The times., 1899-05-21
CUBA'S FIRST FARM
home FOR ORPHANS
Beneficent Work Established
in Guines and Catalina.
Wrecks of Humanity Restored to
Health and Reason.
Sorry Sights Witnessed on "A Ride
From Catalina to Guines-Canaan
of the Western Hemisphere.

Guines. Cuba, May 81 wish my
readers could see with their own eyes the
great change which fortnight's work has
wrought in Catalina. The poor little town
of nov about eigateen hundred souls, where
four years ago were upwards of eight
thousand-was the saddest place ever
saw. Half the houses were empty, their
late tenants having gone TO swell the
grewsome collection of unburied bones in
the Campo Santo; no traffic in the grass
grown streets; no business of any kind 60
ing on-the remnant of a once happy and
prosperous population sitting idly in their
desolate homes, mourning for their dead
and too stunned by repeated blows of ad-
verse fortune TO entertain either hope or
ambition. Destitute children, without any
living relatives, were huddled in abandoned
houses-sometimes singly, oftener in
groups OF three or four together, subsist
ing on whatever they could forage, and
grown shy as the burrowing creatures Of
the field. ! told you in the previous letter
how a branch of the Red Cross Society,
under Miss Barton's field agent, DR.. Hub
bell came TO Catalina some two weeks ago
and gathered all these orphans into COM
Portable home The task OF collecting them
previous hard experience had taught them
the fear of man and nothing but the
pangs OF hunger induced them to come in.
After this sorry hotsam and jetsam OF
war had been fed, washed, and clothed in
decent garments-their vermin- infested
rags burned itch and ulcers anointed.
heads partially cleared of lice and general
suffering alleyiated-they seemed altogether
different rnortais. II was reward enough
for our unpleasant toll TO watch the dawn
OF hope in the little faces and see the ex-
preston Of abject misery displaced by
heavenly content. When the few who
were first gathered In found that no fresh
calamities awaited them, but only food
and Kindness. one and another stole away
10 bring back their more timId friends
who had hitherto eluded our search. In
some cases the sick had dragged them
selves on, like wounded animals, TO Sc
cret hiding places and others fed like
frightened hares at our approach. In one
filthy hut TWO young girls were found,
one Of them dying Of consumption In
another were five small brothers and sis
tiers. the Oldest girl of perhaps thirteen
years, who, with brute-mother instinct
stood ready TO defend the little brood
with her life, If need be. An older girl
delicate and refined. the daughter of a
once well -to-do family, every member OF
which bus herself and one small brother
had died OF smallpox, was literally shelter
less and with no protection whatever
Another very pretty girl Of twenty was
disabled ty a great ulcer IN the leg. pri-
marily caused by impoverished blood,
which had eaten TO the bone and grown
large ms the palni Of a hand. But why
multiply cases? The above are only sam
pies OF many equally narrowing.
With their own willing hands our ladies
scrubbed the vacant house given for our
use by the village alcalde, or mayor; after
which n was thoroughly disipfected OF all