The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-11
AMERICAN
OFFICER
In CUBA.
Major Hennisee Writes Interest.
ingly from Plaeetas, to
Friend in Wheeling.
BELIEVES CUBANS CAPABLE
OF Self Government, but Fears
the influential Classes will
Control Affairs.


The following letter was written to q
friend In wheeling by Major Hennisse.
whom many people win pleasantly re-
member a. the recruiting officer sta
toned here last summer:
PLAcBTAs, Cuba, Sept. n.
slr:=Your kind note was received by
be in due season. Many thanks for
the Information which Il contained.
Mrs. H. said 1t was as healthy In
Cuba for her as 1t was for me- so We
left New York on August 0, on the
United States transport Burnside, a
shlp OF 1000 tons, captured from Spain
and tltted out by the United States AZ
a transport at q cost Of $4,000. We all
got on our sea sickness about the third
day and luckily 80, for we were caught
OF Georgia in the hurricane that did so
much damage In Puerto Rico. We were
three nights and three days endenVor-
ing to keep the same locality as near
as possible, all In the saloon, lying on
the floor, for 1t was impossible to stay
in a bunk in our Gtater0om, on the
upper deck We were badly tossed
about; would occasionally get some
thing to eat in q teA-cup and made
the best of 1t possible, Hardly any
person on board escaped severe bruises
but none were seriously hurt. am
still reminded Of two severe falls, one
which Aurt my right ribs and the other
which iurt my right shoulder. AZ the
end Of the storm we were completely
worn out; no passenger on board want
ed to own u steam yacht or whistle the
"Georgla Camp Meeting for three
days.
After the storm we had two days Of
fine weather to get the kinks out Of
us and recover our naturalness. We
landed at Matanzas on August II; left
there and arrived Mt Placetas on the
18th, distance Of 1853 miles, which took
us from $3.50 a. m. to $40 p. M. ex-
changes Of cars on the way at Jovel-
ianc1, SantO Domingo, sItcito and
CamatuRni. Trains generally stop one
half hour at a changing station, but
run much faster between stations than
/ supposed they would; roads very
rough, fare from eight to ten cents per
mile: first, second and third class cars,
but they say that no one except Amer
leans are fools enough to write first
class. Placetas is twenty-six miles
southeast OF Santa Clara, but only q
poor, seldom used trail between.
went to MRtan1aa again on the 24th,
on a board to examine officers Tor pro-
motion. While there we took trip
TO Havana, thinking that, we might
leave the island without getGsT bet
ter chance to see the place.
Havana Is much more like city
than any Other place on the island: IN
fact 1t ~ about equRl In size and pop
ulation to al, thA other towns combined.
We arrived th4te at dusk That night
many Of tins large places. lighted up by
electricity, reml sAtd us somewhat OF
the Worlds FaIr. = Chicago, but oh,
what difference a the morning.
we saw the wreck of the Maine"
and we're reminded OF Spanish treach-
cry, We saw the floating deck. the
Poodo Central Park, Moro Castle and
Cabanas fortress. The Prodo is a beau
tlful street with trees In the CENTER
in oil probability 100 yards wide. 1t
leads to the point OF the inlet oppo-
site Moro Castle. probably ~ yards
Away, Central Park confirms some
beautiful plants and trees, among the
lot some umbrella trees-the first ever
saw. OF course, the palm Is every
where in Cuba; one cannot look In any
direction without seeing few scatter
Spown Abispo and Up o'ReIlly" gov
prns the drivers in Havana, The streets
are probably twenty feet wide. with q
two foot Wide sidewalk on each side.
Abispo Is a fair retail street. o'Reily
is a fraud; regular fake dealers Keep
the stores there.
Along the railroads that I have tray
eled there IS any quantity Of fine Grass
going to waste for the want OF cattle
10 eat II. The war used up the cat
tie and barn yard fowls. ana tne .IS ~ y
pressing necessity that these should be
renlaced, This Is now being done; ire
nuently ahips arrive with 1000 or 3,OOV
herd OF cattle on board.
The rainy season has not occurred
vat. has been 40 dry that the corn crop
il a total failure. but the tobacco cFop
is good. We have had some good rains
recently. and 1t IN supposed the down.
nour viii occur in OctobS; and Novem-
ber. but that IS after the usuai rainy
American money is worth 10 in Span
ISh gold and 1876 in Spanish silver: Ther
IA n strong tendency to 80 straight 70
our currency, because the people wtttl
money that 1t il only question OF
time when an American dollar VIII DC
worth 200 In Spanish silver
The principal crops In Cuba are su-
gor and TOBACCO. Within twenty mites
~ This Mace there are nine sugar
mills in working order md three es-
fates with the mills burnt. Each es-
tate. or rather mill, has about 1000
Scres OF cane land The grinding lasts
about three months. Only about cne-
half crop OF sugar will be raised this
venr. but next year II Is probable that
iii Inc mills will be running to fun en-
DarIty. considerable quantity oil
English capital II going Into sugar eS-
tntes here. am told that mill near
CIenfueRns once turned out 100000 tons
Of surar IN a year. It requires a great
deal Of capital to raise sugar, and the
small farmers. on that account raise
tobacco. which brings quicker returns
Just back OF our house, seVenty7iiVe
yards distant, are two tobacco curing
houses Each has $50 people Mt work.
stripping, asserting and packing the
tobacco for shipment II is put up IN
bales about 3OxsOx2O. and covered with
the back OF the palm, bale weighs
about 100 pounds, The fiat. thin tough
bark makes an excellent covering, and
the bales are packed as neatly as a
druggist would wrap up n package OF
medicine. One would hardly believe
that such neat covering Of bark could
be put on,
The sun Is hot here. but II II always
comfortable In the shade, ! suffered
more inconvenience from heat in
Wheeling than have down here. We
have had no high winds since | have
been hcre, but there If generally com
Portable breeze going. out Of the breeze
II IA QUITE warm, but everybody pruc-
tlcnlly lives In the open air, no glass In
tho windows ana shutters all open. OK
ccpt when II rains or the wind Is too
strong.
There arc very few cases Of sickness