Evening star., 1898-11-17
Observance of the Festival of San
Carlos.
THE STARTING OF DAIRY FARMS
Bitterness of Feeling Between
Spanards and Cubans.
A n n E X A TION AK
ECopyright, 1895, by Charles NJ. Pepper.l
Special From Staff Correspondent

W. pushing ycui-S <AiHcIlCdIlS came OUT
from Havana the other morning. On their
arrival they were Gisgusted to learn ttat it
was church holiday, for they wanted to
do business. They feared this holiday was
like the Fourth of July or Christmas ir the
states. They hal not been in Cuba long
or they would have known better. They
quickly learned of their mistake anG then
they started out, as they called it, to
hustle Here another surprise awaited
them. They were not the first On the
ground. Other Americans had been ahead
of them. These young fellows were in the
cattle business They proposed to establish
dairy farm, and they were also looking
into the chances for a ranch. The importa-
ton of cattle is one of the few things that
does not have to wait for American control
of the custom houses, because Blanco's au-
tonomist cabinet has made 1t free. A Phil
adelphia firm has bought a large tract of
grazing land lear Cienfuegos and is stock
ing it. A New Orleans company has OBJ
tanned a ranch near Cardenas.
Other enterprises of this kind are under
way. The manager of the largest Spanish
importing house in this part of the sla I'd
told me there was much money in import
ing cattle, and the ''shrewd Americans
were getting it. The business does not
have to wait the slower processes OF aSri-
cultural recuperation. which are necessary
before trade opportunities will come.
dearth existed of cattle for consumption,
and for dsiries as well for oxen for the
sugar plantations. Ending this famine has
been a profitable transaction both to the Ves-
sel-carrying trade Cf the gulf and to the i'm
porters. There is little fear of a glut in the
market, for after the immediate wants are
supplied cattle raising promises TO continue
profitable. That Is the judgment OF those
who are investing their money in it. The
young Americans who came to MatanZas
while they did not find themselves the first
ones, have found that there is room for
them, and they vii. start their dairy farm.
The Feast of San Carlos.
To return to the holiday 1t was the
feast of San Carlos, the patron of Matan-
zas. Had a general suspension of business
been required there would have been little
to suspend. for the trade of the town is
excessively dull. The Spanish flag is sup
posed to fly Sundays and holidays, and it
did futter in dozen places, all of which
proved to be military quarters. Beyond
this there was no indication of Spanish
sovereignty. The chimes from the old
church were as resonant as those in the
cathedral at Havana. / crossed the street
and entered. remaining long enough to OBJ
serve that the majority of worshipers We're
women. Some Spanish officers were there
and d few men who were Cubans. Three
fourths of the women and children were in
black. That is the reminder everywhere
met with of the mourning which the strug-
gle to free Cuba brought to SO many fami-
lies. l am afraid the sanctuary did not
soften the bitterness which exists between
the Cuban and the Spanish women. They
were ostentatious in their avoidance of one
another. Forgiveness was one of the vir-
tues of Saint Charles, as of all the saints,
and in dlScoursing on the patron of Ma
tanZas whose festival the day commemorat-
ed the priest undoubtedly exhorted his flock
to emulate this virtue. When another year
comes around and the feast of San Carlos
l..J,r
ness and charity. This year the bitter
memories of what has been suffered are too
fresh to be sweetened.
This intensity of feeling between what
are called the better classes of CubanS and
the Spaniards Is more pronounced in Ma
tanzas than elsewhere. 1t will not lead to
trouble, because they both know that the
United States will stand nothing of that
sort. The animOsity does not extend to
the masses. The Spanish soldiers and the
insurgents do not fraternize, yet they get
along well together. The movilizodos or
blacks who have been part of the Spanish
forces will soon be disbanded and in few
weeks will be working by the side of the
insurgents on such of the plantations as
have sugar to cut and grind. This state
ment seemed doubtful one to me- for the
moriilzodos look anything rather than
peaceful, but several sugar planters con-
hrmed ii. They are in d position to know
better than a stranger. As regards the
anlmosity between the educated Cubans
to be readily healed.
iii-Feeiing Against the United Stotes
The Spanish classes in Matanzas have also
more il-feClng toward the United States
than their fellows in Havana and Pinar del
Rio, or else they are less polite in concea1-
ing it. a larger proportion of civilians
merchants and Others VIII follow the troops
lack to Spain rather than remain under
the American flag. This is not true of one
f.nyf foyy1.av avfi,
too much money invested to withdraw I.
Is true of other tradesmen, who for one
thlng, Know that the faVoritism which en-
apied 1hem TO make money in the past is
eLded. In tlTe, when the province gets
back 10 its normal production of sugar and
Matanzas shows signs of its former &C mmer-
cial activity, the cnance will be open for
American merchants to come in and take
advantage of the opening caused by the
withdrawal of the Spanish merchants
" hlle the sentiment of the majority of
Spanlards in MatanZas is sullen and bitter
IL must be said in justice that there is no
offensive exhibition of it. Nowhere has the
realization of what it meant to go to war
with the United States been so keen. This
Is especially true of the military forces The
of1cers are not gay or Indifferent as in
other places. The authorities are not pre-
tending that they can prolong their stay in
Cuba indefinitely The military band does
not play in the plaza Thursday and Sun
day nights. That shallow mockery is still
maintained at other places. We feel too
badly was the frank statement of one of the
officers to me. The official announcement
OF the sale of military effects are not print
ed; they are written and affixed to the walls
at the barracks. The condition of the pri-
vate soldiers is pitiable. Their uniforms are
worn and torn and patched. Their shoes
are full of holes. Few of them pretend to
the luxury of socks Their pay is ONLY
promise which cannot be turned into cash
In all their sufferings they are behaving
with moderation. The officers frequent the
cafes. That is a habit which Is ingrained
but the groups in the cafes are rarely en-
gagged In animated and trifing talk, such
as L have heard at other towns This de-
preston of defeated army commands more
respect than the cynical Indifference shown
by other divisions and regiments Yet It is
a detected and weary waiting for the trans
ports which are to take these troops back
to the peninsula.
Politics is Active.
In the midst of much stagnation and
depression politics is active. The Spanish
element which means to stay wants annex
alton, but is not impatient, and is not in
clined to antaeoniZe the Cubans on that
subject. The Spanish manager who gave
me the information about the cattle impor-
tations said: We will get along all right
as soon as your people take control of the
custom houses and fix the duties After
that can wait Mr. Diaz ha Cub,,