The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-14
SAMPSON the SILENT.
me Admiral IL Not an Easy Man 10 In
terview.

me Admiral IL Not IN Easy MN 70 In
terview.
Written for the Anaconda Standard
Havana. Oct. 3o.-"sampson the 81
lent" In the name that a correspondent
here gave the gallant admiral. whose
watch outside Santiago harbor ended so
disastrously for Cervera- 1t 1t probable
that the hippant correspondent had
been disappointed in getting the ad-
miral to speak for publication. He Is
not a good man to Interview when the
information asked for is not legitimate
public property. but when Sampson
does speak. his words ring to some
purpose. Nearly every one here had
begun to him that the Spaniards
the members Of the American commits
sion would be succeeded In ONCE by
their ons and g~randsons. There was
30 little sign of life about their DELHI
erations. n the Spaniards seemed to
nave settled down so comfortably to
the new order of things. Since. how
ever. Sampson came out with the en-
phatic utterance that Spain could and
should quit Cub in 40 days. there has
been conformation in the camp OF the
Dons and a gleeful gloating on the
part of the Americans.
The other day I paid a visit to the
headquarters of the commission at Vi
dado. All the commissioners. with the
exception of Admiral Sampson. stop at
h Salon Trotcha. The admiral has
taken a cottage with his wife. The
Vidado Is a little flower garden of a
place, mapped out like a park, with
houses in II all the colors of the rain
bow. 1t is situated picturesauely Just
beside the sea and what IL lacks in
healthfulness II makes up In pictur-
esque beauty. Its approaches. how
ever, show the two great Cuban char
neutrality-suspicious. and dirtiness.
the one. of course, naturally following
upon the other.
To reach the Vidado one takes a train
Of three surface cars hauled by a dunn
my engine. at a little joint station and
cafe behind the Prado. which. when 1t
pulls out, winds its way along the
seashore, past Cabanas fortress, past
MORO castle, both of which stand just
across the o Of h bay, past
Fort Reina and perhaps half a dozen
other small forts, through squalid dis
tricts. through plazas with mansions in
them. past ~ramshackle bathing houses.
but always with the sea in sight. 1t
Is a very pretty ride and very inter-
esting.
On at last arriving in the Vidado and
going to the Salon Trotcha, the first
tIInB mat StTuth IN Wds NV sySechi-
attic manner in which Americans go
about things. For the whole downstairs
part of the salon. with the exception
Of the dining room in the center. had
been converted into offices for the COM
m~issioners and their STATS. Offices
with big tables in them, with maps
and papers and hairs and desks
looking quite military.
In one of these i found General But
Ter seated with his legs crossed at
a large round table. by
some of his staff. looking. II anything,
a little stouter than when he first ar
rived. He received me very cordially
and we chatted on a variety of sub
jects. On only m were his lips sealed
the work Of the commission. When
ever I ventured to turn the CONVERSE
ton in that direction, the general
would invariably turn II adroitly in an
other, sometimes with the remark:
you are trying to interview me-"
AS a matter of fact, what has been
accomplished I'm any direction would
not fiji a good sized nut kernel. The
custom house still charges its exorbi-
tant duties. and the Spanish officers
and soldiers still throng the streets
Just as IL there was no such thing as
an evacuation commission.
The little American colony here longs
for action. That is why 1t welcomes
lht -
Sampson. There have been meetings
enough. say the One day
II Is necessary for the correspondents
to cable the report of a secret confer
ence between General Parade. the
| president Of the Spanish commission
and General Butler of the American
commission, with the ~stereotyped adj
dition, mo agreement reached regard
ing evacuation" The next day all the
news tina is worth forwarding Is that
a few poor devils of sick Spanish SOL
diers have been sent home. 1t Is anus
ing to note the grandiloquent way in
which the Spanish commissioners i'm
part this information. Evidently they
regard the shipment of military inva-
lids as an important part Of the evac-
uation. Following this comes the in
formation that notes have been pass
| ed between the two commissions. and
a meeting is to be held in a few days.
The correspondents laugh as they con-
fide the important tidings to the mer-
cy of the cable.
Occasionally we have been treated to
a little variation of the monotony
through the kindness of the public
workmen, who have the common fail
ing Of hirelings of expecting pay for
their services. As nothing Is more for
pign to the Spanish idea than of pay
ing when you a avoid payment. the
employees of the municipality lay siege
to the mayors Office, and the police
have to be called upon to convince
them that they will get more kicks
than pesetas there. Exit the unpaid
employees. We are again left to
wait for the evacuation to begin.
No one can convince the Spaniards
that the game Is ~. Whether this
means hat they are a people of the
densest stupidity or extremely cum
ming, / defy any one to tell. Their the
DRY, which the American commission
ers have vigorously fought in their
notes to the Spanish commissioners. Is
that evacuation means the sendins
home of the soldiers n not the entire
surrender of the island by Spain. This
question pntsf he Sefflad hefOre the