ST 012
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Unitad Statas Press
Representativas’
Visit To St. Graix, Virgin
Islands,
U, 3. }
3a“
]
2
Vi
THURSDAY February
215,
1924
.
AS REVIEWED BY BUMBLE BEE EN ROUTE
—0:—:0; 05—
(Continued from yesterday’s
Avis.)
The
next building
to the left is the
site of the Reform
Duteh
Charch of years
ago.
Many
of the early settles
were
from
the Dutch
Island of St.
Kustatia
and
were
mostly
des ‘endants of the French
Huguenots
who hat eseapad
from Fraaceat
the revocatirn
of
the
edit of Nantes
in 1685 and
thus
became
Dutehmen
though
of
French
orizin,
Im-
bued
no doubt
with the spirit of Duteh activity for trade
as
their
adopted
native
coun-
try
was the first
to proszcute
mercantile
adventures
in the Western
Hemisphere.
The automobi‘es
are packed
on the wharf,
a fizure of sp2ech
that encompasses
that
large
square
we
see
as
we enter
it from King’s Street
a
few yards
from
Gov:rnment
House.
This
large
space
was
in davs
gone by and really
is tolay
a centre
of
life
in
the
town.
Durinr
the
days
when
sugar
was king came
the
merchants
each
morning
before
going
to their basiness
places
to leara
the
news of che day, toflearn of the arrival
of
vessels
and of their
eargoes
and
as
well of
the
passenzers
who
had
entered
the
port.
As they assembied
together
in groups and thenintimarely
in knots of four and flve
for Christians
e
in
those
days supported
a
considerable
mercantile
class;
while ik the
afternoon
after
the business
places
ha
f elosed
at 4 o’zlock and before proceeding
to their
homz
for dinner
at five o’cloek they made
another
circuit of the square.
Here the flower
girls ass-mbled
off 2rinz the gentlemen
their
‘‘nosezays’” for sale
fucnished
from
flow-
ers
growa
in small gardens
in town
by
families
in grea'ly
reduced
circumstances.
A
delicate
way of soliciting charity
as
the
gentlem2n
bouzht
libaraily, one
tn help
Miss
Mary and
the other
to
help Miss Caristophena
thouzh ot
course
he good
souls offering
the iflowars
throuzh
their
little servants
did
so feeling
that th2y
wezre
but
machan-
dizing
already
a disorace
while
the
prosperous
merchants
happily
parted
with
their
stivers
to render
the assistance
so
sorely
needed
by the
remainder
of bygone
families
of influences.
At
the period of which
we speak
as
we enter
the square
we
have
on
our left
the
large
buildinz
with
an
adjoining
run
of rooms
to the north
this
was
the
‘ English
Tavern’’ and
the buildings
as
they stadn
today bear
evidence
of the comfort
the
storm-
tossed
trav-llers
received
as
he stepoed
from the hoat
into Its hospitable
refuge
where
good
cheer
was
the pleasure
of its
landlord
to dispense
as compared
with the
“‘ordin-
aries’”’ of the Mainland
at that
time.
Standing
at the foot
of King’s Street
from which
we
huve just emergad
and
as
we
proceed
into the syuare
the
viewx opens
up the harbor.
Straight
bafoie
us and
across
is
the old
Fort, such
a unique example
of architecture
of the bygone
centuries
unmolested
and uraltered
by the hands
of this swift contury;
to the right is the United States
Post
OFice
a
modern
building of the middle of
the last
22ntury all south
of it
the
ste>ple
which
was previous
to 1830 tha Danish
Lutheran
Church
bal
now surcoundad
by buiid-
ings
which have
become
the
Municipal Hospital
so efficiently
conducted
by the
Navy
Doctors
in charge
with the assistance
of
Navy
Nurses
and
the native
personnel
they
have
instructed
and bui't
up with the
institurion.
In the steeple
is the “'Bir Ben”’
of
the
isiand
where
its ancient
joints have
worked faithfully for man for
so
miny
years
even
if it requires
an occassional
cleaning
and oiling of its
weary joints as it wabb'es
on
upon its tiresome
journey.
