The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1906-02-23

YIN .iSSGeA...:~
wv, -I%'
The Island of San Domingo is. mex
to Cuba, the largest Of the Antilles, it,
area being approximately equal to tha'
Of the State of Pennsylvania. TIL.
island is a tropical Switzerland, cut
by half dozen interesting mountain
ranges, whose peaks reach 10000 feet
1t is the loveliest land In the world
Those whose idea of the possibility Of
natural beauty is founded on knowl
edge Of the Bay of Naples, the fiords
Of Norway or the soft Italian lakes
would revise all their notions after g
view Of the Gulf Of Gonave from the
Sierra de la Lelle, or Of the Vega Rea
(the Royal Plain of Columbus), from
the Cibao. Nowhere else has nature
contrived such jubilant and glorious
panoramas or spread such magic color
The island is a paradise. Columbus
esteemed it above all lands he haG
seen in all his journeyings; founded
his ewn city upon it, built his OWE
home there, named it after his father
and desired his bones to rest there
as indeed they undoubtedly do to this
day in a sealed chest in the cathedral
whose time-stained walls are still one
Of the chief glories of the Western
Hemisphere.
The natural wealth Of the island Ii
inestimably great. Mr.. Hill, Of the
United States Geological Survey, de
clares that no spot Of earth of equa
area contains within itself SO many
elements Of prosperity, worldly success
and happiness" There are fortunes
for thousands in coffee, cacao, cotton
tobacco, rubber, sugar, fruit, spices
mahogany, dyewoods, gold, silver, cop
per. asphaltum, sulphur, salt, phos
pilates and guano. Ali these springs oil
wealth lie untouched. Time was wher
this island poured riches into the laps
Of Spain and France; to-day it lies In
AFFECT poverty, swept by the fire and
sword Of intermittent civil war.
The island Is divided between two
so-called nations-the republics" OF
San Domingo and Haiti.
San Domingo occupies much the
larger and richer portion of the island
Its people are whittier than the Haitians
They speak Spanish, the language Of
Haiti being French. The Haitian ne
gro Is simply an African savage, hi.
country a beautiful but completely de
generate land, abandoned to misery
and barbarism; serpent worship and
cannibalism are commonly practiced
But Hayti has four or Eve times the
population of San Domingo.
The population of San Domingo Is
glibly estimated, both at home and
abroad, at 100000. Half that number
would be nearer the fact. You may
travel fifty miles day through large
portions of the interior and hardly see
a hut or an inhabitant. The popula
ton Of the capital city is given as 20,
600. 1t would be hard work to find
$4,000 people there.
The bulk Of these 100000 or 400, 0OC
people live contentedly in the most
primitive fashion in palm-thatched
huts little different from those Of cen
trail Africa. The country people cult
vate a few yams and plantains, have
a few pigs and chickens. The more
ambitious have little plantations Of
caeae or tobacco.
The entire population is barefooted
and half Of it naked. Naturally. the
Dominican is amiable and hospitable
but he is more than half savage, and Ii
capable Of the blacklist treachery anG
the most utter cruelty. He is common
ly not a black man, but he is never
white. His skin Is always dark, ant
his hair kinky, but the latter may b,
yellow in color and his eyes may b.
bloc. There Is no Dominican type. TIL,
population Is mongrel, and does no
Constitute a race. Now and then tn,
product Of the amazing mixture o.
bleed il a man Of unique nobility o.
physique or a girl Of unchallengeabl,
beauty.
The chief asset Of The country, from
an International point Of view, Is tn,
Bay of SANTANA, which Is one Of tn,
most magnificent harbors In the worlt
and which is SO situated as to be O.
enormous strategic advantage. Thi,
hay may be regarded as the key Of tn,
Caribbean Sea, and especially consider
ing the prospect of the Panama Canal
its possession by any great powe
would mean the mastery of Contra
American, waters.
A republic" in theory. San Domin
go is a military despotism SO far q,
1t ia under any government at all. So
ciety here is, In fact, lfeudal. Every
valley harbors a chief, with a ragged
band of followers, owing allegiance t,
a provincial chief, who, In turn, sup
ports one or another presidential can
ddate or becomes one himself.
IT is a mistake to suppose that Do
minican revolutions are opera-bouff,
affairs. As rule, the slaughter Il
great Except that the leaders ar,
much given to promulgatlng constitu
l kfana aAA 0nAainkfA3