Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-01-14


the Cuban, or creole (meanng the off
spring of parantage half native and
nan peninsular) was formerly too self
respecting to go into the street to ask
aims.
The lowest estate which the creole
recognized was that of selling lottery
tickets; there was a saying, in fact.
which described the transition of n
iamily from prosperity TO adversely, by
indicating that the father grew rich
IN his shop the son fell poor through
incidence, and the grandson was final
~ reduced to vending lottery tickets.
Now the lottery has been ended. Those
VINO lived by it were the class of bows.
girls, men and old women, who in New
ork. should have turned TO selling
eXtrys. AS there are no ''eXtrys' in
Cuba-to get the daily paper you must
subscribe. or be in an accessible place
ut the moment it issues from the pub
llsher's-these waits, strays and inutiles
nave no resources left but that of tho
outstretched palm.
MRS. SIMPSONS WORK.
The Mayor in sagua la Grande. and
MIS-. sampson in Havana, have started
asylums for children whom poverty or
death have left to public care-,rutt they
suggest that others and also hospitals
anu WorkhouseS are needed right away
Inc children are ingratiating little
creatures, precocious as gamins, vet
seldom coarse. to help whom is Il de-
iight. When you come to a Cuban city
you hit once discover yourself taking n
personal interest in them, and immedi-
ateiy acquire a pension list of your
own, though you may have always pro-
tested that there was no use in any
cnarlty except organized charity. They
resolve themselves into distinct types
L he most disagreeabe surely is that
which has stump of an arm (cut off
by Academy which is showed before your
race in the hope OF exciting pity. or n
revuision of feeling that will induce
you to pay to get it out of sight. Then
there are those with diseased eyes and
running sores. You soon discourage all
such as too discomforting, especially
as they cuStomarity present themselves
when you are eating. The agreeable
ones are those no higher than your
knees, gay. naive little comrades, who
climb into your lap and empty their
pockets OF their few centavi so YOU can
see how badly they have Jared to-day.
My own favorites in Havana were
one OF this type (who was everybody's
favorite). and Il little mulatto with eyes
like pool in a forest; and blue-eyed
Catalan that made me think of New
England. and n lovely. pathetic seven
year-old who looked as If she kept al
ways thinking-"What is the good OF
anything? Nothing" Besides, there
was "the coquette," n white creole with
stantly together, and ever in black
mourning. They used to depend on lot
Terry tickets: one day the Royal Lot
terry stopped. saying not enough tickets
were being sold to make it profitable
Everybody wondered what the child
would do then. for she would never ac-
cept money in charity. She did not an
pear for several days. Then one morn
ing, when proudly breakfasting with
the only American woman in the place.
l caught sight of a dminutive black
-appealing- figure in the dnnrMay- She
would not come when beckoned to; so
went to her. "Are you my friend ."
she asked. soemnlN Sure" an
swered Then tell me-" she demand
ed. who is that woman who looks so
jealousy at me?" "a stranger-an
American" was the explanations: and
then the little woman said: "She will
not come between us? Nunca? Then
You may give me half Il peso. My
mother needs medicine"
BEGGAR'S OR PAUPER,S DOLE.
There is still in Cuba wholesome
repugnance to receiving q beggar's or
n pauper's dole. Even gifts of food and
medicine have to be offered gracefully
and tactfully. or often they may be re-
fused. Mr.. Gould, in his work of dis
trbuunS provisions sent by the gov
eminent at Washington. has had to
make believe that it was merely n
loan. and that its cost was some time
TO be paid. It is in respect to This
pride. no less than to provide against
Generalization. that Mr.. Gould here at
Sagua has had each assisted man sign
an agreement to pay q nominal rental
for the plot of land that the United
States helped him to get. He will be
required to pay only in the event of
his farm proving prontable-an ar
a N Mr.
make with landed proprietors through
their desire to see their fields produc-
ing again. On this plan over 400 men
OF Sasua have been supplied each with
half farm Sixteen and one-half
acres) on which to grow vegetables
and sugar-cane. the United States
agreeing to furnish to the workers.
while the crops are maturing. the ne
cessities of life. Every two or three
days rations are sent to them, and once
or twice week inspectors visit the
farms to see that they are being prop
erly operated, and to restrain the sin
gular inclination Cubans have to plant
all their land to tobacco
EFFECTS OF WEYLERISM.
1t will be interesting to watch the pro
gress of this Pingree-like mode of aid
ing the Cubans. The outcome Will
demonstrate whether the people are as
lazy as they have been said TO be. 1t
is reasonable to expect that among
those assisted the natives will be less
energetic than the Spaniards and Cam
arians for the natives have the soften
ing, languor- making effects OF the eli
mate in their bodies. Two or three
years of idleness forced upon many by
Weylerism. must have had an addition
al relaxing influence upon habits of in
dustry; so the Undertaking of the gov