The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1898-09-01

let me tell you one he'io MISUNDERSTANDING,
characteristic of the place. Everywhere
in Cuba lepers roam the streets, without
LET or hindrance There are two or three
hosnitals for them in Cuba, but no law to
compel their isolation. About forty
lepers however. were corralled in Santi-
ago Hospital Civil-until after the battle
of .Iuly LIST and I'd, when the hospital was
needed for the wounded Spanish soldiers.
All the sick who could crawl were ordered
ont into the streets, to make room for the
victims of war. The lepers We're evicted
with the rest, and are now mingling with
the tbronq in the water side streets, beg
ging aims from passersby and receiving
food from the Red Cross, often directly
from the hands of our ladies.
In its best estate Santiago lacked every
sanitary feature; and now, after two
months of siege-crowded with the Off
scourings of all the surrounding region,
the sick. the wounded, the diseased, and
cargoes of rotting stuff being dumped
ashore from ships long delayed in the
harbor-the city is veritable pest hole.
filled with stenches that absolutely stag
ger one. Decayed fruit, dead dogs, cats
and mules, all manner of filth and carrion
lies wherever it happened to fall, Tester
ing in sun and rain, to quickly become
mass of living, wrggling abomination. A
peculiarly of this not moist climate is the
rapidity with which putrefaction takes
place. and the certainty that without
greatest care maggots will breed in dis
eased hesh-a fact which adds untold
horrors to hospital work.
Between military rule and a queerly
mixed Spanish and American civil adj
mnistration Santiago's business affairs
are decidedly complicated Most of the
Spanish officials of the former govern
ment have been retained, to the unbound
Indignation of the Cubans. Those minis
| tiers, they say, were never chosen by the
citizens of Santiago, but were forced upon
them by the Queen of Spain. They have
been fighting this very thing for thirty
years and after the victory they naturally
expected another government, with Off
cials of their own choosing. Still more dis
satisfaction has arisen from the admins
traction of port affairs, which were never
in worse condition when Spain held IN
disputed sway. To begin with, the same
port officials are retained-a Cuban at the
head who does not speak of word of
English, assisted by three Spanish revenue
officers; therefore the American merchant
men who are unacquainted with the
language find it extremely difficult to do
business at all The harbor is crowded
with vessels filed with American goods,
which cannot be landed because the army
has pre- empted all the wharves and light
ers. fair sample of that phase Of the
situation is the steamer philadelphia
on which | came, She expected to dis
charge her important commission at this
port in three days time aud be ready tc
return; she has now been here nine DAYS.
and will doubtless have to wait as many
more before all her cargo can be taker
ashore in the one lighter which she is
able to occasionally secure for few
hours service. In normal times there are
plenty of lighters in Santiago harbor: but
just now the ll-powerful military are
using them and refuse to let one 90
whatever valuable cargoes may he spoil
ing. Never was mortal man more I'M
popular than General Shafter-atloat
and ashore with both Spanish and Ameri
can merchants, the captains of all vessels
that visit the port, as we'll as with the in
teligent citizens and the soldiers 10
man. The wonder is that some bullet
aimed by vengeful hand does not Gu
short his career in these lawless times, as
he rolls about town in his carriage or his
great bulk is carried from camp to caml
on q litter. Men are dying by the hun
dreds because of somebody's crimina
neglect, and naturally, to the chief officer
on the spot, is attributed a good deal tina
properly belongs to distant Surgeon Gen
cidi IcloIuue4S Among OlIeT lulQSS
>hafter's action in regard to port charges
IS severely criticised. 1t was believed
that when santiago became an American
port, the exorbitant duties exacted by
SUain would be abolished. People wert
perishing here for everything in the line
of food and other necessaries of life
What then was The surprise of the Ameri
can merchants who undertook 70 supply
a part of the demand, to find when they
reached Santiago that they must pay al
average of 100 per cent. ad valorem or
every article-the same old Spanish
charges which furnished the Cubans wit /
their main cause for rebelling. The
merchants appealed to Gen. Shafter and
he tod them in plain terms that they
must pay the extortionate charges or
leave the port without unloading, and
be Id quick about it, too. Many did
the latter, and the few who re NAMED
found themselves encompassed by diff
cultics. The captains rendered drafts in
1