St. Croix. (Efterskrift til Politivennen)

The "Avis", Christianssted St. Croix.

Wednesday 4th July 1877

Last month has been the most promising which planters of Santa Cruz have seen for a long time. "All that a planter could wish" says one, "The rain couldn't have come in better time if we had had the ordering of it ourselves" says another.

The crop is now off the ground nearly everywhere, and the sprouts were for the most part quite green and strong, and consequently were ready to make use of the full supply of nourishment which they have just received. As far as we can judge from the partial information which has reached us, we believe the average fall at the various stations will be found to be about 42 or 43 lines (5 1/4 inches). Of course it is too early to begin even to guess about the growing crop, but we may hope that the month just closed may only be the first of a succession of the same kind; in which case (as we are told by competent judges there is nothing in the other conditions of the island to prevent the reaping of one of the largest crops yet made. The present month has opened with fine showers, and this may encourage us to look for a continuance of favourable weather. Those countless enemies, the weeds, are springing up rapidly every where, and will need all the hostile energy of the planters to keep them in their proper place, and give their more worthy brother, the sugar cane, a fair chance.

(St. Croix Avis 4. juli 1877).

Vejret blev også beskrevet som perfekt for plantageejerne den 1. august 1877 i avisen.

Tangbunkerne langs Strandveien. (Efterskrift til Politivennen)

Hr. Redacteur! I vor Tid, hvor der giøres saa meget i hygieinisk Henseende for at tilvejebringe gunstigere Livsbetingelser og at fjerne Alt fra menneskelige Boliger, hvad der inficerer Luften, maa man høiligen forundre sig over, at der Intet er skeet for at faae de Tangbunker fjernede, der ligge langs Sundkysten paa de Strøg, der efterhaanden ere blevne stærkt bebyggede. Aar ud og Aar ind ligge disse Bunker urørte af Menneskehaand. Oprindelig bestaaende af lange, friske Plantetrevler, ere de i Tidens Løb gaaede i Forraadnelse. Bølgeslaget forandrer, særlig ved Høivande, deres Leie, Drivisen indvirker om Vinteren paa dem, Luften og Solen bidrage i Forening til at decomponere deres Bestanddele. I den Tilstand hvori Massen, saaledes som den særlig udenfor Skovshoved og Taarbæk træffes, nu befinder sig, bestaaer den af smaatskaarne, sammenfiltrede og fedtagtige Partikler, der stadig faae ny Tilførsel fra den vællingeagtige Masse, der nærmest Strandbredden skvulpes frem og tilbage af de sig brydende Bølger. Er der Paalandsvind, udbrede disse Tangbunker, der ere gaaede i Forraadnelse, en Stank, der for Mange gjør Opholdet ved selve Strandbredden utaaleligt. I de varme Sommermaaneder bidrage de ikke sjeldent til at skræmme Skovgjæster og Sommerboere bort fra Kysten og de Beværtningssteder, der ligge ved Strandbredden. At disse Masser i sanitair Henseende virke lidet heldigt, turde vel ligge i Sagens Natur, og deres skadelige Indflydelse vilde sikkerlig fremtræde tydeligt, dersom ikke andre Forhold paa de paapegede Steder bidroge til at neutralisere den noget. Jeg vil lade det henstaae uafgjort, om der ikke fra det Offentliges Side kunde være Grund til at faae tilvejebragt en Forandring; men det synes mig ikke afveien at henlede de i Nærheden af Strandvejen bosatte Jordeieres Opmærksomhed paa, at de omtalte Tangbunker afgive en værdifuld Gjødningsmasse. I Udlandet vilde de neppe saae Lov til længe at henligge ubenyttede. Langs Østersøkysterne (Preusen, Holsteen, Slesvig) opsamles Tangen paa let tilgjængelige Steder i frisk Tilstand, særlig naar den efter Paalandsstorme kastes op paa Stranden i større Masser. Den tørres og anvendes til Fyld i Madratser og Skraapuder, eller anvendes til Gjødning. I sidstnævnte Tilfælde pleies den enten strax ned eller sættes først op i Bunker, der blive blandede med Jord og Kalk. Den afgiver et billigt Gjødningsstof, der let decomponeres. I den Tilstand, i hvilken den findes langs Strandvejen, vil den formeentlig være værdifuld, selv om den ikke kan nedpløies strax eller særligen præpareres

g.

