224 TiMEHRI. 



assumed the management of over goo miles of these 

 parochial roads, and at once set about the simultaneous 

 reconstru6lion of them in each distri6l at a cost varying 

 from ;{^ioo to £400 per mile. Good roads without 

 bridges being of little service, the Government had to 

 face an outlay of ;^ 150,000 for this purpose, which has 

 been chiefly spent in the parishes of Portland and St. 

 Thomas-in-the-East, in the constru6lion of some fine 

 iron and concrete stru6tures varying in length from 

 80 to 480 feet over the Rio Grande River. At the 

 same time urgent demands were made throughout the 

 Island for railway extension and ^ 1,200,000 was voted 

 for the purpose of increasing the line one hundred 

 miles, the greater portion of which has been brought 

 into operation. Several narrow gauge Tramways have 

 also been proje6led to tap the rich valleys and aft as 

 feeders to the main line. In a few instances such 

 lines are a6lually in operation, whilst Mr. Clarke's 

 Overhead Wire Railroad traversing the Mandeville 

 mountains from Porus to his banana property is worthy 

 of mention. This line was ere6led by him at a cost 

 of some $40,000, solely for the transportation of his own 

 fruit diredl from the fields into the railway shed at Porus 

 and thus avoid handling and jolting in cartage. 



The Fruit Companies on their part have not been 

 backward, and beyond the use of private telephones con- 

 nefting their properties, wharves and buying stations, 

 and the constru6lion of Tramways, have built, and are 

 building fast steamships, specially designed and fitted with 

 warming and ventilating apparatus for the safe convey- 

 ance of the fruit in all seasons, while Captain Baker, of 

 the Boston Fruit Company, which owns some 35,000 



