La Junta tribune., 1913-01-25
gARAWAv JAMAICA.
Slack Janiea Has Many Attractions
bv, There 10 no Place Like Home.


the capital city. which. TO eyes ae
costomed to American towns. icok'
rather saualid. However. the govern
ment buildings are very handsome
being built OF cement. reinforced wiz
heavy iron rods. so as to De "a''h'
quake proof There ar" also some
stores which compare fayorably with
those In the states.
On. thing that strikes the Amer'
can is the large number OF black
people In business. In fact. very fe"
comparatively speaking. are white
with no trace of eoIorci blood. This
island Is sometimes called Black ia
malca. and is aptly named when ap-
piled to the people. for tn" colorcd
people of varying shades. are every
where
On. looks over these mountains.
and at disiauc. they seem Ia b"
,parsely covered with shrubs. with
hcrc and th.r. white dot. which
We know is house. bu, on nearer
view We find the shrubs to be- trees
and under their branches ar" many
native cots. made OF bamboo poles
md matched with grass. always
small They say "our yards. Sc in
stead OF "our homes" Ms W. do. aud
20 fact the yard Is the main par,
4 home They have very lii'l.
furniture. aud cook their bread fruit.
vans aud sNee, potatoes. or what
ever they have to cook. all To-
scther In one large kettle. and out Of
ionrs. or under shed made fcr that
purpose They have no cook stoves.
aud buy their bread and cakes
One noticeable thing about all
buildings. Is that they are built to
keep out heat. instead of cold. AZ
with us Tho roads are built and
maintained by tho government. at
great expense. although tho men who
work on them receive only the
munificcni wage Of thirty cents a
day-but as one of them said. they
don't expect TO earn more than they
get The reads arr bull, along the
sides OF the mountains. or on the
ridges. often only MID. enough for
the track. and look very dangerous
They are not so. however. except
when there Is land slide. which
Is often the cas-" during tn. rainy
season.
The great hurricane that occurred
lust n few weeks before ~. came
= said Ia have been the worst for
wears The wind blew. and tn. food
descended for ten days. and th-r,
we're many places where the land
slid down IN. mountain side. often
taking trees and crops with n In
m. place five acres i-f, the slop.
for lower ground bananas were nj
80 blown down. fruit and leaves
stripped from the trees. although ,hi,
part Of the island. tn. storm was u,
northern parts bananas ar. r..
covering. as j. everything else. yer,
rapidly Trees M. growing. ant
blooming. vine. and shrubs ar.
rampant. ferns and palms aiorn tn.
slopes. flowers and birds and balm,
hr..z"s lend "nchantm.nt to IN.
seem. Beautiful Jamaica. and yet
III. ours. OF ag"--,h. rum power
III. ignoranc. and superstition o
her people. Sin and oppression. com
bin. Ia max. II far from paradis.
The English p-opi. who rui" ihi.
land. ar" not anxious To cducai. and
"l-va,. these blacks Their. ar.
schools of superior class and al
children over fourteen must pay 1,
attend. ~ few r"c.iy. only an .lc
'ncniary education. and they ar.
anxious learn.
". can hardly r.allz. her. that
IA iunia pcnpl. are. not holding pie
nics and uu, OF doors meetings
neither ar" yea Worrying about mos
luiios ard ce!rr.rs. 80 there nrs
cpmp"nsations In every place. w
send loving greeting to friends and
n"lghbors. aud n ". safely reach
American shores once more. shall be
GLAD 'o see you again. for after all
there Is no plarc~ like home.
LAURA \. ROCK WE'LL.
Lawrence Tavern. Jamaica. H. ". 1
January I. i.i3.