The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-19
Copyright Tnternationai News Service
The Presidents palace, Port au
Prince, Hayti.

Prince, Hayti.
these negroes expected a fee from me
or the postmaster, but certainly there
was a grand discussion. Had II not
been for the iron railing separating
the various combatants | am sure the
post office would have been closed for
the rest of the day owing TO the in
ability of the employees to attend TO
business.
After this disturbance had been set
tied with the payment of some good
American money / was asked II I
would like to take the letter upstairs.
Downstairs consisted OF the general
delivery department Of the post office,
lobby. &c. but the asserting of the
mail and the examination OF the mail
bags (which probably is "A very lu-
~crative business in the island) is car
ried on upstairs.
I found that on the payment of
Ave cents additional | had the per-
sonal privilege Of carrying my letter
upstairs and seeing II dropped into
n big box or mail bag which pre-
sumably prevented its being stolen
until the time OF the departure OF
the New York mails. Certainly this IL
an improvement on any scheme of
registration which / have yet seen,
provided OF course that the box is
strong enough and that the key OF
the paddock Is In the post office at
New York!
After visiting his Haytian post
Office my next visit was at the office
Of the United States Consul. The day
/ called the Consul was not present,
being at his home in one OF the sub
urbs, but the NiCe-Consul, who was an
exceedingly obliging man, was present.
or course. like the rest OF the good
Haytians. he was black and a loyal
subject. Moreover. he has been TO this
country and was an extremely intelli-
gent and courteous person.
The Consul's office looked very much
like a garage. 1t was made OF stone
with big open doors in front and win
dows without glass-if ! remember
correctly, However. the office was a
palace compared with the building Of
the Haytiau Chamber of Commerce.
This Is a stone building with the words
"Chamhre de Commerce" In large let
ters on the outside. | went there and.
after considerable difficulty. obtained
admittanCe. and was surprised to fud
the only occupant an old and Disagree
able looking mule.
The members ~ the chamber OF
commerce We're at the market. and
consequently | went to the market.
OF all the markets in all the lands that
| have visited this was the most inter-
esting and the most uucleanly. Be
meath an elaborate roof. about 500 by
$50 feet, was "A mass OF surging hui
manity.
| roughly estimated that there must
have been about 400 persons under this
roof jabbering and dickering with one
another. They were selling vegetables
and fruits OF every description, all
kinds OF birds and fowls. which were
alive, and here and there were mon ,
keys, turtles, pigs and various other
specimens OF the animal world, which
were also adding their share to the
general confusion.
| soon found, however, that the people
in this market had two sources of in
come one source the selling OF goods
and the other picking pockets. They
picked my pocket and the pockets Of
all visitors, including those who came
10 buy and those h came to sell. l
think one OF the funniest sights | ever
saw was a woman in this crowd pick
ing "A pocket which she found to b.
her own. Unabashed she simply held
up what she had found and put it bach
as a great joke upon herself,
The prices in this market were, OF
Cour.e. tempting. Grape fru.t, co in a
box, cost $3.50 Il box, lunches OF
bananas. 100 In a bunch, sold at 80
cents a bunch, while oranges sold for
about . cents a dozen. Even greater
bargains were obtained from pedlers.
one Of my travelling companions
gave his guide 10 cents with which
to purchase some orangr and the
man returned with a half bushel
basket full and a couple OF dozen
bananas on top, Upon asking the
guide o he was to get these on
shipbOard the guide told him that
the basket was included, and upon
demonstrating with the guide for
buying any bananas the guide replied
that they were placed on top ito
protect the n from the sun"
After reaching the ship he counted
the oranges and found that there
were tifty-seven, thus getting "A good
half hushel basket, hfty-seven oranges
and two dozen bananas for 10 cents,
and probably this 10 cents also pro-
vidcd "A commission for the guide.
Some Of u party had considerable
trouble with their guides, one got
into n rumpus with his guide at the
end of the day as to his payment and
during tine debate over $500 was stolen
from INN winch made the daV va trim
rather expensive. Personally, ! never
have had any trouble with guides for
the reason that | always make n
practice of selecting "A small boy and
| pass this suggestion on to others,
Always select for a guide some one so
small that YOU can spank him II any
arguments are apt to come up. BY