St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-10-15

hands of the Chinese residents. Their
are very few large plantations. an,
nearly all the agricultural production
OF the islands are the result of small
farming by the natives and Chimes,
coolies. The Chinese trader is tn,
middleman" who gathers the small
lots together, puts them in marketable
shape by baliEg and boxing, and ship.
them to the nearest post, disposing t
the exporter and wholesale dealer
The small degree of prosperity the
country has heretofore enjoyed hal
been entirely due to the "push" and en-.
ergy OF the Chinaman. Many years age
the Spanish became jealous Of the Chi.
nese, who were becoming immensely
wealthy and influential, in spite Of the
heavy taxes they were forced to pay,
and they were banished from all the
islands and made to return to China.
The Spanish officials soon realized that
they had made bad blunder, for the
native, left without the necessary SPUR
and stimulation Of the Chinese trader.
produced only enough for their imme-
date wants, and left nothing for the
tax gatherer. They found that they
had Killed the goose that laid the
golden egg" and that the despised Ce-
lestial was a necessary evil, and they
were obliged to allow the Chinese, not
only to return, but extra inducements
in the way Of concessions and monop-
olies, since which time they have had
full sway, and have become power in
the land.
The native Is by nature improvident
and easy-going. He is utterly lacking
in those characteristics o. economy,
thrift and acquisitiveness that are in
born traits Of the Chinese race, and the
result has been that the native has seen
all OF his best lands slowly but surely
absorbed by his shrewd neighbors with
the pig-tail.
The fiber industry is capable Of great
and by the introduction OF
improved methods OF cultivation and
manufacture can be produced in enor-
nous quantities and Ut reduced price.
The same can be said Of the sugar in
austry. The policy OF The Spaniard, has
been ono Of repression. They have
done Ill in their power to keep the
hated foreigner from the land; they
have discouraged and discountenanced
III innovations, and the introduction Of
abor-saving machinery. They have
adopted the most autocratic methods to
,revent an outsider from getting . |
l0othold, and when one succeeded in |
yetting in and prospecting, they invari-
IDLY found some means Of making it |
o uncomfortable for him that he usu-
lily left the country in disgust.
One Of the most important natural |
Productions that abounds in all Of the |
hundreds of islands Of the archipelago
1e3he immense virgin forests Of hard
v06d timbers. There are ut least so 1
IifYerent kinds, among them many that
&s found il no other part Of the world.
noticed 0ree kinds that were equal to
bony in hardness, and of most ex-
colors. One was Of deep
range yellow, one dark olive green,
nd one light ruby red. They were al
I extremely fine grain, and capable Of
eng highly polished. They will re-
lin their colors for years. have seen
ative furniture made from these
GODS that had been in the same fam
y in daily use for over 50 years. and
Al still good for many more, and the
olors were q bright as though made
-om freshly-cut material. although
ley had never been either oiled or var