Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-06-24
LIFE ON SPANISH PRIZES.
How the Men on the Detained Merchant
men Enioy Themselves.

The great majority of the Spanish
seamen detained on the captured YES
sells live like princess of large inherit
lance, and entertain their guests with
all the elaborate politeness and gener-
Gus hospitality of their race. They
give course dinners, have the choicest
of Spanish wines and cigars, and treat
the United States officials who visit
them as if they were petted friends in
stead of dreaded captors.
Through the courtesy of the United
States District Attorney, j.. NJ. Strip
ling, the Associated Press correspond
ent was permitted to visit all the Span
ish prize ships and dined with the
captain and officers of the elegant mer-
chant steamer Miguel Jover. This
vessel has a cargo of rice and other
food supplies for the tropics and is
owned in Barcelona, Spain. She sailed
from New Orleans on the DIST inst,
her crew being ignorant of the fact
that Rear Admiral SIMPSONS fleet was
patrolling the Gulf.
Next to the Panama she is the most
valuable prize and is estimated to be
worth $500, 600. BY far, she is the
best equipped vessel in the captive fleet
and the elegance ard richness of her
cabin and officers quarters can scarce
ly be eXcelled by any merchant ship
afloat.
Her cabin is finished in Italian mar
Bile with the finest of mahogany furni.
ture, beautiful and expensive carpets
and draperies, elaborate electric light
fixtures, a piano, and in brief, the best
of everything.
The representative of the Associated
Press was received by the captain and
his officers with great courtesy and
polite welcome. The crew numbers
ffty-eight men and all Of the officers
of higher rank are men of education
and refinement. Captain Juan Bill is
apparently about siXty-fye years of
age, stern, d~ignifed and with an ex-
%ceptionally strong, determined face.
The first officer, Vincente TerOl, is a
bright, genial little Spaniard, bubbling
over with good nature and politeness,
and talking necessarily, with gestures
and broken English, of the beauties of
old Spain. Joseph Lavares, the chief
engineer, is a shrewd, diplomatic man
of about thirty-ive, dark. handsome,
and speaks English perfectly. Jose
GOmenz, the ships surgeon, from his
general makeup might be taken for an
artist or a writer of aesthetic poetry.
He is gentle and difident, and an ac-
complished pianist.
The old captain had very little to
say. except in way of protesting most
vigorously against being sent ashore.
Leave us here" he said to District
Attorney Stripping through the chief
engineer as interpreter, for if we go
ashore nobody knows what may hap
pen. Spaniards and Cubans might not
be friends over there" and he moved
his hand toward the barracks on the
island.
mo one would injure you," said Dis
trict Attorney Stripping.
Il do not fear hat so much" said
the old captain, but nobody knows
what some of the Spanish sailors might
do, and her l should be held respon-
sible for what happened. The Ameri-
cans would hold the captain RESPONSE
Bile for all the sailors. Educated
Spaniards understand it all, but the
Spaniard who is ignorant is hard to
control"
At six o'clock the call for dinner was
sounded, and the captain took his
place at the head of the table. A bet
ter dinner would be difficult to obtain
at any table on the American CONT
nent. 1t consisted of seven courses,
with three kinds of wine, including the
best champagne, the finest brands of
cigars and Spanish cigarettes, Many
of the dishes were Spanish and delic-
iously palatable.
After the dinner was finished DR..
Gomenz went to the piano and played
for half an hour. 1t was a striking
picture. Here sat these proud Spanish
prisoners in their own floating palace.
Their guests who sat with them were
their captors and their enemies. With
the soft lights of the tropical sunset
streaming in through the cabin win
dows they sang together the National
airs of Spain, while a hundred yards
away the black guns of a United States
battle ship frowned down upon them.
Perhaps it was their last song, their
last night in the ship which to many
Of them was home; they did not
know. The song ceased, and the
American visitors arose in silence to
60. As they left the cabin, the veneer
able commander of the ship gave each
a hearty grasp of the hand. AS the
little party was about to leave the dock
the old captain turned to his interpreter
and said
Tell them I thank them for the
kindness they have shown us. We
are their prisoners, but they have
treated us as gentlemen and a Spaniard
knows how to appreciate such consid-
Grafton. Say to them that the Span