Year: 1873

Dreamland I'm st. Domingo.


We are enabled in to-day's HEnALD to
present our readers with q first glance at the
tropical Ell Dorado which certain cunning
spectators under the Stars and Stripes have
fenced in with treaties, leases, powers and po-
tentialities in Samana Bay. The ship
which bore the Pilgrim Fathers of this new
argosy had on board HERALD corre-
spondent whose impressions upon the
first experience of this land of perpetual Sum-
mer will be found in another part Of the
HERALD. In order to help out our readers we
have had map of the delectable spot pre-
pared which will leave but little to the most
fervid imagination. Prominent in all fairy
tales will be found the stories of trees, birds,
flowers and sparkling waters, azure sky, blue
ocean wastes and lovely vistas of hill and
dale. All these are lavishly provided in the
black paradise which the Samana Bay Company
hopes in the twinkling of harlequin's wand
to turn into the abode of perpetual youth and
plethoric bank accounts. It would seem in
deed as if, between cocoanut milk and bana-
mas, Nature had invited tired man to go there
and live for the cost of stretching out his hand
and carrying it to his mouth. The fairy
tale people will find that their expec-
tations can be carried forward still
another step. and the most roman
tically ruinous old towns and forts and
mansions are obtainable for the asking. But
there the fairy tale receives its sudden quietus.
The Pauls and virginias who should make
life seraphic melody must be dreamed Of;


for the shirtless, shiftless population Of
mongrel blacks and Spaniards will not evoke
any pleasant feelings in the reader, much less
in the beholder. "a moneyless and thriftless
people" they are described, "with worth
less currency, roadless and pathless land,
and never-ending dissensions" A slight blur
on the rosy showing Of the prospectus writer's
this drawback will be admitted to be.
Santa Barbara, where the new Yankee colony
is to stretch out its avaricious palms, is de-
scribed as physically a delightful spot,
and Samana Bay affords first class an
chorage. The fertility of the soil is made
evident by the products which in the very
variety of luxuriance it parades to the most
casual observer; and then the plans to turn
all this into greenbacks or hard cash are
as well laid as the plans Of mice
and men can well be. It will
be nothing if not o success greater by far than
ever John Law, in the most enthusiastic mo-
ments of his French West India speculative
fever, dreamed of. 1t is hundred and fifty
years ago since the Scotchman set all Paris
all France for that natter-agog with specula-
tions that built their wonderland and profit
land around the Gulf OF Mexico. John fizzled
out in short time, and now here is Jonathan
trying his hand at the same game, with
large, needy, ragged, cutthroat population
to be taken slong With s-a ths bargain There is
one thing very 6ertain-that the one hundred
and fifty thousand dollars paid over
to Baez or his government has smoothed
away much of the first face Of the difficulty.
The plfbiscite, through which Baez gained
the ratification of the treaty, is,
doubtless, no better than our correspondent
describes it; but it seems in its decision to
have very well met the views of the majority
of the precious inhabitants is, of those
who have any views. While we may not have
very high opinion of people who
can thank God they have a coun-
try that will fetch hundred and
fifty thousand dollars and then jump
with avidity at the bargain, we cannot say
that it is Of very good augury for their future
behavior. 1t is chronic failing of demoral-
lied peoples to be anxious to repeat such an
advantageous sale as often as possible. If the
Yankees can give them that amount this year,
they are very likely to think that
with little judicious show of surliness
they can extract a similar amount next year.
Twenty-Five thousand votes, the sad-faced
Ministers of Baez informed our correspondent,
were cast for the treaty, and, taking this as
correct, we account them as twenty
two thousand hungry pensioners ready
to become steady blackmailers when oc-
casion offers. When this population discovers
how little of the Samana Bay Company's
money rolls round outside Of the Golfers of
Baez it is the most natural thing in the world
that they should look for something for
themselves. The company may offer to make
'longshoremen or hod carriers or plantation
hands of them at five cents o day;
but the sovereign st. Dominican is much
more likely than not to turn up his nose at
such a proposition. Work, indeed, when he
has the right to turn out the Yankee by the
ballot box or the musket, if necessary Not he.
He may take it into his head that his miser-
able, slovenly, moneyless republic was better
after all than the hard-working, money-grub-
bing monopoly he has allowed to settle
in his midst like o veritable Franken-
stein. Should he, then, some fine day,
knock Baez and his Ministers on the head,
and then, in company with his twenty-one
thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine COM
patriots, ''clean OUT the Samana Bay Com
sx- -