Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1873-09-27
SANTANA BAY.


THE WORK OF THE COMPANY.
Since the flag of the Samana Bay Co.
was hoisted on the Peninsula of Sama-
ma, in January last, a good deal has
been written of San Domingo in gener-
al, and the ability of the Samana Bay
Company in particular, to obtain firm
footing on the island. Gen. Nickers,
who has Just returned from San Domin-
go, where he had been sent on private
mission, made, during his visit, an ex-
animation of the country purchased by
the SANTANA Bay Company. The result
of that examination, together with a
brief sketch of the origin of the compa-
ny, as given by Gen. Nickers, will be
found below. 1t will be remembered
that the agreement entered into between.
the Government of San Domingo and
the Samana Bay Company was made in
December of last year. BY the terms
of that agreement the company were to
take possession of the Bay of SANTANA,
the islands therein, and the Peninsula of
Samana, on payment of sl50,000 in
gold. The origin of the SANTANA Bay
Company-that is, how the scheme of
purchasing the bay and peninsula came
first to be considered by the present
Company-has never been published
Before there was anv thought of form
ing company to purchase the peninsu-
la, President Baez, in order to draw
foreign capital to the country, made
certain advantageous offers to some
American gentlemen. TO one he gave
tn
many acres of the public land in return
for making geological survey of the
country. The result of this survey led
in a great part to the formation of
the SANTANA Bay Company. The survey
was only partial, yet so much of mineral
wealth was discovered that the forma-
ton of a company to purchase the pc
ninsula began at once to be mooted.
That company was formed under the
style and title of "The Samana Bay
Company" the individuals composing it
merging their rights to all previous
grants made to them by Gen. Baez.
Immediately after the people had
confirmed the action of Bacz, the Com
pany sent an engineer corps TO Samana
to make survey of the public lands on
the peninsula, and to lay out site for 4
new city, the position of the old one
| Santa Barbara--being of such nature
that it could not easily be enlarged.
They had also to make chart of the
bay, the only chart of those waters in
existence being in possession of the
English Navy Department. All of this
consumed necessarily several months
| 4 q h.
parent inactivity of the company. In
New York very little has been heard Of
the SANTANA Bay Company for some
months back, but the western papers
and the English papers have not let the
matter rest. The western journals spoke
of it as land speculation, and have re-
peatedly asserted that the country not
coming up to the expectation of the
spectators, the Company had collapsed
and had now no intention of spending
any capital in SANTANA. The,motive fol
the leady writing down Of the Sa
mana Bay Company in the English pa
pers is clear enough. They see in tho
success of SANTANA Bay the downfall o.
the-Port of St. Thomas. st. Thomas il
a narrow bay, and during three months
in the wear, owing to the hurricane
that prevail, is an unsafe anchorage
The only possible means Of developing
the. wealth of the SANTANA Peninsula i
bv encouraging the emigration of active
industrious men. tits obvious that nm
iii the Company were in possession of
knowledge Of the conntry's resources
would be worse than useless % encGur