Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-09
ON THE BORDER LINE
Smuggling Between Haiti
and San Domingo.
HOW IT Isl CARRIED ON
SCENES AT SANTIAGO, THE COM
MERCIAL CENTER.
Streets Crowded With Pack Trains
Long Performances at the Theater
-Cheapness Of the Rum.

VI
| homemade, of palm and thatch, with
earthen floors and doors that also serve az
| windows, and chimneys when the charcoal
| fire is not kindled outside The village
perhaps is on some Of the disputed terrific.
ry, for no one can tell the traveller which
country it is in. AS it is, there is part OF
| the town on either side Of the river which
flows by and each republic exercises more
or less Jurisdiction over the portion OF
the village on the side of the stream near
est to 1t. The expression more or less is
| used because 1t is principally less. There Is
| no other trail connecting the two republics
except a much more difficult one over on the
south coast along Lake Funda, which Is
partly in Haiti, through gorges and over
mountains with night or two for traveller
in the woods and day or two in which
neither the guide nor the compass throw
any light on the subject Of geography and
location. This trail ends at Barahona, If
the narrow path, rough and broken, which
meanders on along the south coast to the
capital is road, as it is called
Dajabon Is on the north coast, sixteen
miles or so inland. up the abrupt mountain
Which, at another point to the west q few
miles holds all that is left of the magnif-
cent palace Sans Souci, and the citadel La
Ferriere constructed by the eccentric mon
arch Christophe, who ruled Haiti with an
HUH Ldlu ana COMMITTED suicide when his
career was approaching an end. The walls
still stand $500 feet above the sea, eighty
feet thick
But it is not this for which Dajabon is
famous: The trails leading to Dajabon are
tolerably direct and smooth the stream, "a
fordable except when there Is a freshet and
there all the smuggling goes on The peo-
pie OF the village almost all engage In it,
the guards, or perhaps only their officers,
take hand at 1t and each country accuses
an tpo
It, On the Haitian side small sailing yes
sells creep out from Cape Haitien or load
outside in some less public bay, and enter
the smaller bays, Manzanillo and the rest,
perhaps using some Of the smaller rivers
naVigable far enough to enable them to un-
load unobserved. On the other side at
monte christi Is one of the largest bays in
San Domingo. 1t is fifteen or sixteen miles
from Da1abon. and sthe stretch from that
port to Cape Haitierfis only thirty or forty
miles, with dozen bays and streams be-
tween
Traffic in the Cibao Valley.
The Dominicans say that the government
of Haiti participated in the smuggling, adj
hitting goods free, for transport over the
border, and, if appearances are any critic
rion, this seemed to be the case, for long
trains Of pack horsesswended their way
down the mountains ard up the Cibao val
ley, sixty miles, to Santiago do Caballeros
the commercial CENTER where distribution
was made to all parts Of the republic. The
tramc seemed to be ons-sided, for no loads
were placed on the returning mules Still
this might have been deceptive, and the
returning freight come from the adjacent
seaports. Apparently the governments
were helpless, but there may have been
method In their madness. Foreign credit
ors were so much interested in the Gus
tom house receipts that both governments
possibly had an interest in the extensive
trade going on via Dajabon.
NO rain falls in the western part of this
fertile velley. The streams and springs
MAKE garden spots, where the caravans
rest. Their progress is marked by clouds
OF aust, which in the river bottoms follow.
Hardy shrubs, cactus Of all kinds seem to
th1lVe on the little moisture afforded by
the overflow Of the streams which get their
torrents from the mountains. At times the
tran is forced up the hillsides, and the
c channel OF some half dry creek is followed
o1ten the ascent and descent are danger
GUS over rocks, under lodges and through
narrow gorges. The mules, with paniers
on erther side. follow the leader. Though
marcy they are sometimes killed by the
render the valley fertile, but that is too
lar ahead OF the progress of the country.
Discoveries Of Gold.
1t is in this part of the valley that the
most gold is found Nearly every shop
trade, at about $40 per ounce. 1t is kept
usually in quinine bottles or bottles having
large mouths. and is in the shape of sand.
some nuggets are seen, however the largest
weighing eight ounces Those best informe q
thlnk that the deposits are not large, the
natives making one or two dollars a day
when they work at it, They work only
aiter rain in the mountains has disturbed
the rivers, and then follow the most old
fashioned methods placer washing, with a
paddle for shovel and a gourd for a
basin Some prospectors from the United
states and from Europe have no doubt
MADE scientific investigations and were I'M
able to find a mother lode in the noun
talns 1t is said that the gold must come
from the mountains, as it Is washed down,
and there is little doubt that the Spaniards
took many pounds Of the metal to Spain
Their nrst method. with the Indians was
bring an amount equivalent to five dollars
IN American money per month, and this
caused great quantity to be brought In.
Inc richer fields of Peru later attracted
the supply has seemed TO decrease. One
scienust who spent much time invests
gazing advanced the theory that the noun
talns at one time ran North and south,
Great upheavals changed the valleys to
east ana west. making new streams. Gold
ne FOUND at points where the new streams
intersecfed the, channels of the old. IN
ucpOSlt IuSTc, Tie original lOQeS
having been buried in the upheavals. How
ever accurate the theory it seemed to be
supported by facts for the best localities
TOT mining are In well-defined basins in the
river beds. Perhaps that is because the
deposits naturally form there. Whatever
the value of the proposition it is accepted
by those who have searched in vain for
licher Fields. There is also iron and copper
through the valley and on the hills ma
hogany and hard woods abound. But the
valley Is now but the dusty trail Of the
tlreless smugglers overrthe Haitian frontier.
Crowded. Santiago.
The arrival of the pack train in Santiago
means trouble. AS 1t IL a city of horsemen,
who ride bnrros and mules. 1t Is already
crowded The streets are narrow like all
in Spanish cities and the sidewalks are
seldom over two feet wide. The shopper
or trader stands at the counter which
runs crosswise and spends several hours
in a small bargain. In the meantime he
ha6