Evening star., 1902-08-07
ANENT CAPE HAYT|EN
Ancient City Was Once the
Paris of America"
LIES UNDER A BLUFF
IN SIGHT OF FAMOUS CASTLE OF
KING CHRIsTOPHE.
Newspaper Correspondent Who Spent
Some Years There Relates In
teresting Experiences.
LIES UNDER A BLUFF

teresting Experiences.
Commander McCrea will have an inter-
esting experience II he gets into an engage
ment at Cape Haytien. once the Paris OF
America said a newspaper correspondent,
who has resided there some years. The
city lies under a bluff close to the sea and
is protected ty formidable but ancient for
tifications. They were not constructed
with reference to modern warfare and the
experience will consist in discovering how
many shells It will take to silence their
guns. The guns themselves are not large
nor of modern pattern, and, judging from
the soldiers there would not be much fight
fit.
Two years ago. in making a tour of
santo Domingo with President Jimenez on
the man-owar Ell Presidente, I had my
first experience at the Cape, as it is always
called there. We were to spend four days
at Monte Christi, five miles from the Hay
tien frontier, and 1t became necessary to
run over to Cape Haytien for coal. The
president of course did not go on this trip
1t was only thirty miles or SO over, and
as we started early, several Of us who took
charge of the expedition, arrived early in
the day. There were no signs of life about
the outer fort and We were compelled to
remain outside for more than an hour until
the soldiers got awake and the proper Of
ficers were aroused and notified that We
were knocking at the city gates.
Finally a boat put out and, after an
other hour. we were permitted to pass the
outer Notifications. There was another de-
lay in front Of the city, probably due to
the fact that the officers there were all in
bed, but finally salutes were exchanged.
The little fort on the hill back of the city
managed to spit out twenty-one guns, but
there was evidently great economy in the
use of powder, for We could barely see the
smoke and hear the concussion
The Captain Of the Port.
I've were met at the wharf by the cap
tain OF the port, an aged negro, tall and
very slender, with gray hair and whiskers.
He had not brushed from his brow the rem
nants of slumber. probably being in too
much of hurry to take his bath. He wore
green and faded military coat, very
ragged. which by its apparent age belonged
to one of the followers of Napoleon. His
cooked hat was sadly a victim of tropical
suns while through his shoes his toes, like
little mice, crept in and out. The panta-
looms were blue and evidently bought at a
remnant counter without reference to fit.
They had reached the age limit and should
have been retired. The guards We're more
gorgeously attired in uniforms that were
kind that could not stand more than two
or three exposures to the rays of the SUM-
The men were not dignified and, when
the escort to the town hall had been end
ed and the reception was over the first SAL
utation from the guard on duty at the por-
tails of the palace was. 'Gi me fl cent The
guards really get no money except in this
way. They are paid fifty cents week
theoretically, but they never get 1t. 1t is
stopped somewhere up the line in fines or
penalties.
The soldiers are mere boys. They get
clothes and rations and are taught indo-
shoes whenever they are allowed any and
go barefooted. They lounge about on duty
and present anything but a military ap-
pearance. The streets of the city We're
nithy and uncared for and the parks had
neither tree nor a blade Of grass
Postal regulations require that second
class matter be exposed and this is done
by cutting "a a corner off the package or
wrapper. The object of this regulation
was not apparent at the time, but 1t was
evidently to enable the authorities to find
out what was worth stealing without going
10 the trouble of untying the packages. A
few pasteboard boxes Of almost worthless
minor coin thus mailed to the states failed
to reach their destination and proba bly,
never left the island. 1t is said that let
ters are stolen for the uncanceIed stamps
on them, which are sold again. The Cane
has it's wealth and culture The Foreign
er's Club there entertained with royal hos
pitality. The city claimed population Of
10000 at that time and nearly all were
negroes.
Famous Castle Of King Christophe.
'In sight of the Cape is the famous cas-
tie of King Christophe. He proclaimed
himself emperor and created counts, Wis
counts and barons without number. On
the highest and most inaccessible peak Of
the mountain he built this castle and car
rled to 1T the IF
would have puzzled the greatest engineer
ing genius. He drafted 5000 men to per-
form this labor and. when they failed to
accomplish it. he put 1,5OO to death The
remaining 1,500, spurred by this lesson.
raised the cannon to the summit. Then,
with true magnanimity. that no one might
Know the secrets of his defenses and the
subterranean passages. he put the remain
ing 1.5OO to death. He was a slave from
the Island Of Grenada and power turned
his head He became Nero and died a
tragic death.
"Outrages like these made L'Ouverture
great The situation resulted In the. or
ganization in Paris of society known as
the Friends Of the Blacks. which included
IN Its membership such men as Mirab beau
Lafayette, Robespierre and Brissot, who
brought to the attention of the world the
dusky hero. He was the son Of a power
ful chief of the Aradas, Of African descent
Fifty years hence, when truth gets a
hearing, the muse Of history viii put
Phocion for the Greek and Brl1tus for the
Roman, Hampden for England, Lafayette
for France. choose Washington as the
bright consummate flower Of our earlier
civilization and John Brown the bright
fruit of our monday; then dipping her pen
In the sunlight will write In the clear. blue
above them ALL the name of the soldier and
statesman. Toussaint LOuverture."
Town Of Monte Christi.
Though much smaller in population.
having only about fifteen hundred, the
town of Monte Christi, in Santo Domingo
just across the Haytien border. was in
marked contrast with the Cape There
were improved streets kept clean; a sys-
tenn of street railways, waterworks and
cultivated parks The central plaza was
filled with tropical plants. Fountains
abound. and In the center is an Immense
clock tower, there being no spire tall
enough to suit the needs of the people. The
clock was not. however, marvel Of ac-
curacy. Calling attention to the fact that
1t was an hour slow did not disturb the
complacency Of the alcalde The peonIe
get up by that clock eat by it and go TO
bed by it, and a day is day, anyhow. If
would never do to change it now: every
body would quit work an hour earlier to-
day If We set 1t forward II the clock Is
Ctf lnSip ffyon thn