White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-05-18
CECIL BARGE WRITES OF
HOME IN FOREIGN LAND
April 20. 1928

Dear Friends:
1t will probably be of interest tc
you to know something of the
Dominican Republic or Santo Domin-
go as it is sometimes called, and OF
The City of Santo Domingo itself
For the pas. few months I have been
gathering a little data from time to
time from the old settlers here, which
proved to me to be very interesting
as well as educational
AS you know, Columbus first
sighted land at the eastern end Of
Cuba, he landed there and took
possession in the name of Spain. He
then turned his ships Eastward and
skirted around the northern side of
this Island, and continuing around,
finally landed at po.nt to the south,
which he named Santo Domingo City.
At Santo Domingo he built forts
and great wall around the city. The
forts are still standing, some in ruins
and some being used today for Mill
tary purposes. Portions Of the walls
are still standing and especially the
two main gate ways to the city seem
to be as good as ever. There are
several buildings here, built in
Columbus time that are still stand
ing. The old CatheStal, beautiful
piece of masonry with walls two and
three feet thick is the best one, how
ever, and is apparently as good as
Lew. This building is still used and at
the present tine contains the remains
of Columbus.
49, The house in which Columbus and
his son, Diego Columbus, both lived
is mass Of ruins, and is kept from
further decay by concrete patch work
from time to time. On the interior of
this builcing, and in the bedroom are
small inches in the walls, used for
shrlnes, in which were placed images,
etc. In these shrines are paintings on
the rock surfaces that can be dis
tinctly recognized after more than 400
yeare. II
Below our power station here, on
The Ozarna River, is solicl stone
house, inside of which is a gurgling
spring, with stone bath tub at one
end. This is called Columbus Spring
and is supposed to be the place where
he took his daily BATH. We have this
spring leased fon. the Government for
our station water supply as it is the
o1iy water in the vicinity suitable for
boiler feed.
When you stop to think that this
is the Oldest country in the New
World, it makes one wonder why the
Island is net developer, in place of
being covered with dense growth of
tropical vegetation. The reason for
all this is, that the entire country
since Columbus la1,decb has had one
continual string of revolutions and
civil wars, keeping ttie people from
improving lands or building homes
other than huts covered by palm
leaves. These revolutions and civil
strifes lasted until 1916 when the
Americans took possession and
declared martial law, putting in al
president of their own choosing,
making laws, and establishing al
government for the people. The
island new has it's own government,
but is under American supervision.
This country still owes the American
Government eeveral million dollars,
hence the customs are all under
American control.
The people of the country were for
merly Indians, who were put into
slavery by the Spanish and French,
but they could not stanG hard work
and abuse, so Negro slaves were i'm
ported from the States and Africa.
This continued until the blacks greatly
outnumbered the whites ancJ then
there was one revolt after the other. A
There are a few families here of
purely Spanish descent, but the most
of them are a mixture Of IndiazA
Negro and Spanish, and a little OF
Indian and Spanish. OF course if one
happens to be white he is all white
and all Dominicans seem to assume
that they are.
It is not uncommon in Govern
nent affairs to see two or three of
the high officials as black as the ace
cf Spades and the rest Of the assem-
bly, all white It is also not uncommon
to see negro and an apparently
continued On page four