The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-05-28
COUNTRY EDITOR IN PANAMA
Jamaica, the Land of Perpetual Sun.
shine

stop at Kingston, Jamaica and as ",
are 10 become better acquainted il
these ATTITUDES as the Panama develop
ment opens new channels of trade Il
the south it is well to get a glimpse
of this remarkable little island.
Jamaica is the richest and the poor
est spot in the West Indies. II is 6
land of opposites. 1t is the most beau
tiful and the most ugly; a land where
unlovely beggars rub elbows with
wealthy planters and high salaried
officials; where women do the work
and the men idle and where even ma.
ture seems to run in contrary chan
nels. With the beautiful soft toned
mountains piling tier upon tier, until
the highest peaks plunge their blue
heads into the feecy clouds; with
every variety Of tropical verude, fruit
and flower; with the wierd music OF
many strange insects, and the velvet
nights lit by thousands of frefies and
the sparkling diamond buttoned skies
overhead; with all these. and more, it
would seem like a sort of fairyland
where n could
Dream our life away
Where the dreamer lives forever,
And the worker dies in a day"
But set against this scene of noun
tain liveliness is the squat unwhole-
some low lands. The city of Kings
ton, for instance, is always under a
cloud which looks like smoke, but
which in reality is white dust stirred
up by the trade winds. The white
limestone from the roadways is always
in motion, always whirled by on the
never resta'ng trade winds, settling in
your eyes, in your food and down your
neck. These things never appear in
the guide book. nor do they dilate on
the possibilities of hurricane and earth
quake.
But these things come. There has
been times when out of a peaceful
scene like that described above ma
ture struck her cruelest blow. With
out warning comes a shock which IN
three minutes destroys a city and
rocks the very mountains to their
foundation. Thousands perish in the
twinkling of an eye and all the while,
up above, kind nature smiles on as
though unaware Of the happening. Be-
ware Of the man who smiles when he
strikes. Beware Of nature when in
like mood. There is something un-
canny in the thought of such happen
ings when the sun shines on, and the
Royal palms draw a curtain over a
scene OF desolation as though hiding
an u%nlovely blemish from the gaze of
a shocked world.
Again hurricanes have come to this
island beautiful, and torn the very YER
dure from the soil, destroying the
planting Of a season, of a decade and
sometimes of a lifetime.
But people. those who are left, seem
to ecover and to forget. I learn that
1t is the policy of the Tourist Associa-
ton to hide these things from the pub
lie and l noticed that while It is only
seven years since Kingston was de-
there Is scarcely a picture
postal card left to remind visitors of
the calamity. This may be good policy
but ! fail to see how people are to
draw comparisons without something,
% go'by.
EARTHQUAKES are not 90 common.
Taken broadly the death rate from
his cause IL not one, two. three with
'ur death rate from automobile acct.
and / don't suppose the hufri.
ane list would begin TO compare with
ar railroad morality. But why hide
be real factsf visited the cemetery
j Kingston and note that on the
erected 70 the sarthquake
ictims' Ny gave the casualties Ct
80. xfis ny ~ hight. but ~ ths
ne II No IlAeel ct bstween two ana