Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-05

by delegation of ladies' and presented
with an official document, signed by
many names, which made her the
"Patroness of the Publacion!" In
vain / tried to dodge the honor. and to
persuade the people to wait for Miss
Clara Barton, who would probably
come to Jaruco later on and make her
their "patroness." / was the first
American woman who had visited them
and upon my defenseless head the full
measure of their gratitude was
wreaked 1t was as heart-breaking
as embarrassing. A very large major
ity Of the crowd were like living
skeletons--an army of beggars, with
swollen feet and emanciated bodies,
victims of fever. hunger and 'miseria-"
Patiently they followed us about, from
street to street and house to
house. where We were lead by
the delegation like lambs
to the slaughter. and at every
opportunity they pressed to kiss my
hand. How guilty l felt to eat the
breakfast served In the moson. with
that hungry crowd waiting patiently
and respectfully outside! How 1
begged the delegation" to let the
sight seeing go-that / would come
another day for that. If they would
only open some of those blessed bales
and boxes and feed the hungry multi
tude. "Si Sonora juerida' no so
moteste" they said: yes. dear lady.
Don't disturb yourself. They shall be
fed tomorrow" Had 1t been in the
United States the cover would have
been knocked off and the multitude
fed within an hour after the train ar
rived but "Manana" tomorrow rules
all things in Spanish The
kind and benevolent souls, actuated by
the very best intentions, could not be
made to realize that for the starving
st,,tx ltat -A,Ig hn 20 hoe
tain thousand words; and the
reconcentradus themselves, expecting
nothing else, meekly folded their skele-
ton arms and waited for manana.
Such narrowing tales MS Were told to
us by motherless children and fearful
women! Space will not permit me to
repeat but one of two.
A girl of 10 years, with arms not
much bigger than my thumb and badly
swollen feet, indicating the dropsy
caused by Impoverished blood, said that
she was the eldest of i've brothers
and sisters, the father and mother
both dead. She was clad in n single
ragged garment. dirty beyond descrip-
ton, and was the worst case Of itch l
ever beheld. We bought some medicine
for the disease and explained its APP
plication and provided the family for
food for a few days;-but what good
win that do In the depths of their mis-
cry and the hopelessness of their flu
ture? If the readers OF the "Deseret
News" could have been with me that
day in Jaruco, they would not rest UNI
til aid societies We're formed for the
rnaking of garments for these wretched
creatures. Elaborate clothes and cast
of finery are not needed; but sacques
and skirts of serviceable cotton, made in
various sizes, and bouses and trousers
for the boys, would be an incalculable
boon.
The United States will send food
through the bounty Of the government,
but II rests with my country women
to cover some of this nakedness. In
the last lot of supplies that arrived in
Havana came a large lot of black but
tons, sent by some generous-hearted
mercant. How useful" exclaimed Miss
Barton as she ga2ed upon 1t: but 1t
seemed 10 me that some garments upon
which to place the buttons would be OF
more service just now Another case
was that of a good-looking, refined
woman, perhaps 81 years of age,
dressed In neat but shabby black with
the saddest eyes | ever saw. She said
that two years ago she and her hus-
band We're In good circumstances. own
ing small plantation upon which they
employed six men and their wives. A
few days after Maceo's raid the Spanish
soldiers came In hot pursuit. The lat
taken. They did not know. being out
of the line of Maceo's march, and
therefore could give no Information.