(Den til Forsendelse med de Kongelige Brevposter privilegerede Berlingske Politiske og Avertissementstidende 4. juli 1877).

En Klage fra Syersker. (Efterskrift til Politivennen)

Vi har modtaget en Skrivelse angaaende en Hr. Dybke, der er Ekspeditør hos d'Hrr. Evald Jensen & Komp., Østergade 42, og i denne Skrivelse føres der meget stærke Anker mod den brutale Maade, hvorpaa Hr. Dybke optræder over for sine Syersker. Naar Hr. Dybkes Opførsel er saaledes, som den skildres i Skrivelsen, og naar Firmaet ikke desto mindre ikke vil afskedige ham eller give ham Tilhold om at opføre sig humant, vil vi give Syerskerne det Raad at renoncere paa den, som de selv erklærer, ringe Fortjeneste, de har som Arbejdersker hos de nævnte Herrer. Naar Syerskerne udtaler, at en Opførsel som den, der vises mod dem, ikke vilde blive taalt, dersom den vistes mod Mænd , da skal vi tillade os at erindre Syerskerne om, at Grunden til, at der paa mange Steder bydes de arbejdende Kvinder det mest Utrolige saa vel med Hensyn til Uhørlighed i Fremgangsmaaden mod dem som - og fornæmmelig - med Hensyn til Arbejdstidens Længde, ligger i, at Kvinderne ikke vil slutte sig sammen i Foreninger. Saalænge de ikke er at bevæge dertil, vil en væsenlig Bedring i de højst utaalelige Forhold, hvorunder den arbejdende Kvinde lever, næppe komme til at undergaa nogen alvorlig forandring.

(Social-Demokraten 27. juni 1877).

Education in the Danish West Indies. (Efterskrift til Politivennen)

From a copy of the St. Thomas Tidende of May 6, kindly sent us by Messrs. P. F. T. Titley & Co., containing a notice of the opening of a public college in St. Thomas on July 2, this year, we perceive that St. Thomas has at last taken a step in the right direction, to place its native inhabitants on a footing in education with the European portion of its population, who remain there only until they have accumulated sufficient means to live comfortably on in their own countries and so soon as they have accomplished this object they bid farewell to the island and all belonging to it without leaving a trace of the wealth they have accumulated, or the remotest sign of the benefit which it would be expected that this island should have derived from the prosperity of its commerce, leading to the accumulation of the fortunes nmussed by those who leave it in a position to live comfortably in Europe.

We feel that in justice to the native inhabitants of St. Thomas, the step which has now been taken by the local government of that colony to establish compulsory public education in the island ought to have been taken twenty five or thirty years ago, when, doubtless the revenues derived from the many years uninterrupted prosperity of its commerce would have warranted the outlays necessary for the maintenance of public schools, much more than it is likely that the present revenues from the island will be able to bear under the adverse circumstances of its commerce, occasioned by the constant depression of business and falling off of trade the last few years past.

It is, however, to be hoped that business cannot always remain in a state of depression in this island any more than in any other part of the world, and that things must soon take a change for the better, by which the commerce of the island will resume its wanted activity and prosperity, enabling the Government to carry out successfully the laudable object of educating the masses, and thus affording the native inhabitants of St. Thomas the advantages to be expected from compulsory public education, which must always give evidence of a judicious and useful expenditure of the public revenues.

The college to be established in St. Thomas, will be conducted on the most efficient principle calculated to carry out the object of teaching a good, sound, and useful education, under the tuition of three competent teachers and a highly capable and experienced school director engaged from the mother country.

The instruction will include the following branches, viz.: English, Danish, French, Spanish, history, geography, natural history, physics, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, commercial theory, caligraphy, drawing, and gymnastics.

The charges for tuition will be very moderate, and boys from the neighbouring islands will be admitted on the same charge as for resident pupils.

