Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-25
PEACE In PINAR DEL RIO
DR.. Bowen Finds Little Sign of Warfare
Through the Province.
UPRISING THERE IN DIRE EXTREMITY
Trip Across the Trochn shows the
usunI Nocntions of the People
BEING Pursued and En-
plodcs Many stories.


World ablegram-special Telegram)-A
World staff correspondent has passed be-
yond the Weyler trocha, gone through the
principal portion of the province of Plnar
del Rio and returned to Havana. No other
foreign correspondent has been permitted to
go beyond Artemsa, the central point of
General Weyer's great military line and
its headquarters.
Written authority from the captain general
to make the journey, signed by Colonel Es-
cribado, the chief of staff, was given to me,
and notification that | was to take the trip
was sent to General Arolaos commanding
the trocha, and General Melquizo command
ing in Pinar del Rio City. No condition
was attached to my permit other than the
usual verbal understanding that no communi-
cation should be held with the insurgents.
My mission was to ascertain the condition
of Pinar del Rio province, to find If 1t really
is In the hands of the insurgents, as is re
ported throughout the United States, to in
vestigate the alleged severe battles fought
during the autumn, and especially to visit
the ancient and remote capital Of the prov
ince, the city of Pinar del Rio.
| left Havana last week on the only daily
train to Artemisa. II left before daylight
and was composed mostly of freight cars,
only two passenger coaches being attached.
Slowly tha train jolted and bumped along
stopping at numerous stations At Guira
de Melena | saw the church which was held
by volunteers against General Gomez S
forces last January. The ruins Of the houses
he burned and the remains Of the railway
station houses were the only evidences of
tho raid between Guira and Artemisa. In
deed but for some uncutivated fields and a
few ruined sugar plantations and the soldiers
in the towns and villages, little is to be seen
to Indicate that the country Is in a state
Of civil war. The men appeared to be pur
suing their customary vocations; the women
and children were on the roads as usual.
COMES TO THE TROCHA.
Finally. the train crawling along at the
rate of ten miles hour reached the
trocha at Artemsa, now a garrison town
only, although numerous refugees from re-
mote country districts have sought refuge
there. The town was filled with troops
who have nothing to do since Maceo's
death. A line of earthworks and numerous
little block houses extend as far on either
side north and south across the level cOun-
try as the eye could see. Artemisa which
IS thirty miles from Havana, was the des
tination of nearly all OF the train The pas
sengers, almost exclusively, were Spanish
officers. General Ruis, commanding the
cavalry along the trocha, was among them
a fine sOlderly appearing man. He spoke
of the efforts of interested persons to bring
on war between Spain and the United
States and said: THE real Americans are
all right but the paper citizens-the Gu
bans who get naturalization papers by hook
or crook, and then reside on this island
are a troublesome lot They wish to shirk
their duties to the country in which they
live and to perform no service for the
United States" The civilians who arrived
on the train were searched by the police
In the railway station. | watched the pro-
ceeding with equanimity, because l was ex-
empt from 1t. The Spanish officials mani
tested no curiosity concerning my presence
or the object of my journey. Having no
occasion to remain In Artemisa and hav-
ing to travel more than fifty miles before
reaching Pinar del Rio City, kept on.
WHERE MACEo MANEUVERED.
The country between Artemisa and San
Cristobal is fiat and the soil is red clay,
like that of Virginia. The roads In Pinar
del Rio are better than those in the eastern
part of the island. They are smooth ana
hard now. the rainy season being over, The
country is covered with tall palm trees.
San Cristobal Is a small town, with numer-
GUS block houses surrounding 1t, but the
troops are there. On the right to the north
the country is hlly and broken for thirty
miles, az far as the northern coast. These
hills are not lofty enough to rank with real
mountains but they contain innumerable
ravines and their slopes are th!2kly wooded
Among them Maceo moved about, hndlns
shelter from the constant movements OF the
Spanish columns. | passed a place where
he camped by the roadside in his last opera
tiuns In October 1t was the custom OF MS
men TO build little huts OF palm leaves and
grass to protect them from the rain. No
military order was observed. The huts were
scattered about rregularly, some beside
small stream others here and there, over
a large Held. In the rear was thick dense
underground, in which the Cubans could
take shelter II attacked.
cbpl I'm
Maceo had 5000 followers in this movement
but his camp shows that the actual number
could not have been more than half that at
the outside,
LITTLE SIGN OF THE RAVAGEs.
The country becomes poorer as one goes
westward and finally becomes worthless
except for grazing purposes | was sur
prised to see many cattle quietly feeding
The suppostion that the region has been
swept clear Is unwarranted. Scarcely any
indication of war is TO be seen. Palacious
has been reported to be terribly stckly. |
found the town struggling collection OF
thatched. sguald houses. When General
Weyler was there recently he shook up the
local officials and compelled them to clean
the place. Many refugees fockcd there and
much desttution and sickness followed their
advent owing to the neglect OF sanitary
measures. smallpox yellow fever and
finally typhus fever became epidemic. The
troops stationed there suffered severely. a
more desolate looking town cannot be inn
Gglned. All that was substantial In Pala-
cious was burned by the insurgents O year
ago.
The country grows irregular MS the city
of Pinar del Rio is approached. The soil
becomes better and numerous tobacco fields
are to be seen. Cultivation began later than
usual, and the young plants have only just
been transplanted. | saw no field in which
tobacco has been grown in the past not
planted at the present time The chief of
police appeared at the hotel | went to on
reaching Plnar del Rio, and said he knew |
was coming. He was effusyely polite, but
none the less suspicious In a remote place
like this when rumors OF war with the
United States are thick. the advent Of an
American is an important event and natu-
rally causes curiosity, and the hotel filled
with spanish officers.
CLEAN CUBAN CITY,
Pinar del Rio is a quaint. primitive city. |
interesting on account OF its remoteneSs. II
Is not visited by tourists and the foreigners
seen there mostly are tobacco buyers. II Is
I'm the heart OF the Vuelta Abajo district
whence comes the highest priced tobacco
grown. The best houses all have deep ar
cades In front with massive columns sup
porting projecting roofs. The streets are
clean and the fcul Odors common IN Cuban |
towns are absent. On the outskirts, as |
everywhere else. there are a number of
small block houses. The city Is on hil |
IA