The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1904-06-17
Belize. British Honduras. May 26.

Belize, British Honduras, May 26.
This old English cOiOnE IS a Won
deTfUl place II a Ne!5TaS6an to be-
hold Situated in the tropics, on low
ground, and surrounded by all the lux
uriant tropical vegetation, its climate
is tempered by 2 steady breeze from
the Caribbean sea, making it one Of
the healthiest Of Central American
towns. It contains about 5000 inhab-
itants, three-fOurths Of whom are col
ored
Belize was the principal port for the
cutters Of IOgwOOd, mahogany and 9th
er valuable woods a hundred years
ago, and was an important shipping
point for the English trade. Still ear
lieT il was a rendezvous Of the buccan-
GERS and pirates that infested the Cen
trail AuSerican coasts, and it is said
nauy Of the pirates settled here when
their business was broken up and that
they eventually became good citizens
and left many descendants Of various
colors. 1t is now a quiet. law-abiding
place. and If the restless blood Of the
piratical ancestors affects the present
population there is sufficient diversion
in the handling Of the hundreds OF
boats which carry the coast and river
trade
The English have made Belize the
most progressive and best Of the Cen
Iral American cities, and IL is prob
able that they have only been pre-
vented by the Monroe Doctrine from
civilizing other parts Of the country
One can not but think that the cele-
brated doctrine is wrong If its pur-
pose is simply to prevent progress in
this part Of the world If the idea Is
10 sometime Americanize the whole
continent, then the doctrine is right
Tut the progress is long delayed
Here there are good stores. and pref
/ ty homes. The harbOr is full Of ship:
and small craft and the river is crowd
ed with boats. There is a hustle ap
Parent everywhere, and an evidence o.
constant contact with the outside
world. There are five Protestant
churches, and on Sundays the build
ings are CROWDED with the Sunday
school pupils reciting the lessons anC
singing the songs that are nilial
in the United States
In the matter Of trade theT- is {
closer Observance Of Sunday he,e thar
I have ever seen. The business houses
are all closed except the restaurants
and the latter sell only ice cream The!
would not sell lemonade, gum or can
DIV Ice cream. is termed a ''necessar!
article" and small cakes are served
with it. The inhabitants will sell moth
ing at their homes except strictly eat
ables. All efforts to buy cOcOanutS Of
fruit which hung in abundance in ever!
| yard were unavailing- They all said
I'VE sell nothing today Come tOmOr
row.
There is a wonderful public gaTdeI
here, where all the tropical plants ant
| fruits are grown, and it is prObabl!
| one Of the most complete gardens il
the world. 1t is cared for by cOlOre'
| gardeners, and is guarded by cOlOre'
police.
One notices here that the cOlOret
/ people who have grown up under tn
/ English rule are different from thOs
/ in the United states They are NOR
/ quiet and business-like. They have NJ
| recoIlections Of slavery days" an,
! therefore do not find it necessary I,
| 90 to any extreme to show that the,
I are free" Many here are from Jamai
/ ca and the Barbados, also Englisl
! colonies. Most Of them are able L
/ read and write They find il easy Il
! make a living. and they dress mOstl,
I
/ fresh and clean on Sundays. We Sc
/ Just enough 'gTeasers" or Mexican
| here to see how superior to them ar
/ the English speaking cOlOred people
/ It becomes plain to a visitor that Their
/ is plenty Of room in Central Americi
for all the colOred people in America
| that in any Of these republics the,
/ would enjoy more social and pOlitica
/ equality than they now do in the Unit
/ ed States: that they could make iy
ing with One-haIf the work and Worry
/ and that they would be a ciyiliZing in
| iuence in any part Of the rural cOun
I try from the Rio Grande to Panama
Wholesale emigration south woul
solve the Negro problem"
The money question which is sucl
/ a mathematical study and cOnstan
Worry in all the Spanish American
| republics. is no worry here. Britisl
! Honduras silver stamped on one sid
as it is with the profile either-of Quee1
| Victoria OF King Edward. passes 70
its face value in gold. and American
/ money circUlates freely on the sam
I basis. And in the surrounding repub
lies with their deprecated silver an
/ hopeless fiat paper money, the none
of both the United States and Britis
| Honduras IS called gOlu. anu d 81
| yer dollar viii buy two dollars and
half stamped by the other countries.
Near here is q large coral reef an
boat loads of the coral are brought [
the city to be broken up for ballas
on the swamp roads and streets. Whe
| broken I'D the coral looks like chip
| OF porous marble. In the large rOun
| chunks in its natural state it wOul
sell for a hundred dollars a barrel i
the United States as curiOs, as mos
Of it is Of very beautiful pattern
From here It is one days trip I
Porto Cortez, in Spanish Honduras
the great banana port and the naturs
entrance to the country which is soon
est to feel the civilizing influence c
How did they get into society,"
ooh. they were arrested three time