Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-02-15
NEWFANE.
Jamaica as Seen by Dr.. Marshall Howe.

Jamaica as Seen by DR.. Marshall Howe.
Dr. Marshall \. Howe of New York,
who was collecting specimens of sea plants
| on the island of Jamaica at the time Of
| the earthquake i'm January wrote to
| friends interesting points of life there,
some features of which possess additional
| interest at this time. The sun there rose
| at $50 and set at $50. At a. m. and
p m, the stars were very brilliant, more
so than he had ever seen them. unless
perhaps i'm the Bahamas. Venus was par
ticularly Respondent at $50 over the
mountain top advising DR. Howe when TO
set about preparing for his long days
work collecting. after breakfast Of cOf-
fee, bread, eggs and oranges brought to
his room
The water in the bay was so warm that
he could stand in it three hours without
chill The wages of the two natives
with their boat We're "a bob" or SO
per week
Average annual rainfall at Hope Car
dens, Kingston, is 81 inches, while in por-
tions of the interior and northern parts
It is 200 inches. Mr.. Harris. the English
superintendent of the gardens, had seen
2S inches in "a hours, ~ inches in three
hours. Blue mountains peak is 7i0O feet
high The mercury was then so or IS
at midday GO or 20 at night average max
imum 81. minimum 20. At the Cinchona
plantation, rented for a few years of the
JAInblthn government DN Bronx tIaIuenS
of New York, the average daily maximum
is 6S, minimum 81 at an altitude of 5000
feet, the highest residence on the island.
Disaster to the beautiful Hamburg
American steamer. the Prinzessin Victoria
Louise, within a stones throw of Kings
ton harboT. was mentioned. The captain
who was blamed. blew off his head with
a shotgun. From 1900, 900 to $4,000 900
paid for the luxurious boat which the
German emperor and family had pat
ronized. But for Or. Howes prudence
against paying for such costly luNuries he
might have been a passenger on that very
boat. which was wrecked. At Christmas
time Mr. Howe had more opportunity than
he wanted to rest, take Photographic views
and write letters owing to Boxing day"
following Christmas. legal holiday
named presumably from the habit of Civ
ing boxes to the postmen who have
brought boxes to so many on the previous
day. and on Boxing day they digest
their Christmas dinner"
The colored people are very respectful
and polite to the white and appear to
make no claim to social equality. on the
other hand the white folk are rather cor
dial and brotherly with the blacks and
good state of feeling all around seems to
exist. Jamaica has excellent highways.
good schools, plenty of churches and very
little vice or crime. and considering its
makeup in population Is altogether very
civilized community.
1t seems strange to hear the cicadas
shriling in tree tops i'm winter and crick-
cts at night. David Watt the care taker
OF Cinchona. leased by the New York
Gardens for ten years though a negro,
is well educated and has several species
of his collecting named for him. 4 suit
OF blue jean protected DR.. Howe from
sunburn, and from curiosity Of the ma
tives, and a pair Of old shoes from sea
urchins and sharp rocks. Meenie. the ef
fcient cook where Dr. Howe boarded had
$3.50 per week and worked from 4.30 to
10 p. m. She had refused to accept a hol- |
iday for 90 years. Other assistants in the
house received from so cents to one dollar
per week
Sir J. Alexander Swettenham the gov
ernor, was said to be a strongminded man. |
Only three per cent. of the islanders are |
white. DIR. Howe was growing used to |
being the only Caucasian on |
the trolley. A tax and property qualif- !
cation keeps the government in hands OF /
the whites.