Black Peril of the Danish Isles
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GROUP OF CHILDREN AT SANTA CRUZ
"STEPS WHICH LEAD UP TO BLUE SKY.
(Copyright, 1902, by L. M. Howe.)
HE obliging planter who shows the
vieltor through the town oi
Christlansted, In Santa Cruz, the
largest of the Danish islands, will
willin elv call attention to the
ruins of many buildings and Inform him
RUINS LEFT DY NEGRO UPRISING.
... ... - . . ... 1 1.1 I. .!. nnfln,li.n itlAlN UHIU ihPinirS
1848, a mistake which has never been for- wooden doors or tne sugar warenouse: ie, tales are told of black tortus lying middled ui.ua u.no "-
gotten by the negro and may yet be bitterly dry with age, U caught fire quickly. Like on burned cane heaps that were burled with a field of tender grass,
regretted by our government. At that children terrified at their own wickedness, ecant ceremony, and, pre.jntly, under the Soon a deep, mellow voice begins to hum
time It was announced that slavery would they paused' a moment; the red Are leaped sanction of the law, 600 figures writhed a familiar air; quickly It is taken up by
soon be abolished. As was the case In all through the building; In a twinkling the helplessly in the air, suspended from rudo the others until, swelling into a weird
ih. thcr lalnnrta this rifiwa nroved too soft blue-black of the midnight tropic sky uibbets. outlined against the splendor ot chant, it sweeps down the lino, the flash-
much for the negro's mental equilibrium, was hidden by a lurid veil of crimson the sunset sky.
. .L. ,1 .. . J .. . V. ... 1. .L.i tkmiioh and Vl t-. 1 1 CT Vl with ll 7 - Cii,.ti waa ia atfirv t n 1 :t nirt TlV thfl (1 1 (1
with great vubillty how many ppie we e fuBed t0 worki Bnd lak,ng flm to drlnklng zllng 8treaks; with the strong rum seething man sitting on the fire-scarred stairway
killed in each one, with many i MB ae tans natura wound u the ceiebratlon ln their veins, they danced the wild jungle that led upward, most absurdly, to nothing
of the damage done by the cyclone or lJ. ., Uoh .h HUt.,rhnna j. nr thpir fomfHthers to it llnht. but the blue skv.
But every now and then one win come
across . a ruin quite different from the
others, whose blackened stones tell plainly
that fire and not the hurricane was the
cause of its destruction. If asked the cause
of this destruction the guide at once be
comes evasive and non-committal. With
out actually saying so, he will try to give
the impression that it was the work of the
storm. If, however, like the writer, one
had seen these same dismantled ware
houses thirteen yearn before, the guide,
under persistent questioning, will murmur
something about an insurrection
by a bit of rioting. Had the disturbance
been put down with a strong hand no
permanent harm would have been done.
But, instead, against the protest of the
cooler heads, the government in a panic of
unreasoning fear, proclaimed the libera
tion of the slaves at once, ahead of time.
The rioting immediately ceased, but the
negroes had tasted the sweets of power.
Though they had been but yesterday a
mass of whip-driven slaves, now they could
rule their former masters with the awful
scourge of the mob. Although they waited
thirty long years, they had not forgotten
but the blue sky.
Mlntake la Itei-nel.
Yet, even In Its hour of triumph, the
government repeated its mistake. The
labor law was declared abolished again
ahead of time. Can one wonder that the
dances of their forefathers to its light
With brains awhirl, they staggered from
one building to another. The red glare
crept in through the closed blinds behind
which the frightened townsfolk crouched,
shuddering with terror. Woe to those trad
prs whose dealings had been harsh or un
fair! Only at the" imminent peril of their negro still feels that the triumph was hls,
lives might they steal from their burning after all?
homes to safety. Brighter grew the glare, "There is no danger of riots now," the
back on the hillsides an answering glare annexationists will tell you. "for this hap-
appeared. Long tongues of flame crept up pened twenty yeirs ago." Yet one remem-
the hills from the burning fields of cane, oers icai mere were inuij
Th . nf h niintcra' hnmpn wprn 'is and '78 and the conditions and sur-
Ing steel rlMlng nd falling in unison with
Its strange bartmrlc rhythm. The dry
dust rises beneath their tread and settles
in their nostrils; no breeao penetrates the
dense cano growth, It Is hot with the
stilling heat that sometimes swells the
death roll ln our northern cities. With the
perspiration streaming from every black
pore they move on, on, all through the
weary day. Perhaps five days a week of
this would satisfy the best of us.
II In Home ninl Hellulon.
