The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-05

was TOO CuHHC. we Cuusu ltuS petteNS IL
Bat he led us over to the hOteI register
and showed US, written in the quick
scrawi OF the ready writer:
Mrs. Blake Watkins. Toronto, Can
ada.
A lady war correspondent! We look.
ed at one another In doubt and lndlgna.
ton. After ali, we said. there were lin
its to the sphere OF woman's usefulness
What kind of newspaper proprietor
was Il, anyhow, who would send a ten-
derby nurtured lady around amid the
hardshps and rigors, the bu.lets, and
the yellow fever germs Of a Cuban war?
For her own sake" said the expert
enced war correspondent, sOlemnty,
"thIS thing ought to be stopped rlgh.
now" For her own sake'.--che unnec-
essary use OF the phrase rather betrayed
us, For at the back OF our minds, as we
lay back on the cushioned lounges, SIP
ping ice water there was feeling
which We did not care to recognize, that
we had right TO be little Indignant
for our own sakes.
AT the midday meal we met the lady
war currespondent-u tall. healthy,
youIgisa lady, with quiet. self-rellant
manner and an alert, Intelligent, enter
prising look.
And So we said, with Just n proper
touch Of patronage mixed with our po-
likeness, you are thinking OF going
along to Cuba with u.s."
"oh. yes."-this In a matter-of-fact,
quite decided sqlf OF way, and with the
pFettIest touch OF the Irish brogue-she
was going along wherever the army
went. goiLg to set whatever there was
to be seen, and TO hear whatever tune
the band played. Tha; was, II they
would let her 60, That was It; would
they let her go? To our thinking the
Idea was absurd. but We did not quite
say so Il know what you think, " she
said; you think II is ridiculous, my be-
ing here; you are laughing al my want
Ing toys; that's the worst OF being a
woman. But you Just let me tell you.
I'm going through TO Cuba, and not all
the old generals in the old army are go-
ms to stop me. beat them in Wash
tngton and IN beat them here, what
ever they say
She tod US how size had acted as spe-
clal correspondent for her paper at the
jubilee and had repubiisned her ar:icIec
IN book form. how she had been on
many special missions In various parts
OF the word, had always had to contend
with the almost lnsuperabl. difficulty OF
not being q man, but had always sue
ceeded in surrounding Il. She could
not stop longer to talk to US now. she
said. as she must so up and look at one
Of the camps, so as TO get another ar
ticle away by the evenings mail.
In the evening, when we had recovered
from our siesta, we saw the lady war
correspondent again. She came in out
OF the sunshine little dusty about the
boots and confessing to feeling n little
tired. but she came down from her
room sooL afterward looking as fresh
and cool as watermelon. She had
been round the camp. she said. 1t was
difficult for her, being woman, TO get
Information, but she had seen u good
many people. and had picked up one or
two little things she thought she would
be able to make story for her paper.
"Of course" she said efficiently. II
can't do things Ike you boys, who know
so much and have ca much experience.
Jus; have to be contented with little
odds and ends, such as woman would
notice. couldn't see any Of the drill
Ing, it was such hard walking through
that burning sand, and | haven't a
horse yet; but happened on little
story II wouidn't have been worth
your notice, bat nave TO make the best
Of little things. There's a chamber
maid in the hotel here whose husband is
In the state regiment up there, and shd
has come down here so as 10 be near
him, Poor woman! / felt sorry for
her ] met her there not far from the
camp, crying. She had not told her
husband that she was here. and she was
afraid to so Into the camp by herself, So
went with her to hook for him.
They are such decent, respectable
people. and he seems such a nice. WELL
educated young fellow. but he was out
OF work, and there was no food In the
house; so he enlisted In desperation, and
she, being 30 fond Of him. took this Sit
uation 20 be near him. taouglt lie
was going TO faint when M saw her;
u vas quite little scene, TcGr fellow,
he was so anxious about t.rl. mite
baby, He wanted TO desert. you know,
but what was there FOR them TO do. lie
mad no work 90 80 10. and was only lust
recovering from an Illness Auyaow, Il
made n silly little storV for mc--ro.h-
ing In the grand style such as gou boyc
write, but Just the poof womaa's side
Of the war. don't YOU see? And, after
an even war has It's woman's side.
hasn't ~"
In tile evening. after supper, wlen the
band was playing on the vcrnnda, ana
the customary Conversation vas In fulI
swing, we observe1 that the lady war
correspondent knew everybody wor,n
knowing In about quarter OF az Hour,
We mad introduced her to ono or two
stan officers at first In a Rst!e while
she was introducing US to generals ana
col0ne!s. She talked to the Cuban Ia
dies, and casually Informed MS that she
had got an Interesting statement Of the
perg3nal eGperlences OF one o. them
which she Thought would throw q good
deal or light on the Cubnn question. We
heard her taking 10 the Cubnns she
was chattering away IN fluent Spanish
There was French family with the
Cubans. We heard her talking with
them in French Before the evening
was out she gave US the full details OF