A boarding establishment will be attached to the college under the control of one or more of the head teaehers, for the facility of pupils from the surrounding islands of Porto Rico, St. Domingo, Haiti, &c., and it is expected that parents in these islands will avail themselves of the advantages now offered by St. Thomas for their children to receive a good and useful education in that island at much less expense and inconvenience than must be necessary on their lendirg them to Europe, and in future send all boys to St. Thomas to be educated.

- British Mail.

ST. THOMAS COLLEGE.

Messrs. J. F. T. Titley & Co., of St. Thomas W. I., have just informed us that a Government College is to be opened in that island in July next, under the supervision of three competent teachers and a school director. All the branches of a sound and useful education will be taught, and the charges for tuition are to be very moderate. A boarding establishment is to be attached to the college under the control of one or more of the head teachers, to encourage the entry of pupils train the neighbouring islands, and it is expected that in future children will be sent from Porto Rico, St. Domingo, Hayti, and other surrounding islands, to St. Thomas, instead of Europe, to be educated. The College in St. Thomas is a fine, missive structure of white bricks, three storeys high, built in the highest style of the architecture peculiar to the island, occupies a site on the side of a hill fronting the harbour, and commands a most imposing view. It has been the residence of some of St. Thomas's most famous citizens, and has also been used as a Masonie lodge, which inscription it yet bears in large black letters on the white bricks, slightly erased by a smattering of whitewash, which will no doubt be now covered with the new designition of "St. Thomas's Government College". Although it seems that the old Colonial Council Hall, a stone structure in St. Thomas, is considered the most suitable building in the island for a college, the preference was still given to the one referred to, doubtless from some former associations with it, or, perhaps, in consequence of its proximity to Government House, by which His Excellency might be afforded an opportunity of having always under his eyes the realization of one of his pet schemes - compulsory education - British Trade Journal.

(St. Croix Avis 27. juni 1877).

THE "AVIS" CHRISTIANSTED ST CROIX.

Saturday 30th June 1877

From an official announcement in the St. Thomas Tidende we learn that Mr. C. Dahl has been appointed First Teacher in the new college. Mr. Dahl is too well known in these Danish islands, and particularly in St. Croix, to need any introduction from us. But our paper no doubt finds its way occasionally to neighbouring colonies, and may perhaps fall into the hands of parents who have taken the college and its objects under consideration. For this reason we may be permitted to say that Mr. Dahl is a man of unusual ability, who possess, along with considerable experience ns a teacher, an extensive and varied knowledge in languages, the natural sciences, and mathematics. Although a native of Denmark, he has so complete a mastery of English, that it is not easy to detect, even in a very long conversation, that lie is speaking a language not, except by right ol conquest, his own. We cordially wish him entire success in the important work which he is now about to take in hand.

Mr. Sydney Speed, of Barbados, who has for some time been well known in St. Thomas as a successful teacher, is announced as Second Teacher in the new college.

The college opens on Monday next.

(St. Croix Avis 30. juni 1877).

Ubekendt fotograf: Skole i Charlotte Amalie på Sankt Thomas. Årstal angivet 1860-1940. Det kongelige Bibliotek. Muligvis beskyttet af ophavsret.

Skoleundervisningen havde indtil 1876 været varetaget af private, religiøse skoler. En reform fra 1876 skulle indføre almueskoler med obligatorisk undervisning. At religion ikke blev nævnt som et fag, kan skyldes det omtålelige i dette fag da der fandtes mange forskellige religiøse retninger på St. Thomas. Heller ikke historie er med.  I april 1878 donerede A. H. Riise 6000 vestindiske daler til oprettelse og vedligeholdelse af kommunale skoler på St. Thomas. De blev brugt på at åbne skolerne 1. juni 1878. 

Den nævnte skole - en realskole - var et led i denne reform. Det lå i kortene at kun hvide drenge kunne blive optaget. En realskole på St. Croix var ikke på tale. St. Thomas College var for elever indtil 16. år. Realskolen vist sig ret hurtigt at være en fiasko.  Det var håbet at realskolen kunne få 150 elever, men nåede højst 30, og gik ret hurtigt nedefter. 

