The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-18

|
| Gran9s or tha north shore ana 20 Cen
/ faegas On the aoata shore OF Santa Cara.
sxceps ssitaIfs the Spanish tFoclas. There
| are 10 domestic animals or creps on TIA
| raeli fields ard pastures except such as are
Qaeser guard in the immediate vsctaIty oe
the t0wnH. In other words. the Sgagiarsss
bold IN fh0se four western provinces Just
what tasir army sits on. Every man.
woman and el4iIa ard every domssiic ami
maj, wherever the columns have marched.
Is under guard, and wl,ais their So-caIed
foruaeasscns. To describe one place Ia TO
describe All.
PaeIned. Hat without Peace.
ITO repeat. It Is neither peace nor war.
II IS concentration aad aesolatlon- Tbs
lz the 'paci:ssd' condition OF the foar west
esn PROVINCES.
West Of Havana Ia mainly rich tobsc-
co country. east. 10 Tar as l went. II is
. sugar region. Nearly al the sugar
mills are destroyed between Havana and
Sagua. Two or three were standing n
the vicinity OF Sagaa aud part running.
surrounded. as are tha two villages. by
sroehas and forts Of palisades Of - royal
palrn and fully guarded. Toward and near
Clsufusgos there were more mills running,
but all with the same protection.
1T is said that the owners Of these mills
near Gienfaegos have been able to Obtain
special favurs OF the Spanish government
In -
bat that they also. as well as all the rail-
roads. pay taxes 10 the Cubans for i'm
rnuuity had no means OF verifying this.
II Is tbs common talk among those who
have better means OF knowledge.
Weyier Brought Misery and Death
"Aii the country people In the four west
eTn provinces, about sto,ooe in number. re-
naming outside of the fortified towns
when NeyIer'a order was made, were
driven into these towns. and they are the
reconeentFados, They were the peasansry.
many Of them farmers. aome land owners.
others renting lands and owning more OF
iess stock, others working on estates and
cuitiyatlng small patches, and even Il
small patch In that fruitful cline viii sup
port a family. Il Is but fair TO say tha.
the normal condition Of these people was
very different from that which prevails
In this country. Tlaer standard Of COM
fort and prosperity vas net high. meas
ured by our own. But according to their
standards and requirements, their conal-
lions OF life were satisfactory.
They live mostly in cahins made OF
palm or In wooden houses. Some OF them
had stone houses. the blackened walls Of
which are all that remain 10 show tina, the
country vas ever Inhabited.
Many Doubtless did not fearn Of wey-
ler's concentration orders. Others failed
20 grasp its terrific meaning.
Its execution was left largely to the
gusrrjllas TO drive In all ;ha, had no,
oheyed. ard was informed that in many
cas.s a torch was applied 10 their homes
without notice. and that Tie inmates fed
with such clothing as they might have On
theft hacks. their stock and other belong
inEs bsing appropriated 10y the guerr!llas.
M woaaer They Die Like rlie..
When they reached the towns they
were allowed to build hu;s IL palm leaves
tn the suburbs and vacant places wsthln
tha troSha ard left 20 live II they could.
Their hssts are about ten by' nfteea fe@t IN
s.Ge. ard for vast of spaces usually crowd
Ell together very closely, They have no
aooF bat The ground. and NJ furniture,
ANA after years wear but l1i,e c5cssslag
except s5isa stray substitutes as they cau