The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-02-25
TIRING OF THE WAR.
People of Cuba Would Like to See the
End-Scarcety of Vegetables, Etc.

Havana, Feb. 1S.-(Copyrighted, 1897,
by the Associated Press. 1.-The insur-
gents have attacked Vega Alta and sue
ceeded in burning twenty houses on the
outskirts of that town. The military
commander of Artemisa, Senior Hidalgo,
after accommodating the Las Canas dis
trict, reports that farmers can resume
cultivation there under the terms of Gen.
Weyler's first edict, but not those living
inside the fortified zone. According to
the terms of Capt. Gen. Weyler's second
edict, over sixty families in that district
were compelled to abandon their homes,
burning their houses, including some
handsome dwellings and large starch
factory, and reducing them to a state of
the greatest poverty.
At Candelaria, province of Pinar del
Rio, there is a great scarcity of vege-
tables, ETC., as the insurgents will not
permit the country people to send such
supplies into the place.
A dispatch from Jaruco says that Emilio
Nunez has landed near there.
The bank bills question is producing
serious differences among the proprietors
of exchange houses and the government
officials. Many of them have returned
tend to close their business. The whole
matter has caused great excitement
among the people, particularly those of
the poorer classes. as stores of all kinds,
in consequence of the fall in the price
of silver bills, have raised the prices 40
per cent. This has made the people
desperate and restless under the burdens
that they are bearing and have been
bearing for some time past. Butchers
have raised their prices 80 per cent and
grocers and others have followed their
example.
To make matters worse no lottery
ticket sellers are to be seen on the
streets. which deprives the government of
pels it to adopt other measures to raise
the funds necessary to conduct the cam
paign against the insurgents.
The statement that everybody is tired
of war has so often lately been made
that it is useless to repeat it. But re-
cent developments have intensified this
feeling greatly and there is evidence of
this on all sides. The feeling of depres-
sion can not be dssipated by the changes
in the future of the campaigns. Every
body seems to be anxious for the war to
end and among business men and their
employees generally this sentiment is the
most strongly expressed.
Members of the family of DR.. Zertu-
cha, who was Maceos physician, and
who accompanied the insurgent leader
at the time of his death, deny the report
cabled from Madrid to the effect that
Zertucha had been assassinated by the
Cubans out of revenge. They say he
was alive and well two days ago at Me-
limo.
Both the friends of Zertucha and Cap
tain General Weyler claim to be ignorant
concerning the matter, and have received
Ixr.n he ,Nf
Zertucha.
A dentist named Ricardo Ruiz, natur-
allied American, was recently arrested
and locked up for thirteen days in the
Guanabacoa Jail. and not allowed to COM
municate with friends while the author
tiles were investigating the charges
against him. 1t is said he became crazy
and committed suicide by striking his
head against the walls of the prison. His
body has been delivered to DR.. Burgess,
and the remains will be buried in the
Colon cemetery.