When our negro, fresh from the schools,
finds labor Buch as this, he straightway
settles down and takes unto himself a
wife, with or without the formality of a
wnddlne. bb may seem most convenient.
n many ' h tyxa ,,, K K.it,.- ..v,. flo..,D wiu roundlres of plantation life are practically wretched hut of palms and cane is built-
years ago and at once change the subject ,. . . ., . J" ' - , thn kbitip. well named a "trash" house, and his life
his whole bearing that of a man forced on
the witness stand to reveal the family
skeleton.
And, indeed, these sharp points of smoke
stained walls that persist ln towering above
the wealth of glossy green which kindly na
ture has striven to throw over them are,
after all, the unsightly ribs of disgrace
your planter friend would fain forget.
'labor law," under which every negro was and madder grew the chanting, merely
compelled to sign a contract with some
planter on the 1st of each October, bind
ing himBelf to work through the ensuing
year for 10 cents in cash and 10 cents in
food a day. Any found after the 2d of Oc
tober who had not signed such a contract
were punished.
Even this unsatisfactory arrangement
was so much better than previous condi
tions, that at first there were no com
plaints. Each October, however, dissatis
faction grew stronger until, ln 1877, the
mutterings of a gathering uprising against
the law were heard. The government an
nounced a repeal of the law to take effect
three years from date.
the same.
The negro child from 6 to 13 years ot work has begun. Small wonder If the rum
nge Is compelled, theoretically, to attend shop, where the strong native liquor that
the public school. Practically he escapee brings such delightful forgetfulness at 2
much of it, as every year the family moves cents per glass may be obtained, attracts
into a new district in search of work, and him In his leisure hours. Still smaller
It must all be beeun over again. During wonder that the little knowledge he has
Witnesses to Terrible Possibilities.
To the cheerful sound of lusty hammers
and clinking trowels the storm-razed
buildings are being restored to their
former state again. But on these
fire-crumbled stones a curse seems to
ho vo fallen T.ikp the mummy at the ban
quet, perpetually they bear witness to the Benlnnlnif the Iliot.
terrible possibilities of evil that lurk in the Again they had triumphed. The leaders
dull brains of these same negro laborers 0f the uprising of 1848 recalled the easy
who, care free, constantly pass by with victory of the past. Three years was a
coarse Jest and Idle laughter. long time to wait, but still they hesitated.
As the same negros who wrought this As the first of October, 1878, drew near,
ruin, with their descendants form today however, It was noticed that a new spirit
hoarse howls ot savage joy, now, all sem
blance of articulate words lost.
12nd of the Onslaught.
The black forms dancing around the burn
ing buildings stood silhouetted like fiends
around the mouth of hell. The whole island
was wrapped In flames. Still, strange as It
seems, no lives were lost. The morning
came unseen save for the lighting up of the
dense blue smoke that filled the streets. A
planter rode bravely Into town, forgetting
that these former slaves had tasted free
dom and nower. Maddened at the ruin of
hio aetata hp mrip straight inin i ho mnh to him save the caue fields, and In these
lashing right and left with his heavy riding dark days, with the slender profits of the two huts away and is to be very greatly
whip. For an instant the crowd fell back, sugar crop dropping fraction by fraction, feared, Indeed. A close friend of that ter-
the old instinct still strong. For an in- it is none too easy a matter to find work rlblo devil you hear so much about In the
slant It seemed that daring would succeed, oven there. Hundreds have left In the past churches can make your hair fall out and
Then a huge negro, his face bleeding from few years, and the other Islands have sent your flesh rot with a few muttered words,
a cut of the lash, and working with brute notices, conspicuously poeted on tho cus- He can even, If occasion required and you
passion, leaped forward and seized a stir- torn house doors, stating that further lm- have sufficient money, give you certain
rup. In an instant it was all over. A swirl migration is useless, as they are no better curious herbs, which, properly mixed with
nf half-naked black forma, the Dlercine off themselves. In this competition for a rival's food, will end all trouble from that
this time he has learned what? To stum
ble through the first reader, the most ele
mentary geography, arithmetic only as far
as fractions and a few words of Danish,
learned by rote and almost Instantly for
gotten. After that he must take up his
machete and begin the dreary hunt for
work. There is practically no place open
gained fades utterly from his brain.
As for his religion well, the church Is
very far, but the "obeah" man very near,
Indeed. The parish priest and the Luth
eran minister are by all means to be re
spected and even on occasion heeded, but
they live ln their neat houses near the
churches. Well, the "obeah" man, with
his white hair and awful charms, lives but
nine-tenths of the population of our new 0f Insolence had appeared among the labor- neigh of a dying horse, the awful cry, half work wages have naturally dropped and 20 quarter.
