Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-05
TRIP THROUGH WEST INDIES
Father Hayes Of ImoEeBe TELLS Of n
Pleasant winter Vacation
Journev.

Father Hayes parrish priest Of ImoEsne.
Ia, for the last fifteen years. has but re-
GENTLY returned from @ FIVE weeks trip
through the West Indies and is CHARTERED
Al the Merchants. The trip was taken
solely for pleasure and observation and
VI. In an respects q most delightful and
Interesting ons. Speaking Of his expert
ences. he said
i was but one Of q party Of about S65
that took the trip on q Hamburg liner. q
mRguihcently equipped ship. The tour took
in all Of the British. Danish. French and
American West Indies. ] was particularly
impressed with Porto Rico. and our stop
at san Juan was a very pleasant one. The
conditions OF the island ar not very en-
courREinE. The people are moBu, slBcks
and are very poor, and poverty is ~tncreas-
ing among them. ! attribute it to the
American tariff.
while s1.OO0, 600 has been returned al
rectly 10 them. ii vns first taken from
them. and they are less satisfied than
under the free trade system prevailing
under The Spanish occupation. Prices are
high and the natural Incidence Of the
people only REErsvHte their poverty. As a
rule they are moral, courteous and gen
erous. and extremely improvident At san
$3.50 NAaNN1 90 - A-N w. NAAI -
bars for petty crimes. largely theft. and
a considerable number for murder OF at
tempts at murder. on an island half q
mile oUt in the bay is q lspCr colony Of
thirtv-uDe. LRpruFy is decreasing since
the Americans have acquired the island Of
Porto Rico.
i visited the island Of St. Thomas and
found affairs there IN bad shape. The
people Of ST. Thomas are nearly white Hnd
are a thrifty class. The harbor is The
finest in the West Indies. The trouble
there lies IN the prospect Of the sale Of the
island to the United States and The subse-
quent failure o. the negotiations. A mum
Der of speculative Yankees invested in all
the available lands and property there IN
anticipation Of making millions when the
island became the property OF the United
States. Then came the collapse, when the
sale fell through, and now you can buy
villas. farms and plantations al your Owl
prices. IN fact. the bottom has dropped out
Of St. Thomas with the collapse Of the
boom. The island is not self-sustBining
as the Danish government has TO contrib
ute from $40. 600 10 SIS. 900 each year for
its government.
Il visited both Havana and Santiago Dc
Cuba and hnd the same general conditions
~ BNNtAA1 bANAaAAAhH AAfAf 10 Al = ~ It
Rico. The Cubans are enthusiastic ove'
their liberty and Independence. The peopl,
DO not take kindly TO the Plat amendment
but rather take ii as an infringement OF
their liberty and rights. The evidences o
the American occupation are NANTES il
the sanitary conditions in ali the cities
visited. II is hard 10 reconcil the average
Cuban 10 the necessity Of cleanliness. HI
would sooner have the yellow fever AM
~unhBmpered liberty than cleanliness AM
dependence.
I visited the island Of Martiuiuue an
saw the partially buried city Of ST. Pierre
But few vestiges Of the buildings remain
The streets are still strewn with the skull
and bones Of the III fated inhabitants. ".
assembled Mount Pelee to within two mile
Of the crater, which lis still belching fort
volumes Of steam. smoke, mud and dust
We could go no nearer because the groun
was too hot. The most AFFECT and pitiabl
poverty prevails among the inhabitants
many Of them being made helpless cripple
by the great disaster"