San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-08-26

LlItle rlBntlus III EEOBresS-NO
Prospect of Its Coming to an End.
NEW YORK, Aug. 26.-The Ward
line steamer Santiago, which has
just arrived here, brought several
passengers who could give au-
thentic Information about the in
surrection in Cuba. Among those
on board were d. III. Won Herff, of
this city, and Mr.. John La Bour-
dette, administrator of the Santa
Maria plantation at Guantanamo,
which was recently raided.
In conversation with the repre-.
sentative OF the press DR.. Won
HerfI said: 81 find business Of all
kinds in Santiago de Cuba at a
stand-still. Many Of the merchants
were waiting for better times.
Some of them had closed their
doors. Recently the government
issued an order forbidding the
merchants to sell any goods or ma
terial to women and children in
the country. This was done to cut
off the insurrectionists from OBJ
tanning any supplies in the towns.
1 made one short trip from San
tiago to the interior Of the country,
but found it risky undertaking.
There was a guard at several
points, by Spanish troops. The
province of Santiago de Cuba is
sparsely settled, the principal
places being the settlements of the
workmen on the big sugar estates.
Inland, the province, in fact, the
eastern half of Cuba is noun
famous and covered with dense
forests. When the revolutionists
are closely pressed they take to the
woods and 1t Is almost impossible
for them to be pursued. The revo-
lutionists are simply carrying on a
guerrilla warfare. Every few days
1 heard Of some raid, which usual
ly consists in destroying a planta-
ton. There is little fighting going
on"
"No one ventures to predict when
the war will come to an end. II
the war goes on for another year,
the sugar industry will be pros
trated. The administration of one
Of the largest plantations in the
Santiago de Cuba district told me
that it will take the planters four
or five years to recover from the
damage already done. Many plan.
tations not llaid waste by the in.
surrectionists have been practically
Abandoned. The laborers have fled
to the towns and the cane is uncul-
tured. Next season, IL the estate
goes uncultivated, the fields will be
overrun with weeds and soon be-
come worthless for producing a
crop Of sugar. In fact the sugar
planters really bear the brunt Of
war. They will have to pay enor-
nous taxes, even IL the insurrec-
ton he put down. Almost every
planter is threatened with ruin il
he does not contribute money to
the insurgents. The sugar planters
are between the devil and the deep
blue sea. II they do not pay large
sums Of money for protection, their
tsIdt65 oIt Idlu WASN'T. IL Iucy dSh
protection from the government
they are marked as enemies of the
Republic and their property will
be set on fire or ruined at the first
opportunity"
On the steamer as a fellow pas
senger with DR.. Won Herff was
John La Bourdette, of Guatenamo.
His mission to this city is an I'M
usual one. Some time last May he
received notice from the leader Of
the revolutionist's army that the
owner Of the plantation was ex-
pected to aid the cause. Later the |
plantation was raided and recently |
matters became so serious that |
La Bourdette decided to leave the
island and to come to New York
for consultation. In an interview,
Mr.. La Bourdette, who speaks no
English said: "The Santa Maria
plantation Is owned by Senior Fer
nandez Pond, who now lives In
Paris. 1t consists OF about $500
acres and the estate is valued at
81, 100000.
81 did not pay much attention at
first to the demands of the insur-
but on August l, re-
ceived a letter from Gen. Maceo,
who was very much in earnest. SO
L have come to this citw to see
whether we should raise and pay