The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-03

The guests at the Colonial also boat
good deal. But most OF all, they
lounge about. and are bored, and waste
money I can think of no greater
waste of money than to pay eight dol
lars day for entertainment at the
Colonial, unless it would be to drink
whisky at TWENTY-FIVE cents a glass
And the guests at the Colonial do a
is not as much fun in travelling as
Those of US who live quietly and
modestly at Atchison do not realize
how many people there are who travel
about looking for opportunity to waste
money: we do not realize how many
rich people there are in the world:
particularly in the United States. And
a collection of these people in one of
the noted resorts does not favorably
impress me: indeed. they make me
laugh, and am hard to amuse. There
IS not as much fun in travelling as
you imagine. when reading travel lit
erature at home. And how horribly
little you get for your money! This
big hotel was built by railroad COM
pany, to encourage travel: to encour-
age the people to waste their money.
No one ever had as good a time on a
trip as he expected; such an invest
ment may be interesting in way, but
1t is like hunting: there are many
hours of hard work and dullness for
an occasional glimpse Of game.
There are 500 islands in the Bahama
group. fifty-six of which are inhabited.
which Nassau is situated, is thirty
miles long, and eight to fifteen miles
wide, and has a population of sixteen
thousand. Taking the islands alto
are white, and the negroes all talk
English, although they do not talk the
Southern dialect to which we are ac
customed: that is, they do not refer to
a n0fn - y oxy
learned their English from English
men, and not from Southerners. Is
lands sell here as well a sfarms: 1
heard of an island which sold today
long and a mile wide But the land is
not worth much took a drive
New Providence island to-
day, and saw more worthless land than
! have ever seen before. The surface
is entirely covered with rocks. In the
holes, stunted trees have taken root,
and made a poor growth. When it is
desired to plant an orange tree, or
fruit of any other kind, hole is
blasted in the rock. saw a field of
ard the entire surface was
covered with rocks: a hole had been
made for every pineapple plant. The
rockiest part of New England is fer
tile compared with New Provi-
dence island.
The negro who drove us abut was
Wood who is quite distin-
guished among the blacks of Nassau.
because he once visited the United
States, and saw Barnum & Bailey's
circus. Harvey says that when he re-
turned home-he returned because he
didn't like our cold winters-there
and he was invited to lee
ture in the town hail. The English
governor of the island was present
remember, 1 am quoting Harvey
recited a part of his lecture for
our benefit.
"Your. excellency and ladies and gen.
tlemen," Harvey began. according to
his own story. He had committed the
lecture to memory and still remem-
bered it, and. as he could not de-
part from it, we soon discovered that
he was really repeating an address hes
had delivered on, being inaugurated
as Most Worthy Grand of a lodge. So
turned out to be an unreliable
man; that's -hes second one have
heard of. s oasH l1GN @s
We had an interesting drive in the
country, stopping at many huts to
taste strange fruits offered for sale by
colored women. The colored children
ran after us and begged US for pen
pointed out a good looking house and
said he lived there. We didn't believe
It, so when a colored woman appeared
1t the door we asked her. Does
lid. So Harvey turned out to be re-
liable in that case A negro man APP
peared at the door, and I asked Har-
vey: "Your brother?" and he replied
hat the man was related to his wife, |
and a visitor at his house. This coun-
try has beautiful climate; it is al
ways summer here, but it seems the
people have the same trouble we have
1t home. 1t was evident that Harvey
1idn't like the visitor.
Harvey Wood is a Methodist. and, |
as we rode along. he told us a story. |
An old negro was converted, and at
MS first communion, was given a cup
wine. He was expected to |
10 take a sip, but he drank it all, and |
shouted. ST could drink a quart of |
hat for the Lords sake
Harvey also told a story indicating
hat the colored peple believe there is |
40 real religion in the white churches. |
A negro man was anxious to join a |
white church, but he could not get in, |
so he told of a dream he had one |
night. He dreamed that the Lord APP
oeared to him, and said: Brother re- |
main where you are; have been try |
ng to get into the white church for |
Years but without success" If this |
sn't slam at the whites, I don't |
know a slam when one comes along. |
During our drive, I remarked a !
curious thing: there was a trail in thel
eenter of the road In our country, !
driving one horse is disagreeable, but |
acre all rigs are one horse rigs. and |
you find a trail in the center of the |
-oad wherever you go.
The principal industry of Nassau is |
sponge fishing. Seventv-f1ve schoonerS |
devoted to sponge fishing belong at |
his port. From fourteen to twenty |
men are employed on each schooner, |
and they remain out at sea six or |
seven weeks. Sometimes twenty or /
thirty of the schooners return to Mas |
'au at about the same time, and then l