The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1900-04-07
THE LAZY .HAYTIANS.
a LAND WHERE PROGRESS IS
>...7~ UNKNOWN. 70. %~
Yet 1t IL One of the Garden Spots of
of the Earth-The People Are Very
Happy with Their Lot-Want No
Innovations. '..f'.." ~

1O" yScAo d6o LlAS IOWu O1 -uG
Paix, owing to an unexpected progress
sive spirit on the part of the govern
ment, constructed some fine water
works. The town was we'll piped, with
hydrants at short: distances on all the
streets. Decorative fountains were
placed in the squares, drinking places
for man and beast everywhere. The
natives, as usual, took not the slightest
interest in this important and neces-
sary undertaking. At last, when COM
pleted, in accordance with the custom
OF the country, the water system was
opened with a series of, fetes. The
whole section of the country had a
hilarious holiday-balls, professions,
cock fights, etc. When these were all
over the natives came to the conclu-
sion that the water-works must have
:. been built to give an excuse for them,
|. and the water-works were no longer of
any service, so they promptly smashed
the whole system up, returning to cart
ing the city's water from the distant
river by OK teams. Now they tie their
animals to the hydrants, fall over the
fragments of the pipes scattered round
the streets and are happy. The bulk
of the Haytians will tell you that they
consider what was good enough for
their fathers is good enough for them.
In consequence they are opposed to- all
progress. No stronger proof can be
given of this than the new market
erected by the late progressive presi-
dent in the capital. This is a very
large building, covering two entire
blocks in the heart of the city of Port
au Prince, connected over the inter-
vening street by very imposing arch
and clock tower. AS far as my own
experience is concerned, this market is
the only cool, comfortable place in the
city. Yet it is never used, though the
streets surrounding it are packed to
suffocation. The market people swelter
in the heat and their meats and vege-
tables decompose so rapidly in the
sun that after business has been
going on for a few hours the nose that
is not trained to all the usages of a
Haytian market must be carefully car
ried on the windward side of the
crowded, picturesque scene A very
large proportion of these wretched, un-
healthy characteristics could be avoid
ed if the people would go under the
cool, spacious, well-aired shelter pro-
| vided for them, but their forefathers
bought and sold in the open air and
that decides the matter. In some of
the smaller places, where they have
shade trees and small rustic booths, it
| seems better, but really is not, as the
people sit in the shade and thrust
their stock out in the sun so that the
| glare of the light upon it will call at
| tention. AS. far as I was able to judge,
the Haytian is entirely devoid Of
| nerves or feeling of any kind. Upon
| one occasion I saw one undertake to
| split a stick He stood it on end,
placed his machete on top, reached out
for another stick, which he used as a
mallet, and while doing so the piece
of wood fell over. Twenty-three times
he repeated the operation before he ac-
complished his object. He never utter
ed a swear word, looked annoyed or
hurried his action, and he was not
working by the day either-it was piece
work, on contract, for my host
Harper's Magazine.