Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-05

an independent republic for about a dozen
years. You see it used to be part of the
republic of Central America, and 1t was
such a worthless strip of land and fever
that when it set up on it's own account
the Central Americans didn't take the
trouble to reconquer it, and waited Till
the United States reconquered 1T for them
Orizaba had one seaport. where perhaps
three or four tramp steamers called in the
course of the year. to see if they could
pick up a cargo of logwood. The country
was full of logwood of the very best quail
ity. but the natives were so lazy that they
would never cut it unless they were paid by
the day. and even then they worked so
slowly that It took about two months to
furnish cargo for a 2OOO-ton tramp.
This same little seaport, which called itself
the city of Santa Rosa. consisted of about
1,Jo0 inhabitants, living mostly in one
story adobe houses, and it was the capital
of the republic.
The way 1 came to be president of ORR
Zaba was what i started out to tell you,
and I'll try to keep to the point. If 1 get
wandering off into other subjects just pull
NE up, and start me again the right
track. Along in 1876 was the Junior part
ner of firm in San Francisco that did a
big business in lumber Bromley, Twitchell
& Co was the name of the firm, and / was
partner. was mighty enterprising man,
and one day he came to me and told me
that there was a chance of building UP
tremendous 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 the
place. and / want you to start by a steam
er that is going to sail for the Central
American ports next Wednesday, and will
put you ashore at Santa Rosa. I've in
duced the administration to make Santa
Rosa a consular port and you will be ap
pointed consul at that place In the course
of n day or two. There won't be any money
in the Office. but you won't have any OFF,
cial work to do, and the fact that you are
consul will give you all the opportunities
you need for collaring the logwood BUSH
ness / believe that is all have to say.
ard 1 presume. Mr.. Smith. that you will
be ready to sail next week"
That was just old Bromley's way. He
never wasted word. Some men would
have taken half a day to tell me what
they expected me to DO in Santa Rosa;
but Bromley just let know that / was
TO go there and collar the logwood bust
ness / to do it in my own way and
IL L succeeded it would bring me a lot of
money, and if L failed. why Bromley would
size the thing up. and put the blame where
IL belonged. l never heSitated a minute
about going, and when l landed at Santa
Rosa. with a trunk. American flag and
S2'sS in my belt. l knew that l had my
future as 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 a waste of
unle anu consequently held on to his Office
without asking any permission OF any one
He was glad TO be recognized by the limited
states, and as / was the only consul in the
Whoie republic, / was a pretty important
man However. my mind was more set on
business than II was on honor and glory;
! went 10 work ard gathered together more
loswood in two months than had been ex-
ported in the previous two years. i loaded
ANN 2 haI
cided to run monthly steamer of their
own between San Francisco and Santa
Rosa. | saw, too. that the country was full
of frst-class mahogany. and / calculated
to build up a good business in that as well
as III logwOod Besides, i meant to induce
the natives to go in for coffea-grouine In
snort. thought / saw my way to make
big fortune for myself and partners and
TO make the republic of Orizaba prosper
Gus concern
L had been in Santa Rosa about fort
night, when a young fellow-Col. Mendoza
who was the commander of the presi-
dents guard, came rushing up to my door
with his drawn sword in his hand and a
mob OF soldiers and citizens-if lot Of
lazy half-dressed Indians can be called citi-
Zens-at his heels. i let him in at once for
he was evidently in big hurry and SO
was the crowd that was after him He
dropped into a chair clean OUT of breath
and by the time I grasped the situation and
got my gun ready. the whole crowd was
hammering at the door. and yelling for the
colonel to come out and be killed. 1 will
say he was a brave man, for although he
had every reason to believe that the mob
would break in and massacre him, he sat
smiling and gasping in his chair, and
soon as he got his breath he began to
apologize for disturbing me- and offered to
leave at once If he was putting me to any
Inconvenience / told him to stop where
he was. and then I opened the door and
holding my Winchester in my left hand,
asked the people what they wanted. Some
body sings out that they wanted Mendoza's
life. and meant to have it, and that If 1
lnterfered in the circus / would ol hung
or the nearest tree. i didn't make any
answer until L had seized my big Ameri-
can flag and spread it out on the front door
sill and all along my entrance hall Then
says to the crowd that L was the Ameri-
can consul; that nobody could get into the
house without trampling the American
flag, and that if any living Orizabisn dared
so much as to touch il with his dirty bare
foot I'd send for man-of-war thai would
blow the town to smithereens and hang
the president and every other man in the
republic who was respectable enough to
wear trousers. Il give you fair warning"
1 added. that shall open fire on you from
my top windows IN five minutes, and I'm
not afraid to fight you and your whole
army till you take bath, which, / calcu-
late, Will b= some years 10 come That
settled them. Like all half-civilized half
breeds, they could understand the meaning
of rifle in White mans hands They
skunk away 4 they had Eeen operated
on with a horsewhip and when / went
back to the room where the colonel was
sitting he put his arms around my neck
and kissed me on both cheeks, and swore
that he would never forget that / had
saved his life-which there isn't the slight
est doubt that l had.
That was the beginning Of my friendship
with the colonel. We got TO be as thick as
thieves in a short time, and the colonel
hardly ever failed to come and smoke my
cigars in the evening when he was off
duty He was polite, brave and good
tempered. and as for honesty. ne seemed
now and then to have a little inking of
what it meant. which was more than could
be said for any other OriZabian. If he had
been raised in a Christian land, with Sun
day schools and newspapers and honest
elections. he would probably have turned
out to DC first-class man.
One evening Mendoza said to ME as he
was starting for home. Don Smith, / want
you 20 promise that you won't go out
of this house for the next two days. You
will be perfectly safe so long as you are N
your own house, but i can't answer for
your life il you step outside your door, I'M
i'll i send you word that the danger is
over"
whats up?" said 1. Are you going to
have revolution?"
Il can tell you nothing" he replied. Re