The herald., 1898-06-26

except with the sacrifice Of a great loss of
life. The forts are of three kinds. They are
best described as the forts, the blockhouses,
and the little forts. A big fort consists of
two stories, with a cellar below and a
watch-tower above. 1t is made of stone
and adobe, and Is painted a glaring white.
One of these is placed at intervals of every
half mile along the trocha, and on a clear
day the sentry in the watch tower of each
can see three forts on either side"
In commenting on the construction of this
trocha, the writer gives us this interesting
information:
Indeed, what impressed me most con-
corning it was the fact that every bit Of
material used in constructing this back
bone of the Spanish defense, this strategic
point of all their operations, and their chief
hope of success against the revolutionists,
was furnished by their despised and hated
enemies in the United States. Every sh e.
of armor plate, every corrugated zinc roof,
every roll of barbed wire, every plank,
beam, rafter, and girder, even the nails
that hold the planks together, the forts
themselves, shipped in sections. which are
numbered in readiness for setting up, the
ties for the military railroad which clings
to the trocha from one sea to the other-al
of these have been supplied by manufac-
turers in the United States.
This is interesting when one remembers
that the American in the Spanish illus
trated papers is represented as hog, and
generally with the United States flag for
trousers, and Spain as noble and valiant
lion. Yet it would appear that the lion is
wi m faxxy llo fre tuJ,+ H.,
buying his armament from his hoggish
neigIhbor, and that the American who cheers
for Cuba libre is not at all averse to making
as many dollars as he can in building the
wall against which the Cubans may be
eventually driven and shot.
OF the Spanish officers Mr.. Davis has this
to say:
They are able to make small fortunes out
of forced loans from planters and suspects,
and they undoubtedly hold back for them
selves a great part of the pay of the men.
A certain class of Spanish officer has a
strange sense of honor. He does not con-
s.der that robbing his government by falsi-
flying his accounts, or by making incorrect
returns of his expenses, is disloyal or unpa-
triotic. He holds such an act as lightly as
many people do smuggling cigars through
their own custom house or robbing a corpo-
ration Of a railroad fare. He might be per-
fectly willing to die for his country. but
should he be permitted to live he will not
hesitate to rob her.
A lieutenant. for instance, will take twen-
ty men out for their daily walk through the
surrounding country, and after burning n
few hufs and butchering pacifico or two
Will come back in time for dinner and
charge his captain for ratons for fifty men
and for 5000 cartridges "expended in serv-
ice.' The captain vises his report, and the
two share the profits. Or they turn the
money over to the colonel, who recommends
them for red enameled crosses for "braverv
on the field" The only store in Matanzas
that was doing a brisk trade when l was
there was jewelry shop, where they sold
more diamonds and watches to the Spanish
oricers since the revolution broke out than
they had ever been able to dispose of be.
fore to all the rich men in the CITY. The
legitimate pay of the highest ranking Off
Ger Is barely enough to buy red wine for
his dinner, certainly not enough to nav for
champagne and diamonds; so it is not IN.
1alr TO suppose that the rebellion is a profit.
able experience for the officers, and they
nave no intention of losing the golden eggs
Tne ordinary soldier, however, does not
reap such rich harvest as the officers;
Ihere are many things to admire about
me Spanish Tommy. In the seven forti-
ned cities which visited, where there were
thousands of him, never saw one drunk O,
aggressive, which is much more than car
say Tor his officers. On the march he is
patient, eager and alert. He trudges from
fifteen to thirty miles a day over the worst
roads ever constructed by man, in canvas
shoes, with rope soles. carrying one hundred
and fifty cartridges, fifty across his stom-
ach and one hundred on his back, weigh
ing In all fifty pounds.
With these he has his Mauser, his blanket