The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-10
THE INTERIOR OF CUBA
EVERYDAY SCENES IN ONE OF THE
CENTRAL TOWNS OF THE ISLAND.
civil Complications In the Varied
Population-No Negro Problem
Feared-Lepers of San Luzaro.
Special Correspondence Indianapolis Journal.

Looking at the black faces which crowd
the streets Of Santa Clara and remember
ing their preponderance in the lately dis
banded Cuban army. one finds II easy TO
believe the at first discredited statement
that more than half the population of Cuba
is "colored." A great number OF negroes
drifted into this interior town during the
war from estates in the outlying provinces.
and lack energy or motive for going away.
This is ;he heart of the best sugar-produc-
ing section OF the island. and each OF the
larger estates used to employ from 5000 TO
5000 negroes. All these suddenly found
themselves adrift, without homes or occupa-
ton. While the able-bodied males. TO .
man, Joined the patriot army. the cid and
feeble, with the women and children. crowd
ed into the already over-crowded city and
subsiSted, heaven knows how. through those
months OF despair BY the grisly route or
starvation, three-fourths Of them passed
that bourne whence, happily. there Is no re-
turning. and It. is small wonder that the
diseased and enfeebled remnant have not
yet developed much ambition to labor. wey-
lers edict Of RECOMMENDATION fell even more
heavily in the interior than upon the sea-
&C last towns. because here was no possible
chance for outside help. Within an area OF
five miles surrounding Santa Clara, called
the "zona de cultive'' (why so named none
can say, since nothing was cultivated). up
wards Of 5000 utterly destitute reconcen-
trados were corralled. white. black and
parti-colored huddled together-more hope
lessly mixed than ever when again turned
loose upon an unwelcoming world. For
| tunately, perhaps, the place OF their deten-
| ton was comparatively high ground, and
though the death rate was appalling. IL was
smaller than in Matanzas and Havana.
EX-LABORERS GRUMBLlNG.
The explanation laborers are. as might
| be expected. an uneducated and brutal lot.
entirely untitled for self-government ana
| much less for holding governmental POSI-
tons; but many of them are now growing
| ominousy because some sugar plums among
| the fruits Of reconstruction are not dropping
| into their eager mouths. They say-with
| some show of truth-"we did the fighting
| and are entitled to our share Of the re-
wards" The Cubans laugh at the idea OF a
| negro problem" in the island and refuse to
consider a race question in any light. They
believe that the blacks will go back to their
cane fields as soon as the planters are ready
| for them, and that they will always remain
| as their fathers did. patient and uncon-
sidered beasts Of burden. targets for rifles
when there is war and the bone and sinew"
| In time of peace To disinterested outsiders
| this is by no means certain. remembering
history in Santo Domingo. Haiti and other
| nearby islands. There is a note OF warning
! in the air that may portend a mighty storm
when American protection Is Withdrawn
Another political complication. by no
| means confined to Santa Clara but par
ticularly noticeable here. arises from the
fact that nearly all the largest property
owners are Spaniards. Into their hands.
during recent years, the finest Cuban estates
have fallen, through confscation or the
| poverty of their original owners. brought on
| by Spanish persecution. The mere sugges-
ton that Cubans may soon govern Cuoa
fills them with well-grounded apprehension
of reckoning day. Scores of them are To-
day in Santa Clara trying TO drum up petit
| lions to the United States for annexation.
and they are more than Willing to ally
themselves with the negroes. or with any
| other disaffected class faction which
promises to keep out of tle vengeful hands
| of the Cubans Meanwhile the merchants
and substantial citizens generally, long
| stunned by their sorrows and losses are
slowly awakening, trying TO grasp the pres
ent situation with mental fingers that are al
thumbs, and to ADJUST themselves 10
changed conditions
| WARS AFTERMATH.
In company with Miss Barton, under the
| ciceronage of United States Surgeon Jen-
nings and Quartermaster Bean. with the in
eyitable army ambulance, 1 recently spent
a day among the jetsam OF war-the pitifui
derelicts OF humanity abandoned, through
no fault of their own. to the uncertain char
ity of the world. First to Santa Cara
"Benefcencia,' within whose musty walls
$50 small reconcentrado orphans are now
congregared. The old building, whose IN
terror looks as If II had been the victim OK
some rural fire company's success In saving
IL from the flames, was fitted UP many years
ago for an old woman's home; and tnen ils
capacity was supposed to be limited 10
forty-nine. During the war. when needs be-
came so desperate. it received also old men
and their families, affording sleeping room
on the floors and the stones OF the patios
10 as many as could get inside the walls.
Shelter only was provided, and incidentally
a place TO die in, for food must be found
outside, or dispensed with altogether; ana
| during the blockade II was generally the
| latter alternative. Some of the poor crea-
lures could find occasional odd jobs 10 do.
such as washing, cooking, sewing. making
trousers at 40 cents the dozen for a local nrrn
until everybody got too poor TO pay lot
| help: and meanwhile the price of FOOD
mounted skyward-and so, let Us hope, old
the souls of the starved wretches. And Their
the Spanish army in Santa Clara found
} themselves in need of another hospital; 50
they seized upon this and bundled the rest
Of the poor old folk into the beggar-infesteo
streets, where they speedily died, along with
the six thousand other unfortunates who
persisted of starvation in the streets OF Santa
Clara within six awful months
few months ago the charitable people OF
the town rehabiIitated the old structure for
an orphanage and gathered therein some OF
the remnants of Recommendation 10 the nun-
! Der of $50 children under ten years OF age
. More than half OF them were already on the
verge OF death. with skeleton frames and
swollen feet-blood turned TO water from
lack Of nutrition-and in spite OF the food
that came too late soon slipped into the
: eternal silence. The place is in charge OF .
;; woman and her two young daughters. who
/ ere cooks, seamstresses. teachers. laun-
dresses, in short, the whole hospital stan
condensed, like the crew OF the Nancy
) Jane"
Tie disheveled and slipshod matron. though
leaving very much 10 be desired In the way