Evening star., 1898-11-22

ty, which must be the stars. and stripes.
My inquiries along this line kAre pointed
and thorough. Theyi were mSt frankly.
was told that in the beginning there had
been much misconceppon. some violent
counseIs and a disposition to oppose the
coming of American troops,
The situation had been met fairly fully
explained and better understanding
of liberation have acquiesced in the Amer.
lean military control. General Calixto Gar
cia during his stay emphasized that the
Americans were coming as Friends, that
they would be on the island for some time
and that theirs was the authority which
must be respected. AT present the insur-
gent troops are more concerned over the
arrangements for giving them the assu-
rance of nav than over the immediate gov
ernment of the island. -.ky
The Cubans Will work.
OF course the test of The respect shown
American authority and the willingness to
return to peaceful pursuits, measured by
acts rather than by words. is to come. On
the other hand the plantations which viii
have cane to grind are not yet in need Of
labor and no public works have been under
taken. Most of the Cuban soldiers who
were working at the pier and on the rail-
way spur were blacks. They were quite
active Yes" said one of the officers, in
answer to my observation, they work we'll.
Those hundred men were chosen from ., 900
who wanted the chance. They know If they
lag somebody else will get their job. They
receive s1.2O day in Spanish silver. The
money is their own, and 1t IL the first they
have had a ctrance to earn III three years.
If the United States furnishes the work l
don't believe you'll find many men in our
ranks who won't jump az the chance of
earning wages"
An American Insurgents Views.
Lieut.. Col. Jones one of the Americans
who has been with the insurgents from
the beginning-such Americans were not
numerous-expla ned the eXpectalons to
me q little more fully. Col Jones is a
native of northern New York. who found
himself engaged as an electrical engineer
en- one of the sugar plantati5 ms when the
irsurrection ia med up. 1T was one thing
or the other" he said man had to be
either a Cuban or a Spaniard. The Cubans
might not come Up to our IDEAS, but ho
American living in Cuba could be a Span
lard. l went into the field under Gomez
and staid there 1t was a solalers life all
feast May be it was oftener the famine
than the feast, but that is all past. What
we want now is to know something OF
the future. Take my own case. l have
never received a dollar of nay. l am en-
titled to several thousand dollars. l don't
expect to get all of it, but want some
thing and l would like to know how the
matter is going to be arranged l am go
ing to settle in Cuba and a little capital
will be a good start. But l don't wish to
ask for a discharge and leave the army
until know what is to be done. You VIII
find it that way with the soldiers. they
are waiting for a formal disbandment
which will give them all an equal chance
of something in the future. They hone
Gen. Garcia and the delegation will be
able to do something in Washington. What
they say about annexation or against an
account,
all know that the American troops will be
here while before that question mas to be
decided
Col Estsmpes of New Orleans, the COM
mander of Gen. Maxine GomeZs artillery,
said substantially he same thing. He add
ed that all the insurgents he knew had
had enough of war and were anxious to be
back in their homes
Pier and Camp SITE.
The pier which the United States is build
ing at the Marianoa playa iS!not an eX-
tensive piece of military engineering. 1t
runs a few hundred feet out into the bay,
almost within reach of the wreck of the
old confederate blockade runner, whose
hulk has lain there for thirty-four years.
The troops and supplies will be landed in
lighters. The camp site. is at Vento, sew
eral miles across the hills The Marianoa
fishermen will be glad t6. have the Ameri
them One-half of the fishermen and their
families died during i !reconcentration
Enough survive to cast the nets and to
handle the great baPbool &c ges in which
the Holsters are caught. 'si..fs
Some of the former residents who had
pretty places along the beach are going to
occupy them again but Americans will not
find it healthful untn the marshes are
drained. That was one of the projects
which the war interrupted. Fort Mata-
belle" the leaning tower of crumbling
stones and rotten wood, Il toppling ruin
which commanded the entrance to the fish
ing village. and was occupied as a Spanish
garrison has been raZed to the ground.
The ancient round tower of coral rock,
from which two centuries ago the lookout
was kept for pirates and buccaneers,
stands, a monument to the past. OF more
living interest is the school house. The
Spanish authorities seized 1t for military
purposes" l have often seen Spanish Off
GERS playing cards there. Yesterday | saw
a dozen Cuban children doing sums the
blackboard. That is progress in the wake
of war. CHARLES NJ. PEPPER.