The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-21
Special Correspondence.

with me to-day, II 10 safe to say that
the United States relief fund for the
suffering In Cuba would be largely aug
mented. Let me give you an account OF
Just one days experiences. I arose with
i the lark-or rather with the paroquct,
which is the early bird OF this country
in order to see the rising sun dance upon
the sparkling waters osthe bay and gid
old Moro castle and illumine the rose
pink, sky. blue and pea-green house
walls. This iinvlerno (m!dwlntcr) Is the
most delightful season Of tho year In
Cuba-the mornings and evenings the
very perfection OF weather. the middle
of the day like August In Wheeling. and
the nights chilly enough to require
blanket on ones bed The sojourncr in
this fair land needs no better entertain
ment than can be found at all hours
from balcony. Tho Hotel Pasajc. at
( which am staying, fronts the celebra-
ted Prado. with Its line OF statues and
double rows Of India laurel trees, where
the Spanish troops. In uniforms Of light
blue cotton, with straw hats-are every
morning put through their evolutlons to
the music Of two brass bands. In oil
Cuba there Is no such thing as n glass
window. Wooden doors serve instead,
usually latticed part way up, those on
the ground floor faced with iron bars
Each room OF the Pasaje has Its great
double doors opening upon q Juliet
balcony'-the latter paved with white
marble and rallied with Iron filigree
work. The rooms, by The way. are
beautifully noored With, blocks of many
T cclored marbles, Sc. in patterns like a
patchwork quilt and so extremely high
are the ceilings that one feels as IL down
in the bottom OF well. Whitcwashed
walls, sKy-bIue woodwork. crimson
lamtsrkins and lace curtains. beruGlcd
be1stead canopled with orange-satin,
ore all as Spanish rs anything in Spain;
35syet, strange TO say, the most outrageous
contrasts OF glarins colors never seem
to swear at one another In these hot
climates: but somehow tone In agree
ably with the brilliant blue and vivid
green Of sky and foliage.
According TO Cuban custom, the usual
dcsayuno, OF bread, hot milk and cof-
fec was brought 10 my room at Z
o'clock: and half an hour later was
on the way with 4 Cuban lady, to visit
( some reconcentrados.
Probably by this time nearly every
meaning OF the word 'reconcentrados,"
or those who were concentrated. They
are the country people OF Cuba. who
were scattered over tho Island between
5 the few large towns, and by EVeylcrs
brutal decree were driven from their
homes and compelled to huddie in the
fortified cities. Os:ensibly, they took
no part in the war: but the Spaniards
believe that every Cuban Is rebel at
heart, and "the Butchers" policy was
one OF determination. It Is q common
saying here: 'If you put a Cuban baby
In glass hottie, seal 1t up and send It
to Spain, the instant the cork Is re-
moved, II will pop out and yell Cuba
Libre"
Wcyler said that the rebel army was
recruited from the sons and husbands
of these country families and that the
women at home afforded them secret
aid and nctcd as spies. The terrible
war. which Is running Spain and devns-
tpting Cuba. was no nearer an end after
three long years, and never would ter
inmate while these spies were every
where irtheland. The desperate case de-
maEded heroic measures. said the Mar
quis of Tencrilfc; so the Spanish soldiers
secured the country. driving the people
from their homes, burning the houses
over their heads and killing all who re-
sisted. The eviction OF "Fvangelne's"
people from Nova Scotia was as nothing
In comparison. for the Norman peasants
were comparatively wealthy and were
allowed to take their movable property
Z with them. Fancy being simply turned
4 out of your homes In Wheeling with
only what you could hastily collect and
carry In your hands. the rest being
burned before your eyes. But that
u0nlI pnf bn y,nrnllnl IN ~ tpconge MI
OF you have some means in reserve, the
large towns are near together and food
Is plenty In the United States. Most OF
these poor Cubans. poverty stricken In
the best or times. had only their PALM
matched cottages and small patches OF
ground where few yam3 and vegcta.
bles were raised. There orc practically
no farms in Cuba. such az We know
Z them In Gods country" Rich and
poor are alike sustained by the prod
acts of two great crops, sugar and to-
hacco. and when these are cut off. seq
son after season, as since this war he
gan. nothing is left. Even when man
rents thirty-thrcc acres OF land (thc
fusuel measure ot the country. he de-
votes but nm inilnitessimal of Il 20 tho
raising of,plgs, chickens and vegetables
z for his own usn. Tho majority of the
peasants have been employed as day la
s'borcrs upon the large plantations at
rvery small waEcs-untIl tho insurgents
burnt the cane-Gelds, the Spanish SOL
dicrs ate the cattle. the government
claimed the tobacco. and between the
two armies tho richest were in hard
straits indeed. For the pcasantry there
was suffering enough. heaven knowa.
tbnt they had still t1nir homes and could
pick up some sort Of subsistence In the
familiar places
In many of the huts were ogcd and
sick people and babies newly born. But
Wcyler's orders were posltIvc-out they
must 70 on the Instant, and the habl,a-
& tons burned to tho ground. The recital
OF one case. no harder than Thousands
OF others, will do for an example. A
man past the middle age had spent q
quarter Of n century saving, penny by
penny. from his scanty wages to buy
q bit OF land md build n comfortable
cottage upon 1t. When It was finally
paid for. his pride and Joy wcrc un-
bounded. His wife and children and
aged mother had home for life. so ho
iondly believed and the women tllcd
the little fold while he worked on an nd-
3acent estate. But alas! Their Joy was
not Of long duration. Within ono month
after tho fnmily,was established. cnm.
spany OF soldiers ordered them 10 lcnwn
How could the poor man give IN tho
nope OF q lifetime. through. no fault OF
ms own? Half crngrd with grief. he re-
alstcd the fellow who fired the house.
was shot and his yct-qulvcrlnr body
tossed upon the blazing roof. il was
z weary leagues 10 Havana. The aged
y mother died on the second days march,
one Of the children sickencd and died on