Identifier: virginislandsof00zabr (find matches)
Title: The Virgin islands of the United States of America; historical and descriptive, commercial and industrial facts, figures, and resources
Year: 1918 (1910s)
Authors: Zabriskie, Luther Kimbell, 1879-1921
Subjects:
Publisher: New York Putnam
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
red by Ministry of Finance and local government—Five post-offices—Subsidies—Money-order business during 1915—No wireless stations—Two daily newspapers in St. Thomas and three in St.Croix. The only means of transportation on the island of St. John is by horseback. Narrow and uneven roads over steep and irregular hills are far from suitable for carriages or vehicles of any kind, but horses may be hired at most of the settlements for two dollars per day and the services of a good guide may be procured at a nominal figure. Carriages are more in favour in St. Thomas where there are about fifteen miles of fairly good roads, and are available for driving about the city, and over the country districts, at rates prescribed by law. Carts of varying descriptions are in vogue among the country folk; the small, two-wheeled affair, painted blue, drawn by a horse or donkey, appearing to be most common. During the early part of 1916 two automobiles were imported into St. Thomas, and they were the first 148
Text Appearing After Image:
B o w 5 S O m Transportation 149 except for exhibition purposes that were ever seen on the island. These were rented by the hour to individuals about town and to tourists, and were very popular for a time. It was generally expected that a special interest on the part of the local government and the people in the betterment of the roads over the island would result from the introduction of these two machines, and a movement was begun with this end in view. Then the hurricane came, with all of its devastations of roads as well as of buildings, before any definite action was taken in the matter, and feeling that the time was not yet ripe for the luxury of automobiles in St. Thomas, the owners disposed of their machines very soon afterwards. Therefore if one desires to climb the mountains surrounding the city one must do it on horseback or on foot. In the harbour are many rowboats manned by negroes, who make their living transporting passengers to or from the steamers or by ferrying passengers tov

Note About Images