Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-03-28

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mendation.e' Many doubtless did not
learn of this order. Others failed to
grasp it's terrible meaning. It's exc
cution was left largely to the guerillas
to drive IN all that had not obeyed
and I was infor med that in many
cases a torch was applied to their
homes with no notice, and the in
mates fed with such clothing as they
might have on, their stock and other
belongings being appropriated by the
guerillas. When they reached the
town they were allowed to build huts
Of palm leaves in the suburbs and va
cant places within the trochas and
i left to live if they could. Their huts
! are about 10 or Is feet in size and for
want of space are usually crowded to-
gether very closely. They have no
floor but the ground and after years
wear, but little clothing except such
! stray substitutes as they can extern
porize Little children are still walk
ing about with arms and chest terri
bly, emaciated, eyes-swollen and alb
domen bloated to three times the nat
ural size. The physicians say these
! cases are hopeless Deaths in the
streets have not been uncommon. T
! was told by one Of our consuls that
they have been found dead about the
markets in the morning where they
crawled hoping to get some stray bits
of food from the early hucksters and
i that there had been cases where they
had dropped dead inside the market
surrounded by food. These people
before Weyler's order. They are not
| beggars even now.
The hospitals-of these I need not
speak. Others have described their
condition far better than I can. 1t is
not within the narrow limits of my
vocabulary to portray it. Before
starting for Cuba I received through
the mail leaflet published by the
Christian Herald with cuts of some of
the sick and starving reconcentrados
and took it with me, thinking these
were rare specimens got up to make
the worst possible showing. saw
plenty as bad and worse; many that
should not be photographed and
shown. I could not believe that out
of a population Of 1000, 600, 200,0
had died within these Spanish forts,
practically prison walls, within few
months past, from actual starvation
and disease caused by insufficient and
badly cooked food. My inquiries were
entirely outside of sensational sources.
In one hospital saw 400 women and
children lying on the stone floors in
an indescribable state of emaciation
and disease, many with the scantiest
covering Of rags, and such rags, and
sick children naked as they came into
the world. And the conditions in the
hospitals in other cities are even
worse"
After saying that in the main Amer
leans must take care Of the reconcen-
trados until peace comes, he said:
"Gen. Blanco's order ofNovember 18th
somewhat modifies the Weyler order
but is of little or no practical benefit.
It's application is limited to farms
properly defended' and the owners
are obliged to build s'centres of de-
fense." It's execution is completely
in the discretion of the local military
authorities and they know the terrible
military efficiency of Weyler's order
in stripping, the country of all possible
shelter, food or source of information
for an insurgent and will be slow to
surrender this advantage. In fact,
though the order was issued four
months ago, I saw no beneficent re-
suits from it worth mentioning"
Mr.. Proctor alluded to the surpass-
ing richness of the country and then
he analysed the population of the Is
land. OF the Spaniards there were
nearly 100000, living principally in
towns and cities, controlling much of
the business and property with an
'seye to thrift" and slegalized morop-
polies." Of the Cubans there were
5000, 900 before the war, They are of
quieter disposition than the Spaniard
and better educated. There were less
than 500, 900 negroes and the race was
diminishing in number. The negroes
of Cuba were physically and mentally
the equals of the race in the United
States.
Some foolish people allow cough to run
until it gets beyond the reach of medicine.
They often say, ooh, it will wear away but