New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-01-20

OF - per cent. the 'colored' people represent
nearly ~ per cent. and the remainder or the
population Is made up OF whites, Indlan cOollts
and Chinese The ten thousand coolies at WOrk
on the plantations in the Interior have become
force in the island. and they are destined 10
play a considerable part In the commercial sal
walton OF the country. The Negroes are, OF
course, the descendants of the slaves imported
from Africa in the dayS Of the slave trade: the
'colored' class is the offspring OF the union
OF the whites with the blacks. or of the half
breeds with the Negroes. The coolies are or
recent Importation from India. and the Chinese
have come, no one knows how. to trade with
the Negroes in up-districts.
In the days OF old Jamaica waXed fat on
the profits Of her sugar estates and the Flcn
prizes Of her rum trade. Sugar was sold at aO-
surdly high prices and the planters cultivated
their plantations entirely by slave labor. The
Emancipation act OF 1894 flung the industries OF
the island entirely out of joint. The richest
planters sold out their plantations and returned
TO the Old country: the poorer planters who re-
mained In the island were terribly handicapped
for lack Of labor. The freed slaves refused -
work for their late masters and the labor DIFF
iculty set in Fine is the picture OF those
three hundred thousand Africans climbing the
mountain sides of their island prison home IN
order that they might face the sun on the morn
ing of their emancipation. we must not ignore
the prospect Of the valleys. lying in the deep
shadows of those mountains, which We're 10 he
half deSOlated 10y tho glory Of that sunrise
The life ot the jamaican Negro is almost
ideal As rule he either entirely ignores the
little work he ought to do. or leaves it Ia the
eXhauStleSS energy of his iudefdttS3ble Wife He
spends his life in the shady parts Of the mar
ket place or Tolls in the sun outside of the place
OF his abode. Nothing worries him. He Is inn
perturbable. glorious in his idIeneSS happy in
a blissful ignorance which takes account OF
Yesterday or Tomorrow His only grievance II
he has any. Is the limited working power OF
one woman. Happy is the man who is the
father Of many able bodied youngsters. II by
some mischance-the accident OF domestic mis-
fortune or the prompttngs of ennut born of in
actiOn-he is forced TO work. he works with
cheerfulness, and with a happy grin complains
through the day, and then spends his night I'm
revelry. When YOU have questioned black
man as to the extent and remuneration Of his
labor YOU have interviewed the whole island
The temperament of the Negro is Unborn: il
never varies; all Negroes blood brethren.
Ask any man if he works hard and you will
hear:
Yes me work very hard. sab
You look we'll on it
NO, me well. sab; not fit for work:
too sick
But YOU get well paid
:" No well paid. sab Plenty work; very little
money sab
IAN this with satisfied grin EXCEPT when he
described the weakness of his health; then his
eyes roll and his face clouds in a manner almost
convincing to new arrivals.
With the women It is different. They have
no time for conversation with idle strangers:
they work with unCeasing energy IL they
pause. 1t Is only to stare with air of half
timid wonder. to break into long peaIs OF
boiSterouS laughter IL 1t were not for the
women folk, Jamaica would indeed be hard put
TO it for workers
1T IS on market days that one can see i'm the
Kingston high roads and in the suburban lanes
groups of country women walking beneath heavy
headloadS of garden produce. In all the world
there is nothing more graceful than the car
rage OF Negro woman swinging along with
tree and easy motion. under "a headlOad which
would be heavy 10 an ordinary white man. With
mead erect. straight neck chest flung forward
and arms swinging with unconscious freedom
the women present perfect examples of grace
ful strength. Their stride IS long and easy
ana very regular. | have never seen a lady in
Europe with carriage as perfect that of the
ordinary Jamaica Negro market woman
The jamaican Negro tempers his IOVema king
with poetic enueaty l imagine that the
jamaican loves To hear the sonorOus doggereI
OF his own eCStatic wCOing-that he pleads with
his mistress as much for his own pleasure as for
hers- The black lady listens, and loves To listen
because his eXtravagant praise appeals TO her
| vanity. ana the black lady is as vain as any
white daughter OF n rich 'buccra.' IL may come
\ as a shock and surprise tn most OF my readers
| to learn that the lOvesiClS black man sometimes
declares his love by letter. Whether this is al
/ ways due to haShfulneSs q the accident of
geographical distance | know not. But / have
been privileged 10 read one or two impassiOned
/ missives duly authenticated as being the love
letters OF COlOred men to dusky bellies. obtained
/ them from copy of a Christmas number of a
\ Jamaica paper-the Cleaner of Kingston.
| The first is written by lovesick native 20 a.
/ Creole widow. II Is addressed in full to Mrs.
! AgostisS R:
/ IL hope YOU know VALENTINE is now I'm season
4 | will take the pleasure to write YOU this; nv
! hearth is yours and YOU are mine but do
You know it, love YOU as the bee love the
flower The flower may fade but true love shall