The Sequel

1848, the year slavery was abolished in the Virgin Islands, was also the year of the California Gold Rush and the proverbial saying from Horace Greeley who advised Josiah “Bushnell” Grinnell to:  “Go West Young Man, Go West”.

            Sixty-nine years later (1917), like a contagion, the words had rapidly spread to the Virgin Islands and with the advent of Americanism the Crucians found themselves giving careful attention to Mr. Greeley’s advice and even though their destination ended up not West but to the North of St. Croix (i.e. St. Thomas – the island the United States hungered for) St. Thomians welcomed them with open arms.  Crucians (most of them from Frederiksted) with last names like Allick, Dunbavin, Fergus, Finch, Jackson, James, Joseph, Moorehead, O’Bryan, Plaskett, Simmonds, Urgent and a host of others were coming to St. Thomas for: (A) reasons of economics; (B) to increase the population with first generation St. Thomians and (C) to provide entertainment through the various sports such as baseball, basketball and soccer.  Yes folks, our brothers and sisters from our sister island of St. Croix through their migration gave St. Thomas a galaxy of athletic stars for its entertainment. 

            In the sport of basketball during the early years (off the top of my head) I recall St. Thomas receiving Alaric O’Riely, Ulmont James, Walter “Mahoo” James, and Sigurd Petersen.  In baseball, we were fortunate enough to get Walter “Mahoo” James, Earl Finch, Timmy Phillips and Emile Lewis.  And in soccer just about every player was from St. Croix.  A careful examination of the genealogy of the St. Thomas’ population would invariably disclose the last names of the many Crucians who made St. Thomas their home.  Incidentally, one half (or perhaps even more than that) of our policemen were from St. Croix. No where was their presence more evident.  They stuck out like sore thumbs.  What’s more their presence was not a thing causing terror or dread among St. Thomians.  Within our sparse population we appeared to be more united as a people than we are today.  Because our Governor was appointed, we did not have the so-called political pundits of today taking advantage of people not level headed enough to know what was going on. 

            But back to sports.  The Crucian contingent provided a high degree of parity.  They interacted with their St. Thomian teammates beautifully, never showing any palpable signs of being standoffish.  On Sunday afternoons following baseball at the Lionel Roberts Stadium, soccer football - played mostly by players from St. Croix - would take center stage.  Spectators in attendance would always marvel at Wilfred “Bomba” Allick (who owned and piloted his boat “The Flight”) when he played soccer.  Why? Because he played the game barefooted.  In those days “Bomba” would cast “The Flight’s” anchor and head straight for the Lionel Roberts Stadium to play his favorite pastime.