The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-11-06
FROM SOUTH AMERICA.
OFFICE OF TIE
CHIEF ENGINEER AND GRr'L MANA J
GER, FERRocARRIL DE ANTIooUIA.

4
GER, FERRocARRIL DE ANTIooU1A.J
PUERTO BERR1o, Columbia, Oct. 8, 1889.
ED. REPuBLlcAN:--
The FOREST REPUBLICAN of August
2Sth, arrived to-day and was very careful
ly read by all the Americans in the Office,
land all in town who came from the States
years ago. as it was the first paper from
the United States to reach MS. We left
New York Aug. goth. via the Atlas Line
Steamer "Alene." Sept. Sd we reached
Fortune Island, one of the Bahamas, where
we sent mail ashore, but did not cast an
Choir. The weather was very pleasant and
all of our party enjoyed the tripwthus far
very much. The next stop mate was at
the Port (Roadstead) of Gonaives, Hayti,
near the mouth of the Artibonite River, on
the Northern Peninsula. Hero we stayed
one day receiving and discharging cargo.
Fortune Island is low and sandy, but
HAyti, unlike all the remainder of the
West Indian group, is mountainous to the
very waters edge; the mountains rising
directly from the shore to a height Of three
to four thousand feet. At Gonaives we
saw tho first palms-cocoa, wine and fan.
These trees do not diminish in size, but
are as largo thirty feet from the ground as
they are at tho ground, and then end in
one tuft OF leaves, some of which are
| fifteen feet in length. The cocoa palms
are different from the other varieties
named, their leaves being pendant. The
fan palm has very large broad leaves,
while the wine palm has long leaf stock
| 10 sIr,N
resemble the "swamp flag" Of Pennsyl.
vania.
Gonaives is a small town Of three thous-
and persons. The town was originally
built by the French in the 18th century,
but it is now a mass OF ruins and tumble
down houses, among which are the miser-
able huts OF the natives. We did not sec
much of Haytian life or customs at Co
naives, but at the next point, Port-au-
Prince, we saw 1t In all Of its true inward
ness. Arriving. as we did, just at the close
ofthe Legitime- Hyppolite unpleasantness,
the town was filled with soldiers and off,
GERS, and men-of-war swarmed in the
harbor. Ye Gods! Such officers and SOL
diers. Ragmuffins would more nearly
express 1t il they had been half clad, but
they were not. Men-of-war constructed
from old Boston and New York tug boats,
except one, the "Dessalines," which is an
iron clad ram, built in France. But to do
up the town. We first called upon United
Minister Plenipotentiary, Hon. ]. e. w.
Thompson, and spent several hours very
pleasantly with him, during which he
gave us an accurate account of the conduct
OF the late rebellion in Hayti, but it did
not accord with New York paper stories
at all. Next we took a walk through the
town or I should say city. The city was
built by the French about the same time
as Gonaives and must, while ruled by the
French, have been a city of regal magnifi-
cence The remains and ruins of hand
some buildings indicate what it must have
been. Massive columns Of stone and
brick supporting immense arches Of gran
te or brick work yet remain to give some
idea of the style of architecture. But
alas Ninety years of anarchy and misrule
have laid waste about all of the boasted
civilization of the French in Hayti. Un.
der the French the streets were all paved
with cut stone and the drives with macad'
am or concrete of the very best quality
Now the sidewalks are torn up, or sheds
built out over them and this Is the place
for exhibiting wares that are for sale, and
pedestrians are forced to "take to the
middle OF the road" There are several
market places. Oh. Heavens few
poles stuck into the ground and a few
miserable rags or dirty boards laid OIL
poles for a cover, while others exhibit
their goods for sale by piling them in al
indiscriminate heap on the ground, oil
where the ground ought to be but is not
for the market and streets in all parts o.
the town are covered with filth to deptl
OF from one to three feet. The French ha6
fine system of sewerage and will here
, add, that no city in creation could have &
better system than they had, for every
day, yes every ebb of the tide all sewage
was carried out into the sea, and as the
city is built on gradually inclined plane
, from the sea rising toward the interior
abundant drainage was to be had for every
part OF the town. But to return to the
markets. Poles are stuck into the streets
and leaned up against the houses, OF
which are hung shirts, drawers, coats
hats, dresses, calico, cloth of all kinds, anC
small goods are displayed on empty fioul
barrels and boxes; lemons, oranges anc
fruits are thrown on the ground. BreaC
ia sold from dirty filthy looking tin buck
cts and everything else in like manner
To give your readers some idea of the con
dition OF the streets will illustrate. ThC
day before we came there was a very
heavy rain and the waters rushing dowr
through the streets washed out one place
two feet deep, through accumulated tiltl
and at the bottom was a fine concrete drive
in an almost perfect state Of preservation
Where some of the finest buildings have
been allowed TO go TO decay and all faller
! down perhaps, except one wall, you viii
see native huts built against this wall, NnC
the effect is better imagined than described
-one side polished granite and the othe
. three old half rotten boards or split bam
boo canes. Imagine-it needs no more
, There is the remains of street railway
now gone to decay. No care is taken o
> anything. I must not close in Hayti with
out giving place to q word for the Haytiar