The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-03-21


"a hours before there would be trouble.
Everybody here knew and expected
there would be trouble among the Cu.
bans themselves sooner or later, but it
has come sooner and in different way
than it was looked for.
Sunday the Cuban Assembly had
meeting and denounced Gen. Gomez,
removing him from command of the
army and Diminishing him from the serv-
ice, because he settled with President
Mckinley for three million dollars.
They want twenty million. Gen. Gomez
told them that if that was the thanks he
was to get from the Cubans he would
quit the island and 60 back to his native
laud-San Domingo-but the mass of
the people and the army will net give
Linn up. They are with him and are
denouncing the General Assembly in
very bitter terms.
Last night at Cienfuegos q crowd of
several hundred people gathered in front
of the Cuban Club headquarters. They
had the Stars and Stripes and the Cuban
flag, and were cheering and shouting
for Gomez for all they were worth. They
had several speeches, the substance of
which was that they were for Gomez
first, last and all the time; and that they
would sgree TO anything that Gomtz z
and Mckinley did for them; that the
General Assembly had nothing to do
with them; the only head they recoa-
nized was Gomez, and through him
would deal with the United States
Whenever the speakers would stop for
breath the air would be rent with the
cry "Vive Maxine Gomez"
The men seemed to have gone mad
and away into the night they kept run
ing around town and their one cry was
"Viye Maxine Gomez" They were all
very bitter against the General Assem-
bly, for daring to do such q thing, as
they look upon Gen'l Gomez in the
same light as we do upon Washington.
This morning, after l came out to the
Thirty first Michigan camp at Rodrego
I was talking to Regimental interper-
ter, an oldCuban of about seventy years,
and when l told him of the way they
had treated Gomez. the tears came to
his eyes as no said "this shows what
fools my people are, they will never be
able to govern themselves. They have
gone crszy to treat the General in that
way, and that the only thing for his
country was to be annexed to the
United States" The poor old fellow
turned around and walked away with
tears running down his cheeks.
These demonstrations are being held
in all of the towns and it is hard for any
one to tell where this will stop. Oae
thing seems sure at present that is the
General Assembly has lost the support
of the people.
All of the Spaniards that can, are get
ting their property turned into money
90 that they can leave the island at .
moments notice if the United States
moves out.
The railroads here are something
awful. It costs ten and twelve cents a
mile to travel on first class ticket, and
their first class coaches are poor enough.
A man would not ride in them at
home if he had pass. Besides your fare,
it costs you seven dollars to take q me
dium sizsd trunk from Havana to Cien-
fuegos, distance of . little less than two
hundred miles, 30 you see you are not
crou ded very often when you travel, for
there is very little travelling on the rail-
road here. If 70 man wants to 60 any
where he gets on his pony and starts
across country. Their ponies are only
about twelve hands high, and are very
toug gh, can stand ride of seventy or
eighty miles day in the hot sun and
never feel It. They are all singlefoots
and are excellent riders.
have visited q good many Of our
camps here in Cuba, and I must say
they are all in excellent shape. The
men have fine quarters, large tents
with good floors in all of them. I have
not seen camp since have been
here but what was better located and
the sanitary conditions better than
any saw in the States.
As for the climate here it is the
finest extant, and if anybody ID think
ing of going to Florida to spend
the winter next year, 1 would
advise them not to stop there, but to
come on over to Cuba and stop at some
OF these sugar plantations, or some OF
these small cities. Ssgua La Grande is
about as nice q place as have found.
Hoping you are all az we'll and feel
ing as good as am. I must close.
NED.