Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-03-11

that annexation will bring them every
happiness Comparatively few OF them
speak English, many Of them speak
French, and all Spanish, but very in
correctly. The merchants and shop.
keepers are indolcnt and without busi.
ness instinct. One or two--I have one
in my mind partieularly-ar energetic
and attentive to their business, and are
getting rich. If annexation takes place,
Yankee capital and Yankee enterprise
will make revolution here, and the
slow-goiug business men will be forced
aside. Many of them, think, begin to
understand this, and believe on that ac-
count they are less favorable to annexa-
tion than the laboring classes. There
will be abundant occupation for capital
here, with large returns, if this becomes
part Of the United States territory
This fact is impressed upon the mind of
every visitor. There are many fields for
enterprise even under present circum-
stances-the most prominent, as ] be-
lieve, being agriculture and fruit grow
ing but there are other branches OF in
dustry open here to well-dirtcted labor
which will bring riches. The great
drawback, just now, is the want of a
market and facilities for transportation.
These however, will come when capital
becomes convinced that they are needed.
Honest men cannot get ich heje witEo 1T
work any more thant o can elsewhere.
The soil OF The country Is rich beyond
cxpression-it will be generous 10 those
who 10 it justice. The present occupants
Of the laud will never work il TO lis ca
pacity it is not their nature, and the
indications are that they do not know
how. The people are quiet aud orderly,
patient and submissive, and the easiest
governed, of any race i'll the world.
Their honesty | cannot vouch fJr, but /
think they are as honest as the trades
men, who are cheating us numerically.
We are said to be objects of derision to
the smartest class of English-speaking
residents on account of the tranquility
with which we submit to the most mon
strous extortions. Every person who
arrived here on the Tennessee, including
the honorable Commission itself, is
charged two or three prices for every
thing he buys, and the proverbal reck-
lessness with which Americans spend
money, without question, is get
| ting check in Santo Domingo, and if
we remain much longer the shopkeepers
will become aware of the mistake they
made when they supposed Americans
were made of money. a gentleman OF
our party the other day had shoemaker
sew a couple Of buttons on his Shoe
The cobbler charged so cents for the
job the gentleman demurred at snch a
charge. With shrug Of tie shoulders,
an elevation OF the eyebrows, the turning
down Of the corners of the mouth, and
the Speeding ont of the hands-motons
peculiar to the French and Spanish-the
shoemaker sail, "Senor can take the
shoes for nothing" Of course the gen
ileman paid the so cents. The same spe-
cies of tactics was attempted on party
which took a trip through the country
and stopped at a cabin to obtain food.
They were charged two dollars each for
Il miserable dinner Of tough chicken, dry
bread and fruit. They refused to pay
the price and were informed that they
were very welcome to what they had
had. Each person left upon the table a
dollar in coin, aud the smiling host bid
them a corteous good-day from the door
rs they rode off Another gentleman,
who was somewhat familiar with the
consciences of Spanish tradesmen, offer
ed SO for a Panama hat, the price of
which was Sc. The offer was refused
with both energy and blasphemy, but a
moments controversy settled the matter,
and SO bought the hat. A $l2 parrot
was sold for 50, and So linen coat for
S3 A few days longer, and the Ameri-
can name for generosity will be forever
blotted in Santo Domingo.
The people here are a eligious people,
that is they have the religion that usual
ly prevails among ignorant, superstitious
inhabitants of tropical countries. A
French writer, in speaking Of the religion
of the people here, many years ago,
said, "They have no idea of religion be-
yond the priests and images, to each of
which they ascribe magical virtue in
themselves-mingling with the outward
ship which is pure idolatry." And
better description could not be given OF
their condition to-day. They are tenn
perate people-that is, they are not as
incorporate as the low price of liquors
and wines would reasonably suggest
Rum, made on the Island, Of course, of
very inferior quality, can be bought for
25 cents gallon, and from that to 50 a
gallon. A very good quality can be
bought for so cents or dollar. Claret
wine, bottled and boxed, may be had for
two dollars dozen, and good French
brandy, Notwithstanding the duty of 40
per cent dd vaioren, sells for ten dollars
a dozen, and the best may be had for
twelve.
CHILDREN AND BEGGARs.
A high wall encircles the city; and
there are but two gates at each of which
are guards and officers. The people
here-I refer, of course, TO the blacks,
for they are really the population-are
not, | am sorry to say, virtuous people.
The number of diseased children is very
large, and cases OF grown persons being
literally eaten up by disease are not rare
An intelligent apothecary from Santiago
stated that two-thirds OF the medicines