Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1909-12-31

His Observations While travelling
Through the West indies.
Mr.. John B. Binion,
Macon. Miss.
NV Dear Old Friend:

A41o OO11I1 OS A4IAOA41
Macon. Miss.
My Dear Old Friend:
It is rather strange that |
should be thrust so unceremoni-
ously, and yet quite business
like, amongst the only absolute
ly black governed countries in
the world. Just plain black Af-
ricans, common niggers like our
own Mississippi crew, except
that they are more trifing, less
literate, more moral. less capa-
BILE Of self government, better
behaviors Of worse laws, yet
revolutionary in the greatest ex-
treme. Amongst all my friends
| decided a letter about '.Mr.
Nigger" in his own country to
you would not only be the most
appreciated but possibly prove
more interesting to you. am
only passing through San Domin
90 and Hayti in a business way,
hereafter l shall visit these coun-
ties regularly. abont three times
a year, and may at some future
time, be able to write you more
about the people.
For the present | am only OBJ
serving, and if you will get
West Indies map, you can more
intelligenty, trace my routings.
| am doing missionary work, and
when sell one each of our four
leading plows. a harrow, and
wheel middle breaker, my peo-
pie at home are we'll satisfied.
This may seem like childs play
to you for me to sell so little
when to you alone | have sold so
many of the products of Deere's
Factories. But here in Santo
Domingo, is a large rich country
almost as big as Mississippi, in
which | do not suppose there are
one hundred plows. The prod
ucts are mostly cane and coffee,
with here and there some coaco,
of course, all kinds of fruits
abound, and the cane so far as
[ have seen is the product of
continuous growth. Planting
originally was commenced about
thirty years ago, and the sprouts
of the cane came up each year as
the ripe cane was cut down, it
continues to do so, and some
cane fields are so old that people
do not know when the original
planting took place. But all
things have an end, and this rich
land with it's yearly output of
sugar cane has called for help
in the form of cultivation, and it
takes plows-good plows-only
one man in America knows of
the secrets of the proper form of
mould board, and is at the same
time equipped to deliver the
goods that's Deere. And so, as
the movement to till the soil
with plows instead Of with hoes,
begins to get root, here I come
as missionary propagating the
secrets and doctrine of the
American Farmer.
| have travelled through the
Island of Cuba, I stopped in ev-
cry prominent city. From San
tiago to Cuba / am by way of the
Spanish S. S. Julia to Ponce, Por-
to Rico. From Ponce, went by
automobile to San Juan, thence
back to Ponce, when l embarked
on the tramp trading steamer of
the Hamburg American Line,
Praisident' upon which NIGH
ty ship am now a cabin pas
senger on its itenerary of the
Southern coast of Santo Domin-
go, and the Southern and Wes-
tern coasts of Hayti, bound for
Kingston, Jaimaca. Before II
revert to the niger counties. II
want to tell you about Porto Ri
CO. It is an island 80 by 80 |
miles IN extent, east and west. |
Through the center running
from east to west is a high tor
tuouS range of mountains (from |
a 1000 to 5000 feet highs). From |
the shore line on either side full |
view of this range of mountains
can be had. A railroad runs
from Ponce on the south, around
the West and of the Island to
San Juan on the North. San Ju-
an is a city of great commercial
it is the resting
place, so to speak, between the
Ports of North and South Amer
lea From San Juan to Ponce,