Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-11-02
CUBAN POSTAL SERVICE
Agent Louis Kempner Shows What
Has Been Done There.
EBEN BREWERS GOOD WORK,
succeeded In Delivering Mails to the
Soldiers While They Were Under
Fire - Establishment of the
Office Mt SANTIAGO,
EBEN BREWERS GOOD WORK,

Washington, Nov. "A long and in
teresting report on the operations of
our postal service in and around Santi-
ago. Cuba, has been submitted to First
Assistant Postmaster General Heath by
Postal Agent Louis Kempner, in charge
at Santiago.
Mr.. Kempner shows that on the ed
OF June, before the landing of General
Skaters invading army in Guantanamo
Day had been half accomplished, agents
OF the postoffice department had opened
postoffice in the abandoned headquar-
ters of the Spanish garrison at Daiquiri.
Ihe first postal agent assigned to this
DUTY, Mr. Eben Brewer, laid down his
life In the service.
On the 26th of June the pioneer army
mail from Cuba to the United States
was put on board the dispatch boat Dol
phin. Three days later nearly 800 sacks
of mail matter We're delivered at Dali
quiri, more than half of it addressed to
the volunteer regiments in the Fifth
army corps, viz-the Rough Riders, the
Seventy-first New York and the Second
Massachusetts, volunteer infantry, then
on their way to the fighting line.
Postal Agent Brewer determined that
this mail should be delivered at any
cost. Finding it impossible to secure
army transportation, he bought horse,
hired Cuban with pony, loaded both
the animals with mail sacks and, with
the Cuban for guide, started through
the jungle for the front. He succeeded
In delivering his mail and then re-
NAMED four days longer under fire. d.
Ing In carrying the wounded from the
field and in attending them in hospital
The Work at Siboney.
One hundred and twenty more sacks
OF mail from the United States We're
delivered at Siboney on the 10th of
July, and four clerks arrived to re-en-
force the slender postal force, which in
the meantime had been slightly aug
mented by details of enlisted men from
the army, and of this force Mr. Kemp
ner took charge.
When the yellow fever infected build
ings at Siboney were ordered burned
by the military authorities, every piece
of mail matter was saved, although the
postal employees had to submit to the
destruction of their own clothing and
personal effects. Prompt measures We're
taken to disinfoct the mails, and service
ruption.
Upon the surrender of Santiago the
Spanish postof1ice in that city was TAX
en- possession of by the United States
postal agent. The services of the Span
ish director, who carried a modest pay
roll of nearly 81 900 per annum, and ten
Of his clerks were dispensed with. and
the office was put upon a United States
footing.
During all this time. Mr.. Kempner
shows, much embarrassment was felt
and many complaints arose, by reason
Of the irregularity of mail communica-
ton with the United States. This, how
ever, was unavoidable under the cir
cumstances. The postoffice had no au-
thority to charted mail steamers to car
ry the mails to Santiago. It's only ia
cilities for transmitting mails were such
as were afforded at irregular intervals
by army transport ships or naval YES
sells, whose movements were regulated
by other considera tions than those per-
tanning to the expedition of the mails.