Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-23

but a novelty which was highly popular, as
we'll distinct advantage To the service,
for the women We're fully equal to the men
in their work Indeed, the appointment OF
the women gave the CubanS a new glimpse
into the nearing of American rule, and
made warm friends of thousands of Cuban
women.
THRILLING Experiences.
Each enumerator was supplied with
deep brown canvas bag. in which he carried
his portfolio Of blanks. a bottle of ink,
pens and blotting pads. Those in the coun-
try rode horseback, visiting every little
matched hut in the land. Down in the
Clara there is great swamp. known
the Lapata marsh. The enumeration to
whom this district fell reported while l
AT MatanZaS. He limped from severe
wound in his leg, where he had been bitten
by an alligator, and he reported that in his
journeys through the deep everglades he
had been forced to xii twenty-five alli-
gators that disputed his way Here he
found natives who had not heard of the
closing of the war with Spain, and some of
them had never even heard Of America and
the Americans. In Pinar del Rio an emu
merator found settlement of nearly 900
persons "engrooved in the mountains as
he expressed it, entirely out of touch with
the outside world, living on plantains and
sweet potatoes, and governing themselves
in sort of primitive republic. An almost
unheard-of settlement among the noun
tainS of Santiago puzzled the enumera tors
far more than anything else. The people
We're not Cubans, nor Spaniards. nor ne
groes. but Indians. the only remnant left
of the once powerful tribes which inhabited
the island when Columbus discovered
America. The axe few in number and sny
and they live in the most primitive manner
Hard to Decide Color Question.
The blanks used We're exceedingly simple.
They We're three in number, all headed
''('ppSp de Ia TS1a de -Db h1io 10
de los Estados Unidos'-"Census of the
Island of Cuba, Under the Direction of the
United States The first dealt with pop
ulation. the second with schools and the
third with agricultural statistics. The pop
ulation blank contained spaces for twenty
five names. the first spaces being devoted
to the usual questions as to place of resi-
dence. name of person, color. sex. age and
whether married or single. OF these ques-
tons that of color was the most difficult
The enumerators made three classifications
white mestizo and black-but if there are
three colors of complexion in Cuba there
are hundred Moreover. the blacks wanted
to be mestizos and the mestizos white
Scores of times a black negro would answer
the question, What color are you?" with
the answer White
But you are back-you are a negro" the
enumerator would insist
No. are free: didn't we fight 70 he
white men? We are independent white
men,"
And amount of persuasion could per-
suade him that the was not really a white
man. and the enumerator put him down
black in spite of himself
The inquiries as to nativity and occupa-
ton We're easily answered, but that of citi-
Zenship came very hard. Three divisions
are given in the blank-Cuban, Spanish or
suspense" in suspense. To these the emu
merator added Observation-Disclosures or
foreigner. 1t is often difficult to know Just
where the dividing line comes between
Span1ards and Cubans, and in the present
bitterness of feeling the difficulty is dou-
bled. Besides that, many Spaniards have
not yet registered their intention of re-
manning Spanish subjects. They are, there
fore, in suspense" Others call themselves
Cubans. These classifcations of citizen
ship have been watched very closely by the
Cubans. for the "suspensos-' may play an
important part in the elections, when they !
take place.
School and Sanitary Questions
Very close attention was also given to
the educational questions. Where there
was any doubt as to the ability of a person
to read or write, the enumerator was in
structed to test him in the writing of SEN
tence, not containing his name, and in read |
ing some simple paragraph. 1t is hoped, |
therefore, that the statistics as to hteracy |
will be absolutely accurate The last de- |
partment of the population blank was de- |
voted to sanitary conditions and consisted |
of these questions:
"Origin of the water used?'' |
What do you do with your garbage?'
Conditions of elosets?
If these three questions are fully an |
swered, the result will be some very |
startling facts about Cuban home condi- |
who tried to clean Santiago in the early |
days after the war.
The school statistics blank is also likely
to reveal the sad condition of Cuban edu- !