The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-23
CUBAN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
Pen Picture of old Maxine Gomez.
He BreVys Il Punch

He Breys a Punch
N. G. Gonzales in Columbia Is. O. State.
Headquarters Cuban Army, Camp PaIo
Alto, Camaguey Wednesday, July 6. 1898.
When on Monday Gen. Maxine Gomez
and his escort returned from the beach
after a very brief stay, we were drawn
up to receive him. AS the veteran com
mander dismounted and advanced be-
tween the lines of Gen. Nunez's staff and
escolta, the commanding officer proposed
Viva Maxine Gomez" and the force, af-
ter the Cuban fashion, echoed VIVA
Then Cuba Libre" was saluted in like
fashion, and the United States as well
Then the old general cried viva ell Ejec-
cito" Oong live the army and the re-
Spouse was ample. But none of the cries
We're as effective as the rebel yell" The
Latins don't know how to "holler"
A little later introductions followed As
each officer was presented the general
took his hand, held 1T for few seconds,
and searched his face with his keen old
eyes. After few words of greeting he
took his position well at the front of
the camp, sitting in a hammock swung
under a broad and rusty canvas canopy
Quite devoid of style is the famous COM
mander-in-chief of the Cuban forces One
camp stool and a couple of broken crack
er boxes, whose contents had already
gone to his starving troops. constituted
the furniture of his fragmentary tent A
few palm leaves were spread on the tniry
ground by it, A lieutenant in the United
States army is far better equipped
How does Maxine Gomez look? Not
like the broken, bent old man of the
newspaper fables He is upwards of 70
years old but he lifts himself to every
inch of his hight. which is about feet 10
inches, and his leanness adds 70 the eff
feet of his erectness. His hair is IRON
gray and abundant, except where a fur
row of badness runs backward from his
forehead His skin is bronzed. He has a
long, aquline nose and strong sineWy
jaw. His eyes are set like a Tartar's. and
he has a full and dropping white NOUS
tache and short white goatee. His is
a type / have seen in South Carolina
among the Old planters, but at this mo-
ment Gen. Mart Gary is the only face l
can recall that suggests his. Gomez is
stern enough, but his face is less harsh
than was that of the BaIdheaded Eagle
of Edgefield.
How is he attired? To begin al the top,
in tall black SLOUGH hat, slightly pinch
ed in at the pointed crest and bearing
a Cuban flag badge at the side. black
alpaca coat, buttoned closely brown
linen shirt. torn white handkerchief
loosely rolled, tied in a single twist a the
neck. Black trousers with a shiny streak
in the cloth suggestive of store clothes'
"hand-me-downs." High boots origin
ally black and now very rusty and brown.
Bigsspurs.
The generalissinno sits in his hammock
to receive his officers and other visitors
who sit on a log at the edge of his avn
ing, or on the camp stool, or on a crack
er box. on his left are conspicuous two
suggestive articles. a wicker allegation
big-bellied bottle, containing rum and a
two-gallon demijohn, curiously and rude
ly covered, containing pure water He
has a flask or two in reserve, as I was
to find out yesterday.
Lieutenant - Acting Captain - Johnson.
u. S. A., came TO camp 10 deliver to Gen.
Gomez the messages of Gen. Miles con-
veying his compliments with supplies
sent, and his purposes for the future
Gen. Gomez has an Interpreter bul the
interpreter couldn't altogether understand
Capt. johnson 50 ! was asked 40 assist in
interpret In the palm-studded glade
the scene was like the reception of an M
bassy by some tropical potentate The
general sat in his hammock johnson on
the camp stool of honor, the Interpreter
and / on the two boxes. 1t would nos be
proper for me to relate here the details of
the conference. but I may say that the
old man had the dignity and proud reserve
of king, and that his questions and an
swers showed him to be a dplomatist s
well as general. l am glad l heard the
talk, because it Strengthened out some
things l had not understood. especially
the dispatch of negro troops to Cuba. The
arrangement made is very satisfactory
Capt. Johnson, as / said Ia a previous let
ter, is a Virglnian, and he mentioned that
before he entered the United States army
he had started, during the ten years
war, for Cuba, 10 join an American Ct
foer then in the Cuban army, but was
etopped at Jacksonville by the news of his
death 1t was a strange thing and great
pleasure 70 him, he remarked that he
should now be detailed 10 assist In com
pletrg the work he mad thought to Tn
dertake.
Capt. johnson and his troopers will be
attached to Gen. Gomez's escort. and will
be directly under his orders They have
had many years experience fighting In
dams on the plains, and their horses, as
well. are seasoned 10 rough work
Before the powwow began the general