The times., 1899-06-04

funds or supplies. Five thousand rations
are needed at once. together with guam
tity of such simple medicines as quinine
pills of opium and camphor, ana compound
iron. Should these arrive and be distrib-
uted tomorrow next week the town will be
no better off than today.
To help the San Antonians a little will
only prolong their misery, unless we kee1
it up for months to come, and meanwhile
supply the men with work SO that in time
they may become self-supporting. At
present there is no work. and the muniei-
pality can do absolutely nothing fer its
poor. Enquire about the revenues of hun
dreds of these villages and the invariahle
answer is: We have no revenues. Taxes
have always been collected by the Banco
Espanol, and we have never had any hand
or voice in the matter. except TO pay the
taxes or lose our all. The Spanish bank
had agents who religiously collected the
| taxes. whatever the necessities OF the peo-
pie; but it put no money into circulation.
The Spanish bodegeros, or storekeepers-
like master, like man-loaned money at
IL to % per cent, and some of them are
| now in possession of many caballerias of
land Ia caballeria is thirty-three and a
| third acres), on which they never advanc-
ed dollar.
They supplied families with tasajo-
ierked beef-and other necsssaries through
the dark days of reconcentration-enoug
to keep the souls and bodies of their vic
tims together-at enormous prices. The
result is that the families mostly survived
/ by the skin of the teeth. so to say, but are
1 left homeless and without resource. Could
/ former landowner rent the farm that
once was his. he would need yoke of oxen
and implements with which to till it, not
to mention seeds, cow, some poultry, etc,
/ and little money with which to build
-t,sa Il 1t.
/ which the Spaniards burned. Even now
/ bad as the situation is, if each munich
! pality were granted its right in local rev.
/ enues, and such revenues applied TO the
/ necessities of the people, there might be
/ a gleam Of light ahead.
| AT the edge of San Antonio we boarded
queer little square box Of car. and
were drawn by three mules, tandem, over
an exceedingly narrow gauge track 10 the
nearest railway station. The route lay
over wild, rough country OF straw
thatehed huts and stately palms, but few
signs of cultivation. Here and there a
| little tobacco is growing, and an OCCASION
al patch of Doniatar; but for the most part
1 the sweet. warm breeze stirs only coarse
grass, growing in bunches, and toniguinas
and meadow larks pipe in the sunshine
above land of desoation. One stirring
event befell us. Gen. Celestino Herman
Jose, and the great man of the vcnage.
had been waiting two days with his troop
of cavalry, to give Miss Barton what is
known as the Cuban welcome" AS our
little car bumped along the open country,
suddenly a thousand mounted soldiers ap-
peared, charging down upon US with wild
shouts and waving machetes. For an in
stant it recalled the days of war, and
thrilled the stoutest heart with terror
Coming he Ivy ad int
two long lines, surrounding our car; and
with dofIed hats and presented arms
stood like statues, while General Herman
dez and Miss Barton exchanged the usual
courtesies. Then the welkiR rang with
the Cuban 'Hymno Nacional.' sung by
thousand men. followed by Star Span
gled Banner" from our little band, as, es-
corted by the regiment, We proceeded to
the station.
AS before mentioned, Dr. Hubbeli COM
pleted his work in Guines a fortnight ago;
therefore our later visit was merely of
inspection. AS everywhere, the town turned
out enmasse to meet us, and escorted
Miss Barton to her temporary abode. with
all the honors accorded to Gomez or any
other conquering hero. Before the war,
Guines had a population of 10000, now less
than half that number. The most inter-
esting orphanage l have seen is here
founded by DR.. Jamie Gorriga, a bachelor
of means, whose father and grandfather
were also physicians in the place Having
been too prominently identified with the
cause of Cuba libre. DR.. Jamie retired TO
America to escape imprisonment shortly
before the blockade. Returning to his ma
tive city a few months ago. he found
great many destitute children in the
streets, and among the wretehed recoucen-
trados were some of the sons and daugh-
trs OF his former well-to-do neighbors So
troubled was his generous heart at the
sight that sleep deserted his pillow, and
having no family of his own, re determin-
ed to adopt them all.
Securing house. he gathered into 1t a
hundred homeless waits and devoted the
remnant of his fortune to sustaining them
Some were too reduced by starvation to
be recuperated, and soon the number was
reduced to seventy-odd. He also es-
tablished a hospital for sick women, and
started 1t with eighty patients. IN the
last-named institution some help was re-
ceived from the Government in the way of
rations, but not nearly enough TO feed
them all So the good man struggled on
alone as best he could, but very much in
need of wOmens care, especially for the
children The ancient buildings he had
taken remained uncleaned, the children Tn
washed and unclothed without the ener-
getic treatment their itch, lice, and sores
demanded, and eating from tin dishes with
their fingers, having neither knives, forks,
nor spoons. But they We're infinitely better
OFF than before, having at least food, shell
ter. and protection. AT this juncture Dr.
Hubbell arrived, with his favorite assist
ants Misses Trotzig, Adams, and Belts.
First the sick We're taken in hand.
The Civil Hospital, founded seventy
years ago and during the war used by the
Spanish army, was in such dreadful state
that the old pest-house was preferred for
a temporary refuge while the commodious
Civil Hospital was being overhauled. Cen
eral Brooke was appealed to, and respond
ed liberallv with spray pumps for disin-
fecting. and 200 army cots. left by muster
ed-out solders-enough for both hospital
and orphanage When the sick were finally
moved into place of perfect sanitation,
placed in clean beds and given proper food
and intelligent care, their delight and that
of the town was good TO witness; and that
the change was beneficial may be inferred
from the fact that whereas the death rate
formerly averaged fifteen a week, there
have been no deaths within the last ff-
teen days. General Brooke's hospital
steward, Lloyd, is doing excellent work in
Guines and his system takes away all op-
portunity for imposition. the resident mu-
nicipai doctor makes prescriptions for the
poor and they are filled by Steward Lloyd
when presented. Every second day he
rides into the country and adjacent towns
and personally superiutends the distribu-
tion of medicines.
AS for Mr.. Gorriga's orphanage the old
building was pronounced too vile to be
renovated, and a large and better build
ing on the outskirts Of the city was secur-
ed, where the children have pure air and
plenty of room. An adjoining field, lying
along the ba4u added fancad