The Dickinson press., 1909-06-12
WEST INDIES

S I
Cruise Through Island Reveals
Many Historic Associations
American Influence Being
Felt in Developments.
Dickinson. North Dakota.
June 10. 1909.
To The Editor From Grenada the
course of the Oceana lay toward the
island Of Dominica past the island of
Martinique and its principal city, St.
Pierre, which was destroyed by the
eruption of Mt. Pelee followed by a
tidal wave on May s. 1902. For Afty-one
years Mt. Pelee had remained inactive.
For several weeks prior to the date Of
destruction. warnings of disaster had
been in evidence. Instead of sunrise
on that fatal day came a rain of fire
and at noon only one living individual
remained out of a population of IS. 600.
This man. q colored criminal confined in
a dungeon, alone escaped alive. Only
n ship in the harbor escaped destruc-
ton. 1t was early in the morning when
we slowly, steamed past the shores of
Martinique and viewed the ruins where
st: Pierre formerly existed.
Dominica is lust an island and
koseau is the name Of. the port at which
we landed. about 6. 900 population nearly
all colored. One of the finest of the
English botanical gardens is located
here. We remained but a few hours
and then sailed for San Domingo.
We are now in our third week of
cruising. had become rested and my
mind craved action, so I read every
thing of West Indian history that I could
buy or borrow. besides. my newly found
friend, kelton B. Miller of Pittsfeld,
Mass. n of two volumes embracing
Larned's review of seventy centuries of
the worlds history, and l was ready for
the second volume before reaching New
York. There is much of interest in the
history of the West Indies. with the
alternating wars between Spain, France
and England. and so much of civil strife
intervening
1t was near Roseau, within sight of
the town at times. that n of the
greatest naval battles of the world was
fought in 1882 between the British and
French. resulting in English victory
and supremacy in the West Indies and
on the seas. This was Rodney's victory
and DeGrasse's defeat. 1t a only a
lew years ago as history Goes-1650 to
166O-that England introduced white
slavery in the Barbados. when several
thousand Irish and Scotchmen were
sold to planters at !, 500 lbs. of sugar per
This rn41yAvnn~k 41~~n ~1o~
included some gentlemen and preachers
from ENGLAND who were possibly Epis-
copalians. as it occurred during the
period of the great moral uplift under
Oliver Cromwell. Such evidence should
make us stop and ponder. It was a GOOD
deal later than that. under the banner
of ''Liberte. fr~aternite, equalite," that
the French revolution blazoned it's
chapters of mans inhumanity to man.
In the light of historical fact Jim
Hills latest propaganda of equality,
economy and Justice sounds
like words from the mouth of q seer.
But so much injustice has sprung f ON
that word, equality it is so susceptible
of misunderstanding, ,of getting every
body on a dead level. that would
modify, and. with Mr.. Hills permission.
make it simplicity. economy. justice
and fellowship.
The days of cruising glided one into
another with the sea beautifully restless
but too restless-the great ex-
panse OF ocean. the far away shore
lines. volcanic peaks sticking out of
the water and mapped as islands, and
all the time one marvelled at the forth
tude OF the early mariners who traced
these shore lines, discovered the num-
erous islands, and reached the main land
and crossed the Isthmus without the
aid of modern knowledge. sanitary
devices. perfected charts, steam or
electric c~ontrivances. Truly the proper
study of mankind is man. or something
like that.
We reached San Domingo of q morn
ing and the day was fair but the har-
Dor was not q protected one. so the
water was fairly rough for landing in
small boats. and the boats danced freely
up and down as the passengers entered
them. The ladies were especially good
Jumpers as tney left the steps and alight-
ed nimbly in the boats. plump or slender
it was all the same. The American
ladies who travel are all good ones
whether they are twenty years old or
sixty-five wears young.
The only things that looked good to
me at San Domingo were the American
flag flying over the custom house and
the new sewer and water mains being
laid in the town. Much of historical
interest abounds about San Domingo
but it looks down at the heels as if too
much of an inferior kind of equality has
been prevailing. 1t was October 20.
1892. when Christopher Columbus landed
on the north coast of Cuba. while it
was in December, 1892, he sailed over to
the northern shores of San Domingo
from Cuba.
At San Domingo Christopher Column
bus was imprisoned and sent thence to
Spain in chains in 1900. Later. in 1909
Don DIEGO. his son fourished in pros
perity. The ancient cathedral-and it
looks it's located there. where once
rested the bones of Columbus. Though
he died in Spain in 1906. his remains
were transferred in 1910 and those of
his son. Don Diego, who died in 1926.
were transferred at the same time.
It is now claimed that in 1895. when
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