Evening star., 1898-09-17

EndeavOrs to Obtain Remission of
Duty on COmars Cargo.
ial Correspondence of The Evening Star.

| Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
| HAVANA, September 13. 1898.
| We had a visit from a celebrity yesterday
Miss Jessie Schley-and three minutes
conversation developed the fact that She
was mononanfac- One glance also suf-
| feed to show that instead of being the slim,
/ fair young girl Of twenty that her photo
graph in one of the New York papers show
| CO. she is 4 rathel stout woman of about
| forty-five. with hair slightly gray.
She arrived here from Spain a few days
| ago, and, hearing of the trouble we were
having with the cargo of the Comal. came
over to help us out. She offered to take the
whole business off our hands, carry it in
| free of duty and distribute it. Upon our
expressing doubts as to her ability TO do
this she sad: "Oh, now you know we
women can do a good deal that men cart
DO. We are pretty cute about some things.
And then, you know, l brought about peace.
Oh, did! The papers won't give me credit
for it, but l certainly cid. Why. the day l
got into Madrid | presented the matter to
the minister, and the next day the cabinet
had meeting and made their overtures.
But the pape~s hate to give any one credit
but themselves. Did you see my picture in
that New York paper? They pictured HE
as a pretty young girl,' And here she
stopped and giggled and famed herself
Sympa thetically.
Well. she regaIed us for nearly two hours
| on ancient. modern and prospective history
and after being finally convinced that she
could not have the handling of the cargo but
that we were very willing for her to have
the dut- taken off, she went away and made
all sail for Mr.. MOntOro, secretary of the
treasury here, to argue him into releasing
that duty. And, remembering Riley's little
poem of the tree toad that brought about
rain, shou dn't be much surprised if Mon
toro finally said. IF you'll Just quit I'll
ta Ike off that dutyv
Business s still at very much of stand
still around the island, and will be until the
rev government is settled Planters are
a1ald to start up their plantations again:
no one can impor; stock to replace that de-
siroyed during the war, under the present
duty, and the majority of country people
prefer to re main near the towns until mat
ters have settled down into their new chan
rel Every one has been depending upon
the coming of the commissioners to :mme-
diately restore peace, prosperity and hap-
plnesS in Cuba, and apparently they are
doomed to sore disappointment The com
misSlonerS have arrived, each of the three
with full personal staff and with q huge
fCTce Of clerks, stenogTap pliers. Interpreters
etc.-some thirty-five persons in a!i-and
they have re lted an entire hotel for an Of
nee and are apparently settling down for
ar indefinite stay. One of the officers sail
yesterday that IT would probably f,e tryn
months before matters were fully adiustedr
After winning the victory we have and
when the prosperity of the island is so de-
pendent On early settlement, why our com
niisslonerS should take two months or one
month to simply settle the evacuation by
the Spanish troops is more than we can
comprehend. Within fifteen days the city
should be TUNED over to the Americans
the United States troops should be quarter
ed where the Spanish now are ard we
ought to be considering the next question
annexation or Independent government
A. c. TOWNSEND.