The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-14
to reception and dance, where we met
| the leading people of the city,
ESCAPE FROM KTDNAPING

to reception and dance, where we met
the leading people Of the city.
ESCAPE FROM KIDNAPPING.
During our stay In Havana ARRANGEMENTS
were made to visit some of the large sugar
plantations Of the island 1t was planned
that we should start out early one morning
ana go to plantation quite distance away
from Havana. This plantation was in a rath-
er lonesome district, and, for some reason or
other, at the last moment the plans were
changed and another sugar estate selected.
We afterward learned that a band of bri-
gands had made all their arrangements to
capture Senator Sherman and his party and
mold them for ransom. This seems almost
Incredible, but there is little doubt but that
the danger was serious one and that had
we made the trip we would have been at
tackled and probably captured. The brigands
Of course, did not understand the serious
thing they were about to attempt They
We're an ignorant set of desperate men, and
had not our plans been changed they might
have perpetrated such an outrage as would
nave brought about great international COM
plications. Senator Sherman seldom refers
to this matter but l have reason to think
that he appreciates the fact that his liberty
and possibly his life had a narrow escape
that day.
SHOPPING IN HAVANA.
We spent great deal of time in shopping
in Havana. The senators all bought Pana-
ma hats, and Senator Sherman wore his
Panama throughout the remainder Of the
voyage. The buying of things of this kind
in Cuba is a question Of bargaining. The
stores of Havana open out upon the street,
and if they had divans in them they would
remind you Of the bazars Of Cairo. The
merchants dicker as much as the Turks do,
and we were usually charged three times what
the merchants expected to get. 1 don't know
how much Senator Sherman paid for his hat
but remember that Senator Palmer was
asked $12 for a linen coat. He offered 81
and the Cuban salesman finally told him
he could have the coat for 81. We visited
the cigar factories, and bought Havana cigars
directly from the hands Of the makers. The
factory where we made our purchase turned
out, we were told 60, 900, 900 cigars a year
and 1t employed 1900 hands. In one room
we found about fifty women of all ages
stripping the tobacco leaves for the cigars
and we noted that they were all smoking
cigars or cigarettes. In some Of the rooms
OF the factory men were reading novels aloud
to the workmen, to keep them from chat
ting, and consequently busy. We each bought
a box of cigars to take back with us paying
about half the price which we pay in Amer
lea for the same quality of tobacco.
WHAT SHERMAN THOUGHT OF 1T.
Senator Sherman did not think much Of
the Cubans at this time. We saw on all
sides of us evidences Of ignorance and inca
pacity, and also of Spanish oppression. The
senator was struck with the monetary condi-
ton of the country. We could get twelve
Cuban dollars for five American ones, and
we were told that the gold of Cuba was then
about per cent below the value Of our
American greenbacks. All the silver money
that we got had been punched or clipped.
The country was already deeply N debt, and
the taxes we were told were very heavy
In speaking about Cuba, the senator then
said: The country is in a deplorable con-
dition. l judge from what l heard from in
telligent American Cubans living there and
even the Spanish themselves, that the island
is in condition of Unsurpassed revolt.
The natives are nearly to a man in favor of
annexation to us. Their condition is indeed
pitiable. No serfs in Russia were ever great
er slaves than the Cubans are to Spain. The
revenue they must raise yearly for Spain
and for which they get benefit whatever