The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-08-14
CUBA, JAMAICA AND PANAMA

CUBA, JAMAICA AND PANAMA
lBrookings Register Bureau Washington, D
> (By J r jones'
From the deck % u ship We b.
hold Jamaica-its royal palms bowe
to the breezes. bidding welcome TO u
: who II fortunate enough 70 visit il
shores As we slipped into our docl
the black boys swan alongside. and "
threw coppers into the waters, an
they dove down and fetched them vi
/ Thirty years ago | had read the stor
OF these boys who dive where shark
often swim, and il was as though
had seer ii all before: Say, sah." III
black rascals shouted as a signal TO
coins. Down. down, they would sc
always finding the reward for thei
labor. At times a dozen or more woul,
sing wierd, plaintiye native songs TO
our entertainment. One day in one o
their dug-outs which rowed beside GU
ship, We spied a happy, GRIMM!
Jamaican, who sat in the stern, clat
in a hat, necktie. and little else be
side All eyes from the ships sid,
followed this strange. fascinating crea
ture, whose face and body shone Xix,
dull copper. Its Billiken," discover
ed someone. Sure enough, here was /;
living creature that spread Infection:
merriment among all who beheld.
Jamaica is British, and has 5000 0
people, OF whom perhaps less than 90,
600 are white. Labor is worth from
twenty-five to fifty cents a day, and
the natives live on fish. rice, mangoes
cocoanuts and other fruits. They are
strong, swarthy people. Kingston is a
clean, attractive city, and there are
occasional reminders Of the earth
quake of seven years ago. The streets
are filled with women who swarm
about, and beg you TO buy their fruit.
Cab drivers follow your foot steps il
you are ambitious enough to walk. The
chances are that you will ride, as you
can hire your transportation for a
shilling, or ride for a couple of hours
for a dollar.
The British maintain great gardens
in which are displayed in luxuriant
splendor the trees, plants and flowers
OF the tropics-and it is a wonderful
sight for northern eyes to behold the
cultivation Of grape fruit, oranges,
lemons, mangoes, bananas, pineapples,
conee, spices, cinnamon, camphor trees
sugar cane, nase-berries, star apples.
as well as the royal poniana, orchids,
orchid walks, arbors or roses, climbing
Marshall Neils, and innumerable things
whose names have passed from mem.
DRY. There are visions of Kingston
that will never dull, and the drives
along the country highways are recol-
lections Of hours in comparative para
disc. Beautiful estates line the high.
ways. with comfortable buildings,
grounds for cultivation. Each bears a
name, as for instance: Constance
Springs Retreat, Myrtle Arbor, etc.
Here the English whites live like
kings, princes and dukes; live quiet
easy lives, as their rich fields and plan.
are cared for by the blacks of
Jamaica. Why, If l had a few thous-
and dollars, and a desire to quit the
struggles of existence, l would
hit the trail for Jamaica, and become
one Of the lords of the land. But these
tropical roads have greater wonders
than the houses and the people along.
side.
Some where / have seen a picture of
black Jamaica women, stretching as
lar along the highway as the eye can
reach, bearing IN their heads the pro-
luce bound for market--great baskets
illed with mangoes, cocoanuts, and
fruit. Evidently those accom
panied by a burro, likewise weighted
Town, had attained a high state of
as these animals are worth
rom 81 to SIS apiece. The Jamaican
women and their burros are the pack
rains Of commerce, and they pass like
lectures on q screen along the high
ray. It is told that when the Jamai.
laborers first we're introduced to
v~heelbarrows at Panama, that they
oaded them full, and then carried
hem on on their heads.
Along the Constant Springs road our
lst morning. u native rig was over.
AIKEN by q dashing turnout, and in d
WI were transferred to this
vehicle, occupied by our friends.
lie Farquharson and her guest, Miss
lutt. who were on the way to town to
leet q chip. There are tales Of
DDS that ride in chariots across the
|ouds. but that team Of bays. hitched
the two-sested carriage. ably man
red BY Jamaican 'Wllliams'' In spot,
white 4 ne rsins. with our
iends and Ne loads a beautifull
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