The times., 1899-10-22

with myriad branches and their world of
zoophytes, standing mCsionless amid
thousand marine growths; sponges with
CouCaye tops like Neptunes punch bowls;
star-fish foot in diameter; strange deni-
zens OF the deep. startled by the boat
passing over, darting away. their brilliant
colOTs showing in prismatc flashes; ard
occasionally an enormous turtle, aroused
from his mapping, padding for dear life
amid a milky cloud Of coral sand
The next westward port OF call is Sagua
Ia Grande, situated several miles up the
Sagua River. The rivers mouth is thickly
strewn with islets, all covered with man
grove thickets, and the intricate shallow
channels between them are marked by
stakes, TO which 1uttering rags are tied.
Another "boca' lmOu,ht opens out beyond
a dangerous bar and forms a large and
safe, but shallow bay, which cannot float
vessels drawing more than sixteen feet.
1t is lined with wooden warehouses. for
depositing sugar and other merchandise,
and there is a wharf which may be ap-
preached by vessels drawing not more than
eight feet.
The river is navigable some twenty mi es
above, but only for yachts, lighters, and
similar small craft, and so narrow is
the waterway between canefelds stretching
TO the horizon on every side that you
seem to be sailing on land. This is
noted sugar producing region, the aver
age annual shipment from Sagua before
the war being 100000 bags, besides guam
titles of molasses and cane-rum
Sagua City, with its population of % 900,
including the suburban hamlets of Isa-
bella, Titiccito, and Chinchilla. is one of
the healthiest and cleanest as il was once
among the most prosperous cities of Cuba.
1t is yet the flower of Santa Clara province,
though nearly ruined by recommendation
and much smaller than Santa Clara city
and Cienfuegos.
The streets are well paved with stone
covered with carget and sand from the
river. and there is a tolerable system Of
sewerage very rare thing, indeed. in
Cuba. Education was formerly at a high
ebb here, the municipality maintaining
twenty-five schools. There are three big
orphan asylums, besides, wherein several
hundred children are taught several USE
ful trades, together with the Tudiments Of
book lore
A cigarette mandatory and box factory
have been established in connection with
the asylums, which render the older boys
and girls almost self-supporting. There
is large hospital capable of caring for
three hundred patients; also a laZaTetto
for smallpox cases, a dispensary for chill
dren whose parents are living. and a soup
kitchen which dispenses food to the adult
poor.
In Sagua La Grande.
The reconcentrado element was unusually
strong here, and its dire result will be felt
through more than one generation. 1t is
estimated that TO this day upward of 1000
adults are fed in the soup kitchen. and 500
children every day receive broth, milk, and
medicine, if necessary, at the dispensary.
The schools have hitherto been main tanned
on the queer Spanish plan, from taxes col
lected by the Spanish Bank and handed
over to the provincial board of public In
struction, which hired and paid the teach
ers. The total expense Of the twenty two
schools, salaries and all is reckoned at
about $4,000 per annum
Since Spain's rule is ended, the Spanish
Bank collects no more taxes and the con-
sequence is that for many months the
teachers have been paid no salaries, and
some OF them are actually in a starving
condition. The great hospital, too, is just
now in a sad strait for money Its running
expenses used to be paid by the various
towns of the judicial district according to
the number Of patients each contributed;
but all are now so poor that for a long time
nothing has been paid in, and the hospital
| finds itself in debt over $4,000 10 outsiders
| and $1,000 more TO its employees for seven
teen months back salaries
All these misfortunes are the direct re-
suit of the war, and the brave little city
is doing its best to recover its financial
standing Sagua was unwillingly compelled
to expend upward of $1,000 in Notifications
for defence against its friends, the insur-
! gents, and 10 maintain horde of its nat
/ ,gra Eo he
/ lasting detriment of home institutions.
/ The city has both gas and electric
| lighting, but for nearly year it has been
/ in almost total darkness, because SO much
/ was owing to the gas company that it had
/ to suspend business. The electric light
( plant is small and never had power to sup
/ ply more than the two parks and furnish
few private lights. The water supply
/ IS insufficient, being brought from Arroyo
Blanco. eleven miles away, through 10
! inch pipe. The water contains an excess
OF lime and during the winter season
when rains seldom fall, sometimes give:
out altogether.
The municipality collects taxes on rea
estate, commerce and industries, a specia
! tariff on the latter and basis OF pei
cent on the benefits declared by the con.
! tributors on the real estate. For example
the tax on meat is two and a half cents
/ pound, ana the SlauSnter-0OuSe ana nafke
pay heavily bringing the price of bee
up so high that none but the richest can
| indulge in the luxury.
The principal industry is the distillint
of alcohol, the factory which turns out tn,
best on the island being capable OF makini
100 hogsheads every day, besides othe
kinds of liquors. The distillery is appro
priately named "El Inferno''-the hell
There is also a foundry, a paste manu-
factory, and several cigar and cigarette
factories
Sagua is well connected with the rest o
the island by railway-with Havana b,
the Central Railroad, with Southern Cub
by the Santa Clara and Cienfuegos Rail
way, and with the eastern provinces by TIT
Remedies and Caibarien line The Western
| Railway, new narrow gauge line, whicl
| promises to be of great Importance, is com
pleted only about ten miles. There ar,
also number of private railways. from
five to twenty-five miles long, the prop
erty of sugar plantations.
FANNIE BRIGHAM WARD.
A BARTENDER ROBBED.
Thomas Murphy OVerpowered nns