The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1898-03-31

| was never in better condition. Formerly could
| not eat without suffering very much Immediately
| alter but now can eat anything
| Havana. Then hasty almuerzo of bread
and chocolate in the water side cafe la
| Luz Then across the bay in crowded
boat, mixed up with chattering Spaniards
and Cubans, soldiers, servants and donkey
carts; past the melancholy wreck of the
Maine and the Montgomery lately ar
rived, and SPANS war vessel, Alphonso
MI. to the long rows of now empty
sugar warehouses on the Regla side. And
then three hours railway ride to Matan-
zas, capital of the adjoining province of the
same name. Every body was somewhat I'M
easy that morning-and with considerable
reason. Rumors were rife of Insurgents
near by, and the accompaniment of a car
load of soldiers fresh from Spain, going to
some station in the interior, increased the
danger far more than it gave protection.
accidents are frequent along this line
instructions placed on the track, bombs
thrown upon the train, shots fred through
| the cars. My previous journey over the
same road-when bound for a sugar plan
tation 40 miles beyond Cardenas-led me
to believe the assertion of my Cuban
friends that l am a ''mascotte' The day
before, an exploding bomb killed one
! passenger and injured several. On the day
of my return train on another branch of
the road was wrecked, and the day after
three passenger cars were pitched down
into an arroyo. Every train that passes
this way has its strong guard of soldiers
in an iron clad car attached-a cattle-ca
covered with iron plates, in which are
! loop holes for guns:-each soldier stand
ing at his gun, ready for instant action
On the day of our journey to Matanzas,
burning cane fields on either side told
that the Insurgents were not inactive nor
far away. At one time we counted seven
! fires within the range of vision. But we
were also assured that the rebels, whose
secret sympathizers are in every house
throughout the land, are all posted in all
that is going on; and that the presence
of so many Americans, (their supposed
trends), rendered the train safe from at
tack. On the other hand, it was asserted
that the greatest danger would come from
Spanish treachery; that soldiers in the
forts might have orders to fire at the hated
ENTHUSIASTICALLY as out spoken Sen
ator Gallinger was of the party-and the
action afterward attributed to the Insur-
gents, as SO many Spanish atrocities have
been. But nothing happened. In perfect
safety, we pursued the even tenor of our
way and arrived in due time at Matanzas.
The ladies of the Congressional party did
not venture to make the trip. There were
Senators Money Gallinger and Smith, Rep
resentative Amos J. Cummings, editor
klopsch of the Christian Herald-he who
has agreed to furnish the magnificent sum
of $40, 900 a month fo- six months to the
Red Cross Society from the Christian En-
deavorers of the United States besides
several secretaries, two photographers and
the usual contingent of reporters; the Red
Cross party, including Miss Barton, five
members of her staff and her humble
friend, your correspondent
Matanzas is one of the oldest and quaint
est cities of Cuba, and before the war was
one of the wealthiest, but is now most
woefully down at the heel Four centuries
fago populous Indian village, named
4ncayo, occupied the same delightful
situation - between two rivers, with a
broad bay in front as blue as the sky
above it, environed by green hills in the
form of an amphitheatre. History tells
us how in 1893, Don Manzaneda purchas-
ed 80 acres of land from King Carlos H.,
including the then deserted Yucayo, whose
original inhabitants had long since been
killed or enslaved by the thrifty Spaniards.
The new owner Immediately settled there
on colony of Canary Islanders--which
perhaps accounts for the peculiar yellow
ish- brown complexion of the Inhabitants
of to-day The founding of Matanzas was
completed with an expedition unique in
Cuban affairs and worthy of the builders
of Chicago. The Canary colonists arrived
on Saturday afternoon in October. The
next morning Bishop Compospilla as
sembled them and with mass and cere-
mony solemnly changed the heather name
of the place to ''San Carlos Y San Sever
mo-" On Monday, the third day., the
corner stone of the cathedral was laid and
the site marked cut fer a castle and fort
ress- the ruins of which still remain. The
colonists were afterwards given consid-
cradle space in the adjacent Yumuri val
ley for cattle range, and for many years
devoted themselves to the raising of cattle
, for beef. Hence, in time, the place be-
, came known as SCI Matanzas de San
Carlos y San Severino'' mean