Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-12-16
TREATY SIGNED
Work Of The Peace Com.
mission al an End.
ACT CLOSES THE WAR AND
ASSURES PEACE.
The Document Signed, Sealed ard
DeIived--Closing Scenes Were
Highly Impressive and Of
Momentuous Nature.

A Paris special says. The treaty Of
peace was signed at 8:45 Saturday
evening, and the signing would have
afforded subject for q great histori-
cal painting.
The group, gathered about the table
in the chamber OF the foreign Office,
was impr essive in itself, while the fact
that the sense Of the momentousness
OF the issue which the act decided was
deeply felt by the participants, gave
an impressive and solemn tone TO the
scene.
Around the great. mahogany table
sat the ten arbiters OF the dostinies OF
an old and young nation. Ranged,
standing behind them. we're numerous
attaches Of the American commits
sion.
To tho Americans il was happy
ending of tho epilogue Of war; for the
Spaniards II was plainly bitter trag-
edy, none the less painful because
long foreseen. They sat silently as
though almost crushed, aud none
could withhold sympathy from Senior
Montero Rios, the president OF the
Spanish commission, who, coming
from his bed, was bundled in q great
overcoat, though logs were burning in
the fireplace nearby.
Parchment Work Was Slow.
. Although the commissions met at
$3.50 O'Clock, expecting TO finish their
work in half an hour, tho engrossing
Of the treaty on parchment was found
10 be 80 troublesome that il delayed
the signing Of the document until $40,
Clerk Martin, OF tho American COM
mission, worked all day without even
stopping to eat. When he came into
the chamber at 7:30 with the docu-
ment he found the commissioners
waiting. The Spanish copy had ar
rived half hour earlier. Mr.. Arthur
Ferguson then proceeded TO read first
the English and after that the Spanish
version Of the treaty. This finished.
two copies were passed around the
table, the commissioners signing them
in the order OF their rink. as follows:
William r. Day, Senator Cushman
X. Davis, Senator William p. Frye,
Whitelaw Reid aud Senator George
Gray; Senior Montero Rios, Senior
Garnica, Senior villarutia and General
Cerero y Saons, each commission
signing its opponents treaty.
Both were tied with the Spanish and
American colors.
Where the seals were prepared to be
affixed attendants were sent scurrying
for ribbons Of the French tri.color
with which the documents were sealed
as compliment TO the French hosts
of the commissions.
Many officials interestedly watched
every detail Of tho proceedings.
The last seal being impressed, the
commissioners retired without formal
ity. Each member shook the hands
of all his antagonists aud exchanged
assurance Of sincere personal esteem.
The signing was finished at S:45
o. clock. At that time the door OF the
chamber opened and Senior Villaru'ia
appeared and exclaimed to group OF
correspondents who were waiting in the
corridor:
"Cest Ami"
The other members Of the Spanish
commission followed Senior Villarutia
and passed silently through the vesti-
bule to their waiting carriages. The
American commission strolled out
chatting complacently and a. they
assembled the steps the lights in the
chamber were darkencd.
( There was q great contest among
the families and friends OF the Ameri-
can commissioners for possession OF
the pens with which the signatures to
the treaty were written.
The treaty as signed consists Of sew
enteen articles, II having been found
advisable to sub-divide two or three Of
the articles in the draft agreed upon at
the last meeting.
The commissioners of the two ma
lions wrote their signatures on two
copies Of tho treaty, one copy being
for the archives. The document was
prepared by Secretary Moore in be-
half Of the United Statos commission
and by Senior yillarutia for spain on
account Of the continued illness OF
Secretary Ojeda, OF the Spanish COM
mission
Each copy contained the English
and Spanish texts Of the treaty in par
ellal columns. The wording had been
apnroved previously by the commits
eions without . joint meeting, so there
sxns no controversy on this subject.