The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-03
QUAINT CURACOA,
For ono Hundred Years an Asylum for Po-
nticil Fugitivea ard Homo OF South
American Extiea.
[From tho Chicago Record.

[From tho Chicago Record.
Washington, May lG..--Curacoa is
Dutch colony and the quaintest
little island in tho world. 1t is not
bigger than tho District of Colum-
bla, but has about 40, 600 inhabitants
and has played an important part IN
the history Of America. It has be.
longed at different times to England,
Spain and Holland, and it's cozy har-
bor hos been the scene Of many u
bloody battle between tho navies of
the Old World, as we'll as between
the pirates and tho buccaneers that
infested the Caribbean Sea for two
centuries. It has been for one hun
dred years and still is an asylum for
political fugitives, and many of the
revolutions that rack and wreck tie
republics of the Spanish Main arc
hatched under tho shelter of the
pretentiouB but harmless fortresses
that guard It's port. Bolivar, Santa
Anna, and many other famous men
in Spanish American history have
lived there in exile, and until recent
~ there was an imposing castle
upon ono Of the hills, called Bolivar's
tower. There the founder of five re.
publics lived in Punishment for sew
eral years aud waited for rescue.
Tho houses aro built in the Dutch
style, exactly like those in Holland:
the streets are SO narrow that the
people can almost shake hands
through their windows with the
neighbors across the way, and tho
walls arc as thick az would be needed
for fortress. Tho Dutch Govern
ment lives in solemn 10 ooking old
mansion fronting tho Shattegat, or
lagoon, that forms the harbor,
guarded by company Of stupid
looking soldiers with few old fash
ioned cannon. Tho entire island is
of phosphatcs, and tho Government
receives revenue of $5O0,OOO from
companies that ship them away.
There is not spring or we'll or
any fresh water, and tho inhabitants
arc entirely dependent upon rain
water for existence, or upon supplies
brought in barrels by schooners from
the Venezuelan const, ninety miles
away, or upon distilled sea water.
As sometimes it doesn't rnin for
year or two tho natural supply is
often exhausted, and glass of i'm
ported water il worth az much as
the same amount Of wine or beer
Curacon gives its names to cele-
brated liquor that was formerly
manufactured from the peel OF
peculiar species Of orange growing
there, but most of the fruit trees
have been destroyed by tho droughts,
and tho supply now comes from
other Of tho West Indian islands.
The inhabitants are mostly negroes.
A few rich merchants representing
all nationnlitios, arc snid to have
made their money by smuggling.
1t is FREQ port. No duties Of any
sort are charged, and as tho amount
Of merchandise imported annually is
about twenty five times ns much us
the inhabitants can consume, and
tho harbor is constantly filled with
little schooners that soom to be al
ways loading and unloading, there
is good ground for the belief that
contraband trade with the main
coast is still going on. Each steam
or leaves enough goods upon tho
docks at Curacoa to last tho popu.
nlation IN entire year. What be.
comes of it is question for the GUS
toms officers of Venezuela and Co.
lOmbia to answer.