The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-16

defects. Not an inch Of our territory,
not stone of our fortresses, not a
dollar OF our money!" said the presi-
dent to the German captain, quite In
the manner OF NJ. Jules Faure. The
captain said nothing, but left the coun-
ell chamber and got aboard his ship
The JOY of the Haitians knew no
bounds. They fully believed they had
frightened him away and taught Ger
many "a lesson she would not forget in
a hurry. They danced, they shouted
they screamed. they yelled. they hugged
one another, they drunk copious toasts
to the glorious destiny Of the Haitian
| nation.
THE GERMAN COMES BACK.
Presently they saw the German
| cruiser steamng out to sea. with the
! Haitian navy--which then consisted Of
! only one rejected steam collier-fol-
| lowing close behind. on. the brave adj
! miral! He was chasing the invader
| from their shores JOY! What a re-
! ception they would give him when he
returned in triumph! But what was
| this The brave admiral and his crew
were observed painfully swimming to
| the shore. their beautiful goldlaced
uniforms soaked i'm the muddy water Of
| the harbor. As soon as he landed and
| recovered his breath the admiral ex-
| planned that the German ship had sent
| aboard boats crew, armed with real
cutlasses and revolvers, who drove
them into the sea and made fast tow
rope. The Haitian navy was heing
towed to Germany in lieu of the in
| demnty What was to he done? They
must certainly come to terms rather
than lose their only battleship. The
| president implored the German consul,
| almost with tears, to signal to the
| cruiser and bring her back. He kindly
did so. but the only compromise the
captain would listen to was the pay
ment Of the indemnity-$5 $50 00O-down
on the nail. There wasn't enough
| money i'm the treasury and the only
man in the city then who possessed
| such a sum was Herr Lueders, a Ger
man merchant. The president had to
eat humble pie and borrow of this
| hated Teuton.
STATE BALL TO THE VICTORS.
The money being paid. the Haitian
habit of making the best of every thing
asserted itself 4 state ball was given
that night in honor of the German
| commander and his officers. All the
German gentlemen In Port-au-Prince
were invited. and the Haitian bellies
| would dance with none but German
officers, who naturally wanted no bet
ter fun. The Haitian admiral was there,
highly pleased with himself and evil
IDENTIFY convinced that he had saved the
republic. Patriotic speeches were made,
champagne flowed freely and the ebony
heroes all seemed to think it was they
| who had won the victory.
The German captain got out of his
bearings at last and desperately ap-
pealed to an Englishman: "DOnner-
wetter! Tell me- mine good friendt. is it
that they mine ship have taken or that
did tow their ship? I do not COM
prehend.
The German is not the only man who
cannot comprehend the Haitians. Now
adays whenever an enemy threatens
the shore of Haita the navy is ordered
away on foreign service, so they say.
1t is too valuable to expose to danger,
Curiously enough, some years after,
in 1897 a son of the German who lent
,
was maltreated by the Haitians and
a couple of German cruisers were then
sent out to Port au Prince to collect
IN indemnity.
| HAITTS "HORSE MARINES"
The principal vessel of the Haitian
navy the Crete a Pierrot, visited
Kingston few months ago to con-
vey Nine. Sam, the presidents wife,
and her large retinue back to Port au
Prince. They had been to Europe
tor a tour and returned by way of
Jamaica. 1t was very curious con
traptiOn," this cruiser. From stem to
stern it was covered with dirt and
rust. The guns wouldn't work. The
enc re room was like pigsty, al the
crew were negroes or mulattCcs, and
| would rather not have been on board
v hen there was any special prcssur
o. the boilers. But the officers -
what gorgeous fellows they were. Tie y
were dressed in white uniforms, adorne
with gold and silver lace and bluc,
led and yellow faCings, yet II COM
plete ell they stalked the quart ar-de2 k
in ra;ent leather top boots with silver
| ,'EulS
Generals" go for a cent apiece in
Haiti and Santo Domingo. There are
nearly as many generals in the army
as privates, and sometimes, when the
revolution business is dull, they are
pretty hard up. The purser of a
steamer trading to Port au Prince
told me the other day that he had his
boots blacked by a Haitian general
at the chief hotel while another gem
eral touted for the carrying of the
passengers bags 1t is the same in
Santo Domingo. \ friend of mine, now
living in Jamaica, used to manage a
shipping agency there, and one of the
laborers he employed to coal the steam