The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-05-28

- RAoA
with a plaza. or parade, as they call it,
in the center. The principal streets
are Kink street and Harbor street. The
population is about $4,000.
The island OF Jamaica is about the
shape OF a lima bean, lying lengthwise
under the lee shore Of Cuba. II is IA
miles long and ~ miles wide. 1t is
mountainous. its highest peak reach
Ing an altitude OF 1860 feet. 1t is said
TO b. a glorious sight 10 stand on Blue
Mountain and look down. as 1t
consumes TWO days and the better
part Of a twenty dollar bill l preferred
10 stay down and look up. The noun
tain scenery is decidedly beautiful
and a trip or the railroad the length
OF the island Is a scenic delight. OF
course there is a chance TO complain
If one is looking for the hole in the
f-tedcake-it takes all day to go 100
miles. But II you onee looked over
the rolling stock you would wonder
that they make any time al all.
But why complain We are in the
tropics, remember. and what is a day?
Surely there's another day coming, and
another. and a week and a month.
What's the matter with you northern
people anyhow Why not be satisfied
with the everlasting luxury of the
present Let tomorrow take care of
tomorrow Let's sit down and talk
about today. Time is longer than a
rope" is a native proverb and right
well they live up 10 il.
Next week we shall look into the
surprising of the island OF
Jamaica. | was astonished TO learn
that Of all the products which now
enter into commerce. only one is ma
tive 10 the soil. The wonderful adapt
ability Of the soil is apparent. The
Spaniards introduced the sugar cane,
the vans came from Africa, the Irish
potatoes come from the north and the
tobacco, coffee, bananas and in fact
everything has been introduced. Even
the Royal palm which fiourishes to a
degree surprising those in Cuba, are
nevertheless natives Of the aforemen-
toned island.
With this wonderful fertility, and
land selling at ten shillings an acre
and so per cent OF the tillable soil as
yet untaken it is surprising that so
much is yet undeveloped.
| shall coved that feature next week
and also try to locate the fly in the
ointment.
The insect crop in the tropics is an
other subject upon which the Tourist
Associations are silent but this has no
effect on the insects. In a land where
no winter frost ever comes and where
the only check to animal and insect
life is the statute of limitation there is
of necessity some law of nature to
govern or else the human family would
be driven u entirely. One of the
lOS OSOlAL illllt .uStIl SCdN tUSGTS is /
the lizard. Nobody ever molests the
lizard and he is legion. Darling out
of your pathway, or wiggling up the
ivy vines and peeping in at your bed
window, he at first gives you a
sensation, but after a night or
two with the leas, you will welcome
Mr.. Lizard as a necessary, if not
companion and you will wish
there were a whole lot more of him.
We were seated in front of the hotel
one morning when this subject came
up and my two Massachusetts friends
had been so intent on golf hat they
had overlooked the lizard crop. |
promptly offered my services as guide
and n of them whom we will call
Sam went with me. Around the cor
ner on the sunny side we found a brisk
swarm and one particularly larsv one.
He was dressed in russell and gold and
pussy footed back to fetch Bradley.
On the way it occurred to us to bring
Bradley to the lizards and then swear
hat we couldn't see a single lizard.
Make him think he was "seein'"
hings as it were. This seemed funny
nd we laughed a whole lot of laughs
n advance. We approached him with
hat half patronizing, half i%nsinuating
manner common with the joker to-
Yards his intended victim and as a
we waited him into the
'ar, where he went willing enough.
'ut when it came to drinks he would
My take lemonade, in spite Of our
that lemonade was the
poison he could name for
ropic tipping. However we went on
nd led him around the corner and not
single. solitary lizard could we scare
p. He who laughs last sometimes
aughs inwardly' misQuoted Sam as
re soberly returned to our seat on the
ront porch Of the hotel.
Lou d. MacWethy.
rhR eaa~N. A.,,sn>