New-York tribune., 1900-08-27
TRIP IN SAN DOMINGO.
THE BEAUTIES AND WEALTH OF THE
COUNTRY HELD BACK By
WANT OF LABoRERS.
On Board Man-of- War e Presidente,
Sr-.nn Rn,- San Tnr,irrn It,l,, d 1ann

On Board Man-of-war e Presidente
sanana Bay, San Domingo July 81 1900
samana Bay is surrounded by mountain ridges.
abrupt coral, covered with greenest verdure. 1t
-sins little every day in the year at Samana and
soil is not essential 10 the vegetation. Many islands
o. richest emerald dot the waters The bay is
thirty miles long and in width varies from eight TO
,uelve miles with water sufficient to float the
-svies of the world. President Grant first recog-
.ize6 its value as a strategic point and advocated
,.s purchase by the United States. but Congress
reused to make the appropriation unless the Presi-
dent would consent recognize the belligerency of
--bs Twice since then have negotiations been
ons7ed looking TO It's purchase by the United
sts,es The cliffs a. the mouth Of the bay afford
--seuifcent sites for fortihcations.
Il Presldente left the capital city with President
,,-,iuez and a party invited make tour OF the
psoubBc Of san Domingo President Jiminez had
.4tr him his staff. under command OF General ".
rrhenioue and his guests DR.. Francisco Her
-+7uez : CarraJal, Minister OF Foreign Affairs:
General Pablo Lopez villanueva. formerly Minister
= War exled in 1898 and just returned, and the
o--4ter The man Of war under the command
= Comman6ant Fernando Rodriguez. There
s-f~ east wind blowing the cruiser steamed out
- ne Ozara River. The little quarter inch steel
,ssssl rolled and tossed. yet fought its way man
erIrv e Presidente is q sturdy craft. It was
formerly the yacht OF a British lord. and has
lerrb OF 20 feet with beam OF % feet Its ton
-zze IS 500 with horse power, actual, OF 614. Its
sF with
ne 'are President learned to float debt he longed
- aoat navy. Out OF his first foreign loan. OBJ
si-zd in lgSs he bought the vessel for $4,000. He
mounted on IL TWO Hotchkiss rapid hre guns and
sorr Eve inch cannon Afterward he bought two
more vessels Of about the same dimensions and
created ar admiral
TOWN AND THE PEOPLE IN AND ABOUT IT
Turning toward the east. Aacoris was passed. a
~i-v Of fve thousand inhabitants, almost American
n -he Co-sueIo and other large American sugar
estates lying hack Of Il a few miles beyond the
picturesque La Romano River e-npties into the
TIE rocks rise abruptly for hundred feet either
side Here and there the rains have loosened great
masses Of rock. and these have fallen into the
stream The rank tropical vegetation has seized
upon them. as well as upon the cliffs.
Y have made this the first stopping point" said
the President because II has just been made an
open port by an act OF Congress. Four years from
this tine you viii see here the largest city in San
Domingo Back OF II lie the fertile plains Of Ceybo
Province. capable Of producing anything grown in
the tropics What is needed is q railroad 10 bring
the products 10 the seaport, and you say that
viii give E concession 10 any Of your countrymen
VINO viii build one." The Presidents salute
given BY the little town oS La Romano the hill
TOP and answered BY the rnan-of-war and the party
6tseubarked.
La Romano is progressive though small The
town Is well laid out and prospective parts are
shown the plat which hangs in the Office Of the
modern. and great city may some tine adorn the
heights. The labor question here, as elsewhere,
seems 10 De the difficult one The oil refinery is in
charge OF an American. who expresses the general
rcII said he TO get the work Of thirty men done
The people viii not work after they have day
draw the days pay and spend it before coming
saea. 70 matLer how urgent he necessity II is
b1Irs Or rrTsTe5 isrSs Tbey az 4-ss = fro-5 cere
has attraction for them, civiiZatiO no charms
The President was received enthusiastically in
o. the TWO members Of Congress and other prori-
tanners and pains decorated the streets po1u
1S ~ nsfr .I5gg an stIa a5tFSe1iEe & oecoration
regular intervals arched across the streets The
foliage retains its verdure many days. Frequently
rhe streets are almost solid arches Of palms.
SOME sUPERsTITIONs ABOUT EATING
The -un from La Romano 10 samana Bay was
made e. night with rough sea Daylight was
welcomed indicating an approach 10 a quiet
harbor. On deck the sailors in the early dawn
were casting z line and hauling IN kinghsh. The
cry q 'otro' brought every TO the rail-. How
large 60 the kingflsh get7" was asked. AT least
hundred pounds. but the flesh is poisonous in the
fuu grown fish. because they eat so much copper"
vas the reply This IS e fish story without an en-
cyclop=dia at hand TO confirm II. However there is
almost nothing that Is not poisonous to the resi-
cents at some period OF under some conditions. A
funeral on shore was that Of a man who had eaten
bananas and drunk rum at the same time. This
funeral suggests that cstalepsy Is not known.
Burlals take place Immediately after supposed
death, almost always the same day. But
climate almost requires this.
Sauena Bay has on its shores FIVE cities Sabana
&c "a Mar has z population Of four hundred. It is
= end OF the harrow gauge railroad opera ted
corporation owned in EeW-York Boston and Provi-
Gence- American and European flags, along with
Dominican, welcomed the President at this place.
Speeches OF welcome were made and e dinner and
z baI were given One day was spent here. At
O'clock N the morning the party became the guests
OF the Sannana Bay Fruit Company The hatcars
used 70 transport the guests were gayly decorated
three engines forty cars, complete machine shop,
{ leIepnone exchange, iron piers for loading the
Irult eno other improvements The road winds
around the hills and peaks of the mountain range
eslrtlng the bay On the hflltops the homes
q re ofncers Of the company At one Of these
-rer-ooElng the beautiful bay breakfast served.
ze view along rhe whole line is picturesque.
can government az various times has resulted in
coHsloerabe immigration from the United States.
- one t-Ile II 1877, colony OF liberated American
saves settled near Samaua Bay. and the de-
zcefcsfIs stil speak English. The iaborers OF the
coory are generally reliable, but there not
enough q them 10 meet the demands. The fruit
company has attempted 70 meet the labor question
'-g laboTers from 81. Kits but the experiment is
nor entirely satisfactory. Sixty cents day gold
E palc Tor labor, and this is based on the cost Of
AEing Which ls comparatively nothing The de-
Neloprrent OF San Domingo depends upon this dues-
Lon o. eflcient labor, and fortune awaits the
VINO solves the problem