The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-04-26
(Sneoial Correspondenee.)

Washington, April 20, 1898.
When the present war began Cuba
had fifteen hundred and twenty-one
prosperous sugar plantations. To-day
''the sound of the grinding Is low" for
only six of them are in operation. A
few weeks ago visited one Of the six,
which is situated in the southeastern
corner of the province of Matanzas. 1t
was an all days railway journey, leav-
ing Havana at a. M, and reaching
the goal soon after sunset. Probably
200 miles would cover the distance, as
the crow flies; but the extraordinarily
built to accommodate the large estates
--ziz-zags to and fro like the lacking
of ship. Travelling by rail in Cuba is
seldom unalloyed delight, and in these
troubled times discomforts are doubled.
Beside the usual slowness and irregu-
larity of service, the heat, dust and alb
sence of eating stations-trains are
now days in momentary danger of be-
ing fired into, derailed, exploded by
bombs and each has it's disquieting at
tachment Of two ironclad cars, filled
with Spanish soldiers standing by their
guns at the loop-holes. Sophisticated
travellers watch every thicket, hill and
hollow which might possibly shelter an
insurgent and throw themselves fiat
on the dirty floors of the car at the
first Indication of attack. Miles after
miles of burned canefelds, singed trees,
scorched hedges, beginning close on the
outskirts of Havana, show the boldness
of the rebels in spite of the multitude
Of forts. Avenue of royal palms are
passed-magnifcen vistas of smooth,
round columns, arched with living
green. Each of these splendid avenues
once marked the entrance to rich
plantation; now they lead to nothing
but melancholy ruins. Failing CHM
neys standing alone, blackened towers,
tumbled walls, piles of rusting machin-
cry, are all that is left of homes and
sugar mills. At top of each ruin perch
the scavengers of Cuba, gorged black
vultures--the only well-conditioned Gre
ntures to be found on the island. Here
and there tall ceiba trees, pronounced
say-bah) stretch wide their arms, laden
with many colored orchids. Occasional
sections, burned some months ago,
show how nature hastens to hide her
wounds In these warm regions. Lusty
weeds spring thickly among the charr-
ed cane-stubble; poisoning vines
creep over blackened walls, and roses
riot in the singed hedge-rows, not the
delicate pink ones We are accustomed
to see growing wild in the north, but
tropic roses, gorgeous in crimson and
yellow. The voice of the meadow lark
is heard, the plaintive call of Phoebe
and the sweet little song of the Cuban
tomguin. Palms increase in height and
number standing in groves, lining the
ravines and browning the hilltops; but
nowhere in all the desolated country is
there the trace of a garden, cultivat-
ed field, or sign of human occupancy
outside the fortified villages On ev-
cry hand the beehive forts are seen
often as many as is or 20 can be count
ed at once-all so tiny that one is con-
tinually reminded Of Senator Proctor's
suggestion, to carry one home on his
watch chain. Januco, MatanZas, Car
denas, and other towns are passed
each with it's inevitable accompani-
ment Of reconcentrados wretchedness
in groups of squalled huts under the
guns of the forts, as every station
Spanish soldiers swarm and starving
beggars make piteous appeals. To dis
L
tress would require the wealth of
Croesus. My escort did the best he
could for them by rushing out at ev-
cry stopping place and buying the en-
tire stock Of all the bread men in sight,
with which to fill the skeleton hands.
The Cuban bread-seller is worth a spe-
cial paragraph. Besides parading the
city streets numerously, at all times
and seasons, he is always found at the
railway stations when trains come in,
with large, low, wicker basket on his
head, filled with small, crusty loayes
that resemble over grown biscuits. He
is dirty beyond degree, barefooted and
generally bareheaded, economizing his
battered hat by carrying it in the bask-
ct among the loaves.
After hours of slow riding through a
totally unoccupied country, between
burned canefieIds on either side, with
the smoke from more burning fields or
insurgent camp-fires visable in several
directions-we left the car at night
fall, at miserable little hamlet of
palm matched huts. What was our as
constituent, on alighting in the mud
of this desolate place, to behold, few
yards away, q modern horse-car, eX-
actly like those in use in New York and
Washington, only decidedly cleaner!
Everything about it was fresh and
trim-spotless windows, straps to hold
on by, nothing missing but the nickel
box, or the conductor with his bell
punch. We were within the boundaries
of the sugar estate and the car is for
the use Of the planter and his family
who had come to meet us. Then away
we were whisked over three miles of
car track-between rows of stately
palms, hedges of giant aloes and
boundless stretches of sugarcane-to
the archway of roses and jessamine
which leads to the door of he manor
house. And here new surprises await
ed u.s. The enormous, two-story casa
with its many windows and latticed
varandas, was brilliantly illuminated
with electricity, and is furnished with
all the elegancies of city life. The
apartment assigned to my use was the
most beautiful I have occupied in many
a day, with its handsome French furn-
iture and delicate frescoing, under the
soft glow of electric lights in the form
of pink lilies; and better than all, it
had the welcome adjunct of perfectly
appointed bathroom, with all modern
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