St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-09-18
CITY LIFE IN THE TROPICS
A Letter From HI. j. Farnham Liv.
ing in Kingston. Jamaica


3 A. Melbourn Road,
Kingston, Jamaica, B. w. l.
July 20, 1912.
Editor of the Caledonian.
Perhaps your readers may be glad
to hear from one of their own
countrymen altho in foreign land.
1 often think of native land. Judg-
ing from the news we get of the ex-
cessive heat in America we are not
so bad off after all. The cool breezes
of the ocean that usually blow daily
from 9 a. M, till shutdown make
it possible for a Vermonter to sur
vive.
There are many things about city
life here that can have no compari-
son in an American city. For in
stance, good sidewalks are very
conspicuous by their absence, so
one must walk in the road, always
looking out that the cabmen do not
run over you. Policemen, both col
ored and white are very numerous.
Soldiers abound as we'll, and custom
officials are very common. These
are mostly colored. Every one who
owns a horse and rig must hire a
groom because he cannot tie a
horse on the streets and should he
leave it without a groom the police
would take it and make the owner
pay a fine. Anything that has the
appearance of work must be done by
a servant and there are nearly as
many grades of service as there are
castles in India. The nicely of dis
tinction is sometimes very amusing.
One would naturally think there
would be nothing but saneness here
0cnnaio 11XT in q country uhnrn the
children do as did their fathers for
generations past. This is not the
case however. Nature provides many
changes to meet the needs of the.
people. While it is a land of "Eter-
nal June there is the falling leaf
twice year from many of the trees,
(not caused by frost however, There
are so large variety of evergreens
that the city has the appearance of
spring time the year round. Only
the dust that is of lime stone color
which covers the trees and makes
them look at times as if a snow
squall had struck them. The tall
cocoanut trees that abound in the
city bear the appearance of life and
death at the same time, as they al
ways have decaying foliage. This
is also true of the banana plant and
varieties of Towering trees and vines
which give different colors and per-
fumes both night and day. The
night jasmine is one of the most fra
grant of any. This always blossoms
for about two weeks near the time of
the full moon. The many varieties
of white, red and yellow roses that
blossom all the time make the front
yards pleasant to behold and sweet
to enjoy. Besides there are many
fruit trees, which could not be des<
cribed in this short article that help
to make city life here quite rural.
The Akee tree, covered with its red
fruit, about the size of a large hens
egg, when ripe, opens in three or
four sections, each section contain
ing the black kernels which are a lot
tie larger than a large bean. This is
very beautiful fruit.
Besides the natural scenery of
this city there is nothing to attract
ones attention except the curious
the many street hucksters, mostly
women, carrying on their heads their
fruits and wares for sale or leading
small donkeys loaded with various
things to sell. These people present
strange picture of humanity. Often
dirty and ragged, while a few are
clearly. To understand their English
demands an expert. These people
are a simpIe-minded harmless class,
who live simply to serve with no
prospects of anything better.
There are no tall sky scrapers
here. Two stories high Is about the
tallest and but few of these. There