Evening star., 1898-12-31
AN AUCTION SALE
The Outfit of the Captain General Of
Havana Sod.
SCARLET BRBECHES OF THE FOOTMAN
Everything Went in Lot-Re-
marks of Americans.
COM ING Gel B r TION S
Copyright, 1898, by Charles NJ, Pepper.l

From staff Correspondent.
HAVANA, December 81, 1898.
Holiday week in Havana is the week of
getting ready. Spain is selling out its eff
fects. At the auction in the palace the
other day they sold the carriage of the
captain general and all the accoutrements
These included the coat of arms of the
Spanish crown and the scarlet breeches of
the footmen They were bought by a
speculator, who in turn, expects to sell
them to a circus or a museum He got
them for less than a song.
An American who is buying old guns and
other relics told me about the sale. He
said: Il don't want ever to hear again
about the pride and the dignity of the
Spaniards. / might have believed it till
they auctioned off those red breeches. If
they have any sclf-respect why didn't they
burn the whole outfit of the captain gen.
eral? Then would have respected them,
too
The Spanish view is more practical. If
Blanco had remained til the last proba-
bly, this would not have happened. He was
proud and high-spirited. Possibly Captain
General CaSteilanos knew nothing of what
was Included in the sale of government ef-
fects. He has weightier subjects on his
mind now in arranging for the transfer Of
sovereignty from the Spanish to the Ameri-
January 1 he will have no need of
coach of state. Though lacking
carriage, it will not be necessary for him
to walk. AS the general of friendly for
egn army which is leaving friendly for
eign territory he will have his horse. If
they could have done so some of these
Spanish officials would have sold the cap
tain generals horse. That is the practical
way in which they look upon the whole
matter. They pretend to have learned it
from the nation of shopkeepers which is
temporarily supplanting Spain in Cuba
Some of them laughingIy call themselves
Yanquis Yankee is no longer italicized
or put in quotation marks. 1t has been
Latinizcd into ianqui.
Preparations for the Change.
About the preparations. On the part of
the American officials none is required.
they have simply to accept, in the name of
the United States, TIE sovereignty which is
turned over to them and to begin admins
tering the government. With the Cubans it
is different. They feel that they must eel
citrate. The feeling is a natural one. No
one should begrudge It finding utterance.
They may not be sure OF their future. AT
least, they know that the black past is
gone. So they will celebrate the new era
which comes with the new year by feS-
tas," OF festivals lasting five days. That IS
a long time to a nervous man or to one
with sensitive ears. Probably before the
five days are over most of the Americans in
ineat had not freed Cuba. But after the
noise will come reDose and reflection.
In the old times the Christmas season
was one of festival observance. A year
ago | remember. there was some gayety
in the parks and in the streets, while the
theaters added a little life. What ceebra-
ton took place then was on the part of the
Spanish classes. Tie CuDans were not in
a mood for rejoicing. This year the Span
iards who are not leaving on the transports
have too much to think about to share in
the festival. Some of them go to the ser
vices in the cathedral and in the churches
The others do their moraliZing at home
The Cubars, while they might rejoice. pre-
fer 10 wait. So it is a very duh holiday
season in Havana. The only thing to do is
to look ahead and what is coming. The
American troops celebrate in manner
but they are 100 strange in the new sur
roundings 10 give a Hearty observance to
the custom. Most of them have never be-
fore passed a Christmas and New Year in
a country in which there is no snow the
ground and no frost in the air To them it
is a novel experience to gather roses by the
basketful. They like the change from the
north. Whether they would like it after
haif-dozen seasons Of this kind is diff
ferent question. Cen Fitzhugh Lee had his
Christmas turkey stolen. He did not like
that. But it might have happened if the
tth Army Corps had been camped in Min
nesota instead of in Cuba, for the right of
property in fowls is never recognized by
The soldiers.
oi the Country.
The troops hearing much regarding
''casas de Cuba" and "costumbres del
pais"-things of Cuba and customs of the
country. They will have the chance TO
learn what it all means during those five
days of celebration. There is to be pub
lie demonstration, in which all the various
patriotic industrial and other societies will
take part, with bands of music playing and
the American and Cuban flags flying. This
procession Is going to be an excellent op
portunity to study some phases of the Gu
ban character. Then there will be a fair
or bazaar, in the great Tacon Theater for
the benefit of the insurgent forces. The
Tacon Theater and cafe have been hitherto
strong Spanish Institutions. The edice has
passed into American hands and this ba-
Zaar may be a good means of making
known the change in ownership. The in
surgents are also to have a rancho" on
the Prado. In the states it would be called
roast barbecue.
There will be regattas in the bay, which
probably won't amount to much; celebra-
tions every evening in the parks, grand
banquet in honor of Gen. MaNimo Gomez
ard the American military authorities and
open air mass meeting, at which it is GER
tain intensely patriotic addresses will be de-
iivered and a variety of gatherings of diff
ferent kinds. "Misa de Campana"-C3m
Mass-is to be celebrated by Cuban priests
the EspIanade of the Punta under spe-
cial permission from the bishop of Havana.
The Punta is few hundred yards distant
from ''el templete'-the little temple
erected on the spot where the first mass
was celebrated nearly four hundred years
ago. Priests Of Cuban birth have not had
much encouragement from the ecclesiastical
authorities in the past. They will receive
more encouragement in the future
The hymn of Bayamo Will he heard many
times during the celebration. This is the
Cuban national anthem, heard first in the
woods. where the Insurgents had their
camps, and afterward in the towns and
cities. The Cuoans 60 crazy when they
listen TO this hymn of Bayamo. 1t is their
MarseliaiSe. Americans, too, like the air.
Some of them who are here in official posi-
tiCns think this hymn and the celebration
next week will be all that there ever is