The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-24

and inquisitions which followed were full
OF excitement. Finally the requisite 1900
were chosen. In Havana province there
were $50, in Santiago 326, in Matanzas 202,
all of the most intelligent men of Cuba.
There were women, too, in Matanzas to
the number of 81. The choice of women
for such positions was distinct novelty,
but novelty which was highly popular
as Wei as distinct advantage to the SER
vice, for the women were fully equal to
the men in their work Indeed, the APP
pointment of the women gave the Cubans
a new glimpse into the meaning of Ameri-
can rule and made warm friends of thou
sands of Cuban women.
Thrilling Experiences of Enumera-
tors.
Each enumerator was supplied with
deep brown canvas bag in which he car
ried his portfolio OF blanks, a bottle of ink,
pens and plotting pads. Those in the ooun-
try rode horseback. visiting every little
matched hut in the land. Down in the
southern part of the province of Santa
Clara there is a great swamp known as
the Lapata marsh. The enumerator to
whom this district fell reported while
was at Matanzas. He limped from
a severe wound in his leg
where he had been bitten by an
alligator and he reported that in his jour
been forced to kill twenty-five alligators
that disputed his way. Here he found ma
tives who had not heard of the closing of
the war with Spain, and some of them had
never even heard of America and the
Americans. In Pinar del Rio an enumer-
ator found settlement of nearly 800 PEI
sons "engrooved in the mountains" as he
expressed 1t, entirely out of touch with
the outside world, living on plantains anu
sweet potatoes and governing themselves
in sort of primitive republic. An almost
unheard of settlement among the noun
tains of Santiago puzzled the enumera-
tors far more than anything else. The
people were not Cubans, nor Spaniards
nor negroes, but Indians, the only rem
nant left of the once powerful tribes which
inhabited the island when Columbus dis
covered America. They are few in num-
Der and shy, and they live in the most
primitive manner.
Hard to Decide Color Question,
The blanks used were exceedingly sim
pie. They were three in number all
headed "Censo de la Isla de Cuba baio la
Direction de los Estados Unidos' '-"Census
of the Island of Cuba under the Direction
of the United States" The first dealt
with population, the second with schools
and the third with agricultural statistics
The population blank contained spaces for
twenty-five names the first spaces being
devoted to the usual questions as to place
OF residence, name OF person, color, sex,
age and whether married or single OF
these questions that of color was the most
difficult The enumerators made three
lassifications-white, mestizo and black
but if there are three colors of complexion
in Cuba there are a hundred. Mo cover
the blacks wanted to be mestizoes and the
meStZoS white. Score of times a black
negro would answer the question, 'sWhat
color are you" with the answer "white."
But you are black-yOu are a negro"
the enumerator would insist.
mo, we are free; didn't we fight to be
white men? We are independent white
men,
And no amount of persuasion could per
suade him that he was not really a
white man." aud the enumerator put him
down black in spite Of himself.
The inquiries as to nativity and occu-
patton were easily answered, but that OF
citizenship came very hard. Three divis-
ions are given in the blank-Cuban Span
ish or suspense" in suspense. To these
the enumerator added "extranjero"-
stranger or foreigner. 1t is often difficult
to know just where the dividing line comes
between Spaniards and Cubans and in
the present bitterness of feeling the diff
Guilty is doubled. Besides that many
Spaniards have not yet registered their
intention of remaining Spanish subjects
They are. therefore, Sin suspense" 9th
ers call themselves Cubans. These CLASH
fications of citizenship have been watched
very closely by the Cubans, for the "sus-
pensos' may play an important part in
the elections when they take place.
School and Sanitary Questions.
Very close attention was also given t.,
the educational questions. Where there
was any doubt as TO the ability Of a per
son to read or write, the enumeration was
instructed to test him in the writing of a
sentence, not containing his name, and in
reading some simple paragraph. It Is hop
ed therefore, that the statistics as TO lit
eracy will be absolutely accurate The
last department of the population blank
was devoted to sanitary conditions. and
consisted of these questions:
"Origin of the water used?"
what do you do with your garbage?"
Conditions of closets?"
If these three questions are fully an
swered. the result will be some very start
ling facts about Cuban home conditions
some of which shocked the officers who
tried 10 clean Santiago in the early davs
after the war.
The school statistics blank is also uke1,,
to reveal the sad condition OF Cuban ed.
ucatiou. 1t Is simple enough requiring the
name and situation of the school Wheth-
er public. private OF religious, whether the
pupils live in the building or outside the
capacity, the number Of teachers, the num-
Der and color OF the pupils whether
white. negro. mcsti2o or Chinese. the
number or days schooling lest year and
the average daily attendance There are
very few, II any, schoolhouses IN Cuba, the