The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-08-09

Population-Much Of Country Und
veioped, and That Under Cultiv;
ton Is Largely in the Hands of N
gro Peasant Proprietors.
Stringent restriction of Chinese in
migration to Jamaica, announced b.
cause Of the rapid increase of its We
low population, draws attention to thi
most important of the West India
units Of the British empire, which ma
be taking advantage of our own exper
ences with orientals in Hawaii. Thi
bit of British. territory near our owl
shores is the subject of the following
bulletin from the Washington, D. c.
headquarters of the National Geo
graphic society. a
Jamaica already has one race prob
lem,' says the bulletin, for this nigh
almost be called an African islan(
with a thin veneer Of British govern
ment, so great is the preponderance oil
negroes in the population. OF the ap
proximately $4,000 inhabitants fully
90 per cent are blacks or mulattoes
and the numbers of the dark-skinned
races are still further increased by
the presence of about 10000 East In.
dams. Barely 2 per cent Of the pop
ula<ion consisted of whites in 1911,
and at that time the Chinese were
less than per cent. kRa sHs19ga g
Isle of Fountains.
Jamaica, like Hawaii, lies just in
the edge of the tropics and nature
seems to have intended it to be fairy
island. Heavily wooded mountains
occupy much of the interior, and
among them, countless streams tum-
Bile. 'xaymaca,' the native Indian
name of the island, which has been
Europeanized,, means Isle Of Foun-
tains.' 49, ~, i; ..,...ae.
Palms of several sorts including CO.
conuts, bamboo; bananas and a wide
variety of other tropical trees, clOthe
and valleys. Some of the
views from the high central hills over
rough foot hills, valleys and plains,
and out to the deepest of blue seas,
are hardly to be surpassed elsewhere
n the world. FF 40 VA ~
But there are other aspects to ia
naica than. beautiful scenery Much
If the country is undeveloped and that
n cultivation in the interior is largely
n the hands of negro peasant proprie-
ors, who tend their few fruit trees,
heir yam gardens, and their patches
# the root that made Jamaica IA
nous-g ginger Many gaunt chimneys
tand in the plains to mark the sites
f sugar plantation manor houses Of
he islands PALMER days. Along the
oastal swamps SwarmS of mosquitoes
tack workmen and wayfarers.
Kingston, the capital, is almost as
1uch a black mans town as Port-au-
'rince The two white. persons to ev-
ry hundred negroes who nominally
re a part of the city's population,
We in special suburbs and manage
hops and the larger enterprises, and
ne streets are given up almost entire |
7 to negroes. Even the policemen
nd many Of the judges are black.
"Jamaica's history has in many |
avs been like that Of Haiti, but it |
as stopped short Of the Haitian eli
ak. Columbus discovered the island |
I'D called it Santa Gloria. For cen
Try and a half it was Spanish; then
fell to British expedition sent out
? Cromwell. Port Royal, its chief
3rt, became the rendezvous OF Brit
h buccaneers under the leadership
the notorious Sir Henry Morgan.
he town, peopled largely by the men
id women who lived on pirate gold.
ID gilded by their easily spent loot.
lined the reputation of being the
chest and wickedest city Of Its day.
1t like Sodom and Gomorrah it was
ruck down, A severe earthquake oc-
rred In 1892 and Port Royal. its
ry stones STEPPED in iniquity, slipped
70 the sea.
Becoming Island of Bananas.
Under Spanish exploitation the IN
In inhabitants of Jamaica were
led or died. The Spaniards brought
some negro slaves to replace them,
d in the Eighteenth century British
lntation owners imported more than
1000 Africans, building up large
gar and rum production. When sla-
" was abolished in 1884 many of
, white landlords left the island and
nerous large estates, and mills
re abandoned. In late years ia
lea has become q more and more
Dortant factor i'll supplying bananas
both British and American tables.
advantage over the Central Amer
n banana countries lies chiefly in
fact that jrsis two days nearer the
rketS. 81
The British have given some meas
! Of self government to the ia
leans, but have retained fina con-
. A governor is appointed by the n
fish king and presides over a leg IL
tive council of which Is members re
appointed and ia elected. Elected Il
rds in the Is parishes administer ia
il affairs" II
BIZ
man Makes Quilt of 10000 Pieces !.