The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-01-20
CHAPTER OF HORRORS.
Two Colored Boys Escape from Guate-
mala Railroad Work.

mala Railroad Work
Galveston News,
Tommy Jones and Willie Smith. two
colorcd lads, aged respectively I'D and
20 years. arrived ON the steamship Mon
rovia Tuesday from Guatemala and tell
a tale Of hardship among the negroes
Of TINT country which reminds one of
barha rism. The boys were utmost naked
when they arrived here. Officer Perrett
and others helped them out with food
and clothing, aud yesterday John Amcy,
eolored, living Mt 23l6 Winnie street,
took them to his home and will cure
for them until they can set something
TO do or can continue their way To New
Orleans.
Tommy says TINT he was one Of
seventy six men who shipped from New
Orleans, his home, eight months ago
on m contract Ia work on the rnilrond
from Porto Barrios across Guatemala.
OF the sevcn,y-siX he says that fifty
ARE now lying IN four.foot holes on
Monkey liill,' death being brought ON
by privntipn, fever, poor food and poor
water. He Gays that the brightest Oh
promises were made Them when they
left New Orleans They were TO receive
81 per day and were to live on the fat
of the land. When they got there they
found things vastly different. Tommy
| saws that he has never seen pay day,
and that he livct on bread and beans
and fat portland the bread only came
once week. He said that they slept
out of doors under leaves OF n cane.
They were treated worse than slaves.
| Tho only fun they had was when some
one of their number died. They LAID of
TO follow the body TO Monkey Ulll'
and were given enough liquor 10 make
them drunk. This liquor wns made from
n white cane, and one bottle, costing
30 in Guntcinnlnn money, equal 10
about ~ cents in United States money,
table.
| or the men shipped on the saltwater
| eight months ago from New Orleans,
some we're from the Crescent CITY, some
| from pensn coln, some from Jackson
vllo--in fact from Nil over the South.
| Captain Johns. master OF the Mon
royia. n most pleasant gentleman. was
seen nv n reporter on board his steam
shin last evening He smiled pleasantly,
/ when asked If what the colorcd boys had
| told was true. well" said he, you
have to always take what those follows
say with Il grain of salt, but really the
| labarcrs down in that country, bpiii
| white and black, are treated shalneiniiN.
II was my first trip there, and my ship
was the first large ship TO go 10 Living
ston with Muything like II cargo. we
had railroad material and had great
difficulty in unloading. 1t wns hard to
get lnborcrs. | would Willingly have
mid 81 n day for men. The two boys
Won mention I shipped ms seamcn. As
soon as this Guatemala Central is com
plcted to Porto Barros that place will
be quite port did not run in there.
Livingston is the port Of entry. There
will be n great opportunity for establish
ing line Of fruit steamers between
Guatemala and tho United States when
| that road is completed.
ayes, getting back 70 the subject, labor
ers ON the railroad there are unquestlon-
ably badly treatei. The money they
get +, worth only 80 cents on the dollar
and they don't ret much Of that The
country Is hot in the daytime hut cool
Mt night. ! should not advise 1t as n
place for moncyless laboring man to
20 to make his fortune"