Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-17
A STRANGE COLONY,
The Thirteen Hundred SQuatters on
the Pensacola Naval Reservation.

Surgeon j. W. Ross, who is generally consid-
cred as one of the best yellow fever experts in
the government service, called on Secretary
Tracy Tuesday morning. accompanied by
Surgeon General Browne, and made an appeal
in behalf of a colony of people living on the
naval reservation at the Pensacola navy yard,
Fla, about eight miles from Pensacola These
people, he says, number about 1900, and are
extremely poor, being the descendants of the
employees of the Pensacola navy yard, which
was closed almost Immediately after the war
and has remained so since. They have built
and bought little homes. which they hold with
out much expense and their living. such as 1t
Is, Is obtained from their work as fishermen.
WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO TURN Up.
Anew OF them scratch the soil and raise few
vegetables, but the existence is a sort of hand
to-mouth life that is made even more precari-
GUS by the occasional ravages of yellow fever
which has swept the little colony several times.
lhe navy yard offers employment only for a
few men who are engaged in making occasional
repairs. but the others have been waiting in
the footsteps OF their fathers before them, for
the reopenlng of the yard IN the hope of OBJ
tanning positions. Micawber-like they remain,
clinging to their hard homes rather than go to
the city. where they would be obliged to pay
rent. But their physical condition, bad as it
Is, is not so bad as their mental state. and that
is the inspiration of DIR. Ross advocacy of the
colony's needs.
THEIR PECULIAR SITUATION.
The trouble lies in the fact that, being squat
tiers on government reservation, they are not
regarded as citizens of the state, and are con-
sequently ineligible to the advantages of the
states public schools For years they have
gone along without any sort of education, even
of the most primary character, until they have
reverted, after a couple of generations, to a
condition CT semi-savagery.
IN A PITIFUL CONDITION.
Their ignorance is pitiful, resembling that Of
peasants in some of the more unenlightened
countries of the east. This condition of affairs
grows worse yearly, as all efforts to obtain aid
from the state of Florida have failed. Dr.
loss has aroused the interest of the commits
sioner of education, who has promised to ask
for small appropriation for some school faciii-
ties In the colony if the Secretary of the Navy
would recommend it, this Difference to Score
tary Tracy being due to the fact that he has
jurisdiction over the reservation. The Score
tary yesterday said that he would offer no
objections to the granting of aid to these be-
nlShted people. As the colony is about equally
divided between the white and colored races
TWO schools Will be required. one for each class.
sURGLoS RO s MISSION.
DIR. Ross has been ordered to duty at Pensa-
cola for the purpose of aiding in the preyen-
tive measures that are to be adopted in order
to insure safety from the Cuban fevers. He
said yesterday that he did not think there
was much danger at present. as there is a very
well organized state board of health that has
taken vigorous steps already to keep the dis
ease out of the country