OCKBER 1. 1912.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



A Visit to the "Black Republic." 



/j'.v Ihc Editor of "The India Rubber Il'orld." 



Haitian Rubber Treos — From Curacao to Jacmel — "Tho Second French Re- 

 IJublic" — A Dangerous Roadstead — Aaliore at Jacmel — Tho Post Office. Market 

 and Jail — Upiier Class Haitians — A Visit to Aux Cayes — A Wonderful Fire 

 Department — Traveling Haitians — Tho Birthplace of Dumas, 



TIME was when tlicre were rubber trees in Haiti— Caj/i7/t)o.t 

 probably, although the early visitors, in 1492 and on, did 

 not know the Hcvca froni the Asclcpias. They simply 

 mentioned the ball games of the native Indians, where were 

 used very lively rubber balls of domestic manufacture. 



The natives died off with the advent of the whites, and al- 

 though coffee, cacao, and sugar cane were introduced, and grown 

 at great prntit, practically nothing was done in rubber. To be 



J.\CMEL Waterfront. 



sure a short time before the historic "rubber craze" a Belgian 

 company took up land, and started rubber planting, but did only 

 a little and that in an intermittent way. 



So it was not in search of gum elastic that I visited Haiti. I 

 was on my way home from Venezuela, and by going to Curasao 

 and taking a Dutch steamer I could visit Haiti, and see all that 

 was worth while. The fact that American capital was back of 

 some new railway construction, and that business houses in the 

 United States were paying more attention to the trade of the 

 Black Republic, ^nd further that Secretary Knox of the State 

 Department was even then on his way to Port au Prince for a 



"The Gre.\t River," Jacmel. 



formal visit, led me to believe that this beautiful and fertile 

 island was on the eve of an awakening. A visit would there- 

 fore be timely, for who could tell what the future might hold 

 in store in the way of prosperous Haitian rubber plantations. 

 The steamer was scheduled to stop at some seven ports, and 



would allow of visits ashore and even trips into the interior if 

 one desired. 



There was a Haitian aboard, who, as we neared his native 

 land, waxed very voluble concerning his country's wealth and 

 power. He spoke English well, although he claimed that he was 



Dangerous Haitian Coast. 



French. He was a large, raw-boned negro, black as night, and 

 rather surly. When he did talk, however, his conversation was 

 interesting, to say the least. 



"I am a soldier," he said, "an officer — a general. You will not 

 see our army, but we have thousands of the bravest. No coun- 

 try in the world can conquer us. Did not Spain, England and 



-Market, Jacmel. 



France try it? We drove them into the sea. We are French. 

 The second French Republic. We planned our constitution and 

 laws after those of your country, which we far excel, as you will 

 see." 



It was thus he talked as we entered the dangerous roadstead 

 off Jacmel, and puttered round for an hour or more to find 

 safe anchorage. The harbor bottom is very treacherous, and 

 steamers anchor fore and aft, and keep up steam ready to slip 

 out and into deep water at the least sign of a blow. After we 



