The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-05-09


many native patriots have met death
in Spain's effort to maintain her blight
ing hold upon this remnant of her
western territory. Among the last who |
died here was Gabridel Conception de |
la Valdez, the mulatto poet and one of |
the noblest men Cuba h as produced, |
He was accused of completely with the |
slave insurrection of "A and condemned !
to be shot by soldiers of the line. The
first volley failed to touch a vital |
spot. The brave man, pleading from
many wounds, still stood erect and I'M
daunted, and pointing to his heart, said
in clear, calm voice, "Aim here"
Another volley and another victim
was added to the long list of Cuban
martyrs.
The blacklist page in the history of
this fair island can never be accurately
written, for Spain has made every eff
fort to suppress the record of the thou
sands of brave men who, suspected of
having a hand in some plot to over
throw the Ubiquitous government, or Of
sympathy with one of the innumerable
revolutionary movements, have been
publicly shot or privately disposed of,
or left to die by inches in some noisome
dungeon.
A little more than four centuries ago
this delightful situation was occupied
by the populous Indian village of Yucca
20. In 1693-just two hundred years af-
ter the discovery of the island by Co.
lumbus--a Spanish hidalgo named
Manzaneda purchased from Carlos II.
a few hectares of land, including the
then long-deserted Yucayo and settled
thereon thirty families of Canary Is
landers. The colonists arrived on a
Saturday in October. The next day be-
ing Sunday, Bishop Compostello
changed the heather name of the place,
with mass and solemn ceremonies, to
San Carlos y San Severino; and on
Monday, the third day, the corner
stones were laid of the cathedral and
the castle of San Severino-the most re-
markable instance of expedition on
record in this land of manana-"to-
morrow" The colonists afterwards ac-
quired considerable more space in the
adjacent Yumuri valley for a cattle
range, and devoted themselves to the
raising of beef for the Havana market
Hence the place became known as Ell
MetanZas-"the slaughter pen" In
time the names of the saints were left
off altogether, and not only the settle
ment, but the bay, the district and the
whole province rejoiced under the
name of"the slaughter PEN"
Straight through the middle of the
city runs the San Juan river-the por-
ton on the south side of it being now
| known as pueblo 'Nuevo." New
TOWN., and that on the north as "Ver-
| sailles." Several handsome stone
bridges cross the river. among them
| the Puente Belem. The new town con-
tains the railway depot and many beau
| tiful villas. 1t has one of the hand
soonest streets in all Cuba, the Calzeda
! de San Estevan, lined for two miles
with imposing residences, all with pill
Jared porticos in front, paved, like the
| terraces with mosaic of black and
white marble, or blue and yellow Vene-
tan tiles These casas Of the old time
grandees are set flush with the pave
ments, but each has it's beautiful gar
/ dens at the sides filled with palms and
| flowers, surrounded by tall iron rail-
| ings and stone pillars topped with urns.
| Matanzas has experienced the vicissi
tudes common to West Indian towns, of
attacks by buccaneers and lombard
ments by naval forces, English, French
and Spanish, but the worst calamity
that ever befel her was the great con-
! fiagration of forty-three years ago.
| After that the well-to-do citizens built
| their residences on the heights above
the city, where ocean breezes blow and
the wide spreading bay forms de-
lightful picture. Two railway lines
connect Matanzas with Havana, one Of
them running via Garuco and Carde-
mas; the other coming from the south
east through Villa Clara, Sagua and
Cienfuegos intersecting rich sugar
district and in peaceful times bringing
large amount of freight to the coast
for shipment. Both lines are American
built, drawn by American engines,
equipped with American cars, and will
no doubt soon be run by American en-
gineers. Matanzas has a splendid new
theater said to be the finest in the
West Indies, not even excepting "The
theater of hundred DOORS on Ha-
vana. Most of the public buildings,
however, are very old, uncomfortable
and dilapidated. The musty cathedral,
whose cornerstone was laid a little
more than three centuries ago, and
which has two towers, one much
taller than the other, is rather impos-
ing by reason Of massiveness and
rough architectural beauty. The GUS
tom house, erected near the beginning
of the present century-long and low
with overhanging roof of red tiles-be-
fore the war enjoyed the respectable
income Of two million dollars a year
There are several handsomely appoint
ed club-houses here, for in uban cities
as in London, Paris and Madrid. clut
life f1ourishes at the expense of domes-
tic institutions. There Is also a bic
bull-ring in the outskirt Of the city and
cock-pits galore. A few years ago Ma
tanzas province was the richest in
Cuba, rejoicing in the possession of -four
hundred and seventy EIGHT sugar es-
tates in operation, besides five hun.
dred and twenty-eight stud arms, and
some thre thousand other plantations
of various sorts. It's rapid decadence
from luxurious center of wealth and
fashion, as well as of productive indus
try and commerce, renders its present
: poverty the more pitiful. Many of the
fpoct y,1ooto tipy,s cf tho oI6 orietooro ox