The herald., 1898-04-27
A SPANIARD WHO STAYS
ANTONIO VELAZQUEZ HAS NO
FEARS FOR SAFETY HERE
He Is Naturalized American Citizen
Now-He Was Educated in
Cuba-Knows the Island

II suppose you will be leaving town
about next week." said the customer is he
bit off the end of a long black cigar, placed
it between his teeth and reached for
match.
Antonio velasquez, who was behind the
counter of his little cigar store at lis west
Eighth street, gave his shoulders little
shrug that was almost French and an
swered with rising infection and smile:
"Oh, 1 don't know"
Antonio Velasquez Is Spaniard, or rath-
er was one for he now carries about with
him papers that proclaim him an American
citizen. '"Tony," as his friends call him,
was born in one of the northern provinces
of Spain about forty years ago. He has
been an American about fifteen years,
twelve of which were spent in New York,
and the last three in Kansas City. He
lived for a time in Cardinos, an inland town
near MatanZas, in Cuba, and as school
boy he travelled over the country that is
now the scene of so much desolation. AS
his customer went out man who was
standing near the counter asked Tony what
he would do were war declared between the
United States and Spain.
"Stay right where L am" he answered,
land sell cigars so long as there is any
one to smoke them"
Are you not afraid that you would be
mobbed by Americans if war should break
out?" he was asked.
For reply Tony gave his shoulders an
other little shrug and lighted one of his
own Spanish cigars. He drew few puffs
and then said:
"Why should I be afraid of Americans?"
am an American-have been for fifteen
years. l like Americans. I know them bet
ter than 1 do Spaniards. No. no. Ameri-
cans will not harm me-"
Tony is small, like most Spaniards, with
short black hair, brown eyes and a thin
moustache. Those whose ideas of Span
lard are formed from the pictures of the
swarthy pirates who once sailed the Span
ish main, would be disappointed in Tony
for his skin is white and he is among the
most peaceabe looking of men. He is a
delightful talker, and his expression is
tinted with foreign accent.
How is Cuba?' he said as he went on
with his work of rolling big black cigar.
"Oh, Cuba is very good. l lived near Ma
tanzas when ! was boy. l went to school
in Cardinos and learned lots. In Spain
when went to school l did not learn. The
teachers were too rough. In Cuba the
teachers were good and learned lots.
learned most in New York. All, New York
is great. Coney Island?"-
His hands went up in gesture that very
we'll expressed the Americansm, II guess
yes"
CuDd is d SOOu lSldIu III sOIlle lc-
|spects-and it is bad, too. The Cubans are
some of Spanish and some of mixed negro
blood, and the upper classes are very good
people. In Havana there are more than
1000 police, and yet every day some one is
stabbed in the back. In the inland part
of the island there is more honor and not
NEARLY so many police. When you quarre
inland you fight like men. In Havana-they
stab you in the back.
oil C,t1, ara mall n6tl.
Gated. They send their children to Amer
lea, France, Spain and Germany to be
taught, and they become very smart. Be
fore the war they had great sugar planta
tions-now they have nothing. l do not
think. though, it is so bad as people tell
| The Spaniard has honor, and he would taxi
bread from his mouth to give it to starving
| people"
Tony had finished rolling his cigar. H
cut off the end and after lighting it, con
| tinued:
"The Spaniard used to know how to fight
| The soldiers in Cuba do not get enough Il
eat, but they can fight. They are goot
| fighters when they are hungry. The pri
Yates are too servile to the officers, though
| They are treated like dogs. have seen thu
| Spanish officers strut around all dressed ur
in the finest clothes that can be made. bu
they are bullies and their men are thei
dogs. I wouldn't be soldier
And Tony stood up and strutted with hi
shoulders thrown back to show how tn,
Spanish officers looked. Then he smiled
disgustedly.
1.-The Spanish soldiers are dying in Cube
| from yellow fever. So would Americans
You have to become acclimated before yo,
can escape the fever. 1t takes long time
| five or six years. When lived in Cuba m.
father watched my diet. could not ca
fruits nor drink coffee nor wine-ah, it wa
bad. But the Cubans don't get the feve
because they are used to the climate.
| is time for the fever season to begin now
and the American soldiers would dieif the,
went to Cuba"
After pause, during which Tony hat
begun the manufacture of another cigar, h,
began again.
1.-The Cubans made bad move when they
began to burn up their fields to keep sup
plies from the Spaniards. The only way tn,
Spaniards could get back at the Cubans
was to herd them together. That. is VIII,
Weyler ordered reconcentration-to ge
even with the Cubans. l don't know wheth
er Cuba is worth fighting for or not 1t is 6
good island, and very fertile. but it woult
die if it were independent 1t wour.. be al
right to annex it to the United States Oh
make 1t province of Spain, like Canada
Is of England-but independents
Again Tony finished his sentence by 6
gesture.
But what do I carer" added the cigal
maker as he sat down. "I am an American
"a cigar maker. The war makes no differ
ence to me. Maybe it will do me good
Maybe cigars will be higher."-Kansas Cit,
Star.