The Winslow mail., 1898-07-23
CUBA'S BAD DISEASES.
Malaria and Smallpox Prevail at
All Seasons of the Year.
People Unable to Keep Clean and he
yEccinafeG Die by Tens Of Thou
sardx--'Thc Rainy Season
Is the Worst

An old resident Of Havana lately said:
rHavana has malarial fever and small
pcx The year round, but they are rot cpl
dsmic, except in the rainy season. With
in a week after rains begin, the death
rate shows n large increase, and the sit
uatiun grows worse as the season ad-
vances, but a few days are enough to
scatter disease. II is no wonder the
people believe the rain Itself contains
deac.y poisOn.
''fcr several months the weather has
been unusually dry, and, following pre-
cedent. the rains should be heavier than
IS customary. When the war broke cut
there were 10000 persons in Havana
who had not sufficient means Of support
fer one week. What must be their con
d;ticn row, after fve weeks of the
blockade? As a rule, Cubans are not
prcviSent, while spaniards are not open
handed: hence, the Spaniards had some
thing when the war began; the Cubans,
nothing.
Weeks before the blockade was es-
tabl:shed. large cigar firm commenced
Kitchen. The tobacco supply had run
out, The factories were closed, and the
workInen were soon almost starving. /
do rot believe the Spaniards refused to
sell food to the Cubars with the idea of
starving them. In time like this the
instinct of self-preservation predom-
mates. The man who has money viii
live longer than the man who has none.
TIE latter will starve TO death unless
disease hastens the end. Hunger soon
puts 4 person in a condition in which
pestileHce can readily seize him.
Among the reconcentrados smallpox
has killed more than other diseases.
The people were unable to keep clean.
unable to be vaecinated, even if willing.
and they died by ten of thousands. In
their debilitatcd condition the disease
operated rapidly. Smallpox ought not
u be dangerous in Cuba. One large
manufacturer induced his 5000 en-
plOyes to be vaccinated, and only one of
them died from smallpox.
"Naiarial fever is now feared by the
Cubans more than yellow fever is. Yel-
low fever attacks person only once,
and the Cubans generally have the dis
ease in mild form during childhood,
and are thenceforth immune; but ma
larial fever has no anti~toXin and is very
contagious, and a person recovering
from an attack that has left him weak
may be seized again and die.
Tho Cuban insurgents, camping in
swamps. suffer severely from malarial
fever. II Is estimated that S5 per cent.
OF the Spanish troops have lad yellow
fever and are immune, as are all The
volunteers. Smallpox can be excluded
from the armies by vaccination, but ma
larill fever viii Kill or incapacitate
many thousands of Gen. Blanco's men.
''Whcn a death from yellow fever &C
ours in Havana the victim is buried with
the usual public funeral exercises. and
the house in which he died is occupied
as before without diSinfection. Small
poX victims, however arc hurried away
to the graveyard and buried as soon as
possible.
During certain rainy seasons have
known hundreds Of deaths per day to
cccur from contagious diseases. and
with the present conditions the daily
death list may run into the thousands
before the middle of the summer.
In Havana province there are nu-
merous bands Of from 20 TO 50 insur-
Gents each. They are 70 longer able to
raid the suburbs as before. The defcnses
having been strengthened, but thev do
hang about TO cut eff Stragglers. A
snail body of Spanish soldiers who
should wander away from the town
would be pretty sure to be chopped to
pieces by Cuban machetes. With the
feet in front and the Cuban guerrillas
behind, Havana is practically besieged,
and the same may be said Of the other
was."-I.oston Globe.
PE-chaso Price CT Manhattan Island.
The sum Of 60 guilders (about s24)
was not big enc TO pay for so big an
island as Manhattan, 13 miles in length
from north to south and for the greater
part two miles broad. But it satisfied
The lord sachems of the Manhathes," ;"
and Peter Miruit did not hand it over
in useless cash. lie gave its ''equiya-
lent" when in 1926 he arrived as the first
formally accredited director or gov
ernor of New Netherland, commissioned
by the Dutch West India company,
which owned and ruled and was trying
10 people the province, and the nature
of his moneys may be guessed from
list OF the articles paid, seven years
later, for large piece of land in the
Connecticut valley: zone piece OF duff
fels, p els long; six axes, six kettles,
IS knives, one sword blade. one shears
and some toys" Moreover, land was
the Indians cnly plentiful possession;
and, again, we need not think of the
Manhathes as Immediately deprived Of
their island, but merely as pledged, like
tenants at will, to give up tract after
tract as it might be wanted.-Century.
\ Disr,avclz Retort.
Men who find it hard to acquire for
eign languages may take little COM
fort in the following Bismarck story;
Prince Bismarck was pressed by a
certain American official to recommend
his son for a diplomatic place.
"He is a very remarkable fellow" said
the proud father. He speaks seven Ian
guages."
rIr6eed," said Bismarck, who has not
a high opinion of linguistic acquire
i