Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1899-02-09
COL. FENToN IN CUBA.
He Thinks This Government Has u Zig
Problem ON its Hands I'm Its New
Possessions.

Col. r. Is. Fenton, at one time con.
nected with the Richardson Silk Com.
pany OF this city. but now in the gov.
ernment employ in the island OF Cuba,
wrote the following letter TO +. A.
Washburn and by his courtesy We are
permitted TO give the same to our
readers, knowing it will be OF interest
to them.
OFFICE PURCHASING AND CoMMIssARY, !
CIENFUEGOs, CUBA,
January 10, 1899.
You may have heard OF my "exile"
to the isle of Cuba. | have been here,
yesterday, three months, and l am
quite an old resident. For the first
six weeks l was here / was the only
American officer here among about
10000 Spanish troops, and at no time
have been in any danger, on the con
trary | have been well treated by
Spaniards as well as Cubans. There
are now concentrated in and around
Cienfuegos for Is miles about 10000
Spanish troops and they must all dis
embark here. You can imagine what
busy place this is now-in place OF
only about $1,000 inhabitants. We
have here now the 9th Ohio Vol. Inf'y.
and there are six troops OF the 2ud U.
>. cavalry ordered here, and / have
been notified to provide for them upon
their arrival. 1 am now feeding ] ,229
men here, 1000 at Trinidad and Saneti
Spiritus, and when the cavalry gets
here will have 600 more. Besides these
have 10 issue TO the destitute Cubans,
land nearly all are destitute.) Hun
dreds OF poor unfortunate women and
children are in a dieing condition.
Wish YOU could see my store house and
cOmmissary store. 1t would make you
green with envy, more especially some
OF your grocery stores. l have coming
in by steamer. due tomorrow, 2,7S5
cases OF canned goods, 750 sacks of
flour and about the same amour. of
beans, We have contracted for fresh
btef and use about 1000 pounds daily.
and | have contracted for ice for drink
ing purposes at the rate of 80 pounds
for each company and the band per
day. My store and warehouse is as
clean as your Office in the mill; is stu
ated on the west Gpd OF the Plaza, The
most delightful spot in Cienfuegos.
have my offices up stairs, four in mum
ber, and transact all my business be-
low: have one chief clerk, an assistant
clerk, an interpreter and some regular
TO assist my commlssary
sergeant, who does all the issuing and
attends TO the stock. This gives me
plenty to do and l am con sequently
contented. | went home after the San
tiago campaign on 20 day leave, had
only taken ten days OF it when | was
ordered here.
You can set it down as a fact that
this government has got problem on
their hands with these Cubans. They
are no good, they will not work, want
all the Offices and expect to get them,
and 10 be Independent, about half OF
the people want this, but they are II
class that will not work. have no pro-
perty, while every man owning proper
ty realizes the fact that the future OF
Cuba depends upon annexation. We
are going to see trouble with the for
mer class, il has already commenced
in the province of Santiago De Cuba.
We had big time New Years. |
raised the flag over the postotfice and
Mai. Dusenberry raised it over the
custom house Yours,
+. b. FENToN.