The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1949-04-07

st. Thomas, Virgin Islands
March 21st, l949
st. Thomas is the most popular
of the Virgin Islands due mostly
to the fact that it is a free port.
Here amid one of the most
beautiful coastlines in this part OF
the world tourists pause to admire
its beauty and to buy cigarettes
at ninety cents a carton, Scotch
whiskey for $27.00 a case and
straight whiskey for $4,000 per
case. This is from $2.25 to $3.50
per fifth or quart compared with
$3.50 to $3.50 in the states. Movie
film is one dollar per roll cheaper.
Other articles popular with the
tourists include French perfume,
gloves and china and Danish sill
yer, Florentine leather from Italy,
Mexican silver jewelry and lea
Their goods. Danish pottery, Peru
Wan and Guatemala silver. Even
American silver, flatware and
hollow-ware, can be purchased at
a saving of from twenty to thirty
per cent.
Baskets, hats, purses and lunch
con mats woven of straw are the
most popular articles made by the
natives to lure the thousands OF
visitors which come to this tiny
island washed by the waters of the
Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean
Sea.
AS a whole the shops of ST.
Thomas were very disappointing
but those interested in the pur-
chase of whiskey and cigarettes
were very glad to have the eight
hour stay here as the S. S. Del
Norte made its first port of call
today for oil en- route from New
Orleans to Buenos Aires.
st. Thomas is only thirty-two
miles square and has a population
OF about $4,000 people,. st. Crois,
81 square miles, St. John 10 square
miles, with st. Thomas make up
the Virgin Islands with an area
of about 1875 square miles and a
population of some $4,000.
They are situated about 10
degrees above the equator, LAO
miles southeast of New York and
about 1,035 miles from the Pana-
ma Canal. Puerto Rico is only
forty miles westward.
The Virgin Islands are noun
famous and of volcanic origin and
the climate. is mild. ranging from
10 to 80 degrees, summer and
winter. There is never snow and
frost, nor prostating heat. There
are no lakes and rivers as the
average rainfall is only forty
inches a year. Water for all pur-
poses is caught ano stored in els
terms. There is very little game
as woodlands are very sparse, but
the water Of the Atlantic and Car
ribean are teeming with fish
which provide a very profitable
business for the natives.
AS the Del Norte goes into ST.
Thomas the red-roofed houses of
Charlotte Amalie, its capital city,
form an interesting pattern
against the background Of the
green hillside running down to
the beautiful landlocked harbor
whose everchanging water run
from a bright aquamarine to a
deep, purplish blue.
The capital city is al impor-
tant shopping place and shipping
center for exports, chiefly agricul-
tural products, notably bay rum.
Sugar-cane and cattle raising are
important and account for the
means of livlihood for more than
half of the inhabitants.
The islands are governed by a
governor and his cabinet who are
appointed by the President of the
United States and the Depart
ment of Interior. United States
owned since 1919, we purchased
them from Denmark for Is mil
lion dollars. Only eight per cent
of the population is white, about
Is per cent mixed and the re-
mainde~ negroes
The Danish influence is lotice-
able in the names which appear
on the mailboxes ilong its narrow
gravelled roads and in the sleek,
fat cattle grazing in the pastures,
surprisingly good on its poor,
rocly terrain.
Automobile drivers keep to the
left instead of the right. Taxi
operators are numerous and use
their horns universally instead of
their brakes - just like in Mexico.
English is the language spoken
and American money is used. Pos
tage rates are the same as in the
United States.
Tourist attractions include Blue
boards Castle, a 18th century
tower to which has been added
rooms making a modern hotel,
Blackbeard's Castle, another re-
sort hotel the Capitol building,
residential sections of Denmark