Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-08-07
Pleasant Journeyings 4 through
Southern Waters
NEW YORK, July e7, 1907

SOuIuefu WdLcTS
NEW YORK, July ~. 1907
!. DEAR GAzETTE:- Once agar
through the medium OF pen and pape
a | will for short time try to entertain
you by writing an account of very
3 delightful trip am now making
: through portion Of The Island Of ia
inacia. cannot, as lest summer,
write you historical letter, so to
speak, for there Is very little history OF
! interest 10 you or youf readers connect
ed with this country. Ny letter will be
simply an account Of my travels. how
. went and returned and what l saw.
Leaving Baltimore on the steamer
Brooklyn, United Fruit Company's
line, Wednes day, July 10th, pessed
down the Patapsco River and Chesa-
peake Bay, giving delightful. trip on
land-locked waters, and about mid
night passed out Of Cape Henry into
the broad and awe-inspiring Atlantic.
The next morning, about twenty-four
hours after departurs, Hatteras is
reached. San Salvad or, now known 10
mariners as WatliDg's Island, and ia
nous as the place where Columbus
first set foot on this continent, Is the
first glimpse to be had of land after
leaving port. Bird Rock and Castle
Rock follow, both uninhabited. The
steamer then passes through the Wind
ward Passage and In few hours Cuba
is sighted. Cape Maysi the easter
most point of Cuba is rounded, and on
a clear day the mountains OF Hayti
may be seen.
The following Monday morning after
departure sighted the island. A light
house at Folly Point striped in red and
white like shrine post in the lagoons
at Venice welcomes me at Port Antonio.
l have arrived at the most beautiful is
land of the West indies. This Island
Of Jamaica Is IA miles long and 40
miles wide at its greatest. 1t Is divided
into three counties and fourteen pa
rishes. 1t measures 4, 1913 square miles,
which is 2,6S9.5 $40 acres, and has q
population of $50, S04, which is just 1888
persons to the square mile. To study
the people of Port Antonio one must
remain there several days. The town
has many interesting features, among
which are its flowers and fruits; its
pretty Creole women and sturdy bronze
and ebcny-hued men; its parks Of ba-
mana, palm, orange, lemon and mango
trees. American capital he's mLde Port
Ar tonic what it Is. Several large fluit
corporatirrs own and lease 10000 acres
CT land and employ $500 laborers, and
ship annually to the United States >,
900, 600 bnnches of bananas, 10000, 900
cocoanuts and thousands OF bags Of
coffee. AS summer or winter resort
this pretty Island has few equals, be-
cause cool sea breeze always blows.
now leave Port Antonio by rail for
Kingston. The distance Is IS miles and
requires the alarming time OF four
hours and twenty minutes to make the
run. While on this train | was forcibly
reminded OF railroad ride made q
while in Italy lest summer. This coun-
Try is quite mountainous, much more
10 than one would imagine, % tunnels
between Port Antonio and this city.
The ticket taker on this train does not .
ag all passengers when they are billed
through, nor does musical director OF
church choir cell all stations from
tart to finish, when all the passengers
n q car have tickets to the terminus.
While on this run pass through plan
alton after plantation Of banaras and U
with now and then a few
ores Of sugar cane. The sugar cane
ldustry in this country is almost
hing of the past The banana is so .,
luch more productive, both In quail
J and income to the grower and much
sss labor required to produce crop. ii
his city Of Kingston is almost total
'reck. The entire business portion as n
was before the earthquake last m
anuary is a mass of ruins. The best nj
Iay | can describe it is to look over h,
he bulnt district OF Baltimore city In |
our minds eye and you have per- &c
cot reproduction of the appearance Of 4,
le quake district of this city. h,
Kingston is a tropical bower. One in
ay walk its streets at high noon and
u under shade. Kingston Is the place l
} rest after a week of sightseeing The l
arish church and Catholic cathedral 10
70 interesting. At tie library are sc
Town the famous SHARK papers bu
und In the stomach OF a sea monster 80
at caused the confscation OF the mr. mr.
merlcan brig Nancy in 1909 for carry lac
z contraband goods. An iron cage Gu
Re that in which Johu the Anabap- or
st was hung from the tower Of Mum
er cathedral is terror-inspiring relic VIZ
the Spanish era. The two greatest co
storical events of the city are the vi vi
st OF Nelson In 1878 and the return of we
lmiral Rodney after the defeat OF the oh
'ench feet in 1882. The harbor of SCI
Ingston is enc of the best in the o.
orld. The city was originally laid sa,
t il form of cross. Civilization has apl
ded the electric cars, lights, tele-
zones, gas and a fine water supply. III
My intentions we're to visit Panama In
ID several other ports, but hearing of acl
'sesh breakout of yellow fever | con-
ided that tie United Slater, which is ~
DDS country any way, was the best 80