Korrespondance fra Væbningen. (Efterskrift til Politivennen)

Nu er vi atter her kommen et Skridt videre, idet vi i Lørdags har faat Restmandskabet ind, som skal give Øvelse i 5 Dage. Forøvrigt er dette meget heldigt, da det giver lidt mere Nyhedsinteresse i de første Dage, ligesom vi nu endelig fik Lov til at eksercere paa Fællederne, medens vi hidtil har maattet eksersere paa Rosenborgeksercerplads. Apropos, om Eksercits! I al den Tid vi endnu har været inde, har der været rigelig Plads til os med begge Bataljonerne paa Eksercerpladsen, medens der nu ikke en Gang er Plads til os paa hele Nørrefælled, hvilket man maa antage, da der ellers ikke er nogen som helst Grund til at lade tiden Bataljon trække ud paa Øster fælled; men maaske det er det nu indkaldte Mandstab, som fylder saa meget i vore Rækker.

De er lige saa gale til at straffe ved 2den Bataljon, som da jeg skrev den forrige Skrivelse, idet der i Lørdags blev idømt en Undertorporal 5 Dages Fængsel paa Vand og Brød, samt Tilbagesættelse i de Meninges Klasse, for den "skrækkelige Forbrydelse" at have undladt at hilse en Officer af Flaaden, eller som det hedder i det militærgale Sprog: "Insubordination og respektstridigt Forhold." Jeg skal ikke gøre nogen Bemærkning hertil, da Enhver vist nok selv kan dømme, om slige barbariske Straffe bør finde Sted eller ikke.

Bataljonschefen for 2den Bataljon, Oberst Arnholtz, ønskede jeg gerne at spørge om, af hvad Grund vi skal jages tilbage til Sølvgadens Kaserne om Aftenen, for at saa Lov til at gaa hjem; jeg kan ikke indse Nytten heraf, da Enhver nok vilde kunne finde hjem. dersom vi fik Lov til at træde af paa Østerfælled, naar Øvelserne var endt. Ligeledes maa jeg spørge Dhrr. Kaptajner, om det er aldeles nødvendigt, at vi skal kravle op paa Volden for at træde af om Aftenen, da jeg antager, at det samme ligesaa let kan gøres nedenfor Volden, og der er Plads nok til os.

Til Slutning skal jeg ikke undlade at anføre, hvorledes "Styrelsen" for Væbningen overholder de Love, hvorefter de har at rette sig. Jeg sigter her til "Kundgørelsen" angaaende Københavns Væbning af 1870, hvori det hedder, at Øvelserne skal finde Sted i 3 Timer daglig, nemlig fra Kl. 5 til 8 Eftermiddag, medens det er faktisk, at vi skal møde Kl. 4 3/4 og Øvelserne slutter sjælden før henad 8½. Vi faar altsaa et Tillæg af 3/4 Time daglig, som Dhrr Oberster skænker os, formodenlig af Velvilje imod os "tapre Fædrelandsforsvarere". Jeg vil haabe, at de samme Herrer vil godtgøre os for denne Tillægstid, da de vist i det modsatte Tilfælde vil kunne forvente en stor Masse Retssager om dette Spørgsmaals rette Afgørelse.

Væbningen er ligeledes velsignet med en dygtig Læge, der ligesom alle andre Korpslæger kurerer alle mulige og umulige Sygdomme med - Marschture og Vand. Det er jo rigtignok billige Medikamenter; men de er ogsaa derefter. Man har saaledes set, at en Mand fik det Raad for en daarlig Fod, at han skulde bade den i koldt Vand og gaa meget, og i Forhold hertil er alle de øvrige Midler, der foreskrives af ham, saa det er ikke mærkeligt, at der, som det skete i Lørdags paa Østerfælled, faldt en Mand om i Geleddet.

Det kunde snart være paa Tiden, at alle vort Samfunds "vise og store" Fædre vilde tænke paa, hvorledes Menneskene bliver behandlet i Militærstanden, ellers vil det vedblive at lyde som en bitter Haan, naar man hører nævne: "Foreningen til Dyrenes Beskyttelse", da man vist maa kunne fordre, at de fornuftige Skab￾ninger skal beskyttes for de ufornuftige; men da Dyrene koster Storborgerne Penge, medens Menneskene ikke koster dem noget, er det maaske formeget at forlange.

A-Ø.

(Social-Demokraten 20. juni 1877).