The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-11-19

Spain its claim on the island which
ii maintained with small breaks, I'M
I'll 1877 when a British feet seized
It. II was formally annexed by Great
Britain In 1902 and has remained a
British possession ever since.
There was no great prosperity In
Trinidad under early Spanish rule, but
about 1850, with a marked influx Of
French settlers, who fed from turbu-
lent conditions in Haiti, Martinique
and Guadalupe, the colony fiourished
The French greatly outnumbered the
Spanish from this time on and French
became for a time the prevailing Ian
guage.
East Indians Are Numerous
After the British assumed control
the population increased rapidly and
with it prosperity. The prosperity
was dependent, however. on sugar
and slavery. When emancipation
came In 1884, even though the gov
eminent reimbursed the slave owners
to the amount Of nearly 10000. 900,
prosperity took wings until the gov
eminent began importing East Indian
coolies, a step which has restored
prosperity and vastly altered the pop
ulation Of the island These Oren-
tails have brought with them their
home customs, dress and religion One
delights in studying them since the
verdant isle seems pleasing setting
for the grace and beauty of the dusky
women, the strength OF feature and
dignity Of bearing Of the turbaned
men
Perhaps II Is by contrast with the
coarse Africans, who form the greater
portion Of the population Of the West
Indies. that these people of an ancient
race stand out in the travellers re-
membrance as more fitting type In
lands of such great natural beauty
During the Christmas holiday sea-
son the great Savannah. or park OF
the city, is thronged with tie coolies
as the East Indians are locally termed
It is a brilliant picture dark-eyed-
dark-haired women draped in their
brightly colored scarfs, their plump
arms covered with heavy silver brace
lets, their ears, noses. necks and an
kles decorated with gold and silver or
naments; the men in somber shades.
but equally picturesque in their huge
white turbans and abbreviated loin-
cloths. their thin legs bare Tempo
-ary booths are erected under the
great spreading saman trees, where
brass ornaments from Benares are dis
played, while, as another reminder OF |
'araway India, zebuS or sacred oxen !
yraZe nearby
The coolies who are employed on |
plantations scattered over the island. /
meet in town on such holidays to greet /
friends and relatives. TO gossip and to
rade. At other seasons one may see
hem throughout the country, laboring
n the cane fields, bearing burdens
long the well-kept roads. or busily
Employed in or about their matched
abins-
Their activity is q decided contrast
o, the idleness of the blacks and in
eed. 10 the Incidence OF the Africans
nav be traced the cause Of "coolie'
immigration TO this portion Of the New
World.
Customs of the Coolies
IncomprehenSible TO the western
lind are the ways of these people
he husband not only owns the jew
-..l ..h;,h - .i.a.,t-S hf- wife I'm. {
ppoints himself judge OF her right TO
We. Defying the law. he chops OF
er head IL she proves unfaithful. or
,sorts TO the more refined method OF
orinkling powdered glass in her food
Iysterious deaths are OF frequent oc-
lrrence and the government chemists
re kept busy investigating such cases
The women are attractive in ap-
sarance. with appealing eyes, round
/ arms and 1.-THE bodies. II is their
lstom TO massage daily with coconut
|. They have passion for gaudy
,lors and. in gala attire, resemble "a
,ck of rainbowS-
The men are Solemn-looking crea
res. with those all-knowing eyes OF
e Far East. and the long-haired
tests are positively uncanny.
The cross of the East Indians in the
ew World is the enforced association ,
nh the Africans. These lords of all ,
cation look with contempt upon the :
ientals. HE only coolie man" !
vs. the lazy, ignorant negro. disgust
-itten on every line of his face. The
own man-this descendant of an old r
d proud race. who regards the ne I
o as little more than savage +
es not retaliate, but goes stealfss;J a
with his work. \