New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-14

them for libel On the other hand Alfonso had a
loveIy letter or indignant denial written Tor MS
signature; and the Pennyfarthing connection IN
dited spirited reoinder, in which they called at.
tention to their long and in innate knowledge OF
81 american finance and the imposs DIZZY Oh
80 respectable firm being mixed up with any cues
tionabie proceedings whatsoever. But neither OF
these things greatly touched the subscribii public
either way. They received the gorgeous circular,
with its perfect Fl Dorado of promises and its mag
niloquent Castllian patronymcs; and they were
only TOO glad to accept twelve per cent per annum
from the hands of his Excellency Senior Don jose
Herrera Mendez, President OF the Caribbean Repub-
nc, backed up by SO DISTINGUISHED tire or nnan
Lazarus. So, in about four months. Alfonso had
got his money safe in hand, and was on his way
BACK IN triumph to Savanna-a-Mar. have never
ceased TO feel remOrse for my unwilling part IN
die.
When Alfonso returned, it was not all qnite such
PLAIN sailing as the junta thought it wonld be- In
Jnanta and when Alfonso came to discover the
trek that had been practised upon him he was
absolutely furious. lie refused to give up any part
OF the cash, which lie logged in the treasury ana
Kept safely by means of half dozen armed lntran-
sigentcs. He then brbed Jose's army and though,
OF course. old Paddy would have remained true
through thick and thin 10 his new son-n-law, the
braves VINO made up the forces under his command
were lar more pliabe. Like all other PretOrlans,
they went over invariably to the highest bidder.
About three weeks after Alfonso's return, there
was another revolution; his Excclency Senior Don
jose Herreray MendeZ was driven out and MS keel
ency Senior Don Alfonso Nunez CanOvas de Vera
Paz became President in his stead. Jose and Juanta
He'd IN fear OF their lives with old Paddy 10
Jamaica and never touched penny OF the money.
Put as they did not dare to stop there. Tor fear
Paddy should be arrested as deserter, they soon
moved on to the Danish island of st. Thomas,
where Jose how keeps an excellent turtle-sonp res
taurant near the chief landing-Stage He Is known
to English travellers by his local nickname OF Joe
Rarey-that being the nearest English form to Jose
Herrera and he is never tired of talking TO his
guests about the happy days when he was President
of tho Caribbean Republic. Juanita once more
mixes brandy ktails, and generally taste one
OF her brewing twice year, on my way 10 ana
from London, where regularly pay an annual VISIT
on logwood business. She IS stu pretty,
sprghtly little woman and much the best OF all the
Caribbean politicians haze ever come across.
Alfonso, in his turn was far from being popular
man; so, ~ he soon quarrelled with most oil MS
Cabinet. new clique OF titras was shortly got up
within the limits of the lntransigentes themselves
and these. coalescing with the remnant OF the ke-
generadores, before long expelled Alfonso IN urn;
But Alfonso was man who did not NINA Dlo0dshed
any more than he minded thleyng; so Inc fought
hard for the treasury. and managed TO carry away
eighty thousand pounds ont OF the still unGlstrI-
buted remainder. With this he got clear away
over the mountains TO Mexico and the States;
whence he CLOSED by NewIork 10 London. and
drew out the 100000 standing there IN his own
name. After trying Spain for while, he at last
settled down at Nice, and he is pow known as one
OF the cunningest and most cautious roulette
players at Monte Carlo. He has several times
broken tho bank: and his villa on the Promenade
DIES Anglas is almost tho bandsomest IN that street
of palaces Even ut cosmopolitan Nice, however.
polite society for the world insists that he ought
certainly to restrict himself at most to one Sonora
NnneZ each season. But long as Alfonso can get
play and sunshine, he IS comparatively independent
of outer society.
Since those days have seen several governments
i'm Caribbea, but not one that was much better or
much worse than Jose llerrera's. They have all
taxed logwOod, and they have all come in and gone
ont with revolution. Moreover, have never
known one of them attempt to pay penny OF in
terest on the debt The Ultras sacked the treasury
after Alfonso left and no man really knows who
exactly got the money 1t disappeared somehow,
ana there is nothing now to show for it anywhere
except q number of handsomely printed pieces OF
paper IN the hands of various London bankers,
which 20 by the name of Caribbean scrip. TO this
day certain obscure transactions take place upon
the Stock Exchange in which somebody still gives
somebody else a certain sum of money Tor these
utterly useless specimens of modern English steel
engraving. But as to paying single stVer OF prln-
cipal or interest as oLg as the world wagS, tnaC
never seriously entered into the head OF any living
creature at savanna LAMAR.
SO there you have. at last, the full. true and par
ticular narrative OF the origin of the Caribbean
Twelve Per Cents. | never got back my hundred
pounds for, of course poor Jose couldn't pay IL;
and | lost the hundred and thirty had spent IN
telcgraphng, well various other small sums
hut that | richly deserved for my iolly cannot
bear to think however, upon the thousands OF Door
souls who have been beggared by that VILLAIN
| Alfonso: and as long as | 1--we. | have s0lemnly
sworn never again to NEEDLE in the internal politics
| OF a Spanish. American Republic. -Belgravia
Il