White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-07-26
CURACAO GETS TASTE
Of OLD PIRATE DAYS
Dutch Island Raided by
Band From Mainland


Of looters, Curacao, small Dutch
Island Of the Caribbean, forsook her
slow existence as one of the quietest
and most peaceful towns Of the West
Indies, and flashed back to the roll
licking, roaring, bloody days OF the
Sixteenth and Seventeenth centuries,
when this Spanish Main was free
booter's paradise" says a bulletin
from the Washington headquarters OF
the National Geographic society.
The chief city of the island Willem-
stad (also called Curacao, a town OF
nearly 10000 Inhabitants, was at
tackled during the night Of June 8. by
band of 500 men from the South
American mainland; the forts and
police headquarters were seized; a
supply Of arms and ammunition was
stolen; an American ship was COM
Wandered; and the adventures set
sail for Venezuela with Curacao's
governor and it's chief Of police as
hostages.
"As astounding as this exploit ap-.
pears to the Twentieth century OBJ
server" continues .the bulletin, ''it is
only repetition, with slight altera-
lions, of experiences from the islands
past. Curacao has fine harbor, one
of the finest in the West Indies. This
fact was recognized from the day that
a Spanish explorer, Ojeda, friend of
Columbus, discovered the island in
1899; and at Intervals the great naval
powers have tried 10 claim the harbpr.
Settled by Spanish.
ut was given by the Spanish en-
peror to the governor Of Venezuela in
1922 and some time afterward Span
ish settlement was established on 1t.
The Dutch captured It in 1884 and it
served decade later as political
training ground for Peter Stuyvesant,
who afterward was made governor of
New Amsterdam, predecessor Of New
York city.
"Curacao suffered attacks in 1878
and so years later, both times from
the French. On the second occasion
the French were driven out by the
British, who remained in possession
Of the island for two years. After the
Dutch regained control, Curacao ex-
perienced other attacks from English
warships, and the island was under
British control from 1905 to 1915.
"Since the latter date the Dutch
have been undisputed owners Of the
barren little isle; but there was at
least threat from an entirely diff
ferent quarter in 1903 when German
men of war put into Curacao during
their famous collection demon
stration against Venezuela. It was
rumored that Germany dreamed of
making the harbor base for control
of the West Indies.
I'm spite of population more than
half made up of negroes and mulat-
toes, and with considerable numbers
Of Jews, Spaniards and South Ameri-
cans, Curacao (oH Willemstad, If one
chooses) is intensely Dutch in appear.
ance. Dutch cleanliness has been sue.
cessfully transplanted to this tropical
site, and the main streets. cutters,
sidewalks, and walls are spick and
span. Only in some of the narrow
alleys of the negro quarter is a lack
of cleanliness to be noted.
"Curacao is approximately 40 miles
long by three to seven miles wide,
and lies Al miles off the coast of
Venezuela. The island is quite dry
and produces little. Practically all
food is imported, and even drinking
water is brought from the mainland
for those who can afford it. Others
drink rain water caught from the
roofs and stored in cisterns.
Valuable as Trading Station.
"The islands chief value is as a
trading station, value to which both
Its location and its harbor contribute
Lying just off the northern coast of
South America, ard controlled by a
country famous for its peaceful and
efficient political and commercial
methods, it makes an ideal distribut-
ing and transfer point between its
potentially wealthy. but sometimes
| turbulent neighbors or the one hand.
and Europe and North America on
the other. Willemstad harbor is
shaped like banjo, with a narrow
neck for an entrance and large cir.
cular basin for anchorage and wharf
locations The town is built on both
sides of the narrow entrance channel
and along the TANKS of the basin. A
pontoon bridge crosses the channel
and Is swung aside to permit the pas.
sage of ships. sidelight on the
towns population is furnished by the
tolls charged on this bridge. Per
sons wearing shoes pay As OF one
cent, persons without Shoes 2-5 OF
one cent, for each passage.
1.-THE well-to-do Dutch of Curacao
make the gesture of maintaining coun
try places on the barren stretches
outside the city, but few plants other
than cacti and aloes can be coaxef
into growing throughout most of the
island. The several ostrich ranches
fit better into the picture.
"The famous liqueur, curacao, II
still distilled in small quantities OF
the island from the small hitte1
oranges grown locally, but the in
dustry in the main has been takel
over by Amsterdam.
petroleum is the greatest single
factor in Curacao's present day activ
tty. and one of the larges, refinerie'
in the world Is maintained on tn,
island. The crude petroleum Il
brought over in tank. barges from tn,
rich Venezuelan field around Lake