Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-03
oyp CUBAN CORRESPONDENT ACTS
As A MONEY GUARD.
AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE.
The Personnel of the f"'''-
Fertility of the sotI-S"Gor
,atiop. observation-disclosures h"ie
spanish-Jottings by the way

working suit, good stoVN "a
a fat pocket book, and a plenty OF loose
csntavos I'm his pockets for the Dessais.
And be must pull of his coat and ron
Nm his sleeves. for cuba am a hard ro'u
20 trabbeL" Il takes time, and poverty
4 % be found on all sides. This IS TO the
American tourist. who travels Tor '''
Measure Of 81. but the soldier mas '''
advantage. IN that he doesn't nave ~
carry anything but his knapsack ana
hayersack with canned beer ana s1'N''
and bardtack. and DE is then prep"i0'
for any emergency. ,.
1rncle sam goes 10 a little more trouplo
60 nv his debts than other folks GO 20
avold that ordeal Paying q regiment
within eunshot Of the paymasters heau-
oportors Is not quite as difficult as pay
inc thousand men scattered ABOUT ga
The south coast Of Cuba. SO lar it mas
taken nine men, with the temporary
sistance OF others, three and one
49, and we haven't done so much as
reach the first troops 10 be palo on;
are on our way with chesl cohloiI'.'e
Ss0O0D 10 be scattered among the UoOiS
OF tho Fourth Tennessee Eeglmsh' o5
Volunteers. stationed at Trinidad anu
SNmGU
Cuba
the genial paymaster. Major S. II. Iy-
Ier. his clerk; the tovial Senator w II.
Hale. from Franklin. escorted by cap
tain Sheen. Sergeant Creekmore, CoIpo-
raj Bates. and Prvates Waddey' hatl
and Woodward OF Company A. ana the
scribe. OF Company II, comprise the par
~. Private Karl. who is native OF
Chilli. acted as interpreter, and in tNs
way helped us out Of many diinculle5
with ticket-selers. walters, ana ponce.
OF course, we had 10 fall into line WIN
the usual deliberate movements or the
Cubans. We had TO spend Monday the
18th. In going TO Habana and hanglns
around so as 10 take the train which left
Regla Tuesday morning. After spending
81 night In the richest house IN when
apv of us could boast Of ever living-Vlz-.
the Bank Of the North American trust
Company. where we guarded our urea
sure--we took the ferry-boat, which had
fust brought over lot Of country cou-
sins 70 visit Habana. Ox-carts loaded
with sugarcane. etc.
A DIFFERENCE DEFINED.
we landed across the harbor in the lit
lie town of Regla. Here we took first
Mass passage 10 CienfuegOs which is the
longest railway route in Cuba, a stretch
Of 2l0 miles. The frst-class aecommoda-
tions consist Of cane seats and backs;
the second. wooden benches and backs
and the third, wooden benches without
backs. The main difference is, as
Cuban would express II. the second-class
smells "malo," and the third "mucha
fmalo"
The Spaniards about the different sta
lions expressed surprise at the guards
travelling first-class, and no wonder see
ing the Spanish soldiers are looked upon
as brutes. and generally ride I'm cattle
cars.
This railroad is solidly laid on bed
Of broken stone G inches deep. but the
ground Is so very fertile that grass grows
high along the centre Of the tracks
No sooner did we set out on our trip
than we began swaying and bouncing
along as II we were on one OF the army
wagons. and the way we pitched and
tossed would have done credit TO TOR
rey's Rough Riders"
Captain Sheen carried the railroad pass
rs for the party. and the conductor hest
tated a long time before acknowledging
any but Captain Sheens, because. he said,
"senor Fourth Virginia Infantry is de
only gentleman named on de pass" think
ing that the Fourth Virginia Infantry
was the name Of the Captain.
We had to change cars three times on
the trip TO Cienfuegos-at Jovelanos,
Santo Domingo. and Las Crusas-all of
them small towns. We were not well
settled in our seats when the order would
come 10 sling baggage and each time the
safe seemed 20 grow heavier We start
ed with 10000, and now there must be
10000. judging from the tenacity with
which the safe sticks TO the ground when
we attempt TO lift Il.
At Matanzas the train stopped long
enough for lunch, which could be had at
the moderate sum of $3.50 per head, and
was. no doubt, the source of a little rev.
enue TO the proprietor. as it had to be
disposed of IN ten minutes-too short q
time to do that much damage.
HEART or CUBA.
This trip through the heart Of Cuba
gives the traveller an excellent opportu-
nifty Of observing the exceeding richness
or the soil, and opens TO view the heart
Of the island, revealing the extreme
poverty OF the people, and, on the other
hand. the Godgiven opportunities to OBJ
tain all the lavish abundance that nature
can afford.
The black. rich soil, TO be found every
where. II properly cultivated, would pan
out more than a mine. The palm-trees
towards the southern part OF the island
increase from scattering clumps ant
groves 10 large forests In addition tC
the stately royal palms and the fantastic
carrot-shaped palms bearing the palm
iche berries. which are fed TO the cattle
and pigs, there are the datil, or date
palms. cocOanut. and Jata palms. TIT
Jata is the prettest Of ALL the lower hall
OF the branches pointing in beautiful
rosettes towards the ground while thu
upper shoot Enthusiastically in the opposite
direction. 1t Is a rare sight indeed, 4
behold n forest OF these. On either sid
stretch immense sugar plantations witt
private railroads. on which carriages 70
passengers and flat-cars for sugar-can
are towed by steers. In the centre of In
plantation IS TO DO seen the private man
sion OF the rich planter. and somewha
removed from this the little village occu
pied by the laborcrs. The houses, Gale
Bohio, are built Of palm-bark, while tn
roofs are matched over with leaves frOr
the same tree These villages are lai
of in streets and have churches. schools
&c. Most Of these plantations are owne
by the Spaniards. who live like feuda
lords, enjoying i'm many instances IN
luxurics OF a prince. and being men O
fine education and manners, they Civ
their children the benefits Of the hes
schooling at home and abroad in Ameri
ca and Europe. However they have sui
fered a great deal from the thirty year
Of Intermittent war. On the outskirts q
the plantations are numerous block
houses, placed from one-half to one mil
apart In each of these were placed &C.
men who would establish themselves a
outposts. The houses are about ten fe,
square, and built OF stone, railroad tiel
and mud. In the centre Is a little towe
from which the watch can see over IN