The herald., 1898-11-01
.3I7-325 S. Broadway
LaughHn Building

of the province and almost an equal num-
ber of Spanish troops. Two-thirds OF the
insurgents are under General Lorento III
small camps within a few miles of Pinar.
The remainder are camped at Puente de
Collie, dozen miles away. They do not
forage on the country Instead they send
out small squads to solicit food from the
people in the villages. Where they have
anything, Cubans and Spaniards both con
tribute. 1t is an uncertain means OF exist
ence and cannot be continued indefinitely;
The Cuban Generals have excellent eontrQl
and their authority is respected. No COLI
land self-restraint is shown on both sides.
Nevertheless the tension is painful. The
|Cubans say they will disband as soon as the
Spanish troops go. General Veasco, the
|Spanish commander, does not know when
that will be. Though it might not be pos
two or three months the presence of a small
American garrison in Pinar would relieve
the strain which must exist so long as the
two armed forces continue as at present.
In respect to the future there is a sharp
cleavage. The Spanish classes want imme-
diate, quick and even forcble annexation:
The Cubans want to try the experiment of
an Independent government.
The town of Pinar itself is healthy and
| is as free from malaria as any spot in Cuba
is likely to be. In the zone, of which Pinar
del Rio is the center, are eighteen thousand
people. Most of them are engaged in culti-
waiting the soil. Pinar del Rio had the re-
concentration in mild form. While traces
of it remain, the country people as whole
were not eyterminated. Enough are left to
till the lands. The prospects for general
recuperation and expansion when American
control is established, are almost glowing.
| All this is said with the full knowledge
| hat hn foha anon ,,nt
come up to what it was a year ago. The
uncertainty of following the signing of the
protocol perhaps retarded the seeding a
little.
The inhabitants expected the United
States would take immediate possession
When that did not happen, they had period
of doubt and instead of putting in their
drawback is the weather The rainy season
lasted later than usual and the rains have
been heavy enough to wash out the young
| tobacco plants which had not been taken
| from the hotbeds. The small tobacco far
mer is dreadng lest he lose the seeding en-
tirely. This is not probable, though he may
have to face scant crop.
| The means of sustenance sufficient for the
| support of the population are wanting in
| spite of the tobacco shortage, food being
abundant. This neighborhood will further
have the benefit of industrial development
The Western Railway, owned by an Eng
| lish company, is entering upon some i'm
provements which were held back during
| the insurrection. The line from Havana to
| Pinar is to be Strengthened and new bridge
building done. The line is to be extended
from Pinar into the hills to the west The
managers of the company have decided that
it will pay to give the tobacco raised there
| the advantage of railroad transportation in
stead of mule freightage..
Santiago Affairs
| SANTIAGO, Oct. 3l.--General leonard
Wood, commander of the military depart
ment of Santiago, returned today on board
the United States gunboat Hist from Man
zanillo, where he had been to consult with
Colonel Petit, military governor of Man
zanillo, regarding the administration of the
district under the latter's control. The Hist
was eight hours late, owing to the West In
dian hurricane, and the .Josefita, a much
| faster vessel which left Manzanillo twelve
hours before the Hist, is now ten hours over
due. Fears are entertained for her safety.
} The amalgamation of the military and
| civil departments under one administration,
particularly under such men as General
Wood, who is thoroughly posted, tactful and
popular with all elements, greatly facilitates
the dispatch of public business. General
Wood intends, so far as possible, to maintain
lne original military QcpdItfHeuu ilHeS III liiS
province, sending regiment to each dis
trict as the Spaniards evacuate.
| United States Congressman Dalzell OF
Pittsburg, a member of the ways and means
committee of the house of representatives
who arrived here last Friday night with a
party of Pennsylvania railroad magnatee
has been inspecting properties in Santiago
and vicinity with a view to large invest
ments and railway franchise for line be
| DE-
ing for the latter place today by the United
States transport Panama, Mr. Dalzell ex
pressed himself as most favorably impressed
| bv what he had seen and the possibilities
of the region, though he declined to give any
particulars regarding contemplated invest
ments.
There was considerable trouble over tbs
large consignment of supplies received here
| Saturday by the steamer Port Victor from
San Juan, consigned by the Helen Gould
| War Relief association. The right to dis
| tribute the supplies was claimed by two per
sons, Mr.. Mcintosh, to whom a part was
consigned and who had a letter authorizing
| him to act, and Edward A. Sumner of New
York, counsel for the association.
| DIR. Ducker of the yellow fever hospital
| to whom a part was consigned, desired tt
| distribute what was not needed at the hos
pital, there being very few cases now or
hand and none that is considered genuine
yellow fever
Ultimately it was decided to await the re
turn of General Wood from Manzanillo
who, on learning the facts in the case, de.
| cided that Mr.. Mcintosh was the person
authorized to make the distribution and
| advised DIR. Ducker to turn over to him what
was not needed at the hospital. DR.. Ducker
promptly acquiesced, explaining that there
had been merely misunderstanding on the
part of both Mr.. Mcintosh and Mr.. Sumner,
equally interested in the work.