The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-06

InRletarra are occupied by the United
states government officials and the whole
city is flled with uniformed soldiers and
officers. This hotel Is nothing 10 brae
about and did not get n square meal
while was there. The food Is All cooked
stomach rebels 1t this kind Of food after
day or 10 of Il. Tho house bad no mod
ern conyeniencas but as IL IL the best IN
the city and il filed all the time at him
rates probably the proprietor ia satisfied.
I'm walking about the streets Of
Havana, one comes upon soldier with n
rifle on his shoulder at every corner. The
city il under martial control aud on the
surface IL Is quiet and orderly was
told that great Improvements had been
made In the sanitary condition Of the
place in the last month and that the
Americans had cleaned. It thoroughly from
one end to the other. There Is room for
much more of this kind OF work should
think. There Is not sewer In Havana.
the sewerage from the houses runs into
cess pools and Is cleaned out, | was told,
once "a day, but | am more inclined to
believe that the cleaning does not take
place oftener than once a week. Sewers
must be built or Havana will never be a
very healthy city for Americans.
II went out to visit the wreck of the
hattleship Maine one day while was
there Only the two masts aud ~ wreck
OF the superstructure OF this magnificent
ship are TO be seen above the murky
waters of the harbor In the depths OF
which so many American blne jackets lie
buried My blood fairly Boiled when
viewed the work OF treHchery and any
American would boil over with iuuigna-
ton at u sight of this ruin Of what was
once u Magnificent ship. The Spanish
still occupy the government palace.
went down there one day to visit it but
they would not allow me Inside. A regi-
ment Of soldiers were guarding the en-
trance TO this palace. The officer in
charge Of the guard told me the Spaniards
we're supposed to be inside packing up
valuable documents and getting ready to
move ont but that all they did was to
smoke cigarettes and sleep lie didn' {
know how mu.h longer they were TO be
allowed TO remain there.
1.-The water in Havana seems to be
very sweet ana pure and may be drum k
with impunity. The American troops Are
in camps about the CITY. They told me
that the old Spanish barracks were 30
filthy that it took weeks and months TO
clean them out and even now the authori-
ties Will not allow the American troops
% occupy the buildings because they are
81 tainted with infectious Diseases, My
business was wholly with bankers and
lawyers all of whom were Spsniards or
Cubans The Spaniards seem reoonoiled
TO the change which has come over the
city and the island and l was told that IL
was only the small farmers in the interior
who had foug for Cuban independence
who were dissatisfied with the way things
were being managed by our government
The others wish TO be annexed to this
country but not until they have had a
taste OF independence. Their annexation
must be voluntary and not brought about
by coercion.
1.-The people in Havana seem happy and
light hearted. Business there is good and
the people do not lack for amusements.
My mpanion aLd myself went one night
into one of the public parks where band
was playing. All about the walks were
little seats which were unoccupied for the
most part We sehted ourselves on one OF
these but had not remained there long
when a man came busting up and de-
manded ten cents from us. We had to
nay it for the privilege of remaining
seated | was told that this was only one
uf the methods resorted TO by the Span
iards to squeeze revenue out Of the
Cubans.