River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-05-11
III THE JUBMEE MARKET, KINGSTON

! scarcely three feet removed from the
sweets. There are piles also CT linen
and cotton prints, whose cheapness
the vendors loudly proclaim as they
stand measuring the goods off by the
yard and selling it at ridiculously low
! prices.
! It was near this place that a woman
| buying embroidery that trailed down
into the dust, held in her arms a
| plump little brown baby 1t chuckled
| and held out it's hands to me, playing
like a kitten. I found that the only
name by which it was known was
Dada" Later, on the edge Of the
crowd that overfowed into the street,
| discovered little "Murenne Cole"
black as a coal, hiding behind her
mothers skirts and laughing up into
my face. The brown babies in Jamaica
are irresistible.
There are many coolie women in the
markets, who sell fruits and vegetables
as well as their odd East Indian trim
ketS. These women are bedecked with
heavy silver ornaments, in which they
invest most of their limited means,
and the necklaces, bracelets, rings,
anklets and bangles with which they
are loaded down, display exquisite
workmanship and design. The manner
in which many of these ornaments are
worn indicates caste, and lot Of fill
gree work disfguring the nOstril pro-
claims a married woman. These East
ern women are always picturesque and
often beautiful. Wistful and fawn-
like, with soft, dusky skins, they are
as shy and proud as wild animals.
Tobacco by the Yard.
Over in one corner Of the market
place colored men sell ropes Of strong
native tobacco by the yard and suggest
that strangers take home few yards
as souvenirs. Into the meat and fish
markets, presided over chiefly by men,
I could not persuade myself to go, as
everything was too i1l-smelling and
unsightly; but I poked about unhesi-
tatingly everywhere else. The most
delightful Of all the stands are where
they sell native basket work and
beads; the latter being seeds of var1-
Gus colors and sizes, strung in long
necklaces, and selling at sixpence
each. The vendors of these bead
strings, with long punches of them
hanging over arm or shoulder, hawk
their wares everywhere, haunting the
piers and railway station and victim
izing travellers. 1t seemed to me as
if they were always on the lookout for
myself, for I found it impossible to re-
fuse and bought dozens Of them, red
and black, brown and yellow, and dove
colored Jobs Tears that seem to have
been wept all over the island.
The baskets are equally tempting
and are of every conceivable shape
and size, from tiny ornaments and
shapes for ordinary usage to great
hampers and suit cases. In suitcase
| form they cost but shilling or two,
and are extremely light and highly
serviceable.
Then there are knicknacks and
fancy articles made Of bamboo joints
and palm leaf, candle shades and
mats made of cotton fiber or lace
bark; and cocoanuts carved and deco
rated in endless designs. It is morn
ing's treat to examine them all, and
buy here bit and there bit, until an
astonishing number Of shillings and
pence have been transmitted into bask
cts and beads. And then there is the
sweet smelling cos-cos grass, that
costs but penny a bunch and leaves
the things IN GIe's trunk perfumed
ever af+er.
Comins away after a morning s
strc2 through Jubilee Market helped
big, slatternly darby girl to pin up
her skirt, which was slipping loose,
and received a grinning "Tanky, Mis-
sy, tanky!" in reward. Then passing
over to a stall where another darky
woman sold oranges / stopped and
bought four for a quarter. 1t was very
warm and they were cool and luscious.
And then the orange woman wanted
to return with me to New York, an
the darkies everywhere wanted to do,
being willing to work for next to moth
ing for the opportunity Of coming to
the States. They are 30 pitifully poor
in their own country!