Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-03
ALNIO:3T LIKE sERFs.
The Peor,Ie of Newfoundland Ruined by
1yr'-nts - Grinding Tyranny on the
1S,and

me Reop,fe of Newfoundland Ruined by
1yr'-nts - Grinding Tyranny on the
I'.land.
The harbor Of st. John, says a cores
pondent of the Baltimore american, is a
mere gap in the granite walls of the
coast. We pass between rocky prOmOnto-
ries hardly further apart than the ship is
long-either shore in easy pistol shot.
One of the harbor defenses is a huge
chain, which in war may be stretched
across and bar the entrance of ships. Be
yOnd the gates it brOadens out into no.
Bile harbOr. The city is chiefly Of stone
and brick, stern and gloomy in appear
ance, and conveying the suggestion that
the buildings would look at their best
snOw-clad in winter, being built to keep
cold out. The day was a raw, gusty
March day on June IS, the dust OF the
macadamiZed street being very disagreed
BILE. The people are square-built and
hardy-loOking, both women and men.
Some groups Of fishermen on the streets
were quite impressive by their sturdy
manhood. Very primitive are the wagons
and carriages on the streets, and the
horses Notwithstanding. There is an air
Of sullen resistance to a hard destiny yisi-
bic everywhere.
The people are divided into two classes
the tOilers and those who own them
and in few countries are the lines so
tightly drawn. The reasons are obvious
even to the stranger. The only industries
of the island are the cod fisheries and the
seal fisheries. Agriculture there is almost
none. 1t is said that there are treasures
of lead, iron, and copper within the
island, but they are UndevelOped. The
governing classes do not want them to be
developed. They have too good a
thing as it is. The railroad that is il pro-
gress, and has gotten eleven miles in
land, is built against the wish of the shop
keepers and the ring, and built by Eng
lish capital. In it there is a hope of pro-
gress, varied pursuits, education, and es-
cape from the tyranny of the governing
class.
This tyranny is accomplished through
debt and credit. The fisherman's life is
one of great toll and hardship and uncer-
tainty. In the autumn he often finds him
self without the means OF living, He goes
to the shOpkeeper and gets credit for -four
and meat, shoes, etc. The storekeeper
sells them the worst possible at double or
treble prices. What is the poor fellow to
do? The goods are sold with the cOndi-
ton that the buyer shall work out the
debt in the seal fisheries. He goes of on
sealing voyage and helps to secure a
cargo of seaIskins and blUbber worth per-
haps a quarter of million of dollars.
When the time comes to pay his wages
he finds long account against him of
items charged at eXorbitant prices; and
that, instead of sharing in the profits Of
the great catch, he is still in debt. Then
he must go codtishing all summer to work
out the debt-more purchases, more debt,
more hardship, toll, serVitude, and so on
to the end. 1t IS almost a serfdom. Eng
lish colonial officers, when they first ar
rive and see the condition Of affairs, write
home about it, and try to institute re-
forms. But such men soon get recalled.
1t is more thar whispered that some of
the colonial officers and titled statesmen
are the prOprietors Of the stores that are
run under different names. Thus there is
wealth and even luxury in a few houses
in Newfoundland and a mortal struggle
for existence everywhere else, and strug-
gle against ungenerous nature as well as
/ human rapacity and injustice. Skirting
the coast tor a hundred miles one sees no
animals grazing, no garden patch near a
house or hut, no forests nor orchards
nothing but the rocks, the barrens of
| stunted pinesj or pine bushes, and the
bare, sterile plains. Nothing offers food
except the sea, and that is full of hard
ship and danger to the tOilers, They work
amid all danger-for the ring, But they
are all Wreckers by nature. If the Nova
islanders would call it ga gift from God, y
and they would claim and seize the cargo
and even the private property of such as
escaped death.
They are very religious, these islanders.
The first thing that catches the eye on the
approach to the harbor is the Catholic
cathedral, Standing very grandly up
among the little houses. 1t is built Of
granite, faced with white, resembling in
this respect our city Jail; but it is fianked
by two noble towers, and the interior is
rich and imposing. just below it, and a
little to one side, is the English cathedral,
now receiving additions, built in the form
of 4 cross, and having a magnificent tow
er now rising. The Scotch kirk stands be-
low, severely simple. The people are
willing to live in huts and build these
lofty affairs to God This alone shows a
religious nature. / did not see any
churches, however, in the fishing villages
along the coast, nor any schOOl-hsuses.
Illiteracy and ignorance are the rule; ard
yet, when / look at the grand physique
of these fisherman, and note their hardi-
hood, courage and faith, I can but think
that, under favorable institutions, a noble
civilization is possible even on this I'M
favored island, where it is winter for ten
months in the year, and the other two are
very late in the fall.