The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-07-23
The West midas and the People.

recently returned from the Yves
Indias where he has been engaged
in railroad building for two years
on the island of San Domingo. He
had been laid up for several months
with tropical fever. He is, how
ever, recuperating in his native eli
mate rapidly since his return. That
country is not paradise by any
means, in Mr.. Hendrickson's opin'
ion. The natives are miserable
set of creatures, away down in the
scale of humanity, not far from the
bottom layer. They die off "likc
flies" as he expressed it, then
physical power being very weak
and enervated, and not able to
withstand the malarious atmos-
phere. Life is worth but little to
such people and they appear to
value it as lightly. The Governor,
President, Despot, or 10y whatever
titleis most appropriate-rules with
an iron hand. His orders to the
railroad company were to control
the native laborers with an iron rod
and if rebellioas to report them to
the General. :" Every four or five
miles "General' with squad of
soldiers patrolled the work and if
any of the laborers didn't carry
themselves just right they were
shot without much ceremony. One
farmer cut down a telegraph pole
which he forbade the company
planting on his land. The "Gen-
eral" was made aware IF the fact
and ordered the man to dig another
hole for the telegraph pole and one
for his own grave. He was DELHI
erately shot and thrown into the
hole.
No person is allowed to interfere
in politics. If a foreigner, he is
ordered to leave the country. If a
native, the President orders him
shot.
People from a northern latitude
are much more healthy and vigor-
GUS than the natives for year,
perhaps, by that time the climate
has done its work. They become
enervated and are attacked by the
tropical fevers, and if they don't
get away to more congenial cline
they are apt to fall victims to the
tropical diseases.
The natives are a mOngrel or
hybrid race, being a mixture of
negro, Indian and Spanish blood.
A mongrel race is generally low in
the scale of humanity. The Span
iards freely mixed with the native
Indians and negroes in all the
islands and colonies which were
brought under the Spanish govern
ment, and the only characteristic
of the master race that the hy
birds have inherited in full is their
bloodthirsty treachery. The ma
tives go armed with lot of dirks,
big knives and an old style revol
yer belted around them. After
divesting them of their outfit of
murderous tools and training the
natives to work awhile, they made
very fair laborers. They are
all gamblers and would bet the
whole of their wages on a single
throw of the dice, or on cock fight.
Their supreme delight is a cock
fight. If a man came along with a
fighting rooster the whole gang
there might be fifty of them-would
throw down their tools and examine
it. Each man must feel his weight,
examine his feathers and pass
opinion on the birds merits. The
bosses would have to order the
fellow off with his chicken before
work was resumed.
This is true sketch of the
natives of San Domingo, according
to Mr.. Hendrickson's experience of
two years among them, and it is a
pretty fair picture of all the islands
no doubt.