No. 43.
Mr. Hall to Mr.
Frelinghuysen.
[Extract.]
Legation of
the United States in Central America,
Guatemala, January 15, 1885.
(Received February 9.)
No. 309.]
Sir: I beg leave to inclose herewith, and to invite
your attention thereto, three letters from Mr. Sarg, the consular agent of
the United States at Livingston, addressed to Mr. Whitehouse.
Mr. Sarg reports that there are numbers of destitute foreigners at that
place, all, or nearly all, of whom have come from New Orleans, some of them
engaged by verbal contract to work on the projected railroad from the west
coast of Guatemala to this capital; others have gone there ostensibly in
search of work. Doubtless among these there are many of the tramp class who
never look for work with the expectation of finding it; but there is no
doubt as to their general destitution and suffering from want and
privation.* * * Many of these unfortunate persons are reported to have died
for want of proper attention in sickness.
I called to-day on the minister for foreign affairs, Mr. Cruz, and gave him
these letters to read. I asked that the authorities at Livingston be
instructed, so far as in their power, to render relief to these destitute
persons, and to that end to co-operate with the consular agent. He has
promised to bring the subject to the notice of the President, but I look for
no efficient measures from them.
I respectfully suggest that a naval vessel be sent to Livingston; that the
commander he instructed to investigate the reports of the consular agent,
and to take back to New Orleans such American citizens as are found to be
really destitute and desire to return. I have no means of knowing how many
there may be; but, from the estimates that have been made me, I imagine
there are from three to five hundred persons out of employment and
destitute.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 309.]
Mr. Sarg to Mr.
Whitehouse.
United
States Consular Agency,
Livingston, December 5,
1884.
Sir: Your No. 14 was received on the 30th
ultimo. I confess that I have allowed myself to be completely misled by
the jefe politico, as regards the sanitary condition at the hospital at
Santo Tomas. In the early part of November I spoke to him on this
matter. He then told me that there was a good hospital at Santo Tomas;
that a Government doctor was attending the sick, and that no American
citizens had died, either at Santo Tomas or on the line. I told him that
I should require a regular weekly sanitary report on both places, and a
record of such as die, and in case he could not furnish me with such, I
should have to report it to my consulate, which might tend to cut off
further communication by American vessels with Port Barrios and Santo
Tomas [Page 67] on the ground that the
sanitary condition of those places could not be proved satisfactory. I
was unable to impress upon his mind the importance of this question,
either as to how far it would inconvenience the Guatemala Government or
affect the interest of the United States.
I spent the 3d and 4th of the month on a personal inspection of Santo
Tomas and Port Barrios.
The Santo Tomas hospital is a common leaf-covered shed of the meanest
description, but the patients have been taken out that morning to Port
Barrios, as the railroad contractors have now engaged a medical man, a
Dr. Pawlett. I have heard accounts, repulsive beyond description, of the
want of care, and the scant attention bestowed on the unfortunate men of
all nationalities who were brought there to lie on the bare, damp
ground, without proper fool or attendance. How many had died there I
could not ascertain, but I inclose a list of ten men given to me by
Captain Mitford, the Guatemalan Government railroad agent, who
corroborated all accounts I had heard, and assured me that he had
reported on this matter to the direction-general at Guatemala, which
took no notice of such complaints.
I passed on to Port Barrios and invited the comandante and the alcalde to
accompany me to inspect the new hospital. This is a large, open shed,
about a mile distant from the landing, with a board roof, affording
shelter to about fifty men. Dr. Pawlett, the physician, here presented
himself; told me he had been on the place but two days; that the shed
was a temporary hospital, and that a permanent hospital would be
erected; that food, medicine, and attendance were furnished by the
contractors. I then asked the doctor to step outside while I catechised
every single patient. They were content with the change to the new
quarters; said that they liked the new doctor, but that the food was
scant and poor. With but one exception they had nothing coming to them
from the contractors, but were in debt. Those that had no blankets
complained of cold at night. How many had died at Port Barrios and in
the camp up the line, no one could account for; but from what I could
hear, some twenty-five or thirty must have died.
Many of the men clamored to have me go up the line into the distant camps
to see for myself how badly they were fed and housed. All of these men
have come here merely on verbal agreement, and, as soon as landed, they
owe the contractor $16 for their passage.
