The Republican journal., 1898-09-29

Pleasant Pellets will cure constipation
as she has no means OF transportation.
Col. Humphrey has full charge over all
Santiago's shipping, and has siezed upon
everything that floats for the homeward
transportation of troops. This is we'll
but hardly warrants him in taking posses
sion of the ''Triton,'' chartered by the Red
Cross. The wheel within a wheel of
many matters inexplicable to the casual
observer may be traced to the lack of uni
son between Generals Miles and Shafter
Col. Humphrey is Gen. Miles man;
hence he feels that his boss is the big
gest, and he is as arbitrary with Generals
Shafter and Wood as with anybody else
rather more so in fact, in order to show
his ''little brief authority One can
see with half an eye that any larger charge
than that which this pompous official now
enjoys would burst him, like an over
inflated balloon. He even refused the
Red Cross the use of an old leaky lighter,
which lies day after day doing nobody any
good, when Miss Barton wanted to borrow
it to geta few mules ashore. People speak
of it under their breath and devoutly hope
that the exodus OF the troops will take
away this mis- manager as well. AS to
the four-legged mules above mentioned,
a cargo OF splendid fellows-full OF life
and handsome as mules can be-arrived
some time ago, consigned to Miss Barton
Could she have had them at Slboney, they
would almost have saved the army.
There was never anything 50 dreadfully
needed as those mules and few good
army wagons in those first awful days
after the battle. II the Red Cross had
them just now in Ilabana, with the pIvi-
lege Of a little land, it could feed the
whole country-in spite of Blanco. Just
now, the animals are not of much use in
Santiago; but there viii be no difficulty in
selling them, at their full value Four
legged creatures of all sorts are extreme
ly scarce in this end of Cuba. When hard
times came, wise owners hid their mules,
horses and cattle in the hills Of the interior,
where they mostly fell into the hands of
the insurgents. All that remained in
Santiago We're taken by the Spaniards or
starved to death. A belated lot OF ambu
lances came here for the Red Cross on the
''Port Victor;' but they were packed at
the very bottom of the ship-load of goods,
and as the captain was ordered to take
his whole cargo back to New York, the
ambulances went with the rest
Returning from San Luis in the early
evening, Santiago looked more unsavory
and hopeless than ever in contrast to the
open country
One of the worst needs of the dirty old
town is water. With daily deluge of
rain and the great bay glistening in 'front.'
it is often another case of ''water, water
everywhere and not drop to drink"
The city has a primitive sort of water
works system and most of the houses are
piped to receive it; but for some unknown
reason the supply is so scanty that usually
after 10 a. m. no water runs at all till the
next morning. Sometimes it remains cut
off for As hours together; and then great
is the suffering, particularly among ami
mails, for which no Cuban cares so long
as his horse, OK or mule can be made to
work. Every house houlder who is not
rich enough to own fountain in his patio,
with reservoir attachment, must provide
inc olf fxUit |, har ci oil
to hold several days supplies. The
natural consequence of stagnant water in
every house is pest of mosquitoes, if not
an increase of malarial poison. Gas is
another need of Santiago. The streets are
dimly illuminated, or rather their dark
ness is rendered visible-by the pale
glimmer of kerosene, lamps attached to
the fronts of the houses, which in these
hard times are generally unlighted. The
news of the day as related to us over our
late dinner in the Nurses home, is not
enlivening. They tell us that only 80
burial permits were issued in the city
between the rising and setting of the sun;
and that the new cemetery lately laid
out received to-day its first tenants-15
American soldiers. Another It'd bit of
information concernes our august neigh
Dor, the Archbishop of Santiago, whose
'tpalace' adjoins our modest casa He
went to-day to the American authorities
to enquire about the continuance Of his
salary, and incidentally to collect few
thousands of back pay, due long before
the Bishops of Santiago have kept the
wolf at bay on stipend of $4,000 per
annum. 1t is our private opinion that at
least one cipher will row be Topped off
from the reverend gentleman's income.
FANNIE BRIGHAM WARD.