The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-06-14

tremendous tax upon the strongest
nerves.
"And what are the trochasG" asks
some one. The trochas are two great
bitches dug across the narrowest por-
tions of the island of Cuba, one in East
Cuba, the other i'm the western portion.
The dirt ia thrown up on one side OF
the ditch while on the other is a
barbed wire fence Every few hun
dred yards q block house was built,
manned by Spanish sentinels. Gen.
WeyIer supposed that by the aid OF
these trochas he could divide the in
surgent forces, and could then ''pen
them up and all rebels would be com
PEELED to rurrender or die. He was
mistaken for his trochas have bsen of
but little use to him.
''There is q sweet with every bitter"
say the optimists, and it is doubtless
better doctrine than that contained in
the pessimiGta statement that t'misfor
tunes never come sipgly." For in
stance, war will make us value peace
more highly. Again this war ia empha-
sizing the evils of the cigarette habit
and if this evil is stamped out by war
then one great good deed is done. 1t is
stated that a ms ority of those would
be soldiers who fail to pass the physi-
cal examination are cigarette users,
and ninety per cent OF THOSE who are
at all addicted to the habit are rel acted.
The ten per cent accepted are those
who have not practiced the vice long
enough to diequalify them.
"And the reconcentradoes, who are
theyG" Well, after Gen. Weyler had
been vainly tryiEg to put down the
Cuban rebellion for many months, he
came to the conclusion that so long as
the peasant farmers of Cuba renal
in sympathy with the insurgents az
furnished them supplies, it would be
impossible to conquer the island He
then hit uponRn idea which finally as
sumed shape as his famous ''reconcen-
trado order" This commanded the
peasant farmers and their families to
leave their farms and go within the
nearest Spanish fortified lines. The
Spaniards then took or destroyed all
the property left on the farms in order
that none might be taken by the insur.
gents. By this r-eConCentrano order
400, 600 innocent men women and chill
dren were compelled to leave their
farms and 60 within the Spanish lines.
Here starvation stared THEM in the
face for the Spaniards being in the
land OF their enemies had almost no
food for such G multitude, As result
300, 600. we are told, died from starva-
ton. This act Of cruelty, without a
parallel in modern history, epraged
our liberty loving people, and con,
WINGED US that simple justice demand
ed that we defend the rights Of the op-
pressed Oubans.
Dewey has done his part well. Now
the three naval commanders from
whom most is expected are Admiral
VIM. T. Sampson, Commodore Win
field Scott schley and Capt. Robley D.
Evans. Schley was born October 9,
1889 in Frederick county, Maryland.
Less than sixmonths laEer-on Febru.
ary 9, 1910 Sampson was born in
Palmyra, New York. Evans was born
in 1916, in Virginia. Admiral Sampson
mounted the ladder of fame in the days
when merit had more influence than
parentage. He was born in an humble
nome and his father was a day laborer,
So wing wood from house to house In
winter. BILLY" used to pile and split
wood with his father, but he attended
school when he could and finally Sc
red a position in the Naval Academy
and graduated first i'm his class. Since
then he has risen rapidly. Capt.
Evans, who now commands the Iowa
was also a poor boy. During his boy
hood" we are told, She broke colts,
shot rabbits, and attended such schools
as the mountains of VIrginia then
afforded" After the death of his
father in 1855, he lived with his uncle
and attended lnzaga college. Shortly
after, with $40 and a navy revolver
he started for Salt Lake City, (which
he reached after a hard passage, and
being shot twice by Indians" 1t may
be of interest to North Carolinians, to
know that Fighting Bob Evans" for
that is his sObriQMet, was almost NOR.
tally wounded In the attack on &c.
Fisher. When the attack was over
he was found, almost strangled be-