The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-15
Ed HOWE'S NOTES.
Visit at Kingston, Jamaica, Is
Delightful.
BOtrnical Gardens to Be Seen on
All Sides.
VISIT THE BRANDAYS.
Pleasant Time Is Spent at
StOnyhurst.
We're in the Terrible Earth.
quake of 1907.
VISIT THE BRANDAYS.

VISITORS see ruins Oh the large DIlCk
buildings. Fire :tarted after the earth
quake, and ragged for days. Wooden
houses stood the shock best; brick
houses poorest of ALL Most of the new
buildings are of concrete. Kingston Is
located in a valley, back of it, noun
tains that remind you of the Rocky
Mountains Clouds usually hover about
the peaks. and look like patches of
snow. -r-Ia1ass
Early this morning I started out for
a trolley ride in Kingston. Mrs. Wal
ker and her daughter accompanied me;
Judge Walker and Mattel and Miss
Havens had accompanied an excursion
to mountain resort and would not
return until noon. The day was bright
and warm, following a heavy rain the
day before. We resolved to visit Hope
gardens, six miles away, botanical
garden maintained by the English gov
ernment. Or the way we were Joined
by Mrs. and Mrs. William P. Johnson,
of Kansas City. -. Sitting in front
of us on the trolley car, was a young
girl who interested US all, because OF
her Brightness; evidently a resident OF
Kingston and English. A young gen
tleman accompanied the girl, and We all
regretted it when the young people left
the car = Everywhere in the
tropics you find those botanical gard
ems, where everything in trees, flowers,
fruits, plants, etc, is grown. For an
hour or more we were escorted about
by young negro. who seemed familiar
with the place. and who pointed out
nutmeg trees, coffee plants, cinnamon
trees, orchids, ETC., and showed us now
sugar cane, oranges, bananas, and the
different tropical products, were grown.
On leaving the garden, near the en-
trance we encountered the Kingston
young people again. and they were SO
well informed that we loitcred stlll
longer The giri pointed out the akee
tree, seen everywhere here. Eaten at
certain times, the akee is wholesome;
a. other times It is poisonous. -FOUR
relatives of the girl had been killed by
eating the alSee. but she was fond OF II,
and ate it regularly, always under the
direction of her mother. who knew
then the fruit was safe. We became
infatuated with the girls brightness and
intelligence, and finally invited her
and her companion to visit our SNIP
and be our guests at luncheon. she
expressed her regret that she was un-
able to accept the invitation, and soon
after we separated. = we Went
to famous hotel and spring near the
foot of the mountain.-1The hotel is a
very pretty one situated in vast
tropical garden. Many of the Kingston
people seem TO- live at the hotel, which
also attracts many travellers. On our
way home, somewhere along the Inc
we saw our young friends waiting. The
girl said she had been waiting to tell
us that her mother had agreed to her
accepting our invitation to Iuncheon,
and she invited us to visit her mother
at home. We aligated from the car,
and walked a few blocks, When we en-
tered the grounds of ''Stonyhurst,' her
mothers home. We met not only the
mother. Mrs. ]. w. Branday, but Two
other daughters. and their aunt. Our
young friend we admired so much was
Miss Mona Branday, and the young
gentleman who accompanied her was
V. L. George, her cousin. Mr.. George
is a member of the Kingston firm OF
George & Branday. Both the original
members of the firm are dead, and the
business is being conducted by Mr..
George and Mrs. Branday's representa-
tive While sitting on the veranda OF
Mrs. Brandays house, the name OF the
place, "Stcnyhurst," reminded me OF
Potato Hill, my country place at home,
but 1 could not quite make them I'M
derstand why I had SO named it. l
gave my place an ugly name because
other people give their places sucn
pretty names. did it to be contrary,
but thew could not quite understand
why anyone should be contrary to the
point of calling a place Potato Hill.
We invited the two other sisters ana
the aunt, to accompany US TO the snip,
end, after an agreeable half hour at
"Stonyhurst,' we started down town.
The Branday family passed through
the terrible earthquake of 1907, and
their house, a large two story structure
of brick, was destroyed. Since then,
the material of the house has been used
to build a safer house of one story.
which seems to cover a good deal or
ground Two thousand people were
killed in the earthquake, and five hun
bred more were never accounted for.
| Hundreds Of the bodies were burned IN
the streets. Members OF the Branoay
family gave US a Wonoer1ully graphic
description of the earthquake, but re-
| and S-id
dent told by Miss Mona Bradley, the
| young girl we had met at Hope gar
den: One of the Misses Branday was
quite seriously injured by the first
| shock, and was lying by the front door,
| that she might be gotten out quickly in
case of a second shock The second
shock came, and all the other members
| of the family jumped over the wounded
| one, and ran for safety.
At nv table in the ships dining sa-
loon there are two vacant places, and
| 1 drew as my guests Miss Isabel Bran
day and Miss Mona Branday. Mr.. john
son took the other three to his table.
| Miss Isabel Branday spent five years in
a school in London, but was born N
Jamaica, as we're her father and moth
| err Miss Mona Branday was called
| home from a London school last Sep
TENDER by the death of her father, and
will return to London IN June. to com
| plete her education. The last named
| young lady is 10 years old, and wears
! short dresses, and her vivacity and in
| telligence delighted u.s. The ancestors
of the young ladies were French, on
| both sides They were driven out of
France by the revolution, and went TO
| the Island of Haiti. The massacre of
| whites there drove them to Jamaica,
! where the family has been ever since
| Although French. the family has asso-
| ciated with the English so long that 1t
is typically English But this is not so
| surprising: a young German, fresh from
| the old country, once went to live with
an Irish family south of Atchison, and
| the German now talks perfect Irish
| brogue: so much so that he is gem
orally known as Irish Hans
| While at luncheon, 1 learned a good
many interesting things from the
Misses Rrandav MateeI and Miss