Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-02
DISCUSSES LIFE
AMONG HAITIANS
CONTINUED From Page ~

mountain stream water. The soil Is
so rich that the natives have no diff
Guilty in living on fruits and vegetables
but the acres and acres of fertile soil
are uncultivated. The island contains
great wealth in mahogany log wood
from which dyes are procured, gold
and soil productions, but there are no
manufactures. The few white people
and the wealthy native are merchants.
The great majority of the people are
the lowest order Of Africans and hope.
lessly, shocklingly illiterate.
Must Speak Carefully.
SHOULD the missionaries offend the
officials by telling the truth about
Haiti, they would be summarily ex-
PEELED, their little foothold lost, and
incidentally be in danger of their lives.
During the revolutions, which are al
most semi-annual affairs, some
white mems lives are always lost,
which is suavely explained by
stray bullets" The Adventist
mission and home of the Prieg-
ers in Cape Haitien is in dangerous
locality. During violent uprising in
1914, 100000 rounds Of ammunition
were fiji I'd in the city, many bullets
piercing the home and endangering
the lives of the missionaries and their
servants. II have seen many, many
men shot down in cold blood before
our very door, said Mrs. Prieger,
which is. to say the least, conducive
to nervous prostration. l had thought
that my social service work, in Ottum'
wa and in the south, had made me i'm
peryious to unpleasant scenes, but
had never imagined such things as
have seen there Voodooism, straight
from the heart of Africa, replete with
vile superstitions, devil worship and
sacrifices. is practiced by the natives,
against which the Outstanding work
of the three Protestant ministers and
the thousand Catholic priests and nuns
is heart breaking toll. The negroes
all speak French and the wealthy
women order their gowns straight
from the Partisan modistes. There is
no school on the whole island. We
now have $50 believers after three
wears of work. and while the condi.
tions are terribly discouraging, the re-
suits are very hopeful, as Christian
ity is embraced with great joy, once
the light is seen. The people are in
dolent. ignorant. deceitful and natur.
allv cruel They invariably torture
an enemy before killing him and the
prisons are horrible. A political pris-
oner once consigned to the inner prls'
on is never expected to emerge. Ihey
live in the flimsiest Of bamboo nuts
matched, with mud floors and the
homes and streets are indescribaDly
filthy and unsanitary The few very
wealthy residents have nice homes
but they are in the very great minor
ity. The usual weekly servant wage
is about forty cents
Ten American battleships were TO-
Gated just off Cape Haitien for ten
months last year during the Mexican
revolution and their stay was great
Measure to the missionaries. The
boys in blue we're happy to see few
Americans and especially a white
woman. Mr.. and Mrs. Prieger were
the honored guests Of the officers OF
the New Jersey at dinner one evening,
after which the latter played and
sang for hours for the soldier boys
all the dear american songs. Several
consuls and the American minister,
Bailly Blanchard of Louisiana, are 10.
Gated at points on the island. The
war has added to the discomforts Of
their life there, as the Hamburg
American ships no longer touch at
the island, and mail is only received
every three weeks via the Holland.
American line.
Mr. and Mrs. Prieger are en- route
to San Francisco, the latter's home,
where they will rest and recuperate
They ae planning to return to the field
about May l. r-.- ~