National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-03-17
A SAN DOMINGO BEGGAR.

G A SAN DOMINGO BEaGAR.
+ There are many beggars III San Do
e mingo, and one in particular is peculiar
c He is weak.minded man of perhaps AZ
= years of age, who wears as few clothe,
as he can get along with. He goes about
the town with the vacant stare of an idi
, ot, and if he sees white man or stran
ger, he follows him slowly about tn,
4 city for hours at time, sometimes II few
. yards behind, and sometimes only few
feet. He never says anything, but con.
! stantly follows, as faithful aud rs silent
~ your shadow. II you enter shop,
he guards the door until you come out,
when be again takes up his line of march.
Ii he carries n stick or O cane with him,
rs he frequently does, he. rubs it sl,wl,
, under his nose from end &c end. II Ii,
has no cane he scratches his nose gently
? with his hat, while he continues to eye
, you. After he has followed you thus
for mile or two, you become very
nervous, and this feeling continues to
grow us your walk is extended until fin
ally you become so uneasy that you fear
you will go mad unless he turns back.
You finally stop and ask him what he
wants. You make gestures at him, you
ask him if he speaks Spanish, if he
speaks French, if he speaks English
and you protest against being followed
about in that manner wherever you CO.
He says not word he merely looks at
you tixedly and polishes his nose with
his cane, or sandpapers it with his hat
In your despair You appeal to anybody
that comes along Ten chances to one
you cannot make yourself understood,
and still your shadow grins at You and
puts an extra polish on his nose. Yol
become frantic, you begin to think it is
conspiracy to make YOU crazy. You
walk on rapidly, your friend is close be-
hind you; you turn corners, you are
conscious that nose and cane are still
following YOU You rush into q store, you
hear the grating of that hat against that
nose. And what do you think this is
about? Merely this ; the man is help
less and harmless idiot who follows peo-
pie about until they give him money
flve cents, ten cents, or quarter of "A
dollar-and then he leaves them. He
never says word, but he has II drol
prejudice against gold. Ii you offer
him gold piece, he scratches his nose
and refuses it; but he will take silver
coin to any extent.
THE SOLDIERS.
The soldiers of Santo Domingo are
curious lot of fellows. ! imagine Fal-
statf's soldiers must have been dressed
like princes in comparison. Looking
out from the piazza, We see the following
assortment, part of them guarding the
palace doors, and part doing duty at the
tower across the way. Here is n tall
negro, very black and very thin, with
white slouch hat, shirt ri uncertain
color and material, blue cotton panta-
looms. and barefooted; he is armed with
a musket. Near him is a red-faced mn
latto, with red whiskers and red hair. |
who wears long black frock coat and !
brown linen pantaloons rolled up to the |
knees, barefooted, and armed with n
sword. Another one of very small sta
ture wears black silk hat-probably l5
years of age the hat not the man IA
blue coat faced with red, and indescriba-
bic pantaloons barefooted and armed
with 0,achete, or long knife. Another
Is i'll his shirt-sleeves, another has a full
suit OF blue cotton, another is ragged in
the extreme. Nearly all in the city have
boxes and waist belts, marked
with brass plates containing the letters
" I. s. the same worn by our soldiers
during the war, and similar to those now !
in use in our regular army. Many are ;
armed with Springfield rifles. and some
with the superior Remington breech- t
leaders. or English Tower muskets. All {
these were bought from the United |
states, or received in part payment for /
'ental of Samana Bay, except the old t
Tower muskets. t
RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRY.
The various reports which have been !
made to the Commission on the resources
If the country all 90 to show that its -
5reat wealth has not been in the least l., !,
exaggerated. There is some doubt and II
conflict OF opinion rs to its mineral riches, !,
mt the fact is that the soll of San a
)omlngo Is IFS richest mine, and that, .,
With peace and security to life and prop ~
rty, capital and. most of all, energy. it y,
an be made the garden of the world. o
EN- miles from this city are vast ponta- -,
ions of sugar and coffee lying idle, i,
bandoned by their owners on account l.,
v. 7 -,
he woods are full of mahogany of i'm ", ",
lense value, logwood and lignumvit,e, T.
l all OF which little trade is now done.
THE LABOR QUESTION fa
The great question, however. is the so
Dor question. There are some who aC
aintain that the white man cannot live OIL
the tropics, and that the black will
ork only under the lash. DR.. Newcombe,
Cornell University, who is charged ce
lth the investigation of the sanitary of
prtion of the report, is OF the opinion TO
at the climate is not unhealthy, and an
at with few ordinary precautions the m,
hlte man can labor here and live here Cy
green old age. San Domingo City sn
considers not an unhealthy place, and de
q vital statistics bear ont his theories pl,
d views IN every respect. Intelligent ten
rsons here assure me that labor can be int
d for twelve dollars per month, and be-
me gentlemen Just arrived from Puerto to
alta say they met there Cuban planters so
10 intend to make large investments in the
n Domingo in case it shall be annexed bat
the United States. Colored laborers the
~ believe will come from all the sur VIII
mding islands, so that after all this len
'or question is not so great an objec- ligl
n as its supposed to be, and does not clio
asent lnsurmountahle obstacles. o.
BUYING AND SELLING. hoi
It cannot be said that the people here ere
an unhappy people they are quite
|, reverse, but, of course. their happi- 4
's is in accordance with their capacity self
appreciating it. They are quiet "a ed
le too quiet, I imagine. and ORDERLY. Gu