Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-08-10
SCENES IN SANTIAGO.
Pen Pictures of the Southern
Cuban City After American
OCCup9tiOn

dirty condition OF this city, the heaps OF
foul refuse that cucumber the streets, the
malodorous alleys and by-ways, the lack
of sanitary arrangements and drainage of
any desert ptiOn are all matters that will
require remedying if this is to become an
American city. 1t should be remembered
that the weeks of blockade, the fear of
5Ombardment, the scarcity Of food and
the general decentralization existing in a
besleged town have done much to add to
the conditions of filth and poor sanitation
that normally prevail For generations
the people have lived regardless of the
first rules of hygiene; the lower classes
are ignorant of all precautionary meas
ures, and it is not surprising when our
American officers issue an order through
the civil governor of Santiago, stating
that all houses must be at once thorough
ly cleaned, inside and out, the order is
diSregarded. Orders are constantly issued
to the people to report at once the death
of anyone in their household and threats
of fine and enforced labor as a punish
ment carry little weight. Extreme meas
ures will have to be taken to bring about
proper condition of affairs in this re-
spect and it will take many months OF
example and stringent enforcement OF
regulations to bring the people to an OBJ
servance of what is clearly best for their
health.
Hundreds in the Hospitals.
In the military hospital of the city there
were on July 26, 562 cases of the preva-
lent malarial fever; III cases of dysen--
fery IS cases Of diarrhoea; 274 cases of
anaemia and 10 cases of yellow fever. The
yellow fever cases are all among the Span
ish soldiers. A week ago there were six
cases of this fever and among the total
of nineteen cases there have been SIX
deaths since the American occupat ton. Six
teen of the 4SS wounded Spanish soldier
in the hospital have died since the United
States troops took possession of the town.
To the city of Santiago there is this
advantage from the rains of the wet sea-
son: The water rushes down the steep
streets and sweeps away all manner Of
refuse and rubbish. Flushing the streets
as the rains do is like flushing the sewers
in an American city.
Since July l and until July % this city
was without a daily paper. On July %
the Esnectador made its first appearance
and printed the Spanish text of President
Mckinley's proclamation to the people OF
Cuba. The Espectador is running series
of articles on New York city, this sub
ject being supposedly of prime interest to
its readers at this time. a three-column
article on the inscriptions of the Egyptian
obelisk in Central park appears in the
last issue and the publisher promises the
declaration of the independence of the
United States in the near future.
Espctador enjoys the distinction of be-
ing the only Spanish paper published IN
this island free of Spanish censorship.
A newspaper printed in Spanish and
English is promised soon, and Co. T of
the Thirty-third Michigan Volunteer in
fantry has brought out a paper called Co.
& Enterprise, which is the first American
| paper published in the city of Santiago de
Cuba.
Already the enterprising American is
present. There is around town a ragged
man with u smattering of Spanish who
has turned several dollars by buying up
swords and machetes from Spaniards and
| the city paWnshops to sell them again
to American relic hunters. There is the
man with the capital to invest who awaits
| but a sure and remunerative opportunity
| and there is the man who buys up bar
| gains in American horsefesh from sick or
wounded officers going home, hoping to
sell the animals at a profit.
Look Over Business Opportunities.
The first steamer from the United
| States has brought many men to look over
this new field for business opportunities,
and there Will be American sharpness
and enterprise pitted against the Cuban
| and Spaniard. If Santiago prOsper3 and
| money is easy there will be a good field
| here for the gambler and his outfit, if the
| laws will allow him to operate. With
| prosperity and good hotel, there is prom
| Use in Santiago OF a Wlde-Open town that
VIII DC ii sure ullIdClIOIl W lLC11 VI 81 Ger
| tain stamp.
The arrival Of so many strangers in
| Santiago during the last two weeks has
| taxed the town accommodations, which
were never ample, to the utmost. The
| lack of anything like proper hotels and
| restaurants Will continue to be i detri-
ment to the city until some one with 4
| knowledge of what Americans want steps
| in and opens hotel.
The Anglo-American club of Santiago,
an institution founded over three years
| ago by the English-speaking residents of
| this place, has been the salvation of many
| Americans since the occupation. The
club affords a limited number of COOL
| clean rooms to American officers and cor
respondents. Many of Santiagos Ameri-
| can visitors will remember most grateful
! ly the clubs cool garden and the stone
| paved shower bath. Since three days af-
| ter the occupation the club has served
I meals, and while what is eaten comes
! mostly in cans, the long white table set
twice day with china plates and bot
| ties of wine has been Il most welcome
| sight to many an officer who has ridden in
| from the front to exp. fence the novel
sensation of a civilized meal. Old friends
| meet at this common center. and the fight
| ing of the LIST, I'd and Sd of July is told
and told again by men who were on the
| right or the left, or who came up late
| Naval officers from the ships have come
|
| officers from the field hear tales of what
the ships have done.
Refugees Coming Back.
Many of the refugees from Santiago
and the eastern end of Cuba who slipped
over to Jamaica during the troublesome
times are coming back. Opportunities
to Go so are scarce, however, as steamers
are not frequent from Jamaica, but slow
ly the town is filling up and the country
people are coming in to buy certain ne
| cessities. But their money is not pIenti-
full as yet. They depend upon the crops
Of sugar and coffee and tobacco, and I'M
til agricultural work is resumed and the
money that was sent back to Spain for
safe keeping during the war finds its way
back to Cuba under an assured conf
dence in the future, money will not be as
easy as it was in the old days.
Their is much talk ia town of the ex-
orbitant prices charged by storekeepers
! for clothing, food and drinks. Prices are
today three and four times as high as
they should be. Shopkeepers are charg-
ing at the rate of two American dollars
for what sold formerly for one silver
| Spanish dollar. 1t has been found neces-
sary to ordain that bread shall not be
! co11 con+S e-;I,oo 49,