Arizona republican., 1898-06-13
HOW LIFE GOES ON IN CUBA.
Provisions Running Low on the North
 Coast-Unfortified Towns Lawless.


 The Munson line ship Bratsberg (Norwegian), Captain Thorsen. which arrived yesterday from Sagua la Grande, east of the blockade line on the north coast of Cuba, port she left on May 20, brought a number of refu-
 gees who had much to tell of the in creasing scarcity of food and supplies
 iE the part of the country from which they come There were forty-nine
 passengers, including Cubans, Chinese and American citizens. Many of them wore duck suits or coats of very light flannel, and these shivered dismally in the driving rain as they made their way off the ship. They had expected to find warm weather here, and were much disappointed to learn that we were in the midst of rainy season of our own One of the American citi- zens aboard was J. More, a Cuban by birth, who owns a plantation at Sa- qua, and left there with his wife and son because he was afraid to stay longer.
 ",rhe Spanish threatened us time af- ter time.'' he said, land finally told me that if I did not want to have my throat cut and my wife and child car ried off, I had better get out right away. The threat against my family
 decided me to go. My son, who was connected with the consulate there, told me just before we left that there
 were number of Americans still in Sagua. There is only about twenty days supply of food left, and the place
 will soon be in pitiful condition if help does not come. When I left there
 vas 1awlessness, and it was not safe to be on the streets after dusk. The defenses of the place are unimportant,
 two small pieces in the fort and lit-
 tie gunboat lying in the harbor''
 A man from Santa Clara, who refus- ed to give his name on account of his
 wife and family, whom he has left there, had this to say as to the condi- tions there:
 Already when I left the town was feeling the effects of the blockade se-
 verely. Provisions for one month
 were there, and prices were high. A man named Masso Para, who pretends to be an autonomist, has been trying to raise 5000 Spanish troops in the province by offering $20 a month and hoard, half of the first months pay to be given as soon as the man is mus tered in. This offer has brought into Santa Clara a gang of cut-throats, l thieves and rascals of all descriptions.
 As soon as they find that the promised
 money is not forthcoming, they refuse to enlist and turn themselves loose
 upon the town You can imagine the dangers to the peaceable population of
 having such gang enjoying the free
 dom of the town Most of the regular
 troops have gene to Cardenas and Ci- enfuegos. The day after the bom- bardment of CardenaS troops were sent there from Placetas and Camajuini Some of the Spanish ideas of defense are 1aughable For instance ,as pro- lection against the insurgents they
 have put barbed wire fences around the town. The outlets are blocked with barrels filled with sand. There is some small pox in the town of Santa 1 Clara, but it has not reached formid able proportions"
 J. Wellborn of Newark has been in 1 the sugar business in Matanzas for
 nine years, and has returned to his
 he is an American, MT. Wellborn has
 not suffered any ill-treament, and says
 that any American who is known in
 Matanzas can stay there with safety
 so long as he does not go out looking
 for trouble.
 There are a number of Americans lthere now," he said, "who intend to
 stay right through. The only difficult