Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-03-24
Los Angeles, California,

March 10, 1911.
LEADER: When | bade you goodby
at the conclusion OF my letter written
to you from Santiago, Cuba, and dated
March 90 1910, l promised myself
that | would soon write you another
letter aud tell you more about my
sojourn in that balmy, sunny isle. and
of my trip to that little isle OF many
wonders, Jamaica. and to the world
famous canal which is being built by
the American government across the
IsthmuS of Panama.
But time, that wonderful, indiscrib-
able, Elusive thing, which we have al
ways with us, yet only for moment
a mere twinkling, and it has vanished
behind it's curtain, the Past, and is
no more. Time has fitted by-to'
morrow is always coming you know
and tomorrow there will be time &c
spare. 1t is nearly a year now since
| wrote you last, and an eVentfuI
wear it has been to me. 1T is so long
ago now and there are so many other
things | want to write about which
are more within the grasp of my
memory, that | will forego the more
or less detailed description OF my trip
from Santiago to Panama and back
again, which | had at first intended
to give you. l will merely touch on
a few things.
Len njoyed the sail out from Santiago
harbor and bay very much. At the
entrance, over which the grim old
fort-Morro Castle = stands guard, the
harbor is very narrow. Sailing by
along the coast, one would hardly dis
cerne the entrance to a wide and ex
tensive harbor, hidden by the jagged
mountains of the rough coast line
The strategic facilities of this harbol
and it's usefulness in case OF war anc
also for comm ercial purposes, are val
liable assets to the Cuban Republic.
My trip from Cuba to Jamaica ovel
the Caribbean Sea, was a pleasant
one. The weather was fine, the lndl'
90 waters of the deep Caribbean, was
very calm and tranquil. Arriving al
Kingston, the first curious thing to
attract my attention was the little
Drown skinned native boys who came
swimming out to the ship as it was
maneuvered to it's moorings. These
aittle nigger kids could swim like
fish.
They amused the passengers Dy
diving for coins which were thrown
to them from the decks of the vessel
The little fellows would float around
in the water, which was probab
" between 40 and so feet deep, just
as easily as ducks and watch eagerly
for a passenger to throw coin into
the water, and then they would dive
as gracefully as a fish but looking
rather more like frogs. They would
Invariably catch the coins, and that
before the piece had dropped more
than five or six feet below the surface
of the water.
The occupation, no doubt, was quite
renumerative to them at times.
The houses ia Kingston were near
ly all built of brick before the earth
quake which visited that place fe"
wears ago, 1907 l believe it was, anc
laid portions of the town In ruins
Now it Is being rebuilt and the style
of architecture and construction II
more modern.
The Jamaica niggers speak Engllst
but with peculiar drawl and inf1ec
tion which is very marked. IheJ
seem to be gentler race OF negroes
than those of our southern states.
Another curious thing which at
tracted my attention when l hac
landed and was taking stroll uE
through the streets, was the sight O.
women-Negro women--working ou'
in the street at street work and OF
buildings, carrying brick and mortar
mixing mortar, and carrying waite
used in the preparation of the NOR
tar. in short, they seemed to worl
right along at work which Is cons1d
cred to be only mans work here II
the States.
While in Kingston 1 visited beau
tiful park on the outskirts OF th'
town, have forgotten the name o
the park now. The profusion OF tfop
ical plants and flowers which were u
be seen there. we're certainly some
thing wonderful to my northern eyes
ASH have endeavored ever since
came back to the United States from
Norway. to make my expenses as
travel from place to place. working
for time in place at whatever
can find to do, and can do, and the
hiking out into what is to me unea
plored territory again. For this rea
son | have not got as much none
iingling around in my jeans as som
people may have who travel so | nav
to exercise great care and thoughtfu
consideration in parting compan
with the slippery "plunks' which
have conjured within the welcom1n
compartments of my lean-sided pocf
etbook. Poeketbooks seem to have
way Of growing thin and lank whe
one travels.
And 50 it came about that when