To the left in the harborisa
small
island
called
the "'Quay”’
and
here
for many
years
aback
has
heen
stationed
the Pilot for the
port and from
the
uoper
story
of his residence
a clear
view
of the sea
for manv miles
can be
seen
to the
North
Kast
and
West.
The
lookout
ever
walehful
for
approaching
vessels,
as in the
days before
the telegraph
almost
each day
brought
soxe
news
unheralded
from
with-
out,
good
news
or perchance
the enemy.
And at the
water
side
was
the weighing house
now the United States
Custom
House,
the castom
hous> of the olden days
was the build-
ing upon
the rizht
now occupied
by the
West India & Panama Cable
Office.
This
sta-
tion
being
a relaying
terminal
emjloying quite a
number
of eluiks,
as the
messages
from
the other islands
arrive
in its office and
are
in turn
transmitted
north,
west
and
couth.
The view of the
town is indeed
picturesgu.
as it nestles
at the foot of a range
of
hills several hunrad
feet high whiie the view from the park toward the harbor is equal
as picturesque
with the in‘e-esting island
as
the
centre
of the picture and with its placid
harbor protected
by a God-given r2ef
which protects
the
“*basin’’from ithe rollers
lash-
ing against
this barrier
when northerly gal:s appear.
(To be continued.)
THE
Lenten
services
in
the
Lutheran
churches:
Tuesday
evening at Frederiksted.
Wednesday
evening
a* King’s Hill.
Thursday evening
at Christiansted.
A welcome
te the services.
.
J.
P.
CHRISTENSEN.
NDISEASES
DANGERNUS
TO
PUBLIC
HEALTH N THE
VIRGIN ISLANDS
OF TAE UNITED STATES.
During
the
month
of Febraary,
1924,
the following diseases
of interest
tH the
public
have been
reportad
in the
Virgin
Islands:
In Saint
Croue.
TR
Hookworn Ihsease
.. .............
1
In St.
Thomas.— St.
John.
e
)
FERbone.
... ....
i}
Tabereculusis,
enronic
pulmonary..
5
Dysentery,
anclassified...........
2
H.
M. STENHOUSE,
M. D.
Chaef Sanitation
Officer,
Municipality of St. Croix.
o
PROCEEDINGS
.
-BF
THE
)
,
7
COLONIAL COUNCIL
FOR
ST.
CRIOIX.
(Contiaued from yesterday’s
4vis.)
Item
3.
Colonial Couneil
Till No. 13.
Fourth Counetl,
First
Session.
2nd
Discossion
on
Colonial
Council
Bill
Nou.
13,
draft
of
an
additional
money
bill
1o the buduet
for the
Mu-
nicipality
of 3t.
Croix for
the fiscal
year
endirg
June
30,
1924,
intro-
duced
by
Government
providing for
Frs.
10,000,
to
the
Public
Works
Departmant
for
the
purpose
of
re-
pairing
the
small
boet
whari
in
Frederiksted
:
The
Viee-Chairman
remarked:
T'his
matter
is before
the
House
on 2nd
dis-
cussion.
4th
Apoointed
Member
(Blackwood)
remarked:
Mr. Vice-Chairman.
The
Mu-
nicipal Cornmittee
after
an
inspection
of
the wharf
1n question,
decided
that
as it
had
been
so
well
repaired
it
could
re-
main
as it is at present,
until we were in
a better financial
condition
to build a
new
wharf.
They also decided
o recommand,
that
as
an
appropriation
had
ahecady
been
made for
the
repair
of the
larce.
wharf,
ov.r whica
merchandise
is
con-
stantly
passing,
and
which
looked
very
shaky
should
§be
repaired
as
soon
as
possible.
Ist
Member
for
Frederiksted
Town
(Jackson)
remarked:
Mr. Vice-Chairman.
It is true that the freight
whart
in Fred-
eriksted
is in
a very
preecarious
condi-