack. and it was even more
strange to learn that these cars have not entirely
| depopulated Kingston.
| Il remember being possessed of a great idea
on walking to my hotel \ fresh sea breeze was
blowing, and the prospect of a stroll through the
| town peculiarly inviting: but unfortu-
| nateIy. the dock gates were barrcaded with
| buggies. and successfully to evade the ma
| nRuvres of one only meant falling into the
| clutches of another Passage between the vehi-
| Giles there was none and when attempted to
| step through carriage to get clear OF the
| others the fiendish driver whipped his ponies
! and whrled me out of the dockyard before
4 could regain my presence OF mind. Outside the
| delighted man claimed ne as a passenger and
| when found that 1 sitting on a singuIarly
| pOmpOu5 and oVerheated Britisher who had
| been captured in the same enterprising manner.
! | forgot TO he angry and began to apologize.
|
pous Britisher never fOrgave me. We dropped
him. 1 remember. the first time the ponies took
| il into their heads To slow up but the worthy
| man seriously offended our driver by refusing
| to pay. For half an hour they wrangled in the
! crowded main street, and frequently l feared
! the sudden death of my white friend However
| the storm came to a dramatic finish by, the
| skilful capture of the weary Englshman by
| another buggyman. We left him cursing ia
maica and buggies, and particularly all black
men. After a series OF adventures and narrow
! escapes we at last reached the Constant Spring
| Hotel. The driver suggested that l should pay
him sovereign. but he accepted ten shiIlings
with the utmost cheerfulness. Afterward I dis
| covered that the fare certainly not more
| than dollar.
| Il sat in comfortable wicker chair in the
commodious entrance hall of the hotel and tried
| to collect my scattered senses. The excitement
| of my buggy Journey and the interest of my
| first glimpse of the capital OF the Queen of the
| Antilles had somewhat unstrung my thinking
faculties 1 was alone in a strange hotel in
strange country. My luggage was. HEAVIER
knows where, and my companions were left or
crowded quay somewhere down in the dock
district.
Jamaica supports population Of 75O.OOt
people, only per cent of whom are white
The blacks claim the predominating proportion