Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-08-02

The people Have Abandoned Politics and
all is Peace How Railroad is Built
Subsidies impossible and Land
Grants Worthless.
n. y. Tas&

ceived by American capitalists over t~eny
years ago, and has been revived at various
times since But no energetic action was
taken until three years ago. when the scheme
was taken hold Of BY Alexander Baird, Q
wealthy Scotchmsn, backed by q few trie. d
Mr.. Baird, who stopped tor few days in
this city on his way TO England, told shout
the enterprise, and how it was to be carried
out.
The idea always was. said be Ito run
the road from SANTANA Bay up through
La Tega Real, beautiful wide valley con-
tainirg the richest land in San Domingo.
But at the end of the bay the land is lou
and swsmpy, and it was necessary, hrst OF
all, to construct the road over vile marsh
nine miles across, over which cat could
scarcely walk without sinking. 1t was this
difficulty which had TO be overcome at the
very outset of the undertaking that discour.
aged those who went into it, and prevented
the success Of the plans But We are nov
beyond that spot, and have got forty mules
Of line graded, and see no reason why we
should not succeed. Our plant all comes
from America, 10 which the commerce OF
he country naturally belongs, the only thing
that we bring from England being the steel
rails. By spring We hope to have traffic
opened as far as La Vega della Conceptions,
an inland town sixty-Gve miles up the val
lev. From there we shall push the road to
Moca, and thence 10 Santiago de los Cabal
leros, where the line will end. The total
length OF the railroad will be about eighty.
eight miles. 1t will have single track,
and will partly follow the course ofthe Yuma
River, which flows through the valley.
When it is finished / believe the United
States will regret that they did not annex
he country, as they started 10 do under
Grant. The valley, which is to be opened
up TO commerce, is certainly the richest in
the West Indies, and in building the road we
had no thought but for the agricultural re-
sources Of the country. All this talk about
gold and silver and immense forests OF pitch
pine is nonsense. There are no such things
on the island, hut there is much better.
Even nov that valley exports 5000 tons Of
tobacco year-very vile tobacco, 1t is true
most of which goes to Germany. Bat
splendid tobacco can be raised when better
facilities are afforded and then great wealth
will be derived from the preducuon OF cocoa
and sugar cane, to the cultivation OF which
the valley is wonderfully well adapted.
The grazing land is fine, also. aud there lie
no land in the West Indies better suited TO
raising cattle than the 900 square miles Of
that valley.
What do we get for our pains? Oh
Al k,t a. l., rs 3
and whatever we can make out Of the land
which we may buy There was no such
thing as subsidy 10 be lobbied Tor, because
there was no lobby and no Government
funds. And although the government is
willing enough to give grants Of land, and,
in fact, does give them 10 anybody th,t
comes along, the grants are OF no value, as
all the land is owned under old Spanish
titles dating from the time OF Charles the
Fifth. Some persons complain that there Is
no Government on the island. and there
really is not very much But that is ust
what the people want for they are quite and
pesceable, and don't have 80 many Office.
holders 10 keep alive. Property there is
perfectly safe, great deal more 30 than |,
is in Ireland, and even q few years ago,
when the people had not yet abandoned
heir interest in politics and used to indulge
in about two revolutions every three weeks,
The foreigners never suffered and were just
as well of as though no revolution had been
going on. Just now a white man 10 Presi.
dent. although black man is just as likely
10 be President next time. The negroes
vote for white men, and white men vote for
negroes, without thought for the color
be candidate, and such thing as race
jealousy is not even thought Of. The ma
jority OF the working class consists OF q mix.
lure Of Spanish and negro blood. but the
cross is not good one, and the men are
lazy. The best people on the island are the
descendants Of negroes who came from
America at the close Of the war, and who
5 i'll speak English with slight dash Of
'pspisb, They are hard workers, and many
Of them are employed by US.
AS far as the question Of health is con
cerped people make q great mistake who
think OF San Domingo as Q place like the
Isthmus Of Panama, or those death trap. |
II is altogether different. live there, and |
lcok all right, don't II Even The turning |
up Of the soil, as we have been obi ed to
do il, has caused no outbreak Of fever. or
other dangerous disease, and our lsborcrs,
imported from this country and Europe
have suffered nothing worse than slight
doses Of chills-nothing compared 10 what
they would have to stand il they went 10
work in swamp over in your State OF New
Jersey. We are going to have emigrants
from here and abroad 10 settle in the valley,
and you can be sure that the valley will be-
come known, and that they will become rich.
No. sir, there is no stock in the road. lam
building il with some friends and we haven't
even given ourselves any name or corpora
ion title. We think there is money to be
honestly made out Of our enterprise, and We
mean TO make it, and have it tor ourselves"
When Mr.. Baird had told bis part Of the
story another gentleman, slso from San
Domingo. told something not 80 pleasing to
this country.
You ought," said be, in your paper 10
lell something Of the abominsble way 10
which this country is represented in San
Domingo. The fact is, the country isn't
represented at all and an American, unless
be has wealth with which 10 command re-
spect. 10 treated like q beast. The very
worst flag you can fy on the Island is the
flag, and that when the place is
full Of Americans and American capital.
Why, look bow they shot down this poor
Carpenter Plat knew him
veil, and nice little man 10 was too, a.
good fellow as you would care TO meet
The republic went han;ing for Csesareo
through San Domingo, and tracked him 10
/ boteL Platt was writing in bis room,
ind pat his head out Of the door TO see what
III the noise was about Csesareo's pur.
'usfs took him for the man they want, and .
riddle him with bullets. he vss shot
Trough the neck, head, and body, and drop
ped dead with his pen in his hand. II vas
IN accident If you like, but If the man hsd
,een an EDglishman don't you think row
would be made about III Il would, I can
ell you, and big ors. Some one would
,,vs ~ snAsr fnr rn.h o1roln.srSax A "a |