The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-02-08
Hn President
BY w. [. ALDEN.
Copyright, 1898, by W. l.. Aldcn.)

i don't suppose you ever heard OF the
republic of Orizaba, remarked my
friend, Hon. james X. Smith. 1t only
eexistcl as an independent republic lor
about a dozen years. lou see, IL useu
to be a part Of the republic Of Central
America. and it was such a worthless
strip of land and fever that when 1t set
uD on its own account the Central
Americans didn't TAX the trouble TO re-
conquer it, and waited till the United
States reconquered it for them.
Orizaba had one seaport. where per
haps. three Or four tramp steamers
called in the course of the year, to see
il they could pick UP a cargo of log
wool. The country was full Of logwood
Of the very best quality, but the natives
were so lazy that they would never cut
it unless they We're paid by the day,
and even then they worked so slowly
that it took about two months to 1ur-
nish a cargo for q 1000 ton tramp. Ibis
sam little seaport. which called itself
the city Of Santa Rosa, consisted or
about 1900 inhabitants, living mostly in
one-story adobe houses, and it was the
capital of the republic.
The way l came to be president Of
Orizaba was what [ started out to tell
you. and I'll try to keep to the point.
If | get wandering off into other sub
jects just pull me up, and start me
again on the right track. Along in 1876
/ was the Junior partner of a firm IN
San Francisco that did q big business
in lumber. Bromley, T~witchell & Co.
was the name of the firm. and | was the
Co. Old Bromley, the senior partner,
was a mighty enterprising man, and one
day he came to me and told me that
there was a chance of building up n ire
mendous trade in logwood, provided
somebody would go to Santa Rosa and
run the thing. so says Bromley, Il
have decided that you are just the man
for rhe place. and | want you to start
by q steamer that is going to sail for the
Central American ports next Wednes-
day, ami will put YOU ashore at Santa
Rosa. I've induced the administration
to make Santa Rosa a consular port.
and you will be appointed consul at
that place in the course Of a day or
two. There won't be any money in the
office, but you won't have any official
work to do, and the fact that you are
consul will give you all the opportuni-
ties you will need for collaring the log
wood business. | believe that is all |
have to say. and | presume. Mr.. Smith,
that YOU will be ready to sail next
week"
That was Just old Bromley's way. He
never wasted a word. Some men would
hav taken half a day to tell me what
they expected me to do III Santa Rosa:
but Bromley just let me know that |
was to go there and collar the lOgWoOd
business. | was to do it in my own
way. and if | succeeded it would bring
me a lot Of money. and if | failed. why
Bromley would size the thing mp. and
put the blame where it belongs. |
never hesitated a minute about going
and when | landed at Santa Rosa. with
a trunk. an American flag. and $1,000 in
my belt. | knew that | had my future
as a business man in my own hands.
The president was old Gen. Alvarez.
who had been elected twice. and had
then made up his mind that elections
were q waste of time. and consequently
held on to his office without asking any
permission Of any one. He was glad to
be recognized by the United States. and
as | was the only consul in the whole
republic, | was Il pretty important man.
However. my mind was more set on
business than it was on honor and
glory; | went to work and gathered to-
gethcr moro lOgwood i'm two months
than had been exported III the previous
two years. | loaded a tramp with the
logWood, and my firm decided to run a
monthly steamer of their own wenn
San Francisco and Santa Rosa. I saw.
too. that the country was full of first
class mahogany. and | calculated 10
build up a good huSinesS in that as we'll
q & mn lnry-LDI D,.sI-
duce the natives to 90 in for coffee
growing. In short, | thought | saw my
way TO make a big fortune for myself
and partners, and TO make the republic
OF Orlzaba Il prosperous concern.
L had been in Santa Rosa about a
fortnight. when Il young fclIow-CoI.
MendOza-who was the commander Of
the presidents guard. came rushing up
to my door with his drawn sword in his
hand, and a mob Of soldiers and citizens
If Il lot Of lazy half-dressed Indians
can be called citizens-at his heels. I
let him III at once. for he was evidently
IN i big hurry, ami 50 was the crowd
that was after him. He dropifd into a
chair clean out of breath. and by the
time l graSpGd the situation and got my
gun ready, the hole crowd was ham
mer1ng at the door. and yelling for Tho
colonel to come out and be killed. / will
say he was a brave man, for although
he had every reason to believe tina
the mob would break In and massacre
him, be sat smiling and gasping in his
chair. and as soon as he got has breath
he began to apologize for disturbing me
and offered to leave at oncc if he was
putting me to any inconvenience. | tolC
him to stop where he was, and then
opened the door and holding my Win.
chester in my left hand, | asked the
people what they wanted. Somebody
sings out that they wanted Mend0za's
life, and meant to have it, and that if
lnterfered in the circus | would be huns
on the nearest tree. | didn't make any
answer until | had seized my big Ameri
can flag and spread it out on the from
door Sill and all along my entrance hall
Then l says to the crowd that | was thu
American consul: that nobody could ge
INTO the house without trampling ON tn.
american flag, and that if any Twins
orlzhbian dared so much as to touch i
with his dirty bare foot I'd send for :
man-of-War that would blow he town
TO smlthercens, and hang the presiden
ana every other man in tho rap,bl;