covered with a eoat of tar (excepting the ' pony). It certaiuly assumed a tasteful l and modern appearance, and so il serves to this day. I venture to suggest, that the time i has arrived, when this venerabie relic of the immortal Columbus, be donated to the Smithonian Institute of New York who would especially apyreciate such a genuine antique. In its place, a mod- ern tank sprinkler with a really good sprayer should be aequired, and the ‘ streets properly sprinkled in dusty | weathor. Should sucn an event happen, l what a hoon it would be to the store- | keepers, whose goods are often spoiled | by layers of dust, the eyes and throats of young and old tfolks weould be bene- fitted and houses not be compelled to close up to keep out the dust, until they acquir: the temperature of “The Black Hole of Caleutta’” or more frequently calied by 2 more pithy name, to be cur’ly expressive. This I would most respect fully submit for the consideration of the “Budget Committee’’. Very traly yours E. GRIGG. Editor of the ‘‘St. Croix Avis’. Dear Siv: | " The Catholic School which was considzre?, a few years ago, the least in the educational line, are tcday sending out in s few weeks time, twé of its ablzst pupils, namely: Alvarez Simmonds, and Theresa Farrelly, wqualified in the valu- l able systems of Stenography and type- writinyz. By this they are able to {ill any position in that line of business, where I am sure they will make 200, | These pupils owes great graiitude tothe : Rev. Mothers and also Rev. Father Daily, [ who have, since their arrival bere, tried to make the school a success. It is hoped that they will continue to do tne good works which they have started, thercby sending us out some Imore with the zood qualificagions as these. I Thanking you tor space, | : I am, § A LOVER OF EDUCATION. | - VIRGIN ISLANDS iN THE DOL- | , DRUMS By KARL K. KITCHEN . (Concluded from Saturday’s Avis.) : Os eourse it would be idle to deny that | there are many innovations in Charlotte | Amalie due to the feur years of Amer can | rule. For instance, there is a soda | fountain, presided over by an ex-marine, l where mutty sundaes and sim'lar arinks | are dispensed to the teetotalers of our | naval force. And there is an insane ; asylum and a hospital. La king a lerer colony, 1 visited tne insane asylum as o. Lol x 4V I 8 on 2 of the principal points of interest. Many of the inmates are blacks who h'«.u{e gone crazy fron drinking hair tonics and neek washes | the 130 white babies born on the island | since we bougzht it four vears ago being | alive’and well to-day And every native | 1 interviewed admicted that every one | was heal hier, excepr the sincere drink- | ers who had overindulged in bay rum. | Mauny years ago, aceording to one of | the Danisb residencs, St. thomas boast- | ed of nundrads of sugar plantations. The | biacks today are too lazy to work and | instead of being under cultivation, most | of the island is a jungle. What litile | industry ihere was in making rum has | been ruined by the advent of Irohibi- | tion, with the resnlt that the coaling | station is the oniy piace that boasts of | any activity. 1 spent several months in St. Thomas | the evening I went to a dance at the old | Danish hotel whizca taces the .waier | front. Oar military establishment was | out in cuil foree; buc as tnere ware not | enouga white giris to go around, maay | of tn 2 lads had to czontent themselves | wich nugging their bordes. At 10 o’clock | oa¢ of the gay mariues suggested that | we shoota little crap—the wildest dis- | sipation D9ssidi> in Unarlotte Amaiie at | that nour. | {'nere is a moion picture theatre a | sione’s throw from the jail, but a few | minuies 1n Its brunette atmosphere cured | me. And waile [am on the subjegt or the movies I want to say that the type | of pictures sent to the West Indies is | doing the white race an amazing amount | of narm. Nearly every picture reveals | white men and women as crooks, mur- | dervers, scducers or blackmailers, with | the result that whatever slignt respect | the natives have for the whites—is béing destroyed. . I'he lurid melodrama I saw at this fun- py littie islat.d capital was aciually given under the auspices ol the local Red Cross | Society. l'he marine who accompanied | me said it made even him seasick, and | he was a hardened fil-lum-goer. ihe | title of the film was '‘Her Body in Bond,”” | and the blacks ate it up. i I don’t want to see.n prejudiced, but [ can’t help feeling that il the island of Si. T'nomas could be pushed under the ' ocean for half an hour and then pulied | up to dry it would be a much nicer place. | A first-class volcano in good working i order could do wonders for it. | Ah me! St. Thomas is pretty duil even if one is liable to get everything from dandruff to leprosy on a jaunt ashore. In the good old days when the buccaneers lay in wait in its landlocked harbor for the Spanish galleons homeward bound with rich treasures, life here might have been both picturesque and exciting. -But to-day it has nothing to offer a traveiler except a little bootleg whiskey. Fortunately it is so inaccessible that few Americans are apt to find themselves here—even by accident. There is only one boat aweek from Porto Rico. And there is no excuse for going to Porto Rico. San Juan, its capital, msy have had some attractions in its old Spanish days, but to-day it is about as interesting as a prairie town. Its coior, its life-—alj its atmosphere, in fact *has bz2en des troved by the Americanization proc:ss which has. standardized everything o make it more sanitary and a duller place for its inhabitants. Every island in the West Indies has certain drawbacks, but it is in the is- lands where these drawbacks are coupled with American improvements tnat life is least interesting. Sir Walter Raieigh, Sir Francis Drake and the other Knglish freebooters who visited these islands more than three hundred years azo pick- ed out the best ones for their country. Even the briefest stay in our island possessions impair one’s faiith in the Moutroe Doctrine. We have destroyed what little charm ,they oace p)ssessed. Th2 buccaneers of the Spanish Main were much cleverer than we are. They wouldn’t have taken the Virgin Islands as a gift. Bat althoagzin they now balong to us, thank God we don’i have > live on them! —The World Magazine, April 24th. For Sale. THE estates “‘Lt. Prin<,ess”'. “i:‘ieyl- levue’’, ‘“Golden Rock”, ‘‘Mt. Welcome’, ‘“‘Lawyer Agger’s Gar- den’’ and ‘'Eliza’s Retreat.” For particulars please anply to ‘ EM B SVIIZER. Don’t Be A Piker. TAKE ORF FRAT OLD SIGN OFF YOUR CAR. 2 New Neatly Painted Signs For iny $1.35. EVERYTHING FURNISHED. . CAN YOU BEAT IT? JOHN KLINT.