Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-15
HE KNEW HEUREAUX.
FORMER MINISTER smyrHE Ap-
MiREp THE DEAD DOMINICAN.
~ Cannot TIE Told How Much Fight
ing There VIII lie Jntii AFTER inv
ricc,iou--rbc Island and the In
habiaants.

president Heureavx. Of San Domingo
was warm personal friend OF mime
and l was shocked 10 hear OF MS deaih'
said MIR. n. NJ. Smyihe, OF Tazewel
county. cx- Minister to San Domingo an'
Haiti. az New Ford's yesterday.
IL was the American Minister durinl
the four years OF MIR. Cleveland's last
administration" he continued. "Oi
course knew Heureaux well liked
hin, He was a great mana shrewd di
plomat. an accomplished statesman and
a skilful soldier, being a general Of the
army Of liberation when ne was only j.
years OF age. Re ruled San Domingo with
- firm hand. He had 20 rule In
that way. There was never any outside
Interference while he was President lie
would not allow it, expect he has slain
hundred men with his own hand. am
surprised that he was caught unawares
at last.
I'VE would have called Heureaux in
this country negro" continued Mr..
smythe. "He was a mulatto-Spanish
and African But he was a man Of brains
and ability"
HE WAS MUCH MARRIED.
When asked II Heureaux was married
MIR. smythe said: Il think he had a
wife or two in nearly every town in the
island. tell you he leaves a lot Of
orphans. His first wife did not like his
moral code and secured a divorce He
maintained her In splendid style at
Puerto. lovely town on the northern
coast Of the island As 1 say Hcureaux
was my personal friend, and / have now
many curios which he gave me while ]
was Minister al SantO Domingo, the capi-
tai OF San Domingo.
II do not know how much Of a revolu-
tion they will have down there" con-
tinued Mr.. Smythe. THE lighting, you
know. is not likely TO commence until al
ter the election. General JimineZ. who
has declared his candidacy. will probably
nght IL he IS not elected. II he IS, he may
have 10 fight TO take his seat. Jiminez Is
"A Dominican, though he fought with GO
mez in cuba. 1 am not sure | know him
personally. The family is quite a wealthy
one.
CHANCES FOR AMERICANS.
san Domingo offers great advantages
10 Americans" said Mr.. Smythe THE
country IS mountainous, the climate u
htalthful. the soil extremely fertile. The
tobacco raised In the island is just as
fire as that raised in Cuba, though the
people do not know so well how to raise
and handle IL. Sugar is the staple. A
great deal Of cocoa and coffee is raised.
THE people are negroes and mulattoes-
that is, negro and Spanish, or P0rtu-
guese. They are indolent and impulsive,
but l think they are a pretty good sort
They are very friendly towards Ameri-
cans. The negroes are superior in many
respects to those OF this country. Span
ish is the language spoken. Just across
the border In Haiti French is the Ian
guage All the stories you hear about the
disorder are exaggerated. The negroes
are not the barbarians you read they are.
nor are the rest of the inhabitants the
cutthroats people charge"
Mr. Smythe is thinking of going down
20 San Domingo as the representative OF
New York paper. His experience there
and his acquaintance with men high in
authority would be of much value.