The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-07-18
TRIP TO CURACAO
WAS INTERESTING
w. 3. Allen Tells of Char
acteristics of Lit
tie Island
ACCOMPANIED HERD
OF HOLSTEIN CATTLE
Shooting at Sharks, Trees that Grow
Toward East. Ostrich and Goat
Farms, and Rum at 40 Cents a Pint
Among His Memories

Shooting at sharks, trees that grow
toward the east, huge ostrich and goat
farms, and excellent rum at 40 cents a
pint-these are some of the memories of
interest brought back to Brattleboro by
W. B. Allen, more often called Jack
who lives at 160 Vernon street and who
has just returned from oyer a months
trip to the island of Curacao, a member
of the Dutch West Indies, 143 miles
northwest of Caracas, Venezuela.
Mr.. Allen, who is employed by the
Purebred Live Stock Sales Co., set sail
from New York on June on the
freighter and mail steamship Flora with
is head of Holstein-F -Friesian cattle.
These cattle had been bought by F. A.
Perret Gentil of Curacao, who was here
last spring at the time of the annual
spring sale at the Vernon street pavilion.
The trip to Curacao was interesting
but uneventfuI with the exception of a
day when the ship sighted a school of
sharks. Theefirst mate fired upon them
but the results Of his shots were unde-
termined as the sharks were some dis
tance away. The ship made 10 stops at
the island of Haiti, Cape Haiti being
reached on June 10.
On the 21st, just as the ship was leav-
ing AIiragoane. the herd of Is cattle
was increased by one, a fun blooded calf
having been born. On the 24th. Will
lemstad, the principal port of Curacao,
was reached and here Mr.. Allen re-
manned nine days during which time he
delivered his cattle to Mr. Perret GentiI
Curacao, according to Mr.. Allen, is
small fiat island, dotted with a few
hills. and has a population of about
~ GOO. of whom 25,000 are colored the
balance being Spanish and Dutch. The
universal Language throughout the is
land is Spanish. The island is a great
farming district, and in addition the
occupations of the people comprise work
ing at the wharveS, making panama hats
and the mining of material from which
buttons are made. Salt also is mined in
the western part of the island, and
saw Octriches from two months to eight
years old.
Willemstad the principal port. is
called the red rooted city. The buildings
being low. one-story affairs, and painted
entirely in red The streets. Mr.. Allen
sad. are narrow but clean as a whistle
and as hard as cement. The food there is
the best ever. and Mr.. Allen said he ate
the tenderest beef there that he ever
had There are also all kinds of fruit
to be obtained. Fresh water is obtained
by means of digging wells and erecting
turning by the continual breeze which
sweeps over the island. There are no
rivers or brooks on Curacao. The tenn
perature is very hot but the ever-present
breeze makes life comfortable. There is
Masonic temple at Willemstad, which
Mr.. Allen said is a credit to the city.
There are 200 automobiles on the
island Two of them are Overlands, one
is a Buick and one is a Cadillac; all the
rest are Fords. 1t costs eight cents in
American money to go a mile and a half
or two by taxi
WiIlemstad is situated on both sides of
n natural gulf that leads into one of the
finest harbors in the world. 4 pontoon
bridge connects both sides of the city.
\ toll is collected from everyone cross
ing the bridge; barefoot people pay half
cent. and people wearing shoes pay
one cent
The growth of the trees on Curacao
was particularly interesting to Mr.. Allen.
As soon as the trees emerge from the
ground they grow at an angle of 40 de-
grees toward the east. After they have
grown six or seven feet in that forma-
tion they grow straight up
Curacao, according to Mr. Allen.
ma kes the best liquor in the world Most
of 1T Is used as an after dinner drink
and may be secured at 40 cents a pint.
King William Black and White Scotch
sells at S1.20 bottle
8lr. Allen left Curacao for his return
trip July on the steamship Amazone,
stopping at Port au Prince. Haiti. After
leaving Haiti the ship was oyertaken by
a small hurricane which Iashed the sea
into wild fury but which did no dam
age to the ship. The Amazone arrived
in New York July L. Mr. Allen arriving
in BrattlebOro last Thursday.