Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-09
A PORTLAND MAN
Relates What He Recently Saw in Cuba
Awful State Of Affairs.

A gentleman who has just returned
from Cuba was met by a Portland Press
reporter. at the office of a mutual friend
yesterday, and an interesting conversa-
ton on Cuban affairs took place.
You known me well enough, said the
gentleman. to know that my knowledge
of ''tideissima Isla de Cuba" is based
upon years of residence and thorough IA
miliarity with the people and the Gus
toms. You know we'll what smiling
land it was. how full of plenty, even
when you We're there in 1871 at which time
the insurrectionists of that date were be-
ing shot down, seized, and garroted by
the Volunteers. the citizen soldiery, who
were the parents of the Cuban young
men eager for liberty these Volunteers
themselves being their Spanish fathers.
You remember how these same Volun-
teers killed the Cuban students in cold
blood and glored in the act. Well. my
dear fellow, it's the same old story now.
The Spaniard is by nature a coward.
The old days of the Bernardo De Carpios
the plumed knights of high renown, have
all gone by. so long ago. that they have
left none of their noble traits behind
them. "A Spaniard of today is like wolf.
He shows his teeth if he knows he is the
strongest and growls and whimpers like
a whipped dog If he is the weaker. The
Cuban, on the contrary, is full of gener-
Gus impulses. He is warm hearted. nour-
ished by the sun of the tropics. He
pines for freedom. and he loves the Uni
ted States. Why my dear fellow. the
Clevelands and the Olneys have disap-
pointed the Cubans terribly. and now
they are looking to Mckinley and their
old friend Sherman The correspondents
and the newspapers, may say what they
like. | tell you the Cubans will fight to
the bitter end
Let me tell you something. The papers
talk of famine in Cuba. Have you ever
e. lt1,;,, Enl1 han I will Toll
what | have seen and that daily. The
city of Matanzas contains about 10000
inhabitants. Into that city at least $3.50
to 5000 paysanos. the country farmers and
their families in the immediate suburbs
have been driven because their little
haciendos have been devasted. and they
can raise no crops. All these people have
to get food in some way or other There
is no work for them to do in the city, and
no money to pay them. If there was.
Well. the citizens do what they can for
them. The leavings of the tables-and
the bill of fare of the citizens is a most
frugal one-are given them, and such 9TH
er help as is possible. AS a consequence
scenes like these are common. woman
and her little girl. child about five years
Old, was begging at our house for food.
They seemed too weak to walk. plate
of food was handed the woman who took
it with a cry of joy. She had not ex-
pected to be so fortunate, she had met
with so many sorrowful refusals because
people hadn't the food to give. All at
once the little girl fell over on to her face
The mother tried to raise her and gave
an agonized scream. The child was dead.
Famine had done its work. The author
tiles We're summoned. The child was
placed on a rough board and carried off
followed by the wailing mother. | sat
at the door of the counting room one day.
and all at once, across the street. a great
bony negro fell dead from starvation. and
it was four hours before the authorities
found time to remove him.
You remember how gay it used to be
in the Plaza des Armos. How the laugh
ing fashionably dressed crowds flled the
Louvre drinking their wine and eating
their ices. by the glorious light of the
southern moon. and the brilliant electri-
cal display within. Now it is the Spanish
officers and the few strangers visiting
the island. and a few perhaps who are
residents who have contrived to keep a