Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-08-10
OUR ISLAND PEOPLE
A Kindly Race Given to Politeness.
/ A Perfect Climate and a Spiendio
Winter Resort.

o.
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 citl-
zens. Their language is English and
among the common people the &C.
cent is English and Scotch, accord
ing to locality. The population is
made up of English, Scotch, Irish,
Dutch, 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 l 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 gen
darn to the American marine. 1t was
an easy task. These marines fresh
from the turmoil and insurrection in
Santa Domingo found an easy task
awaiting them. They would have had
nothing to do whatever were it not
for an occasional drunken sailor
from off the boats in the harbOr.
Improvements Needed
I founded a splendid hotel in st.
Thomas, in fact two. Rates reason
able. After paying Porto Rico
prices l felt like stopping on indefi-
nitely just for the novelty of en-
joying reasonable rates. Under the
Danish government, st. T h m
was long a free port and even at
the last the tariff rate was very low.
This accounts for the reduced prices
American rule and with a war on
our hands l am afraid the people are
to suffer a rude awakening. In this
however, there will be some compen-
sation. The Virgin Islands were a
forgotten part of the world CONNER
cially. 1 believe that under our do
miniOn they will awaken Probably
this will be delayed on account of
the war, just 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) light
ed by electricity. There isn't sew
age system on any of the islands.
They have no modern improvements
of any kind. On the island Of st.
Croix l saw several automobiles but
not one in St Thomas. The islands
will come in for a good cleaning UP,
improvements galore, schools, inten-
sive farming, telephone systems and
possibly electric railways. The peo-
pie are so kindly that their hearts
will need no cleansing but they can
be improved a whole lot on the out
side.
Coming Winter Resort
The climate is perfect. The rain
fall is very light. This hinders crop
growth but on the other hand it
makes a healthfm place in which to
live. Insect pests are not much in
evidence. What l believe will hap
n in fr1t1 hnA
lean tourist will be the one best
crop. There is no reasan why we
should not make of these islands the
finest winter resort in the tropics.
Especially since We own them l
have never been in the Bermudas,
but from what l can learn of them
the Virgin Islands have many advan-
tages over them. The voyage from
New York consuming four days, each
day growing milder, the transit from
furs to palm Beaches enroute; the
arrival in the beautiful harbor and
the survey of the red tiled town
nesting against the rugged noun
AeAhS, dill 10TH a Happy pI0luuo dIIu
prepares one for pleasant sojourn.
Then, on acquaintance to find the
people so kindly and polite, and de-
void of viciousness 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,
motoring and mountain climbing will
complete the outdoor exercises while
the hotels of today are amply equip
ped with specious ball rooms for in
door exercise
Mountain Climbing
l did little mountain climbing on
my own hook. Mountain climbing
under a tropic sun is not without it's
drawbacks but by taking it slow
finally won to the top of the noun
tain back of st. Thomas and over