The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-05
NEWS FROM MATANZAS
col. GUNDER's BOYs HAVE BEEN IN
CUBAN CAMP OVER A WEEK.
Brief sketch of Life in the Town
sons GunS-NO Serious Illness
c3rresronlencc Of the Indianapolis Journal.

C5rresron lencc Of the Indianapolis Journal.
MATANZAS. Cuba, Jan. 30, with the One
hundred-and-sixtieth Indiana Regiment
The third battalion did not get into the bay
until Friday afternoon, Jan q, and there
being no dock here where boats of the
draft of the Saratoga can land, it was
necessary for the third battalion to remain
ON board till Saturday morning, when dis
cubarkatOn began. Everything had to be
taken off on lighters, which consumed the
entire day. The Hooser camp IS on a lava
bed. with only here and there few inches
of soil. It is tndescribably rough, rising in
some places three feet in sharp projecting
points making even careful walking haz-
ardous and at night absolutely dangerous.
When the troops came here this stony for
nation was overgrown with broad-leaf
prickly cactus and a brush resembling
hazel This had been cut off by the hired
Cubans and the boys have been hard at
work ever since breaking stone and leveling
the streets. There has not been a drill of
any kind, company, battalion or regmental,
since the troops arrived. Guard mount at
o'clock each morning is all there is room
for, and that with much of the ceremony
left out The interior, which we have seen
only in the distance, is wonderfully beauti-
crops. Soon as the soil is cleared of one an
other is planted, and the same is true of
vegetables and fruits Oranges, lemons,
lines bananas cocoanuts and all such
fruits are abundant. but sell higher than
one would think. The price has doubled
since the troops came. For instance, or
anges were urged on the soldiers at first at
six for nickel, now the price is three for
a nickel These people are sharp traders
and invariably make change in Spanish
money. They seem perfectly delighted to
have US here to prey upon. If they are
closely watched and severely bossed they
are great workers. 1t was surprising to see
what loads they could carry, and how stead
fly they could keep at it. in the unloading
of the lighters They are small, and most
of them decidedly feeble in appearance
Many Of them bear the marks of starvation
and disease. They are all clad now and are
compelled to conform to the habits Of civili-
cation. The men and boys smoke, but 1
have not seen the women using tobacco in
any form. Cigars can be had for one-fourth
the price they would bring at home.
AS a rule, the Cubans are a sad, stolid-
looking people, evidently the result of the
hard experience to which they have been
subjected. Those who come out to camp
stand off and seem to beg for the crumbs
that fall from our tables, and snatch
greedily any bit of meat or bread thrown
TO them. 1 made my first visit to Matanzas
this morning and saw something of the city,
OF which shall see more and tell you more
about hereafter. The city was said to con-
tain, under Spanish rule, a population of
lightweight thousand; now, thirty thou-
sand would be, perhaps, a fair estimate.
The widest streets are thirty feet and side
walks two feet, paved with stone. The
houses are built out to the sidewalks, one
against another and are from two to three
stories high. l did not see one
building above that height The courts, or
yards, are in the rear, with a very few side
yards, with beautiful flowers, fountains
and statuary. These, l suppose, were
old Spanish mansions. There are no frame
buildings here. They are built of stone or
stuccO and cement so that you do not see
the material out of which the building Is
constructed. All the various kinds of bust
ness common to northern cities is carried on
here, and much in the same way, though
prices are much higher. one of our boys,
Vernon knight, of Company D, who was
with me, stopped at hardware store to get
bar of solder, worth ten cents up North.
The price here was "a cents. The windows
of nearly all the house are heavily barred,
giving them the appearance of prisons.
Looking through these barred windows one
often sees women small of stature, delicate
in appearance, but of rare beauty. They are
very pleasant, and from their protracted
fOrtresses smile and bow to soldiers. The
doors, however, are on hinges, and our TEL
lows go into the houses that way. One of
them consulted me to-day as to the laws
regulating marriage here. l saw a large
number of reconcentradoes just opposite the
plaza waiting to receive their rations from
the government. 1t was, indeed, a sad scene
old men and women young men, girls and
boys, haggard In appearance who Will never
recover from SPANS inhuman treatment;
thousands of them are living in shacks just
north of the city, having survived starVa-
ton and disease, with nothing in this world
baf O
which they can so under present conditions.
North of the city near where our hrst pat
TALON was quartered after coming mere Is
the cemetery, In which 1900 of these miser-
able. starved creatures have been buried
within the last three years. They are bur
led three deep, one upon anotner' most OF
them uncOtftned, and many of them without
a garment Around the plaza is wall about
eighteen inches thick and about the same
high During the Weyler regime, driven in
from their homes, they would sit on this
wall 1 was told that Spanish soldiers
standing across the street would amuse
themselves by shooting them just TO see them
fall. After looking the ground over 1t Is
not difficult T. see how almost Impossible 1t
was for Spa 20 conquer the insurgents.
There are thou nds of natural fOrtihcatiQns
fl which hundred men would be more than
q match for thousand All about mere are
forts sand batteries, the guns still there,
but spiked: blOckhouses and all manner OF
defenses. The last of the men who occupied
them $500 packed like sardines IN box,
left for home a few days ago. 1t does not
require a prophets vision to see that this
island, with American capital and enterprise
Is destined To become NerltaDle garden
spot The soil is undoubtedly productive
and the climate delightful The temperature
has not been above so and the nights cool,
and conducive to refreshing sleep. Situated
on this stone foundation and on one of the
most beautiful bays in the world. affording
salt water baths and an almost constant
ocean breeze, it cannot but be healthy. The
CITY of Matanzas is systematically visited,
every house examined, name of family, num-
her in family. age, physical condition, water
supply vaults. sewerage and garbage Of
ficially looked after. There is neither small
pOx nor yellow fever here and, although
they are or have been endemic, 1t Is be-
leved they will yield to such measures as
are being rightly carried out. / have seen
one mosquito, one ceutipede and a very rev
flies. Flees and chiggers disturb the boys
some. especially those who came first. Since
we have been here twenty-five men have
been discharged. There are ten sick one in
quarters, four in the regimental and five in
the brigade hospitals; not one seriously
sick w. j. VIGUS.