The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-17
MAxlMO GOMEZ

The W~rshlhs'o"
w,r,siou, aian-Lo'i Fortune and SON
in the Cause.
,,,,lmn Gomez, commandcr-in-ch!tf
:, m. army Of the Cuban rcpublic.
s.-,Irh. and spare. with piercing black
,y,e. IN the forests thus dealt, surround
=, nv his stan. with a man who had
AMEN 500 to allow tho sale OF sugar
eal.s to the spHn!ards.
II. called tho officer to him. and, turn
,,r 10 his hearers, said: You see before
r ,na 4 man who has been n brlgadier In
,srylce OF Cuba. lie has sold him
vi, Tor 800. He Is hereafter TO be
.t,n only as 'BrlEadler sugarclkes.'
tI,S spy man in Cuba addresses him as
.rythInE elsc he docs 50 against my eS-
'Tben, turning TO the culprtt: Tear OFT
,,,.e s,arS. Give chem TO me. qulckl
w are not IL TO command men. You
Nv hc bought for a cake OF brown sugar.
E.~n 10 the ranks with you, and try 10
a. voIr duty as q private soldier and be
,ssnEful II my soldiers win walk IN the
am, ranks with you. It IL too much
tonor for you. See that you behave
youryelf hereafter"
And the man obcyed. Subsequently
10 reIecmcd himself by heroic courage
!, hattie and regained the esteem OF his
general.
rscrssary. lie knows not only how 10
AXE men love him. but how to make
,hpm obey him. He Is a picturesque fig
nr with his SLOUGH hat and his loose
blnree, on the collar OF which are two
c,Ij stars which tell his rank.
lie Is not calm and collected and i'm
,ress!ye as Washington was. He Ia
rathcr nervous. and not infrcquently
,c.ulant. When he Is angry he taps his
rray chin whlskers with HIS fingers and
Sts ewes blaze. When n guilty man
,,n,d In the presence OF Washington he
IN the very marrow Of his bones con-
rfal before that cold, calm. august pres
cree and the eyes OF the general seemed
looking al him from some grand height
10 contemplate his l~!tlcness. Before
Gomez the culpr!t feels the fiery eyes OF
his chief burn into him and brand him.
Gomez Is below the average height and
M, Impressive, but he had a strange
magnetism about him which draws good
ren to him and makes brave men die
f,r him. When that little dried-up old
man appears among d group OF officers
there Is no need to ask who Is master.
HIS personality is compelling and at
~tactivs.
He was ~passionately attached to his
boz, Francisco, who died with Afaceo.
pancNito was the generals nickname for
his son and when the boy insisted on
leaving New York and taking his place
IN the ranks OF Cuba the old man would
not say nay. but insisted that he go to
fight with Maceo. fearing that II PAN
ckl,o' were serving In hts " command
Is would make him think in battle for
the safety OF his son when he should
have his mind only IN the affairs Of
Cuba.
He would not have near him the one
dearest to his heart, lest Il should dis
trac: him from the task 10 which he had
So: his hand. The death OF Maceo and
Of Francisco Gomez vas q severe blow
to the Cuban leader and he seldom refers
70 the subject, except In general terms.
The writer saw Francisco in New
York shortly before he sailed to Join his
ti;asr In the fight for Cuban independ-
eace. He was only a boy who believed
10 his father and the cause for which his
father vas fighting. The Cubans gave
him a dinner and he bore himself mod
es.ly and with the manner OF a brave
youth who desired to do something for
Cuba before he talked. 5F55
He Gid-he gave his life for It AT one
time "panchito" edited a newspaper IN
the island OF Monte Cristo. He was fond
Of literature. and II the war for the in
dependence OF Cuba had not broken out
his lie would probably have been an un-
even.tul one. devoted to his favorite pur-
suEs.
There have been many stories set
aagat by the SpaDiards to the effect that
Gomez did not like Calixto Garcia, but
IN many interviews the chief has de-
claret that With plenty Of cartridges and
men Ike Garcia he would soon make
Cuba free. So they used to talk abou.
tie official relations between him and
Maceo, but Maceo vas his right hand
and he believed In and trusted him to
the full. There is no room for jealousy
In the heart OF Maxine Gomez. He re-
:o!ces al the fame OF his suoordinates.
II It is true that Maxine Gomez Is
about to vlsi; the United States, this re-
public will welcome q man whose career
IS one OF the most romantic and eventful
that can be imagined. His whole life
has been one in which the years OF peace
nave teen few. II he cast aside the
sword for a short time 1t was only 10 re-
sumo itagain. and his old age finds him,
as MS youth did. a leader OF men in fields
Of battle.
his Is a strong and remarkable char
acter, Tho has won the love Of his fol-
lowers and the admiration OF his foes.
ms. is the character Of a knight who has
se!oom been able to lay off his arnor,
sHd through good and evil fortune has
Neps mat arEloc bright. AZ sinty-ewo
EARS oil age his eye is as bright. his
.9tin as erect. his capacity Tor enduring
te ha:dsh!ps OF a campaign as great as
"aen ne Was a young lieutenant, wear
ing the Uniform Of Spain.
Gomez belongs 20 nm old Snnnfsh fam
ns VINO settled In Banl, Santo Domingo.
nat 'own he was born. AS a lIeuten-
a4t ne served IN the Spanish army dur
lux spalAs last occupation OF his native
.GuHIy' When The revolution OF 1859,
SiIth many drove the Spaniards uit Of
Inv DoaingS, broke out, Gomez de-
1nsa 20 no longer fight against his
."uhIryfen. He mad seen all the cruel
y ana futIl!ty OF Spanish rule and dor-
the UNIFORM OF Spain forever.
ne "ehE 10 Cuba and settled down as
pI"'er' No more he thought would
ne near the shouts o: armed men or see
1e,a OF battle. To cultivate his land
nt'G NE IN peace now became the object
rn,a as ne. But he found the Spanish
it.tE n cuba as cruel and intolerable as
Il nad been In Sarto Domingo.
"Hsh the ten years war; broke OH.
~. 'Sso ne cast his lot with the cubans.
n.s former military experience and hIs
character gave him at once a prom
n n.ae pace IN the Cuban army, and
~aeh General Agramontc died he be-
,a.ne oornmander-ln chief OF the insur-
49, IOFrTE 1NrA- T. IE-a