The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-02-23

: ! III !;
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W. 20,
The Island Of San Domingo is, next
to Cuba, the largest Of the Antilles, its
area being approximately equal to that
Of the State Of Pennsylvania. Tho
island Is a tropical Switzerland, cut
by half a dozen interesting mountain
ranges, whose peaks reach 10000 feet.
It 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 nords
Of Norway or the soft Italian lakes,
would revise all their notions after a
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 jubilant and glorious
panoramas or spread such magic color
The island is a paradise. Columbus
esteemed 1t above all lands he had
seen in all his journeyings; founded
his own city upon 1t, built his own
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 tme-stained walls are still one
Of the chief glories Of the Western
Hemisphere.
The natural wealth Of the island is
inestimably great Mr.. Hill, of tho
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, asphaltum, 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 it lies in
AFFECT poverty, swept by the fire and
sword Of Intermittent civil war.
The island IL 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.
It's people are whittier than the Haitians.
They speak Spanish, the language Of
Haiti being French. The Haitian ne
gro Is simply an African savage, his
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 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-
uon Of the. capital city is. given al co.
GOO. It would be hard work to ind
$4,000 people there.
The bulk of these 300, 900 or 400. 900
people live contentedly in the most
primitive fashion in palm-thatched
huts httls different from those Of cen
trail Africa. The country people cult
vate q few yams and plantains, have
a few pigs and chickens. The more
ambitious have little plantations Of
cacas or tobacco.
The entize population Is barefooted,
and half Of it naked. Naturally. the
Dominican Is amiable and hospitable,
but he Ii more than half savage, and is
capable Of the blacklist treachery and
the most utter cruelty. He is common
" 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 j. no Dominican type. The
population b mongrel, and does not
Constitute race. Now and then the
product Of the amazing mixture of
blsoA n a man of unique nobility Of
physique or girl Of interchangeable
beauty.
TIE chief asset Of TIE 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 ID 50 situated az to be Of
enormous strategic advantage. This
bay mey be regarded as the key Of the
Caribbean Sea, and especially consider
hg the prospect Of the Panama Canal,
its possession by any great power
would mean the mastery Of Central
American waters.
A republic" in theory, San Domin-
60 Is a military despOtism 50 far a.
it Is under any government at ALL So
ciety here is. in fact, feudal Every
valley harbors q chief, with 4 ragged
band Of followers, owing allegiance to
q provincial chief, who, in turn. SUD-
ports one or another presidential can
didate or becomes one himself.
1t is a mistake to suppose that Do
minican revolutions are opera-boufre
affairs. AS rule, the slaughter ia