Danish possessions, some account oi mis ers. As they assembled ln the towns where
riot and its causes may be of value to us the contracts were to be renewed, there
in studying what Is after all the real prob
lem concerning these islands, namely:
What political rights are to be granted
to their inhabitants?
Accurate information on the subject Is
very difficult to obtain. The books pub
lished about the West Indies barely men
tion the insurrection or ignore it entirely.
was much disorder. On the morning of the
first, the planters were surprised to find
a well organized opposition to the renewal
of the contracts. Arguments, threats, prom
ises, all proved unavailing. Every hour
fresh bands of negroes, armed with keen
machetes, marched into town, chanting
fragments of wild African melodies. To-
The semi-official West Indian almanac, ward dusk the merchants, fearing trouble,
published at St. Thomas, skips deftly over put up their heavy shutters, and the towns-
it with a brief sentence. The annexation
ists are afraid to mention it lest it injure
their cause, and it was only after much
trouble that the writer found one who
had lived through that exciting time and
was willing to talk about it.
Amid the wreck of what had once been
a fine dwelling, seated on crumbling steps
that led up to nothing more substantial
than the blue, tropic sky, his voice quivered
with emotion as he talked.
Miatake of Danlxh Government.
The foundation of the trouble was really
laid by a fatal error of the government In
folk returned to their homes. A swift sloop
there was no cable then set sail for St.
Thomas, bearing urgent appeals for help
from the tiny Danish garrison there.
At first the mob was contented with
marching up and down the deserted streets,
howling the rallying cry: "No more 10
cents a day." Shouting was a thirst
producing exercise; a rum shop door might,
perhaps, be broken ln. Yes, it was quite
easy, there was refreshment for all at no
expense. The flambeaus of reslimus wood
began to wave unsteadily in the bands of
their bearers. How easy it would be merely
to lay one of the torches against the huge
scream, half curse of a human being ln the
throes of a fearful death, and U was done.
Seized by a strange panic, the mob turned
and fled. A bundle of red-stained, mud
dyed clothes lay ln a sickening heap, very
quiet, on the cobblestones.
Of the deeds done that dreadful day there
remains no record. Gaunt chimneys, tower
ing like seared, ungainly monuments above
the smouldering ashes of the factories
around them, mile after mile of black, un
sightly fields veiled ln a sickening, deep
blue smoke these alone could tell the
tale. Strangely enough, that red stain,
slowly thickening on the cobblestones,
marked the only human victim of the mob.
Satiated with their wild orgy, there was a
lull and then the prayed-for troops ar
rived. Only 200 of them, what could they
do against 6,000 savages? Yesterday they
had been torn to pieces ln an instant.
cents a day Is not an uncommon rate any
where.
HIn Work Not I'leaaant.
The planters complain bitterly that the
negro will work only when he pleases.
About five days a week Is his average. A
little thought will show that this Is not
surprising. As a slave he worked only
long enough to satisfy his cheaply sup
plied wants. It is not a pleasant task,
this laboring ln the cane fields. White
men have tried it ana aiea miseraoiy,
So his life runs work, drink and con
stant dread of the "obeah" man, while curi
ous tourists from passing steamers write
down notes, placing him a little lower than
the beasts.
Whose fault Is this?
IlanKer Is Ileal.
What we may do for this negro of Santa
Cruz let those skilled In such matters an
swer. This Is a simple statement of facts
pointing a plain moral. As he was thirty
years ago so Is this negro today. Do not
quickly, in the effort. In planting time think his long peacefulness means no dau
the fierce sun beats remorselessly on his
bended back. Ice cold showers sweep down
without warning from the mountains and
drench him through and through. At
harvest he must take his place ln the
long line and swing the heavy machete
hour after hour, cutting the thick stalks.
but now, reaction had set in. Frightened With the precision cf an army, the long
at their own daring, the negroes fled be- line of black figures, naked to the waist,
fore the soldiers. Swiftly, relentlessly. th sweeD over the vast fields, the overseers,
rioters were hunted down. There Is no like officers, following with watchful eyes left alone, and what Is more Important ror
record of the number that satisfied the to detect a straggler or phirker. From a future peace and progress no promises of
thirst for vengeance with their lives, but distance they look like a procession of changes should be made.
ger in the future. A few weeks ago, when
the false news was received that the sale
of the iHlunds had been abandoned, a Dan
ish warship was dispatched post baste to
the island, as another Insurrection was
feared. The existing law, requiring a
property qualification, bars the negro from
the ballot. There are but 200 legal voters
ami ng the 18,000 Inhabitants of Santa Cruz.
