Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-09-02
prsoarad by the National Geographic So
49, Washington d. CO

.p-s,erad by the National Geographic So
aiety, Washington. d. CO.
VOW that Jamaica is becoming
n more and more important as
W source Of bananas for the
United States market, as well
ne for other less important products
that West Indian island is coming
more into the field Of American In
forest Jamaica has always been a
nofputal garden spot, and large parts
Of II have at times been developed
into am actual garden. But it has felt
with particular keenness the ebb and
flow 0f world economic conditions, and
et times the garden has run quite lit
rally 10 weeds One big handicap to
jamaica has been adverse tariffs. It's
greatest prosperity has come in times
Of war IN Other regions, when special
demand for the commodities it car
crow has sent purchasers to it with
the full. purses of necessity. The
Word war, for example. Increased its
income greatly.
Racial problems haze also confront.
ed jamaica. Only a few years age
the island adopted a stringent Chi.
nese exclusion policy to avoid the
growth Of Chinese problem in add.
ton 10 its existing ethnic problems
jamaica 81 predominantly an island
Of nesrHs-almost as much so as
Haiti; II has, however, a thin but
pofan' veneer of British law, custom
md political control, which has kept
II from many of the difficulties and
pitfalls Of its neighbor island.
The population of Jamaica is ap.
proyinaely 100000, and Of this mum.
Der fully 80 per cent are blacks OIL
mulatroes and the numbers of the
dark.sknned 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 q 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
portan, island of the British West In
dies and the third largest of all the
Antilles 7, is 144 miles long and AZ
miles wide, and has ali area close t.
that Of Connecticut. Situated 90 miles
south Of Cuba. it lies in the very cen
ter Of the Caribbean sea. Like Ha
wall, Jamaica lies just in the edge OF
The tropics; and nature seems to have
Intended it to De a fairy island. Heav
lily wooded mountains occupy much OF
the interior, and among them count
less streams tumble.
Tradition has it that Columbus, who
discovered Jamaica on his second voy
age in 1904, when asked of the island
by his royal patrons, crumpled piece
OF paper and threw 1t on the table
Whether this story, like that of the
egg is apOcryphal or not, bit OF
crumpled paper well represents the
huiy character of the surface. A
backbone of mountains rising tC
heights Of 1000 feet, extends length
wise If the island, and from Il nu
merous spurs spring. Erosion due tC
me tarrential rains of certain seasons
mas accentuated the roughness. Many
Streams none of them navigable, dash
iowa from the uplands. "Xaymaca,
tle native Indian name of the island
"NicH has been EurOpeanized into
Ja'Haica,' means isle of Fountains
RAINS Of several sorts, including
eoc"nuts and bamboo, bananas, bread
IFu.t mango and wide variety OF
"''er tropical trees, clothe hillsides
ana valleys. In the interior are trees
winch furnish valuable cabinet woods
0n' ives. Some of the views from
ue n-u central hills over rough foot
mus valleys and plains. and out tc
,"e deepest Of blue seas are hardly tC
ne surpassed elsewhere in the world.
Dat there are other aspects to ia
N,aloa than beautiful scenery. Much
u 'le country is undeveloped, and that
~ cultivation in the interior is largely
!" l0' hands of negro peasant pro
p'.eJoTS who tend their new fruit
"eeS heir yam gardens and theil
punches Of the root that made ia
"..'a tlmous'-ginger. Many gaunt
.""a"',~ stand in the plains to mark
S'e Sizes Of sugar plantation manor
muses. of the islands PALMER Gays
.''''I ,he coastal swaDps swarms OF
mosquitoes attack workmen and way
,areFS who must carry smolderine
funds or continually wave branches
about heir heads.
because of its luxuriant grasses
A''iaIea IS an excellent potential cat