Middletown transcript., 1916-05-13
~ HERE are two great public mar
kets in Kingston, Jamaica,
where the natives sell fruit ard


where the natives sell fruit ard
vegetables and all sorts of local
commodities for little more than
song. These are Victoria Market, by
the harbor at the foot Of King street,
where war vessels and colliers sail in
to port across the blue waters Of the
Caribbean almost daily, and Jubilee
Market, further uptown. and fronting
the public square where are the great
banyan trees and all manner Of tropi-
cal plants.
The daily supplies are brought to
market by the natives in large fat
baskets borne on their heads or in
panniers on the backs of the small
burros that are the burden bearers of
the island, says a writer in the New
York Sun. These little beasts. hardly
larger than big dogs, are led or driven,
their overs generally walking beside
them.
In the open spaces Of the market
woman venders take up their positions
for the day on the bare ground or per
haps seated on low boxes, with their
slender stock in trade spread out in
little heaps about them. These consist
Of few yams, or bread fruit, or nase-
berries, or whatever they may chance
to have, and upon which they make
during the long sunny days only few
pennies profit. They pay about a
shilling and sixpence per week as
license for the space that they and
their wares occupy and clear scarcely
enough to supply even their simplest
necessities. Yet for the most part they
are cheerful and happy. and the soft,
continuous patter Of their voices as
they gossip and trade all day suggests
the name of the tree, "Women's
Tongues" whose dry pods rustic to-
gether so musically in the country
lanes.
It does one good at any time to make
the tour Of theEmarket, walking among
the women with their strange fruits
and vegetables. and buying a penny's
worth here and a ha'penny's worth
there for the sheer delight of 1t all.
BUY ripe banana!" they will call
out mellifluously, or Buy a sweet
orange!' or "Ha'penny! Ha'penny!
Buy cake!" And looking down into
their engaging brown faces one de-
sires forthwith to buy everything.
Market Women in Scrap.
Picking my way gingerly one day
among the scores of seated and stoop-
ing venders, and being very careful
not to step into the little piles Of pep
pers and what not that we're out
spread everywhere, plunged into the
midst of a lively scrap between two
cOlored women. One of them, who
had been seated on a box in the sun
shine, irascible with her long vigil,
had picked up her seat and moved 1t
back plump into the midst of her
neighbor and her neighbors wares, all
outspread together on the ground. The
result was scrimmage. with much
pushing and chattering, all Of which
was SO funny that my amusement set
them laughing also, and the trouble
wound up in a good natured romp
among them. And, oh, but the sun
was hot, and the binding white light
quivered out upon the waters Of the
harbor.
A row Of stalls runs along one side
Of the market, where sticky sweets
are sold, most unappetizing to foreign
sensibilities. The stuff is ladled out
of great dingy cans and sold in penny
wOrths and farthing amounts or more.
Near this row of stick ghee are racks
and stacks Of fiimsy cotton goods and
ribbon, laces and embroideries, all i'm