The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-06-10
REcoNsTRUcTING CUBA.
DevolvIng Upon Uncle Sans
Agents.

Devolving Upon Uncle Sans
Agents.
Anyone who had share in the work
of reconstruction in the south after our
civil war knows the monumental labor
involved in the transmission from chaos
to order which that work entailed. The
situation to-day in Cuba is very similar
to the reconstruction period in the
south.
Gen. Brooke, the military governor of
Cuba, arrived in Havana few days
before the first of the year, and had his
headquarters for about ten days at the
Hotel Inglaterra. 1t was his original in
tention to have gone Immediately to the
captain generals palace after Gen. Cas-
tellanos and his staff had departed, but
the filthy condition of the building com-
PEELED him to give up the idea until it
could be thoroughly cleaned. The quar-
tiers at the Inglaterra proving inade-
quate to carry on the work of admin
istration properly, he removed to the
Hotel Trotcha, the old quarters of the
evacuation commission. 1t is situated
in the Vedado, suburb of Havana,
nearly four miles from the heart of the
city. The Vedado is a beautiful palace;
full of handsome villas and tropical gar
dens belonging to the weather. class
of the city. Itstretches along the shore
of the sea for considerable distance,
and it's elevated position enables one, on
a clear day. to see plainly the roofs and
spires of Havana. 1t is reached by
means of superannuated steam dunn
my and couple of cars, likewise aged.
leaving the foot of the Prado every half
hour. The Hotel Trotcha was celebra-
ted in former days for being the ulti-
mate destination of newly-married
couples of Havana and the surrounding
country, who came there to spend their
honeymoon. No more unlikely place
in the world could be imagined as the
seat of government of an island the size
of Cuba than this one-story frame build
ing in the midst of country houses and
understanding gardens.
From eight n. m. to six P. m, broken
only by an hour for luncheon, Gen.
Brooke sits in a liliputian room, receive
ing all sorts and conditions of people,
who have infinite faith in the generals
capacity to help them in all their trou-
bles. 1t is one steady stream pouring
into his Office morning and afternoon;
and it is only the watchful care of some
of his personal staff, who are in front
and inquire of each one their particular
business, that prevents his time being
taken up unnecessarily.
One of his staff is the celebrated
scout, Capt. Z. d. Campbell, who served
under Sheridan during the civil war,
and whose exploits in the Indian coun-
try are we'll known throughout the
army. He takes a sort of paternal in
terest in Gen. Brooke, and woe betide
the man who says a word derogatory to
his chief! 1t is rather amusing to re-
main in the reception hall and note the
people who are awaiting an audience
with the governor. Two Cuban priests,
in their shovel hats and long gowns, are
seated at table, chatting away in an
amiable manner and apparently in no
great hurry to be off. They have come
simply to pay their respects to the gov
ernor, and are compelled to wait two
hours until he is free. Some distance
away, also seated, is lady with an anx.
ious look on her face that seems to in.
crease with each minutes wait. She
is the owner of two houses occupied by
neither pay rent nor are willing to
move. She has an idea that the gov.
ernor, with stroke of his pen and
sending two or three boys in blue, can
adjust the matter in jiffy.
In former times it was done in Just
this manner by the Spanish captain gen
eral, whose powers were absolute. II
will be some time before the natives
discover that the United States has
courts of justice to settle affairs of thil
nature. and that the old days of lone
man power" have passed forever. In
the corner of the hall are two well-set
up men talking in low tones, and re
ferring from time to time to paper.
which the larger one carries. They are
capitalists interested in some govern
1nent contracts, and wish to consult
perhaps with Gen. Brooke regarding
the terms of their fulfillment. The,
there are always to be found number
of army officers just arrived in Havan;
from the states or from other provinces
who, according to army etiquette, ar,
first required to pay their respects tt
the commanding general. And so tn,
Heterogeneous procession keeps OF
from day to day, interminable and I'm
ceasing.-Collier's Weekly.
Silks to Look For.