Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-03-17
SEA CAPTAINS VIEWS
He Tells of What He Saw in
....... Cuba.
PICTURE is OVERORAWN
Skipper Does Not Think the Reconcentra
does Are Dying OF Starvation. War
Prices Charged for
Provisions.

Captln r. G. Farrant, master of the
oranje Line steamer Aldborough, whicn
is moored on the southside of pier 5
taking on a cargo of flour for Rotter-
dam and Amsterdam, thinks that the
reports which picture THE leland of Gu
pa as a desolated and devasted land.
and reconcentradoS as A starving and
ha.f clad people. are exaggerated.
Within the last fortnight the Aid
borough touched the island at the ports
of Cienfuegos and Santiago, spending
several days in each harbur. This gave
Captain Farrant an opportunity 70
make a few personal observations. The
skipper talked freely when seen by t.
representative for the Daily Press
yesterday afternoon.
He said: ...
The Cubans are in a bad plight. but
Their condition is largely due to their
own laziness. ! may illustrate this by
telling you that it is difficult to get
them to work. We had to pay common
labnrers at the rate of SO a day while
We We're at Santiago. and ii was IA
hard matter to get them to work at
that price. They are ~listless and won't
stick. If a Cuban works two days and
makes Sc he Will stop and rest for d
week. Owing to this condition the
mines near SantiaEo are worked by i
small force of men, when in fact there
is work for hundreds of uthers.
There is no suffering at either Glen
TueSos or Santiago. but l am told that
the conditions are different at Matan-
zas. There, it is said, people are dying
OF starvation. and children are going
naked for the lack of clothing. 1t is a
common thing To See naked children in
the streets of EienfuegoS or Santiago:
in fact. male children never wear A
VeStige of clothing until they reach
the age of 10 years. and those of the
female sex only wear a sort of an
apron. To the uninitiated this looks
queer. but these people are ignorant
and do not know any better. One thing
shat makes it hard for the Cubans to
subsist is the exhorbitant price eXacted
for food: provisions OF all kinds are
high. Meat sells at thirty cents a
pound. eggs At eight cents apiece. orll-
nary chickens at sl.50 each, and other
articles of food in proportion. Sugar.
of course, is cheap. 1t SELLS at three
cents a pound .
In speaking of the warfare the insur-
gents are carrying on Captain FarrInt
said:
AL night l could See the camp fires
of the insurgents burning in the noun
tains some distance off. They have
adopted n mode of warfare peculiar to
themselves. All OF the insurgents are
in the mountains camping about on
:kno7ls that the Spanish soldiers ann
reach. If the Spanish troops We're 10
attempt to take a camp they would be
repel1eI and moved down like weeds.
as the Cubans have possession .Af the
commanding points and they are pro
tected by the huge bnulders. When
the insurgents supply Of provisions
run short they come down to the low
lands and raid the plantations. carry
ing off what they can and destroying
what is left. If they cinnut take 4
horse they kill it. Very little lighting
is done. The insurgents wait far a
rainy season which is followed by
plaques. yellow and malarial fevrrs
Kill more Spanish soldiers than the in
surgen;s do. The rebels are now wait
ing for the United States to intervene
in their b.h aTf.'
When asked if he Thought the island
would prove a valuable annex to the
United States. Captain Farrnnt replied
in the Affirmative. 1T could be made
present it is Swampy and a breeder of
plaques. but with 4 system Of drainage
yellow jack and malaria could be
stamped out. The island has natural
hau-bors. is fertile and could be mad"
a rich country. but the Cubans VIII
Y develop it's resources
The skipper said that the Eubans
were opposed to and he did
not think the plan would prove bencti-
cial.
Since it has been generally admitted
that the b. ttleship Maine was blown
up from the outSid. Captain FarTant
said il was a question at CienfueSos
as to whether it was done by a Cuban
or Spaniard. If a Cuban did it it was
for the purpose of eliritinS sympathy
from Uncle sam. that is if the catastro-
phe could be laid at the door OF a
Spaniard.
While he does not think THE present
complication VIM result in war, captain
Farrant said that in the event il did
1t was his opinion that the Latin race
would unite against the United States.