Filthiest Place In the World

1901

Port-au-Prince, the capital, is by consent of all who have had opportunity of comparing it with other cities — the filthiest place in the world. The town was laid out by the French, and the streets are wide. It is only their great width that makes them passable, for the roadway before his dwelling is every householder's rubbish shoot, and slab sided pigs and starveling dogs perform all the sanitary offices for the town of Port-au-Prince save in the rainy season, when a heavier storm than usual comes to flush the open drains. In consequence the populace live in an atmosphere of combined cesspool and ash pit, which by all the laws of hygiene should produce chronic plague.

The free and independent negro leads the life that most nearly approaches his ideal. They have a proverb in the country that "only white men, black women and asses work," and there is truth in it. The black man lies around all day sleeping in the sun. His utmost effort is to play dice or watch a cockfight, but sleep is his favorite occupation, and he can do that better than anything else. In the country districts the old plantations have long since slipped back into the luxuriant overgrowth of the forest. In town any trading done is by the women and by foreigners. Undisturbed by the white man, to whom he is insolent, the town bred negro is pacific enough. The only exertion demanded of him is to avoid the attentions of the police. — Chambers' Journal.