The evening times., 1899-01-03
AMERICA HUSTLING In
ITS NEW METROPOLIS
FREE POSTAL SYSTEM IN HAVANA
Spanish Titles Things of the Past.
Cubans Receiving Positions as
Police Ofhcials.

Havana, Jan. 3.-Havana's first day un-
der American control was without any in
cident Of great Importance. In all
ed about as usual.
In the custom house there was necessa-
rily much friction, no one being accus-
toned to the new schedule.
During the first twenty-four hours of
American control the postoffice was well
nigh cleared of the mail matter that had
been accommodating for weeks. Estes G.
Rathborne and the members of the Pos
tai Commission, Messrs. Machen, Masten,
Bingham, Fosnes and Macdonald. took
control of the postoffice yesterday morn
ing, although dhe Spanish postmaster, Don
Carlos Abalos, insisted upon pursuing the
formality of lowering his flag at noon and
saluting the Stars and Stripes.
Six expert postal clerks are coming from
Santiago and twenty from the United
States. About fifteen will remain here,
the others going to neighboring cities.
Major Russell HARRISON will be made post
master at Buena Vista tomorrow, and,
with the assistance of some of his men,
will handle mails for the army and citi-
zens.
By decree of the American officials
stamped paper is no longer necessary for
legal purposes, All mail will be delivered
in the city free. What has created the
best impression however, is that all titles
have been abolished, which means that
one cannot be imprisoned for neglecting
to prefix the title to the name of some
decayed nobleman.
The police force is well on the way to-
ward organization under the management
of Col. Mouton, advised by former Chief
McCullagh, of New York. Seven patrol
wagons. with horses and equipments, ar
rived yesterday. Capt. Greble was given
command OF the 1870 municipal po.ice
taken over from the old administration
with thirty-sX mounted police The fol-
lowing were assigned to duty with the po-
lice: Lieutenants Reynolds and Jackson,
161st Indiana; Capt. Thompson and Lieut..
Sheying. Second Illinois, and Capt. Rob
ertsOn, First North Carolina.
Manuel Puri, lately inspector of the
harbor police, was the first Cuban sworn
in for the new force, being made secre-
tary and inspector by Moulton. Other
Cubans sworn in as inspectors were Man
uel Martinez, formerly the police sscre-
tary, and Domingo Martinez, who was
made inspector of the new detective bu-
reau.
Corporal John H. Ward, of Company II,
Eighth Infantry, who committed suicide
Sunday, was buried yesterday. He had
been in the service twenty-one years, but
had been once dishonorably discharged
from the Tenth Regiment. Col. Pearson
has asked for twentysiX line officers, as
the regiment is now almost compelled to
borrow officers when ii is to be moved The
colonel is at present the only staff officer.
There are only three captains, and the list
of lieutenants is almost bare. The men of
the Tenth are fond of their colonel but be-
cause of the treatment of the regiment all
I refuse re- enlistment.
The First Battalion of the Third Nebras-
ka Volunteers, comprising Companies B, c,
ID and E, came in Sunday night on the
steamer Obdam, with Lieut.. Col. McClay in
command. They made the trip from Sa-
vannah in forty eight hours. Their camp
lies about half a mile below Buena Vista
! where Gen. Lees headquarters are Just
behind the camps of the Second Louisiana
and the First Texas regiments. The SOL
diers had a pleasant passage, and when
/ they landed there was no one i'll. The two
remaining battalions. with Col. Vifquain
in charge, are expected hourly on the Rou-
/ mania
| Col. Mabry, of the First Texas Volun-
! teers is seriously i'll in Camp Columbia
/ with pernicious fever. His family and the
| Var Department have been notified Eight
volunteer army nurses arrived today on
( the Whitney and proceeded 10 the camp al
! Marianao.
/ Eugenio Luzarretta, judge of Cerro com
mitted suicide Sunday just before noon. II
! is asserted that hrs action was because he
| would not live to see SPANS sovereignty
/ den9rf from Cuba