The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-01-05
HAYTIAN CHARACTERISTICS.


minerals. Its vegetation is of the most
luxuriant tropical varieties, and the
soil Is naturally salubrious and gener-
ally agreeable. And yet Hayti is
semi barbaric country, whose best
gifts are entirely neglected and whose
ground has been stepped in human
blood. To read the history OF Santo
Domingo Island is like opening the
inner recesses OF q chamber of horrors.
With nature everywhere lavisbly boun-
tiful, TO quote from the classic mission
airy hymn, "only man is vile"
Ii SantO Domingo were in the hands
of the United States, with all adequate
labor supply, the entire quantity of
sugar and the entire quantity OF coffee
requisite TO satisfy the demands CT the
American people could be obtained
from her soil.
Hayti occupies the western third OF
Santo Domingo; the Dominican Repub-
lie the remainder. The principal towns
are Cap Haitien, GoDaives, st. Marc,
Port au Prince, Jeremie, Jacmel and
Aux Cages, the second In size.
Port Au Prince is a town containing,
approximately, about thirty thousand
inhabitants. It lies on the slope Of lofty
hills similar to those which, with the
exception of several small plains fringe
the entire coast line of the island OF
Santo Domingo. The incline is to the
west, and the streets, which were laid
out during the French regime, run
north and south and east and west.
APPALLING UNCLEANLINEss.
The slums of Cairo or of Smyrna do
not present the squalid appearance, the
filth and horrible abandonment OF the
principal streets Of this noisome, foul,
fever. stricken town. There are few
sidewalks, each house proprietor hsv-
ing builded 10 suit his individual taste.
In dry weather pedestrians take to the
carrlageway, where they elbow dom
keys and pigs. The houses are gener-
ally fiimsy affairs OF wood imported
from America. Although the island
abounds i'm some of the finest building
material, the supineness OF the people
prevents the utilization of the bounte-
GUS gifts of Nature. There are few
two-story edifices OF brick and there are
innumerable ruins-blackened walls
occupying whole squares in the heart
of the city ss gaunt reminders of former
revolutions and incendiary conflagra-
tions. Nearly every civil commotion
leading to political revolu ton is pre-
ceded by a destructive confagration,
which is deliberately started for the
purpose of breeding excitement and
disorder. Insurance companies there
are none, and foreign underwriters
have long since abandoned the field.
The rates necessary to protect the COM
panies were at length prohibitory to
the merchant. The cutters are deep
fosses, along which trickles dark
stream of putrid water. There are no
sewers, and few houses possess sani-
tary arrangements of any kind. The
street in front of the gutter is the
receiving place of domestic refuse. AT
night ii ia wise for pedestrians to keep
we'll to the center OF the roadway, for
excrementious matter is constantly
being thrown from the balconies of the
houses. During the day hOusekeepers
or servants bear domestic vessels 10 the
streets and empty them in the eyes and
nostrils of passers by. The deep gut
ters are spanned in front of each house
by brick arch or by wooden bridge.
generally the latter. Repairs on the
carrisgeway are rarely made. There
is one partially paved street, but all OF
tho others are filed with distractions,
such as deep gullies, small powders
and piles of unused building material.
AN ABANDONED TRAMwAY.
An American named Grain once
obtained the right to build horse
railway over some of the principal
streets. He did 80 on the theory that
as most Haytians are too lazy to walk
the idea Of being transported from one
end of town to the other for few
cents would prove vastly successful.
Instead they were unwilling to step up
10 the floor of the cars. Alter a strug
gle on the part of the promoter with
tate, the running of cars was abandon
ed. The rails remain aud the earth has
been worn away Oh either side so that
the iron is elevated on its wooden base
in many places ten or twelve inches
above the surrounding level. No
attelpt has been made to modify the
obstruction to carriage wheels.
EXTREME INsALUBRITY.
The harbor at Port au Prince Is al
the extremity of the bay of Gonaives.
There is but little rise and fall of the
tide, and the filth of the city-such az
is actually moved by the authorities-is
dumped on the water front. The sun
pours down all day, and in the alter
noon the poisoned water and the shore
seething and simmeriDg in corruption
give up stencil which outdoes in
potent abomination anything l have
ever experienced. The Odor is unique.
1t is combination of olfactory objec-
tionability favored for the nose by the
universal pungent SAVIOR OF the black
population.
The town has always been one of the
unhealthiest of places. During the
days "a the French colony terrible
catalogue OF diseases was reported.
No spot on earth, unless it be Cape
Haitien,in the north has worse record
ss the scene of human illness and death.
During the occupation of the island By
the French army, sent over by Napo.
leon Bonaparts, under the command Of
his brother-in-law, General LIE Cierc,s
over forty thousand soldiers died. mi
the years 1902 and 1908 nearly one.
halt of the mortality was at Port auI
Prince and vicinity from yellow fever.
When the English expedition from
Jamaica placed many thousand British
soldiers in Hayti the death rate was
equally appalling. The men lahored
by day in the sun to throw up fortii-
cations. During the deadly dewfall of
night they were exposed to the pesti.
lential air. One battalion of nine
hundred men lost over seven hundred
In a month, and the army was decimat
ed In nearly like proportions. Tous-
saint pOuverture, the liberator of the
slaves, used to say that the black mans
defense was the climate. Well,indeed,
was his trust reposed.
The merchant ships in the harbor
suffer from the pestilence, During the
past few months several vessels have
been stripped of their crews. The
vicinity of coal pile is always, in a
yellow feger port, u favorite lurking
place of infection. On the small key in
the harbor, partially covered by quaint
little fort erected by the French, is
stored the bituminous coal used by The
Haytian navy. 1t is almost certain
death for white man to remain long
naar II The only raaSnn h,, ,ho.~