The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-10

insurgents. The polite requests are
not refused.
Asked as for his opinion Of the out
come Of the struggle for the island
independence, DR. Diaz replied: 1T
il independence or death with the pa
triots. They will never consent to
anything short of complete indepen-
dence The day has passed for q
compromise with home rule. It IS
simply a question Of which can hold
out the longest, Spain or Cuba. ! think
that the Cubans will win. Soon now
the rainy season will come on again,
and the Spaniards will not be able to
do anything in the field, 1t is true
that the patriot armies will not be
able to get about as easily as they
move now, but they can more than hold
their own. Weyler has made no pro-
gress. He has established a fortified
line across the island, but the Cubans
pass and repass at will. 1t is manned
by perhaps $4,000 soldiers, who arc
thus taken from others points. They
do no harm on the trocha, and they
certainly do not worry the insurgent
armies. The Cubans prefer death TO
government by Spain. Eventually
Cuba will be safe. If the United
States would only allow the insur-
gents to buy arms and ammunition in
her markets, the war would soon be
over"
THE CUBANS IN THE FIELD.
A large part of the Cuban army is
armed only with the machete. The
equipment of the men Is very light.
Some carry a gun, others a pistol and
many have neither. The insurgent
trusts to luck for his food. If he can
get nothing else he makes meal on
sugar cane Beef and sweet potatoes
are often obtainable though. Coffee
is almost unheard of, but "guarado,
sweentened water, is used for beyer-
age. The citizens Of the interior towns
cheerfully share what they have with
the patriots. 1T is because of this
sympathy that the Spaniards are 50
cruel when they do capture small IN
terror town. The Spaniards, however,
do not attempt to hold any cities eX-
cept those on to- coast.
SOMETHING OF DIAZ.
The history of this missionary is full
of interest As remarked above, it
is largely due to his individual eNer-
tions that the Baptist church has ~
900 members i'm Cuba. He has more
than twenty missionaries under him
on the island, and church property
valued at $4,000 in Havana. DR.. Diaz
was born in 1852, the oldest of twenty
four children born to one mother, who
was married at the age of twelve years,
and Is now in good health, a most
valuable and hearty coadjutor Of her
son and the other members of her
family His father was pharmacist,
living in Guanabacoa, a town of 1900
inhabitants, Just across the bay to the
eastward Of Havana. After a good
education i'm the schools of his native
town. Alberto became a student in the
University of Havana; he, after gradu-
ating, studied medicine in the same
city, and in due time was admitted to
practice as physician. Though his
father was not rich, the education of
his son was accomplished at cost of
50, 900, continuing through twelve
years.
In the rebellion of twenty years ago
he joined the insurgents and was made
captain Of company.
At SEA OK A LOG
One afternoon ne was sent ahead
with companion to find suitable
spot for an encampment. While thus
engaged the two men were surprised
by Spanish troopers and found them
selves in danger of immediate capture
or death. They rode their horses hur-
riedIy into thicket and springing
from the saddles piled the whip to the
Ioosened animals, driving them out Of
reach i'm hope that the Spaniards would
20 after the horses and forget the
riders. They were on a point of land
running out into the sea on the SOUTH
ern coast. Instead Of following the
horses the Spaniards chose to find the
men, III possible; but, as the shades Of
night were gathering around them,
they determined to encamp and keep
the rebels Oh the point all night and
then take them i'm the morning. The
young men had seen enough of Span
ish treatment of prisoners to know
that their lives were worth but little to
them If they were caught. So, during
flIe night, they procured plank and
knowing that a current was sweeping
along the coast, they thought to get
into it and thus be borne beyond the
Spanish lines to a place where they
might land in safety But when morn
ing came they were far out Of reach
Of land and unable to reach the shore.
1T was a very sorry prospect that
opened to them when the sun came
up and its rays beat down upon them.
No food, no water for their thirst, no
possibility Of reaching shore. Soon
they were seized with cramps; one of
them fell off the plank and was drown
ed; Diaz became unconscious and in
that condition was picked up by fish
ing boat, and was soon after placed
upon vessel bound for New York,
where, in due time he arrived, a strang-
en- and penniless, in a great city.
He said yesterday that he did not
know how long he was adrift on the
log, as he was unconscious when pick
ed up. He was converted in New York
and in the course Of time returned TO
Cuba and became a missionary for the
Baptist church. Once when he was
taking two boxes of Bibles into the
interior he was arrested. The authOri-
ties thought that he was carving am