The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-24

MT. Norman Orcutt, who is back from Hayti, is extremely interesting when dis cussing our brown neighbors. He was in Hayti at the time of the revolution, en- tering the country just preceding the trouble, with an engineering corps to build the Caribbean railway, designed 10 connect the cities of the island with ;he sea, facilitate commerce and otherwise connect the country with the civilized world. For the island of Hayti, accord ing to this returned traveller, has much vast room for improvement along lines of educational advancement and general cul- ture. It is picturesque, 1t Is rich in nat ural resources, but 1t Is dirty and is- norant, with it all. The ruins of grand castles are beautiful, he says, from a distance. But when one approaches and the entertainment of far vision is with drawn, he finds the pretty pink tinted, violet and rose colored effects are ub- scured by dirt; most of the natives, while not like most of the handsome buildings, , -'grand old ruins," have the same distress ing aversion to cleanliness, so that young American remarked: what Hayti
 
 needs is to be dipped into the seas and to be held there indefinitely"
 ."rhe climate during our stay on the island" said Mir. Orcutt, was all that could be desired. The temperature, in deed. was superior 10 that which I have found In Birmingham since my return and we went in the early summer. The topography of the country indicates it's possibilities as a livable place, for there sre mountains as high as Lookout, and the lowlands are so productive that 1t seems to me anything in the world will grow without coaxing.
 "The natives" he responded, when questioned as to his impressions, must, of course, be considered in their several classes There are the negroes who dwell in mean dobe huts, wear little clothing, subsist on the fruits, chief of which is the mango, which grow plentifully enough in the tropics to obviate the necessity of effort on the part of the benighted black man. Occasionally one finds in the adobe house a small pail which is the nearest approach to a kitchen utensil. Near the cities the women till the soil and raise vegetables which are brought in by them when market day rolls around and arc sold outside the shops. They ride into town on their donkeys and peculiar, but very usual incident is the change of cos tune just outside the entrance to the city. The workaday clothing is worn into town and the best that the wardrobe affords Is brought along and with manifest dex- f1,.f tl,. Is effected while the industrious market woman sits on her donkey"
 'fln what part of the island were Yol 1ocated?" Mr, Orcutt was asked. Most of the time was passed in Port au Prince, though we visited every section. Yes. the cities are picturesque places" he affirmed when comment was made Upon the beauty of a view he was showing a party of his mothers friends. The houses are built of a native substance, much like the adobe huts of the poorer classes "a sort of concrete which nature has made in many beautiful tints. Imagine the pictureness of rose coored violet or gray in the uniformity of ma atarial which is affected everywhere. The only trouble is that distance makes them so much pretter than they are and when one is far away, with the bright rays of the sun between, the dishguring touch 'ha much dirt and no scrubbing has spread on them like brush, is kindly destroy ed before it reaches the eye. Nearer She black filth is made unpleasantly plan just as one finds 1t everywhere in the land of these contented easy going people. One lovely castle which was built there by the French long ago has stood like roal throughout the years and is still a spl ,n- did evidence of expert masonry. It is called The Citadel and as a company of French troops is in command and rules are very firm as to the visit 0; outsiders, l was not admitted within"
 "Was entrance to the homes of the oeo- pie any easier?'
 "One has to be in high favor be fore he is admitted into the sacred presence Of the Haytian mans family in the aspect of friend" he saidr but I knew several families and formed some pleasant friend