The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-11-04
A LoAFERs' PARADISE.
Life of the Happy-so-Lucky West In
dian Negroes

A happy-go-lucky, stand up and fall
down. genial. inconsequentiaf spirit
animates the West Indian negroes in
their labors and in their begging.
From the sweating toilers on the dock
at Macoris loading sugar into the
steamers. with their warning CRY.
"Bee-low." to the men in the hold, to
the grinning boys hauling their fishing
boats up on the beach at Dominica.
they live from day to day and take no
thought of the morrow. A West In
dian negro with $50 will live for 2
year and never do stroke OF work.
And why not? His living costs him
only 9 cents a day. He has his little
cabin for the occupancy. A mango
tree grows in his yard. and he can
pick plantains by the road at viii
II he is too lazy to bake 5 cents viii
buy bread for the family for the day.
and a few cents more will buy a.
dozen small fish and one large one. a
single garment does for the women.
and IS will clothe the man for a year,
while the pickaninnies run as God
made them.
The West indies are the paradise
Of the happy loafer. Every year the
Islands are combed from end to end
for hands TO work the great sugar
plantations in Santo Domingo. and At
that the negroes must often be prac
ticaily kidnapped TO get them on the
boats.
In November OF each year the SUI
gar boats, little sloops and schooners
that spend the remainder Of the year
trading among the islands get into the
Santo Domingo negro trade. Their
captains and supercargoes. when they
have them, and the owners go up and
down the islands telling the negroes
that on a certain day the vessel viii
sail for Santo Domingo and take all
who want TO go TO work on the sugar
plantations.
Take the little island Of st. Martins
for illustration. For week the isl
and Is combed. and on the appointed
day a dozen sloops and schooners are
crowded into Marigot bay. The night
before the negroes have begun TO
stream into the little town that sleeps
through the year, waiting for this one
f-y n bring u 70 life. Boards are
llsid across boxes and rum and wis.
~ are sct out to arouse the negroes
n the pitch that will carry them out
To the vessels bound for the piania
lions.
All day the men stream into the
town. travelling barefooted along the
. sandy roads. swept In by the sailors
r singing their song OF riches to be had
for the asking. Ahead Of the men
walk their women. toting heavy boxes
on their heads. while the men arc
. dressed in their best. with a cocks
, straw hat perched on one ear. swing
ing a dandy cane and carrying theii
shoes IN their hands. ST the outskirts
: Of the t.wn they put on their shoe'
srd swing gayiy up 70 the open Az
bars On the beach.
The women lug the big boxes dow
!. TO the beach and wall M being let
+, sinae until they. too. become fllcs
With the excitement Of the scene an'
5 urge their men folks on. The mel
hang back and laugh and drink am
derry that they are going.
: rs you goin'. Big Tawm?'
! "Yas yo' IL goin'. Big Tawm. Git /
DAT boat"
{ acome on heah. boy: Va, hal
8 And ali the time the rowboats. load
A ed 70 the gunwaIes, are plying bac
, End forth between Che shore and N
Q sioops. BY sundown the beach !
|. swept clean and six little sloops and
4 schooner make sail and drift out Q
the harbor on a dying breeze. loade'
= down with a thousand black men an
r women, who will wake In the mornin
n with a raging thirst Then woe be {
the captain who has not filled bis wa
= ter casks, for there is sure 70 be q
r least one body to- be given TO IN
h sharks after the fight around th
butts!
!. When thu vessels drop anchor Of
y Macoris the plantation foremen com
a on and look over the carg0es and pa,
the sbipmasters $3.50 each for psssag