The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-07-01

the steamer anchoring about quarter
! of mile out, no vessels being allowed to
come in any closer. After satisfying the
chief of police that had no intention of
attempting to blow up Moro castle or
disturb the tranquility of the Spanish
government officials, | was permitted to
disembark and proceeded to the custom
house. Here careful and thorough eX-
animation was made of the contents of
my two grips, and no miniature torpedo
boats or dynamite guns being found con-
cealed in them, they were marked lin
spected," and | was allowed to proceed
to the mglaterra, which is considered to
be the best and most aristocratic hotel
on the island. Upon my arrival there
was escorted to room on the third floor
After getting accustomed to the dark
ness discovered that the room con-
tanned bed, some chairs, washstand
and also a candle. l was then in
formed that l could get breakfact at
any time from 10 to II o'clock in the
| morning and dinner from to in the
evening, there being only two meals a
day, this being the usual custom in this
country and one which | would neces-
sarily have to adopt"
Asked if all the hotels We're conducted
this way, Mr.. Malone replied that they
T, were, meals being served on the Euro
pean plan, and only two meals day, al
though coffee was served alone at any
time previous to the morning meal.
| 1.-THE bill of fare was very good-for
Cuba-and of course | was satisfied, as
had previously made up my mind to be-
! come naturalized at once.
II found Havana quite interesting. 1t
has a population of about 100000 peo-
, pie, and the city has very narrow side
walks and streets. Havana is full of
diers. l attended theatre there soon
after my arrival in the city. They have
some good companies playing there, and
the theatres are pretty well patronized.
At one theatre in the city a new play is
put on every night, and the players not
having time to memoriZe their parts, a
man is stationed Just in front of the per-
formers and reads off the play very
| rapidly, the actors catching up their
parts as he proceeds. There, is no hitch
in the performance, though the audience
can hear the prompter distinctly.
There is not much talk of war in
Havana it being entirely pacified. re-
manned there several days and went from
there to Matanzas by rail.
"Matanzas is city of about 10000 IN
habitants. A pilot engine went ahead of
the train the entire distance from Ha-
vana, and the train was accompanied by
large body of troops. A popularity OF
the passenger trains is that there is no
water on the trains ut all for the pas
sengers. At every station, however,
there is a saloon, where drinks are sold.
and as the train pulls into station there
is a rush of half-pershed passengers for
the saloon"
Asked what the main drink was in that
country, Mr.. Malone replied that not
much whisky was taken, but the people
drank u great deal of wine and cognac
brandy.
"rhere are forts along the line of rail
road every few miles. From Matanzas
proceeded by rail to Sagua La Grande
and from there to Santa Clara and Gem
fugos by the same mode of travel. Every
train was under the escort of troops, and
the roads were dotted with forts every
few miles. The interior of Cuba is the
most desOlate country man ever looked
upon. The plantations are entirely de-
stroyed and grown up with weeds so
that it looks like a barren waste. Every
thing has been destroyed by fire and
only the charred remnants remain of what
once were fourishing plantations and
happy homes. 1t looks as though the en-
tire country had been swept by a flood
of fire. The country looks deserted, as
all the people are concentrated in the,
towns with nothing to do and absolutely
nothing to subsist upon
Asked if he saw any of the restitution
and the starving people of which so much
is said in the papers, Mr.. Malone replied
that in the cities the poor people looked
as though they were absolutely starving
to DEATH and he could not see how they
could live much longer. Being driven
from their homes in the country and con-
centrated in the cities, there is nothing
for them to do to make a living and there
are no charitable institutions to take care
of them, so they are slowly dying of star
walton, and the accounts given in the pa
pers are not Overdrawn.
As an instance of the bigotry and ig-
norance of the clergy in the island, Mr..
Malone told of man who established II
soup house in one of the towns for the
benefit of the poor people. He had made
and issued 10000 round brass checks, each
of which was good for one meal at this
soup house. These checks he sold at |
cent each, and charitably inclined people
would buy them in large numbers and
distribute them among the starving poor.
In the center of the check was little
ornament consisting of a ring with star
in the center. One of the priests in au-
thOrity there concluded that this Orna-
ment on the check was n masonic emblem
OF some KIM ana ordered the soup mouse
closed and forbade the people from using
the checks
'Cienfugos is a city of 10000 people.
Here | saw Gen. Weyler, who is a very
fine looking man and who does not look
at all like beast. From Cienfugos !
took passage on the steamer Santiago and
proceeded to Santiago de Cuba, city of
10000 population. Santiago de Cuba is
one of the ugliest places in the West
Indies.
Prom Santiago de Cuba I proceeded
to Porto Rico, taking passage on the
Spanish steamship Maria Hcrrura. On
this trip | had the pleasure(J of hear
ing the Spaniards give the United States
and all Americans blazes. They are very
bitter against the United States and look
with disfavOr on all Americans"
Mr.. Malone told of an incident on this
trip that showed the unlimited confidence
the Spanish soldiers have i'm themselves.
One of them said to him: IF war were
declared between the United States and
Spain l could take $4,000 soldiers and
wipe the United States off the face of the
earth" This was little more than he
could stand, so Mr.. Malone replied to
him: IF you were to come over with
your whole army the militia would not
even be called out, but we would whip
you with our police force" At another
time Mr. Malnpa uoo ool,aJ "a $50. :,