The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-12-28


Washington, ID. G. Dec. 2O-"If
Madeira is to .Kc the st. Helena of
the former Emperor Charles and
Empress Zita as dispatches state.
that eXiled pain have achieved \
good fortune beyond any other
fallen monarch from Napoleon to
Wilhelm" says a bulletin from
the Washington, -. c., hcaduuar-
ters of the National Geographic So
ciety.
Here is an island where il is
nearly always summer. yet sledges
are used all the year round; Which
is far from the madding crowd, vet.
before the war turned all shipping
topsy turvy one might sit in many
Il Madeiran garden and see vessels
from four continents riding AT an
chor. The island is peoplcd three
times as dcnscly az Connecticut.
yet some of its valleys are all but
uncNplorcd. The banana tree of
the tropics and the oak of the
temperate one grow up together.
Vehicles Go on Runners
"The vehicles of Funchal. capi-
tai Of Madeira, go on runners in
stead Of on wheels, lccause of it's
steep and preciDitouS streets. These
often are fitted on: as luXuriously
az troika Of Moscow or pctro-
grad, but they are drawn by oxen
instead of horses. Thc chalnctcr-
istlc carrier of Funchal. rovcvtr.
is a low, cushion-seated Sled. ~
III which a passenger sits ard
slides to the bottom Of the steep
streets. The runners are hauled
across a grease bai; by tNo TT
tendants before the paSs"nHrr is
started on a bumpy ride ov,r cob-
bled pavements.
Madeira is the chief island of
the Madeira group, which lie about
800 miles west Of Morocco. OF the
aggregate area Of tlle group, about
80 square miles. all save Is miles
is comprised i'm the main island,
and practically all Of the 10000
inhabitants reside there. The
beautiful Volcano formed peaks in
any ocean, and its scenery is on a
magnificent scale out Of proper
ton to the size of the tract. One
ridge rises to more than $500 feeI.
one valley especially, Curral das
Freiras, has the luXuriancc and
charm more to be expected upGr
To lliti tln 4,
rugged cliffs mark thc greater par;
Of the coast; and tiny towns huddlc
at the foot of some of these sheer
heights. The inhabitants thereof
have learned the art OF terrace gar.
dening.
Wine Still STAPLE Product
THE wine that made Madeira
famous still constitutes it's stap!,.
industry but the annual output has
shrunk to q fourth its former bulk
Once it was in demand at fabulous
prices and tales still are told of how
American clippers carried it around
In the f!fties Of the past century a
vine disease wrought havoc before
it was checked, then physicians
declared that madeira was peculiar
arly conducive to gout, the war
practically cut one of the world s
most cosmopolitan island ports
from communication, and the
Eighteenth Amendment robbed
Madcrir OF. an important market.
Visitors still may see the natives
carrying this wine 10 cellars in hugo
skins slung over their shoulders
and the primitive wine preSS is
used in It's making.
Sugar plantations surround
Funchal. Cactus is grown fer rcar-
ing the tiny insect from which
cOchincal is made for dycstufi. In
recent years the popularity Of The
island as a health resort has ere
ated an industry that bids fair I.
thrive more vigorously us steGlushir
lines resume their normal schcd
ules."