The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-11-25
HAYTI'S REVOLUTIONS.
They Have Made the Republic q
Subject OF Ridicule.


Not the least interesting feature OF
the place is the barracks, where is
quartered portion of Hippolyte's
valiant army, says a correspondent Of
the Providence Journal The only at
tempt at uniform is suit Of blue over
alIs, generally in the last stage of
dilapidation, and cap, ornamented
with red, yellow or blue braid, accord
ing to the fancy of the wearer. Some
few have shoes or straw slippers, but
the majority are barefooted. They are
armed, however. with fairly good mus
kets and many OF them carry agIY-
looking knives saw large numbers
of these soldiers on the plaza, or
public square, some playing at dice or
cards, some talking, others sleeping,
and all lazy, dirty and ragged This
plaza, which was originally well laid
out and which actually boasted an
ancient fountain IN the center, was lit
tered with refuse. rooted up by hogs
and filthy with house offal and dung.
The ancient paved walks which orig
inally traversed it were badly broken,
and the loose stones were widely scat
tered by the hogs Outside the town.
as far as the eye can reach, extends
hilly country covered with forest.
In a long tramp through this eoun-
try we saw no cultivated land.
And yet this land is said to be extreme
ly fertile and to yield largely any
tropical product that is planted upon
it From an examination of an OUT
cropping ledge of rock / decided that
the soil was underlaid with limestone,
and such soil is nearly always rich.
But the richness of this island is
wasted. For even the old plantations
which were well set with coffee,
Z oranges and cocoanuts are grown up to
/ tropical forest and yield next to moth
( ing. Right in the midst of jungle of
I wild trees and bushes i found traces of
an old orange and mango grove. indi-
( Gated by the remains of straight rows
1 in which these trees were originally
planted And with the decline and
ruin of the plantation has declined
/ everything in connection with them
Even the old carriage roads which
originally traversed the island and
formed a channel for conveying the
produce to the ports are now only bri-
die paths being completely oyergrown
with forest and bushes.
And this is Havti, the Hispaniola OF
Columbus, the pride and glory of the
great admiral! For it viii be remem-
bered that, after examining the other
large islands of the West Indies, Colum
bus decided that this one was ths
richest and best. And later, when un-
der French rule, it was one of the fair
est and wealthiest spots in the civilized
world The whole republic. in fact, Is
gigantic farce-and a farce, too,
which may well make all enthusiastic
advocates of the eolored race and its
possibilities pause and consider. For
no nation has ever considered itself
i more utterly incapable of self-goveru-
rnant than the black republic In some
eighty years of Haytian independence
there have been more than ninety rev
0lutions; the children, with a few ex-
ceptions. grow up in absolute ignor-
anee, and With deep, Unborn hatred
of the white man; the rulers are blood
thirsty tyrants. and the country has
degenerated into a tropical wilderness