The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-03-09

Cuban charities. The destitute. he says,
are found in greater numbers In Ha-
vana than in the other provinces.
In this department" writes the
Governor. which Includes the city of
Havana and it's suburban region west,
south and east, between the rivers Al
mendares and Colfmar. the destitute
drawing rations approximate 10000,
who must for the present be fed or per-
mitted to starve Il Employment OF the
able bodied males on street cleaning,
collection Of garbage, repairs to streets
and road cleaning and disinfection of
large buildings and military structures
and the like work constituted an inn
mense assistance i'm this respecst by en-
aiding the two or three thousand en-
ployes to feed themselves and those i'm
mediately dependent upon them, but
there is still a very large residue for
which employment cannot be furnished.
One of the distressing features is
that great proportion of the destitute
are women and children, whose men
have died or been killed in the war,
while 10000 or 10000 more are still
aggregated as an army, practically idle
and dependent upon the country for
their maintenance, instead of being at
work earning their own living and sup
porting their families. 1t is almost
impossible, in the average case of the
women, to find anything for them to
do, and this helpless class make special
appeal for sympathy
The charitable institutions of Ha-
vana, General Ludlow declares to be
quite inadequate to meet the emer-
gency. He cites as an instance the
Casa de las Vidas" (Home of the
Widows), a large structure in the cap
ital occupied by the widows of Spanish
officers. OF this institution General
Ludlow says:
Upon assuming direction of affairs
here it was found that the pensions OF
these women had not been paid for
over a year and they had been left be-
hind when the Spanish forces aban-
doned the island, absolutely without
the means of obtaining food. There
are at present in the home total Of
over 200 of adj ages-seventy women,
ninety girls and fifty boys-who are
almost all entirely destitute and from
"a prolonged course of semi-starvation
and the absence of medical or other
supplies are deplorably reduced and
have much sickness among them. It
can be imagined how this aggregation
of o quiet, gentle, suffering and almost
silent class appeals to the sympathleS.
Many of them are we'll born, accom-
plished and educated, totally unable to
do anything for themselves, and with
the ignorance of children as to means
of support. They profess themselves,
and in many cases doubtless with SIN
certify, willing to do any work, even
the toughest; but without any qualifi-
cations they will be practically useless
to an employer They could teach,
perhaps but the schools are not open
to them. They are alien to the COM
munity in which they are compelled
to live, with comparatively few friends,
and those few unable to deal effectively
for their relief"
To meet the needs of these women.
General Ludlow suggests that 'an as
ISOLATION of women in the States might
take account of the matter and perfect
arrangements by which the institution
could be otherwise maintained than
as a temporary military exigency
There are numerous kindly disposed
and charitable people in Havana
many who are busily engaged in char
liable work with the sick and the or
phans-but their means are quite in
adequate, and assistance would be glad
~ received from the charitably dis
posed in the United States"
The Governor concludes by saying
that Mrs Ludlow, who has taken
strong interest in the matter, would
be very glad to receive any communi-
cations on the subject or such contri-
buttons of food, clothing or money as
might be forwarded.