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

80 shSiohb list VI Nupun murtyrs.
me blacklist page In the history OF
thia iair istand can mover be accurately
written, Tor spain has made ~eyerySef-
Tort 70 supptesslthe record OF the ithou-
SANDS or brave men who, suspected OF
having hand in some plot to over.
throwlth UBIQUITOUS government, or OF
sympathy with one OF the innumerable
revolutionary movements, have been
publicly shot or privately disposed OF,
Srleft to die by inches in some nolsome
dungeon.
ASllttle more than four centuries ago,
this delightful situation was occupied
by the populous Indian village. Yucayo.
lnglee3--just 200 years after the dlscoy-
cry OF the Island by Columbus-a Span
lsh hldalgo, named Manzaneda, pur-
chased from Carlos II. a few hectares
OF hand, Including the then long.desert.
Gu Yucayo, and settled thereon thirty
families or Canary Islanders. The col.
onists arrived on q Saturday In octo.
Der. The next day being Sunday, Blsh-
op C~ompostello changed the heather
name OF the place. with mass ard SOL
einh ceremonies, to San Carlos v San
Severino; and on Monday, the third
day, the corner stones were laid Of the
cathedral and the castle of San Sever
lio-the most remarkable instance OF
expedition on record In this land OF
Manana-"to-morrow." The colonists
afterwards acquired considerable more
space In the adjacent Yumuri valley,
fora cattle range. and devoted them
selves to the raising Of beef for the Ha-
rana market, Hence the place became
known as FL Metanzas-'.the slaughter
pen" In time the names OF the saints
were left off altogether. and not only
the settlement. but the bay. the dis
trict and the whole province, rejolced
under the name OF "the slaughter PEN
straigh. through the middle OF the
city runs the San Juan river-the por-
lion on the south side OF It being now
known as Pueblo Nuevo," New
TOWN., and that on the north as ".Ver-
%sel!les." Several handsome stone
bridges cross the river, among them the
notable Puente Pelem. The New Town
contains the railway depot. and many
beautiful villas. It has one of. the
handsomest streets In all Cuba, the CAL
zeda de San Estevan, lined for two
miles with imposing residences, all with
pillared porticos In front, paved, like
thesterraces. with mosaic of black and
white marble, or blue and yellow We
netian tiles. These casas OF the old
time grandees are set flush with the
payements, but each has Its beautiful
gardens at the sides, filled with palms
and flowers, surrounded by tain iron
ratings and stone pillars topped with
urns.
Metanzas has experienced the vicis-
STUDIES common TO West Indian towns,
OF attacks by buccaneers and. lombard
ments by naval forces, English, French
and Spanish. but the worst calamity
that ever befel her was the great con-
Migration of forty-three years ago.
After that the well-to-do citizens built
their residences on the heights above
the city, where ocean breeZes blow and
the wide spreading bay forms a delight
rul picture. Two railway lines connect
NetanEas and Havana, one of them
running via Jaruco and C%ardenas, the
other coming from the southeast,
through Villa Clara, Sagua and Glen
fuegos; i~ntersectlng a rich sugar dis
trict and in peaceful times bringing a
large amount Of freight to the coast for
shipment. Both lines are American
built. drawn by American engines.
equipped with American cars, and will
no doubt soon be run by American en-
Slneers. Metanzas has a splendid new
theatre, said to be the finest In the West
Indies. rot excepting the theatre of q
hundred doors" on Havana. Most Of
the public buildings, however, are very
oil, unconafortaD!e and dilapidated.
The musty cathedral, whose corner
stone was laid a little more. than three
centuries ago, and which has two tow
ers, one much taller than the other, Is
rather imposing. by reason. of massive
ness and rough9 architectural beauty.
The custom house. erected near the be-
ginning Of the present century-long
and low, with o~verhaIginS roof Of: red
tiles-hefore the war enjoyed the re-
spectacle income OF 81, 900, 900 L. year.
There are several handsomely appoint
ed club houses here. for in Cuban cities,
as In London, Paris and Madrid, club
life flourishes at the expense Of domes-
tic institutions. There Is also n big
bull ring in the outskirt of the city. and
cock pits galore. A few years ago Me-
tanZas province was the richest in
Cuba, rejoicing in the possession of 478
sugar estates In operation, besides 52S
stud farms and some 5000 other plan
tations OF various sorts. Its rapid de-
cadence from a luxurious center OF
wealth and fashion, as well as of pro-
ductive industry and commerce, rem
ders- It's present poverty the more pit
ifui. Many OF the finestsplantations Of
the old uristocracy were years ago con-
!lscaied. Others passed into the hands
| OF Spanish fadveEturers and emigrants,
who KEEP. up the EeNhausting struggle
as long as they could against a system
grounded upon violation of every eco
nomic law; and the torch OF war fin
ished the rest.
I took an early drive one morning out
TO San Severino castle, about a month
before It's alleged bombardmen. The
edge OF the bay, through the Sam Carlos
"Padeo." which Is laid out with gray
elled walks and rows OF .trees, a stone
parapet on the water, side. and. tall.iron
gates at either end. EIn-Mctanzas' COL
Gen{days this used to be the fashion,
able drive, ~thronged every evening with
the beauty ard aristocracy Of the place,
in elegant cqulpages. attended by cav.
alters on horseback. To and fro they
went, from gate to gate, until at 8
O'clock the music OF the "retrata''
sounded In the Plaza d'Armas, when
the brilliant pageant dissolved as, by
magic. Now the place is deserted, OK
cept by patrol!ing soldiers and begging
reconcentrados, and We saw no steed
but one decrepit mule-maybe the same
which Blanco reported as the sole VIC
tim of our guns. Beyond the Paseo an
excellent road extends two miles far-
Their out to the forts on Pianta Gordo-
Fat Point" On the hills nearest the
bay are the barracks of Santa Isabella,
The, military hospital, and those dread
ful sheds in. which the dying reconcen-
t:ados arc huddled. where we saw such
soul-harrowing sights with the! Thurs