The Indianapolis journal., 1899-01-11
RETURN OF GEN. WOOD
ARRIVES AT NEW YORK ON THE
TRANSPORT MISSISSIPPI.
Everything i'm Good Shape When He
Left SantiagO-NO Trouble over
Customs Money Order.


transport Mississippi, which sailed from
Santiago on the evening of Jan. 4, arrived
to-day. On board the transport were Gen.
Leonard Wood, military Governor of San
tiago, and Lieutenant Hanna. aid-de-camp;
DR.. Castillo, brother of the Cuban General
Castillo, and Colonel Gibson, who superin-
tended the distribution of provisions to the
starving Cubans.
General Wood, who was interviewed at
quarantine regarding the protest of the
people of Santiago over the disposal of the
funds of that province, said he did not
care to talk on that matter before he vis-
tied Washington. There was some dissatis
faction but nothing to amount to anything.
When he left Santiago everything was in
splendid shape, schools were being orga-
nzed and ready to receive scholars, and
nearly 1000 miles of roads had been con-
structed in the province. The customs re-
ceipts We're the largest ever collected, and
exceeded the amount collected and turned
into the Spanish treasury Funds were avail
able for meeting the expenses OF the admin
istratiOn of the province and the only ex-
pense to the United States would be the
cost of maintaining her army. The best of
feeling prevailed and the general condition
of things was all that could be desired.
General Wood appeared TO be in excellent
health.
There was on board the transport ten
army officers belonging to the various regi-
mentS. fifty discharged and cOnValeScent
soldiers and forty-four civilians, among this
number being fourteen nurses. Four bodies
were brought home on board the Missis-
sippi One of these bodies was that of Miss
Helen Towers nurse who died recently at
San Juan. Captain StinsOn, the commander
of the Mississippi was left in hospital at
was taken sick on Dec. "a while at Ponce,
and on reaching Santiago it was deemed
prudent to send him ashore to the military
hospital, rather than risk his life on getting
in the colder climate of the North. Chief
Officer Hopkins was then placed in COM
mand of the vessel.
General Wood said his visit here was in
response to a telegram from the secretary
of war received on the day he left Santiago,
seven days ago. What was required of him
by the government was only conJecturai.
At the time he left Santiago everything was
quiet and the affairs of the province and
city in the best condition.
When shown the dispatch stating that
General Brooke had expressed astonish-
ment that General Wood had permitted a
demonstration at Santiago against the order
concentrating customs at Havana, he de-
clared that il such dispatch had been sent
by General Brooke to Washington, General
Brooke was laboring under a mistake. No
such demonstration had occurred, the peo-
pie having been perfectly quiet about the
matter, and the only thing of public char
acter was a gathering led by the mayor and
chief men of the city, attended by band,
to express good will toward him on his de-
parture-a very usual proceeding. General
Wood said he intended TO take the first
train available for Washington, and hoped
to return to Santiago by next Wednesday.
DR.. joaquin Castillo, who was a passen-
ger on the Mississippi and accompanying
General Wood, is bound to Washington as
representative of the Santiago Board of
Trade and the business community gen.
orally in the customs matter. DR.. Castillo
declined to talk about his mission, but gave
some interesting facts about the conditions
at santiago lie SAID that as agalnst the
monthly customs receipts at present in San
tiagO, formerly they were about $4,000 or
less than haIf though the present tarln IS
mostly under the third class, while the
Spanish tariff rigidly stuck to the high
charges under the first class. No more i'm
ports were received now, but all imports
now paid their share of the duty instead of
a part being smuggled and stolen as for
merly. In addition to the customs revenue,
about $500,C00 yearly was realized from the
municipal taxes at Santiago. These reve-
nueS are now all being directed to public
improvements There are now thousand
men employed building roads and in other
public works. He said there were about a
thousand Spanish soldiers left in the prov
inca of Santiago who were employed in the
mines between Santiago and Guantanamo.
Fruit growing and mining are both -four
ishng, and there can not be found as much
destitution in the whole of Santiago prov
ince as may be found in one of our own
States. DR.. Castillo said the prospects
were very good in Santiago. A better sys-
tenn for lighting the city was needed. A
French company now has the franchise
and provides about a thousand electric
lights of poor character
Asked to the local government, he said
1t was working very smoothly, and he
thought in four or five months time the
people should take it in their own hands.
General Wood had appointed to offices the
most popular men, who would no doubt
have been given the places had the people
the right of election.