Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1906-03-17

10 Cuba, the largest Of the Antilles, Its
area being approximately equal to that
OF the State Of Pennsylvania. The
island is a tropical Switzerland, cut
by half a dozen interesting mountain
ranges, whose peaks reach 10000 feet.
Ii is the loyeliest land In the world.
Those whose idea Of the possibility OF
natural beauty is founded on knowl-
edge OF the Bay Of Naples, the lords
OF Norway or the soft italian lakes,
would revise all their notions after
view OF the Gulf OF Gonave from the
Sierra de la Lelle. or OF the Vega Real
(the Royal Plain OF Columbus), from
the Cibao. Nowhere else has nature
contrived such jubllant and glorious
panoramas or spread such magic color.
The island Is paradise. Columbus
esteemed II above all lands he had
seen in all his journeylngs; founded
his own city upon IT, built his own
homo there. named it after his father.
and desired his bones to rest there
as indeed they undoubtedly do to this
day In 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 is
lnestlmably great Mr.. Hill, OF the
United States Geological Survey de-
clares that no spot OF earth OF equal
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, nsphaltum, sulphur, salt, phos-
pilates and guano. All these springs OF
wealth lie untouched. Time was when
this island poured riches into the laps
Of Spain and France; to-day 1t lies in
abject poverty, swept by the fire and
sword OF intermittent civil war.
The island is divided between two
so-called natlons-the republics" OF
San Domingo and Haiti.
San Domingo occupies much the
larger and richer portion OF tho island
Its people are whittier than the Hsltisns
They speak Spanish, the language OF
Haiti being French. The Haitian ne
gro is simply an African savage, his
generate land, abandoned to misery
and bsrbarism; serpent worship and
cannlbslism are commonly practiced.
But Hayti has four or FIVE 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
hut or an inhabitant The popula-
ton of the capital city is given as 90
600. II would be hard work to find
$1,000 people there.
The bulk OF these 100000 or 400
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
cacao or tobacco.
The entire population is barefooted,
and half OF ii naked. Naturally. the
Dominican is amiable and hospitable
but he is more than half savage, and is
capable OF the blacklist treachery and
the most utter cruelty. He is common
ly not a black man, but he is never
white. His skin is always dark, and
his hair kinky, but the latter may be
yellow in color and his eyes may be
blue. There is no Dominican type. The
population Is mongrel. and does not
constitute a race. Now and then the
product OF the amazing mixture OF
blood Is a man OF unique nobility of
physique or u girl OF unchallengssble
beauty.
The chief asset OF tina country, from
an international point of view, Is the
Bay OF SANTANA, which 10 one OF the
most magnificent harbors in the world
and which is SO situated "a to be OF
enormous strategic advantage. This
bay may be regarded as the key Of the
Caribbean Sea, and especially consider
ing the prospect Of the Panama Canal,
Its possession by any great power
would mean the mastery OF Central
American waters.
republic" in theory, San Domln.
20 is military despotism so far as
II is under any government at all. So
ciety here is, In fscr. feudal. Every
valley hsrbors q chief, with a ragged
band OF followers, owing allegiance to
a provincial chief. who. in turn. sup-
ports one or another presidential eau
didate or becomes one himself.
1t is a mistake to suppose that Do
minican revolutions are opers-bouffc
affairs. AS rule, the slaughter 1.
great. Except that the leaders ar.
much given to promulgating constitu
lions and appointing cabinets. cam
psigns on the island are much lik,
raids Of wild Indians. Zulus or Ksfir,
upon other tribes. They are poor shot,
md nrs as often from the hip as from
the shoulder, but they ara fierce and
terrlbls fighters, filled in battle with
the blood-lust OF savages, and from
time TO time captains OF no little mill
tary genius rise among them.
War in the island has horrors Of ia
own. Every Dominican can pound
with his terrible coconmscsqus an,
hack with his machete, whose wound
heal slowly. Rifles are universally dis
tributed. and machine guns are plenty
But. though they possess all the dead
lv an Utnao NJ rrao1nrn xvarfnra IN,