The evening times., 1899-03-23
SAGUA La GRANDE.
A Cuban Town Of which Little Was
Hitherto known.

made public yesterday from official sources
the following matters of interest relative
to the municipality of Sagua la Grande,
Cuba:
THE municipality has a population Of
22OS4, including the villages OF Isabella,
Siticito and Chinchila. The council Of the
. Guiding the mayor. All the Spaniards in
the council have Withdrawn, leaving
eighteen Cubans to represent the law max
ing power of the municipality.
There are six public schools in the
town for boys, and nine for girls. The
private schools are two for boys, and five
for girls, making a total of TWENTY-FIVE
schools, which are attended by 31S boys
and 81 girls. The town pays $1,000 in
salaries; s2,954 for houses leased for school
purposes and for stationery books, etc.;
s12. .e04 Hitherto the taxes were collected
by the Spanish Bank and handed over 10
the Provincial Board OF Public Instruc-
tion. This board dealt directly with the
teachers in this and almost every other
respect.
"The discipline maintained by the teach
ers has always been OF very lax charac-
ter, and in cases. of violation of the law
there seemed to be no legal method OF cor
recting breaches OF discipline. The teach
ers have now owing them over nine months
salary, and some Of them are in a starv-
ing condition.
The town has a hospital capable of
caring for 256 people. This is controlled
by the Provincial Board of Public Charit-
a ahIa Inc ha al hos al VIC
been badly managed, and the local author
tiles have all resigned. The hospital is
now in the hands OF the mayor as dele
gate from the general government.
THE expense of running this hospital
for 1883 up to date is s21. 1.225.11. The
outlays for the present financial year are
calculated at s21. 1851. The expenses of
! running this hospital have always been
paid by the towns of the judicial districts.
| The hospital owes about $4,000 to outsiders
and sixteen months salary to its employees.
amounting in the aggregate to about $500.
Since the United States Government took
hold OF the hospital laborers have been put
to work in order TO place it in a perfect
hygienic condition, and il is intended to
furnish the hospital with proper clothing,
furniture, and medical supplies, if any
funds can be had for such extraordinary
expenses. About 200 sick people are being
cost OF 80 cents a day each, exclusive Of
the cost of employees and other indispen-
sables to keep the place in good condition.
clinic fer children has recently been es-
tablished, with nurses and doctors. At
present there are about seventy children
attending the clinic.
The town has three orphan aEylums,
two for girls and one for boys, and here
some 300 children find food, shelter and
education They fanPhf certain iahnrS
in harmony with their age and sex. A
cigarette mandatory has been established
in the asylum. The older girls show
the younger ones how TO manage this in
dustry. They also teach the latter how
to make straw goods, such as hats, etc.
The girls do the housework and 4 COM
mittee CT ladies supervise daily their in
struction, health, etc The municipality
bears part of the expense and public sub
scription, to which is added the sale of
cigarettes, does the rest. The amount re-
ceived is not sufficient to keep it in good
condition as the state of famine and
wretchedness in which the children gen.
orally come demand special medicines.
nourishment and attention. These asyiums
were founded last May. The American
Red Cross Society and lately representa-
tive of the United States Government have
aided the institutions by allowing them
some supplies and food. An appropriate
building for an asylum Of this character
is strongly demanded.
The town has also a dispensary which
has been running for over year, for
children whose parents are alive. These
children are received from to II q. m,
and get some little nourshment, such as
broth and milk, with medical attendance
and medicines. There are 500 children
being supported at this dispensary. The
dispensary is supported by the munich
crIbSnrintion
There IS also a public kitchen in the
town which provides food for come 1000
people OF both sexes of the destitute
classes. This Institution has been run
ming for over a year and good many
lives have been saved by virtue of it. The
Red Cross Association and also Mr.. Gould
have contributed 10 this work.
THE city has had within its limits
great many cases of smallpox but since
the lazaretto was built the epidemic
rapidly disappeared. All smallpox cases
are confined in the lazaretto, which has
been found to be a very important factor
in eliminating the disease
The only cemetery in the town is the
property OF the Catholic Church. Poor
people are not allowed to be buried in
collins unless they pay heavy duty. The
mode of burial has largely contributed to
making the town unhealthy Great re-
form is needed in private burials through
out the Island of Cuba.
"Sagua has a small but badly conducted
market which brings the municipality an
income of s12 600 year. In better times
it used to yield an income of $4,000. a
new building of iron is badly needed.
The slaughter house is magnificent
structure Ii produces to the municipal
ity about $4,000 yearly, and in ordinary
times when cattle are cheap and abundant
| the income was over $50, 900 a year.
The town is not well supplied with
| water, especially in the winter time, when
| there is little rain. The water contains
an excess of lime and comes from Arroyo
| Blanco white Creek. There are no water
works of Importance, only small dam
| with a ten-inch pipe. The water is brought
| a distance of eleven miles. The Jail is a
good brick building that fills the require
| ments of the city.
1.-The town has two small parks in it's
| centre and grounds for two more which
have not been improved for lack of funds.
"The municipality collects taxes on real
| estate and on commerce and industry. The
| basis is per cent on the benefits de-
| clared by the contributors on the real es-
| tate, and special tariff on industry and
commerce. The total taxes for the pres