The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-17
Living i'm Expectation that They VIII
Some Day Be Citizens of the United
States and Enjoy Prosperity.
ALL EAGER FOR WAR NEWS
SPANISH CONSUL WHOSE WAYS ARE
DEVIOUS AND DARK.
RumOr Once Current that Indianap0-
lis Had Been BOmbarded from
the Banks of the Wabash.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.

! Correspondence of the Associated Prexs
| ST. THOMAS, d. w. L., June s.--The
| prominence given by the Hispano- American
war to ST. Thomas and the interest of
| which it has been an active center have
| brought to light certain conditions which
| would otherwise be known only to the ma
| tive of the land and to the stray traveller
| with a taste for inquiry. The interest the
| island takes in tho is keen and along
| with it goes popular hope that the United
| States will eventually buy st. Thomas from
| good King Christian TX. and this bring
! back the old prosperous times.
| War news runs daily up and down the
street, for every one knows every one else
and merchants clerk always has time to
leave his warehouse and discuss on the
sidewalk the last dispatches from New
York. or to impart to his friends the con-
fidential communication of a newspaper
| correspondent to his employer. Every
stranger in a helmet and cab is set down
as a war correspondent by the natives. This
town has seen thirty such here at once,
and it attributes to them all mysterious
knowledge of war affairs up the island. This
credulity must have been imposed on. at
times, for there was once an alarming ru-
NOR here of a Spanish bomhardment of In
dianapolis from the banks of the Wabash.
| Many of the people have wondered why
so many correspondents come here, when
there is so little news in the region. But
| these foreigners have money to spend and
| ST. Thomas extends them right royal well
| come. Every industry of the island has prof
| tied by the presence OF the knights of the
| quill, and their expenditures are regarded
| as sample of the good times to come when
1 I'll. W.
| popular voice is in favor of such a trans
| action. Frequently crowds of ragamuffins
| will parade the streets, headed by an Ameri-
| can flag and singing American patriotic
songs, and they don't mind shouting Cuba
| libre' with malicious delight after the ex-
| asperated Spanish consul. Buttons showing
| the stars and stripes are in demand, and
| editorial comment on the question of
| transfer to the United States is not lacking.
One local beneficiary of the war has been
| the office of the West India and Panama
| Gable Company ponderous British con-
Germ, at present enjoying a monopoly which
| it cannot and will not must be broken
| sooner or later. Many thousands of dollars
have been paid to this company during the
| last six weeks for the transmission of news
to the United States 1t is doubtful if in
normal times there is enough cable business
|
| panes, yet with the wires of the rival
! French company landed on the islands and
| the question of the latters operation de-
pendent upon governmental permission
| ony-a permission which all people know
will be obtained-the British company is
taking steps apparently to hold trade
| fancied security, born of some thirty years
monopoly. If the result is surprise for
| the company, and cheap and efficient ca
| BILE service to ST. Thomas, the islands bust
ness will benefit greatly.
The Danish government has, possibly.
pursued an unwise policy in granting 70
| certain men the business monopolies here.
For instance, there is but one drug store
on the island. There are four coal
wharves in the harbor-one English, one
! French, one German and one general. The
first, second and third concerns only supply
steamers of the Royal Mail Steam Packet
! Company, the Compaganie Generate Trans
| atlantque and the Hamburg American line,
coal to other " Steamers. The IMPRESSION is
| abroad that the owners of the general coal
wharf have a protected sale of this neces-
sity, but such is not the case, as is proven
by the recent sale to the United States of
coal that was brought here upon specula-
| ton by others. Coal has been of the first
| importance during the last two months.
| Two of the American war ships have sup
! piled themselves from this port, and the
| United States still holds some six thousand
| tons in reserve at st. Thomas
! The local Spanish consul is an active fig
ure. By a system of street and cafe espon-
age he keeps himself informed of all that
| goes on in Charlotte Amalia, the capital
| of the island. Every movement of the Amer
| lean ships that comes under his notice is
| communicated at once to Porto Rico or
Madrid. If an American yacht in the harbor
| gets up steam to run to Santa Cruz, the
| Porto Rico gunboats are at once notified
| to watch for her, and if an American traV-
! eler shows signs of going TO the neighbor-
| ing Spanish island, the dark-faced cafe
| loungers report to the consul and Porto
| Rico is promptly notified. The consul's ways
are devious dark. shrouded in mystery and
utterly beyond the comprehension of any
| one but a Spanard. 1t is said that he has
Vainly protested to the local authorities
| against the cries of "Cuble libre" from the
| street boys and against the evident pro-
| American SympathieS of the boatmen and
| cab drivers he employs. He must surely re-
| greet the uncensoredl cable enjoyed by the
| newspaper men and sigh for chance to
| garble their news or throw them in Jail in
| the good old Spanish way.
| Mr.. Phillip c. Hanna. formerly United
/ States consul at San Juan de Puerto Rico,
! has been in st. Thomas for nearly two
| months. He longs for his own bailiwick and
| the day when he will probably return there
! with the American troops in possession of
| the island. His tall figure is familiar to ali
and his popularity is unquestioned. Mr.
| Mahlon Van Horn, United States consul in
| St. Thomas has been a busy man since the
| war began. To begin with, his coal opera
| tions in behalf of the American govern
| ment kept him actively engaged and now
| adayS there is much for consul to do
! that Is outside of the routine paths of
peaceful times.
st. Thomas is poor in news, but she takes
| eagerly what comes her way She crlti-
| ciseS both the Spanish and American opera
! tions. with favorable expressions concern
| ing the latter. Meanwhile she Is awaiting
| in her opinion, will give the ultimate VIC
| tory to the United States