New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1917-09-19
OUR NEW POSSESSIONS
A Kindly Race Given to Politeness.
A Perfect Climate and Splendid
Winter Resort.
Mo-. Isl.

Winter Resort.
No. 6.
What are the people like in the Virgin
Islands? To begin with they are the
most polite people on earth. They are
peaceable, law abiding citizens. Their
language is English and among the
common people the accent is English
and Scotch, according to locality. The
population is made up Of English, Scotch,
Irish, Duth, Danish. and African. A
very large percentage of the population
are colored. The manners, customs and
language reminds me very much OF
Jamaica.
A Policeman's Paradise
On arriving at St. Thomas the first
thing I noticed was the American flag
floating over the barracks. Next the
American uniform. The Marines were
doing the police duty. When the Danish
flag came down and the American flag
was hoisted the task of keeping order
was transferred automatically from the
Danish gendarme to theAmerican marine.
1t was as easy task. These marines
fresh from the turmoil and insurrection
in Santo Domingo found an easy task
awaiting them. They would have had
nothing to do whatever were it not for
an occasional drunken sailor from of
the boats in the harbor.
improvements Needed.
found a splendid hotel in St. Thomas,
in fact two. Rates reasonable. After
paying Porto Rico prices 1 felt like
stopping on indefinitely just for the
novelty of enjoying reasonable rates.
Under the Danish government St.
Thomas was long free port and even
at the last the tariff rate was very low.
This accounts for the reduced prices
which I found on everything. Under
American rule and with war on our
hands I am afraid the people are to
suffer a rude awakening. In this how
ever, there will be some compensation.
The Virgin Islands were forgotten
part of the world commercially. I be-
ieve that under our dominion they will
awaken. Probably this will be delayed
an account of the war, as all projects at
home will suffer, but after the war things
will brighten. For instance in the whole
islands there is but one town, St. Thomas
(Charlotte Amalie) lighted by electricity.
There isn't sewage system on any of
the islands. They have no modern i'm
provements of any kind. On the island
of St. Croix I saw several automobiles,
but not one in ST. Thomas. The islands
will come in for good cleaning up, i'm
provements galore, schools, intensive
farming, tephone systems and possibly
electric railways. The people are so
kindly that their hearts will need no
cleaning but they can be improved
whole lot on the outside.
Coming Winter Resort
The climate is perfect. The rain.
fall is very light. This binders crop
growth but on the other hand it makes
a healthful place in which to live. In
sect pests are not much in evidence.
What I believe will happen in the future
is that the American tourist will be the
one best crop. There is no reason why
we should not make of these islands the
finest winter resort in the tropics. Els
pecially since we own them. I have
lie -er been in the Bermudas, but from
what 1 can learn of them the Virgin
Islands have many advantages over
them. The voyage from New York
consuming four days, each day grow
ing milder, the transit from 1rs to
Palm Beaches enroute; the arrival in the
beautiful harbor and the survey of the
red tiled town nesting against the ru., ged
mountains, all form a happy prelude and
prepares one for a pleasant sojourn
Then, on acquaintance to find tt people
so kindly and polite, and devoid of Vi
ciousness and ill-manner is a further
recommend.
There is no reason why the islands
should not yield abundant rest and
recreation. Cricket is the national
game at present, but baseball will soon
follow. There is room for golf; the
fishing is excellent; and boating, motor
ing and mountain climbing will com
plete the outdoor exercises while the
hotels of today are amply equipped
with spacious ball rooms for indoor
exercise.
Mountain Climbing
I did little mountain climbing or
my own hook. Mountain climbing
under a tropic sun is not without it:
drawbacks but by taking it slow finally
won to the top of mountain back O
st. Thomas and overlooking the cit!
and harbor. It was fine view. Stand
ing on the summit could look off to tn,
north across the restless Atlantic. II