The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-07-15
TIE CRUEL lIACHETE.
a STORY OF THE LAST REVOLUTION
IN CUBA.

From Brave ChicaSoan-Shaao"S "a
starless Night.
':But the machete means something to
the CubaL," said the old don. 1t Isn.5
merely rusty old relic. 1t las drunk
much blood. Whenever it Is drawn,
either against the soldiery or in riot,
somebody dies Do yu,. want n little ta!e
of the lnachete-one that is true and
shows what awful havoc may be lone
with It?
"Well. at the outbreak of ol.r last re-
bellion here the Spanish forces in the
island made no headway against the
brave work of the insurgents under the
noble Cespides, who, in October, 1868,
with but fifty other stout hearts about
him, raised the standard of independence
ON his plantation at Demajagua, and by
December had an organized army or
$4,000 1nen-the nucleus of the effort for
liberty which famed through Cuba for
eight bloody years, costing Spain untold
millions in money and the lives OF l3o,0Oo
men, half of whom saw the swift gleam OF
the flashing machete before their last
prayers to the Virgin.
"They were impatient in Spain because
this little affair was not promptly sup.
pressed Finally, at court and in social
life, the whole matter became such an lr-
ritatng joke that the chivalous youth OF
the best families III Spain banded together
to take I; little jarnt to Cuba and put
down these cane chewing rebels some line
afternoon between breakfast and dinner,
or between dinner and the Havana even
ing ball.
BRAVE AND GAY AND NOBLE
s:They were an even 5000. Brave and
rav and noble We're they. They held tho
best blood, the highest hope OF Spain.
And what Il grand departure from Barce-
lona and arrival at Havana they made.
They We're splendid fellows, and 1t Is SAID
they represented $500, 900. Havana
society WAS wild with delight. Every man
was rich family's or titled fam!y's
son. Nearly every man had his own valet.
Their uniforms and accoutrcments-tur-
nished at their own cost-were dazzling IN
gold and lace. \ month of the widest
social deDauchery followed their arrival.
Fetes, balls, receptions, bullfghts, carni-
vals, welcomed them Oh every hand. At
last they came out herc-over beyond the
calzada there, near the Guines railway
and went into camp. Instantly this CAL
zada, all the way back to Havana, was
transformed into another Paseo de Tacop,
thronged with the eQuipages of the aris-
tocracy rolling to and from the brilliant
camp. The magnificence of the clty's So
c:al gayet;es was simply transferred there.
s'One night great fete had been given
at the encampmcnt, more brilliant ana
gorgeous than anything that had preceded
il. Just before midnight, when the fes-
tiyities were at their height, the conf
mander of the Respondent troop on re-
pairing 70 his Headquarters tent, found
the following note pinned upon dimla1-
tive inSlrgent flag surmountlng Gor-
geous pyramid Of flowers, the gift that
day of some beautiful Habanas:
"tAfter Your other guests are gone We
will visit YOU Do lis the honor to receive
us standing! WASHINGTON RYAN,
s'This was the hero from Chicago who
gave his life for Cuba, whose real great
ness your people up there never recognize,
and for whose memory they have only
made one daub Of portrait.
"The missivc created the greatest mirth
and bilar:ty. The camp ard its guests
were Wild with mirth and delight over the
grim wit Of the crazy writer and his pre-
tentious message. They drank toasts to
him: sung mock praises of his valor; the
bands bInred IcrociOusly i'll his honor until
the small h0urS had come and all the city
guests had gone.
SHADOWS OF 4 STAINLESS NIGHT.
"T'lsn hush came upon the splendid
camp, and wine and sleep wrought silence
under tie shadows Of q stariess night.
"It ,.i2ht have been the restless wind
scughia-: through the dark canyons, but
tie commander could not sleep He read
and rc--e.ll the daring lEcssaSc until the
LITTLE insrrgcnt flag grew and s,iamoured
into an uwiul menace oulely there must
be great storm coming on. Surely it
must be sweeping ont OF the nirht upon
the camp from everywhere. Surely
"Sllt tie storm was there. and It was
winged d2ath.
"Thc trl!mpetcrs had no more than time
to. stri!ly Summon the heavily sleeping
camp II is feet when God O!:ly knows how
many h0rscrncn were upon thcm-Dlack,
brown, Yellow. whitc--hut Ill men--@!en
with awful purpose.
"The:Y hosts had received these devils
Of the night standing No cry went up
from that camp, save rs each Of these
flower Of the chiyaly of Spain saw
swift death IL one lightning stroke de-
scendia:s. Every time Il machctc cleaned
IL the gI%rc of the fickcring camp tire it
severed |, Spanish head froln its body and
struck through to tho heart Of some
nohln T'omlHn IN old CASTLE.
az h"!t eour,ana til was over. The
storm WaS gone. THESE awfut spirits Of
the night swept away in" the niglt&Sa:n,
leaving hi! one moving t!iMS-a mon
strolls :as;;;.Gcmt flag bearing these verbs:
"'They were royal hosts. They re-
ccivel rs standing
"Tho morning ram", bringing the most
perfect reGcr that ever fell Oh soldier 5
c?n". The Cuban rlach"t" had wrought
it. Onr 1I;:vancse brought tw" car loads
Of go'I lnced caps into the city that day.
These -ic-e sent back to Spain il place Of
the 5000 who had lIft.it. 50, ny friend,
you may ROW well remember the :naclle:c
Of Cuba."-Edgar i. Wakeman's Cuba
Letter II Chicago News.
To :hc Eternal Camping Grounds.