I do not believe that more than half of the men are United States
citizens, although they nearly all claim to be such.
The men complain that the weather has been so bad they have not been able
to work and clear themselves from debt; that the food, salt provisions,
does not agree with them, giving them diarrhœa; that there is no regular
pay-day; that the contractors do not pay in cash, but in checks, which
are not exchangeable into money, and are only received at the
contractor’s store in exchange for goods; that the prices of the goods
are exorbitant; that an itemized account of such goods is refused; that
they vainly apply for redress to the comandante of the place, as they
cannot find an interpreter.
The contractors complain that many men come out who are absolutely
physically unfit for the labor expected of them; that men will smuggle
themselves over affected with a chronic complaint that requires
immediate care; that many of the men are tramps who feign sickness, and
that a great number have run away owing for their passage and a
considerable store bill.
I told the contractors and subcontractors that I should make a minute
report of what I had heard and seen, and drew their attention to the
fact that the constitution of Guatemala requires every foreigner
arriving to conform to the laws of the country; that it was my duty to
see that Americans were not injured by the non-compliance with such laws
whenever they protected their interests, and the National Board of
Health expected me to exert the greatest vigilance as to the sanitary
condition of the ports at which the outbreak of an epidemic could be
avoided only by the greatest care; that I should require a register of
United States citizens as previously intimated, also a weekly hospital
report, with specifications of the diseases from the doctor (whom I will
put under oath) and that notice of the death of any man on the line be
given to the comandante and alcalde, interment deferred until the body
has been inspected by one of the officials, and that I shall exact the
application of the legal fine for every case of remissness under this
head. (I have heard sundry stories of men being kicked, beaten, and even
shot at, and have thought my self justified in putting this point
forward.)
I have also told them that I shall have to uphold the men if they claim
an account-book, because the law prescribes one to be given every man;
if they claim to receive cash for their labor instead of store tickets,
and if they claim a fixed pay-day every week.
The question arises what is to be done with the men who are not so sick
as to warrant hospital, yet so weak that they can do no work, have
absolutely no means of subsistence, and yet cannot leave the place
because they are in debt.
[Page 68]
I await your approval of the measures I have taken, and your orders to
change them if you deem it expedient.
I beg to add that sanitary precautions are one-sided as long as vessels
running to-ports in the United States do not call for hills of health,
and I take this opportunity to cover my responsibility.
I am, &c.,
United
States Consular Agency,
Livingston, December 5,
1884.
H. Remsen Whitehouse,
Esq.,
United States Consul-General,
Guatemala:
Sir: As advised in my No. 11, I beg to hand you
a list of the men who died at the hospital of Santo Tomás during the
month of November of this year. It is supposed that they were United
States citizens, although nothing definite is known. No personal effects
were left by them. (1) Andrew McCullen, (2) David Flanigan, (3) Francis
Smith, (4) William Watts, (5) Henry Higgins, (6) Pat Conelly, (7) George
Anderson, (8) Josef Boegel, (9) Mike Lynch, (10) Josef Krichreuther.
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 309.]
Mr. Sarg to Mr.
Whitehouse.
United
States Consular Agency,
Livingston, Guatemala, January 7, 1885.
Sir: * * * My position is becoming somewhat
precarious for the want of instructions. I fully comprehend the
necessity of avoiding as far as possible a collision with the local
authorities, from which would result either a disagreeable interpolation
of the Guatemalan Government or a disavowal of my action; at the same
time I deeply regret that I am often unable to give the protection to
the interests of United States citizens that is applied for.
A regulation for consular interference is urgently required for the
estates of the United States citizens deceased, particularly of those
who die at Port Barrios and on the railroad line.
The steamer Blanche Henderson, from New Orleans, brought one hundred and
twelve men to Port Barrios yesterday. The captain assured me that when
his ship was brought alongside the wharf at New Orleans, there was such
a press of men over and above the number engaged that they were obliged
to drive them off the ship with clubs, and in spite of this twelve
stowaways appeared after they got out to sea. I have not received a
register of these men, nor do I expect the contractors will send me
one.
Livingston is crowded with destitute and sick men coming from Port
Barrios. I listen to their complaint for entire days, and do all in my
power for them, yet I am unable to afford the relief which many believe
they are entitled to at the hands of the consul.
Also at Belize, I hear, there are numbers of these men on the street.
Yours, &c.,
