Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 178, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 July 1914 — Along the Spansh Main [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Along the Spansh Main

CRUISING along the Spanish Main, upon the glistening bosom of the Caribbean, the ocean tourist, no matter how care burdened, is quite apt to form the “lolling” habit. The air Is soothing to tired nerves, and I have little respect for an imagination that would not fall under the spelt of those perfect moonlit nights. For myself, en route from Trinidad to Colon, I just wanted to “loll’’ and dream of the days when pirates held sway in these waters, of the days of adventure and romance. It didn’t seem quite right that I should be enjoying all the luxuries of travel while possibly some of my forbears had to wrest their living from the sea. There were several distinguished passengers besides myself on board, including Lady Hope and the duchess of Kalamazoo. The passenger list presented a cosmopolitan assortment of Britishers, Americans, Spaniards and West- Indians. I must not neglect the young Irish patriot, an ardent champion of home rule, who had had several verbal set-tos with antagonistic Englishmen before our troupe boarded the steamer, writes C. Nick Stark m the Detroit Free Press. A ripple of melodramatic climax was reached on the second day out from Port-of-Spain, when, during a

heated argument between a Britisher ana the Duke of Cork, the latter started to warble “The Sun Is Now Rising on Ireland.” The incensed Englishman called the Irishman a "bally rotter,” or something like that, when bing! —the home rule advocate’s right shot into his adversary’s eye ’with such force as to break a bone In the smiter’s right hand and temporarily impair the Englishman’s eye for sight-seeing purposes. The incident almost caused international complications, and a general melee was only averted by prompt action on the part of the skipper, who ordered the combatants to be confined in their staterooms, where the only visitors were the surgeon and the stewards.

Bargain in Boa Constrictors. The distance from Port-of-Spain to Colon, Isthmus of Panama, is only a trifle over 1,000 miles, just an ordinary jump for an ocean-going theatrical company. The jump is broken by stops at Savanllla and Cartagena, on the Colombian coast. Panama has declared a strict quarantine against those towns, and passengers are not permitted to stray from the wharves. It is said that the sanitary grounds upon which the quarantine is based are merely a subterfuge. The Panamanian authorities are anxious to keep out undesirable, revolutionbreading pests frpni South America, and the quarantine serves the purpose. It is contended that the very bargains in Panama hats can be obtained at Savanllla and Cartagena. The venders that offered them for sale at the wharves had a sliding scale of prices. One needed only to be patient and wait until nearly sailing time, when prices rapidly descended. This was also true of the fluctuations in parrots, monkeys and boa constrictors. ? By not showing unseemly haste one could secure a nice sleek young boa constrictor for ILM. It is worth a long journey to see the wonderful Panama canal, but I the City of Panama or Colon as ideal lingering points for honeymoon couples. Except for the canal zone, the general aspect of Co-

tell us It wasn’t much more than a huge swamp—a yellow fever pest hole —when Uncle Sam began his clean-ing-up operations. From Colon to Kingston, Jamaica, it Js a short jump for a sea-going troupe—only about 500 miles. We played the City of Panama Monday night, and opened in Kingston Thurs; day night of the same week. This is what the small-time vaudevillian Would term a “split week.” Jamaica is justly termed the ' Gem of tfae Antilles.” One can well appreciate the enthusiasm of Columbus when, upon approaching this beautiful island, with its background of mountains melting into the sky, he exclaimed, “Santa Gloria!” Its history is filled with romance and thrills, and the exploits of Morgan and other famous buccaneers would afford material for the most blood-stirring melodramas. Frequently devastated by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tornadoes, it endures today as the most prosperous and commercially important of the British West Indies. Only seven years ago the island was visited by an earthquake which killed 1,200 persons and almost wiped Kingston off the map. It is something of a revelation, therefore, to find a city with as much bustle and real business activity as can be shown by the aver-

age American city of Its size. They make a lot of noise about it, too. If one happens to be domiciled in the business section he will find the din of street traffic as annoying during hours of repose r.s in the larger metropolitan cities. The natives of Jamaica speak an almost unintelligible language that is alleged to be English. It is a sort of Afro-Cockney-dialect which has concis.eness for its keynote. It is not a musical tongue. The black people are constantly jabbering and they have a habit of conversing earnestly and in low tones with themselves as they shamble along the thoroughfares. Though the obeoh man who once practised voodooism amongst them, has been suppressed by law, some religious impostor periodically appears to

work on their superstitious and simple natures. Only the other day the newest “Messiah” was ordered to be banished to Barbadoes, which the Jamaican regards as the extreme penalty. This fellow came in town astride a donkey, wearing a nondescript uniform and equipped with a sword. His solemn mien and weird incantations soon won a host of followers, whom he led to the harbor, where he baptlzed the crowd at two shillings a head. He was draining the Impoverished negroes of every penny they could get, and when he made a bluff at crucifying himself on Good Friday the-law stepped in and grabbed him.

Where Color Regulates Caste. Social caste In Jamaica is regulated by the grade of color. There are black people, colored people and very light (though not quite white) people; As to the whites, the English Jew predominates, though he does not control. The mayor and nearly all the members of the Kingston city, council are colored men. Among the dark shades of humanity the women do most of the work. There are few legal marriages in this class. The woman realizes that If she is bound by the marriage tie she will probably be obliged to work so much harder to support her lord and master in idleness, while if there is no legal bond she can leave her man if be doesn’t treat her right.--rr . -

JUBILEE MARKET, KINGSTON.