The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-09-28
SOME CUBAN LIFE,
Capt. Charles ]. Symmonds Tells of
the Work of Reconstruction in the
'.Gem of the Antilles"
THE DESIRE FOR ANNEXATION


Welcome Union With This Country as
an End to Century of Political strug
gles-Bu11dtng Up the Cities and Intro
ducing American Institutions Prove NJ
Easy Task for the Conquering Army
Capt. Charles J. Symmonds, of this
city, who for the past year has been in
Cuba as Ouartermaster General of the
army at Puerto Principe, returned to
his home in this city yesterday for
two months visit. The Captain is
tanned and brown and disease has left
visible mark on his c1ear-cut features.
For over six months he has been
| located at Puerto Principe, and the
arduous duties of his position have
naturally had their effect upon him.
For the past few weeks he has been in
the hospital with yellow fever and he
returns to his native land to spend his
short sick leave with his parents. A
representative of this paper called on
the Captain yesterday afternoon and
found him very busy receiving the
congratulations of his friends OH his
safe return home When asked to
speak on Cuba Capt Symmonds stated
that it was not in the province of
soldier in the regular army to do much
talking, but that Cuba and the work of
the American army in the island were
great topics and he could talk for hours
on them.
Capt. Symmonds left Kenosha
thirteen years ago to enter West Point
as a cadet. Four years later he was
graduated with h1gh honors, and bear
ing tie title of a lieutenant he was
assigned to the 9Th Cavalry, commonly
know among the soldiers as Clusters
Old Company"
With his company Lieut.. SynInonds
was sent to Arizona, and the next.
eight years were spent in presiding
over the destinies OF Western forts
with now and then brush with the
Indians to relieve the monotony Of the
regular army life. When the war broke
out with Spain Lieut.. Synlmonds was
one of the first to request that he be
allowed to go to Cuba and take an inn
portant part in the conflict But the
war department saw otherwise, and
the Kenosha soldier remained at his
post on the frontier. After the war
was over and the victory had been won
the department began to cast about for
men to send to Cuba to take charge of
the work of reconstruction of the
island. Gen. Carpenter was selected
TO have charge of the work in the
southern part of the country and at his
request Lieut.. Symmonds became Capt.
Symmonds and joined the army Of re-
construction. AS soon as the work IN
Cuba was started Capt. Sy1nmonds was
made chief quartermaster OF the divis-
ion with headquarters at Puerto
/ Principe.
In speaking OF the work in Cuba the
Captain said that it was hard to sly as
to whether the people of the United
, States had done a greater service in
| Kidding Cuba of Spanish rule or in the
work of reconstruction of the island
as it is now being carried out by the
army under the instruction of the de-
partment. Following the enterance of
J the victorius army into the Cuban
cities came an army Of 1abOrers armed
with picks and shove1s, and this latter
army is still advancing. Said Capt.
| SYrnmonds: ''When the army entered
| Cuba we found it in the most dep1or-
able condition possible. The cities had
been deserted and all manner of mil
I nicipa1 sanitation had long since been
i forgotten in the rush of the people
either to get away from the cities or TO
reap a fortune in the closing days of
Spanish rule in the is1and: The cities
Of Cuba weresnot fit for civilized nlel-
70 live III. With the advance Of the
army we did all in our power to reclaim
the cities. Sewers long since closed
Up were reopened, streets were cleaned
and in some cases paved. The Cnbans,
returning from years of unsuccessful
campaigning, were willing enough TO
accept work under the 'A1nerican army
when American dollars were given in
exchange for their work. In our city
the army Of the sECubans was larger
than in any otherSpart of the island
with possible exception of the city OF
Havana. In the province OF Puerto
Principe the Cuban soldiers voluntarily
laid down their arms and si9nified their
intention OF accepting the rule OF the
Americans. The ceremony was very
i,.eresting one. The Cuban soldie- is
exceedingly vain and in order to attract
Chs vanity they were permitted 70
enter the city with all the pomp and
ceremony of a conquerer. Four hours
1ater these same men had laid aside
ll1cir rcgimenta1s and were at work in
the bitches helping lay the sewers. In
the last few months the department
/ has been so successful in it's work
shat it has begun the construction
of country roads to all parts Of the
/ island.
Gail the work is done by Cubans and
ou1y few American 1abor9rs are to be
found in the interior of the island.
Quite a number of Americans have
settled in Havana, but scarcely ever
!, his any of them not connected with
+ba army found their WV to the in