This law, for the present at least, must be
Lights and Shadows of Bench and Bar
M
l AGISTRATE Brann, while sitting
recently in the Centre street
court, relates the New York
Times, was required to pass judg
ment on a prisoner of Hibernian
descent who had been arrested for Intoxica
tion. Mr. Brann Is known for his com
ments. "The Irishman," he remarked dryly, "Is
facile prlnceps when It comes to getting
drunk."
Tho prisoner leaned toward the magis
trate and asked ln a low, anxious voice:
"How many days did you say, your honor?"
"You admit that you are a tramp, do
you?" said the eminent counsel to the wit
ness, according to the Detroit Free Press.
rem. sir."
"Tell this Jury, sir, why you lead such a
worse than useless life."
"The explanation Is simple. I am too
proud to work and too honest to become a
lawyer."
"In Esquire Roberts' court recently,"
ays the Fulton (Ky.) Leader, "a boy was
put on the witness stand, and to ascertain faithful service. It is very hard.' And then
if he knew the nature ot an oath the Justice he quite gave way and added, ln tears:
interviewed him as follows: 'Do you know 'And you know, Mr. Smyth, you know what
tho nature of an oath?' 'Don't know affidavits I have made for that man.'"
whether I do or not. 'Well, if you should
tell a lie, do you know where you would go ,n a certain case the judge ordered the
when you die?' Yee, sir.' 'Where?' 'Well, gherlff t0 can tne roI, of thirty-five "good
when we moved out here pap said if any of men an(1 true.. Belected for Jury duty, re
us lied he would take us back to Arkansas Iateg the st LoUls Globe-Democrat. Only
and I reckon he'll be as good as his word.' " twenty-two answered to their names, and
Q the sheriff looked somewhat Inquiringly bt
The late Judge Smyth, so much better the judge, but the latter was calmly wlp
known as "The Recorder," says the New ing his glasses while he uttered the cus
York Times, used to have a reminiscence tomary, "Any desiring to be excused from
of another lawyer who now enjoys much service on this Jury will now come for
dlstlnctlon at the bar and for a time re- ward." Twenty-two men made a move
jolced in judicial honors, but who was at ment forward, and the clerk stopped In
the time the managing clerk of a law office his work of noting those who had failed to
on the same corridor with that of the future respond to the summons to look in wonder
recorder. at the entire venire desiring to escape.
"I met him ln the hall one day," said the "Well," said the judge, speaking to a long,
old Judge, "and he was evidently very much thin, nervous looking young man, "why do
agitated. I inquired the nature ot his you wish to be excused?" "If It please
trouble. Almost weeping, he answered: 'I your honor," answered the aforesaid thin
have been discharged, discharged without a individual, "I'd like to be excused on ac
word of explanation, after five yer . of count of Illness. I'm suffering from some-
thing that might prove embarrassing to money I got In the roun' worl'. Ef you're
the others Jurors, and is certainly embar- a-mlnd to take it, you kin, but I'll say
rassing to me." "What is the nature of straight-for'ards that I'd done sot it aside
your Illness?" asked the judge. "Well," fer the honeymoon expenses!"
said the young man, hesitatingly, "I'd pre-
fer to tell you ln private. I'm somewhat "Who represents tho defendant in this
delicate about speaking of It in public." "I case?" queried Justice Hall of Chicago after
cannot hear anything In private," responded he tad announced that the ease of the
the judge, impatiently. "If you want People against Alrd had been reached on
to be excused 'you must tell me here and the docket.
now what Is the matter with you." "Well. "I do," replied Stephen A. Douglas,
if I must tell It here I have the Itch." stepping before the bar.
"The itch?" echoed the Judge, and, turning
to the clerk, without marking how apropos
his observation was, said, "Mr. Jones,
scratch the Juror off."
Judge Edwards of Lee county, who has
'And the prosecution will be handled by? '
"Robert E. Lee."
"I'm more than glad to meet you, gentle
men," declared Jurtlee Hall, warmly.
"Your names are quite familiar to me."
The spectators ln the court looked amazed
Tnurriprl nver 100 cnunleu since he has been as they listened to the conversation.
ordinary, performed the ceremony recently "I fot them was both dead," remarked
for a runaway couple seated In a buggy In a small boy,
the public road, reports the Atlanta Con- Lee. a distant relative ot the confederate
stitutlon. general, is city prosecutor at the Harrlsou
The ceremony over, the bridegroom fum- street police court, and Attorney Douglas,
bled ln his pocket and fished up 36 cents. son of the "Little Giant," represented the
"Jedge," he said, "this here's all the defendant in a larceny case.