Evening star., 1902-02-01
REPUBLIC OF HAYTI
Government in Which Colored Race
is Supreme,
PRESIDENT NOT TO BE SEEN
The Streets and Sewerage and the
Noble Army.
COUNTRY HAS FUTU r E

Frpn Staff Correspondents Notes
January-This morning we awake to find
ourselves surrounded by summer and shak-
ing hands with the negro republic of Hayti.
It was a beautiful summer morning. not
oppressively hot. a sparkling light
breeze tempered the air. We were in the
Bay of Port au Prince, a beautiful stretch
OF water. The hills were brown. as if ap-
pealing for rain. Up the bay was the town,
and that was brown, too. A duller brown,
a dust-cOlored brown. The roofs and the
honses merged together in this faded color,
which was further contrasted with the
green of the trees through the town. In
contrast all the beautiful and delicate
colors seemed to be taken up by the sky
and the water. Shadings of blue and tur
quoise III the sky, shadings of green and
blue in the water.
The Luse dropped anchor some three
miles from the town and the launches be-
gan 10 take the crowd ashore. We refused
the uuromantic launch and several of us
took possession of boat rowed by a citi-
zen of Hayti. with an ebony black, Gold
Coast-of-Africa face, and started for shore.
Straight ahead was the town; on the left
was a dilapidated fort, evidently aban-
doned, its walls falling to ruins: over to
the right, close in to shore, was red YES
sci one OF the Haytien navy; another lay
alongside the old fort, being repaired. Our
boatman said the admiral had gone off in
Still another TO buy cannon. Where had he
gone TO huy cannon? We asked. To Spain,
said the bOatman. Shades of Santiago, of
krupp and Of BsSsemert Think OF a sane
going TO Spain to buy cannoni l do
not accept our boatman as an absolute
thority. He talked French for one thing,
and am always suspicious of man whose
, native language is French. And then how
queer it was to find this hoatman. and
thousands more of the same class on shore
ragged. black and talking French. or at
the worst a French patois The costumes
Of kings come to queer uses sometimes be-
fore they molder, and the language of the
court and the diplomat falls to strange
usage.
In the harbor were the wrecks of two
Iron steamers, one old side wheeler,
once belonging to the San Domingans. This
boat had come around into the harbor
bristling with cannon and manned by col
ored patriots of San Domingo. fiercely de-
siroUs of wiping the cOlOred patriots Of
Hayti off the fertile island which they in
hasited in common. This was during one
of the many wars between the two re-
pubiics The old side wheeler. however,
which came into the harbor to hunt was
hunted herself. md shot full of holes She
lies on the shore, rusting and falling to
pieces.
Further up the harbor were two vessels
OF different kind. Two big freight steam
ers Were taking on cargo. On both of them
fosted the German flag. There was no
American flag flying in the harbor. The
Germans were loading with coffee in bags
Germany is said to be the main competitor
with the United States for the trade of
Hayti 1t is crying shame, however ;hat
our trade here and elsewhere is usually
carried in foreign bottoms.
The Streets.
As we pulled into the harbor We found
the shore lined with small singIc-sticIs
boats The wharves were III the last stage
OF dilapidation- Rotten timbers and hose
plaaks were everywhere. and everywhere
were black faces. Women by dozens were
sitting behind little piles of pottery or
fruit
One of our party had a letter from the
1sytien minister to the United States to a
friend at Port au Prince, a Mr. Gran
VILE. who was assessor of customs We
picked up guide and started to find this
gentleman Walking through the town
there Il an appearance of disrepair and
neglect about most things Paint does not
seem 10 be much thought of in Port au
Prince The houses and shops ere built
In The town itself, mainly of stone for
one story, with an upper story of wood
that projects over the sidewalk
The streets are fearful, being siIoply dirt
roads nllsd with stones and refuse The
refuse seems 10 be occasionally swept to-
gether in heaps at the corners but there
appeared no intention TO cart il SWAY: the
piles We're left there to be scattered again
and there in the cutters and gave out a
kmell las a SMELL
As We walked there was a pufY ahead on5
an inclosed engine with a trailer went
across the street. These are the stree, car
lines. or tramways. There are two of them
Iney run on narrow gauge and steam is
the motive power. They run from one md
OF the town to the other.
The streets were filed with peonla man
women and children, walking and riding
liiGe donkeys Carriages were plentifui
drawn by little understood horses. The cos
fumes were varied, running from single
blue garment to the black frock and high
hat Many OF the men were spotless I'm
white linen and were evidently people OF
consideration. 1t was to be noted that
these We're almost invariably mulattoes. The
women seen on the streets were OF the low.
er class. They almost invariably wore cal.
leo turbans. and, In common with the mer
Of this class. were shoelesS. The people
were good-natured and happy. Care seem,
"a something very far away from them
10 strangers they showed good temper and
paaiteness. During the time we were here
NE received politeness on every hand There
was no suriiness, no discourtesy. Questions
were answered with politeness and the hal
was invariably raised at parting. French
er patois, was the language, although q
Large number OF the common people and all
e the upper class. almost, speak English.
nr. Granville was extremely kind He Il
French muiatto, and Is q type Of q con