The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-09-02

prepared by the National Geographic 81
cety. Washington. d. C.)
VOW that Jamaica is becomin
more and more important 9
source of bananas for tn
United States market, as we
as for other less important products
that West Indian island Is comm
more into the field Of American II
terest. jamaica has always been
potential garden spot, and large part
Of 1t have at times been develope,
into an actual garden. But it has fel
with particular keenness the ebb ant
flow of world economic conditions, ant
at times the garden has run quite lit
orally to weeds. One big handicap tt
Jamaica has been adverse tariffs. Its
greatest prosperity has come in times
Of war In other regions, when special
demand for the commodities it can
grow has sent purchasers to it with
the full purses Of necessity. The
World war, for example, increased its
income greatly.
Racial problems have also confront
ed Jamaica. Only few years ago
the island adopted stringent Chi
nese exclusion policy to avoid the
growth Of a Chinese problem in addi-
ton to Its existing ethnic problems.
Jamaica is predominantly an island
Of negroes as much so as
Haiti; 1t has, however, thin but
potent veneer Of British law, custom
and political control, which has kept
1t from many of the difficulties and
pitfalls of its neighbor island
The population of Jamaica is ap-
proximately 100000, and of this num-
Der fully 95 per cent are blacks or
mulattoes, and the numbers Of the
dark-skinned races are still further in
creased by the presence of about 10000
East Indians. Barely per cent of the
population consists of whites, and the
Chinese are less than l per cent. The
Chinese are chiefly storekeepers, and
largely monopolize that calling even in
the remote country districts. Many
Of these storekeepers were born in |
Jamaica and speak slovenly English |
with broad accent-like the negroes |
from whom they have learned their
speech.
On the Edge Of the Tropics.
Jamaica Is the largest and most i'm
)Ortant island of the British West In
lies and the third largest of all the
Antilles. 1t is IA miles long and 40
niles wide, and has an area close to
hat of Connecticut. Situated 90 miles
outh of Cuba, 1t lies in the very CEN
er of the Caribbean sea. Like Ha-
vail, Jamaica lies just in the edge of
ne tropics; and nature seems to have
Intended 1t to be fairy island. Heav-
y wooded mountains occupy much of
ne Interior, and among them count
,ss streams tumble.
Tradition has it that Columbus, who
iscovered Jamaica on his second voy-
&c In 1894, when asked of the island
his royal patrons, crumpled a piece
paper and threw 1t on the table.
'hether this story, like that of the 6
,g. is apocryphal or not, a bit of
umpled paper well represents the
lily character of the surface. A Q
lckbone of mountains rising to S
lights of 1000 feet, extends length Il
lse of the island. and from 1t nu-
erous spurs spring. Erosion due to I
e torrential rains of certain seasons j
S accentuated the roughness. Many
'eams, none of them navigable, dash o
wn from the uplands "Xaymaca." o
e native Indian name of the island. c.
lich has been Europeanized into d
means Isle of Fountains" W
Palms OF several sorts, Including a.
,onuts and bamboo, bananas, bread ~
lit, mango and wide variety of II
Ter tropical trees, clothe hillsides bt
! valleys. In the interior are trees In
ich furnish valuable cabinet woods al
dyes. Some Of the views from III
high central hills over rough foot OF
IS, valleys and plains, and out TO st
deepest of blue seas are hardly TO
elsewhere In the world. ur
tut there are other aspects to ia M
Ca than beautiful scenery. Much tr'
he country is undeveloped, and that 81
In the Interior is largely la'
the hands Of negro peasant pro- ap
tors, who tend their new fruit DO
3, their yam gardens and their loo
hes Of the root that made ia
ca famous"-ginger. Many gaunt
nneys stand in the plains to mark ,
sites Of sugar plantation manor cal
SEES OF the islands PALMER days. up
lg the coastal swamps swarms Of mo
quItoes attack workmen and way- do,
RS, who must carry smolderlng au,
Ids or continually wave branches nee
It their heads. wb
'cause OF Its luxurlant grasses, hoe
MICA L. an excellent potential COT. Go,