The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-30
e(JBA rs SEEN TODAY
Interior Districts Converted
Into LifeIess Wastes.
GAUNT, NAKED CHILDREN
Living Like Beasts of the
Field on What They May.

over from Havana to see what progress
they had made. Guines pronounced Wee
ms Is the largest town, next 10 the CAPT
tai, in Havana province. II lies south
east from Havana city, about forty miles
by rail- and Catalina is fifteen miles be-
ycnd. The United Railway OF Cuba, hav-
ing grudgingly given half-rate transpor-
tation 10 Red Cross members, I took my
printed order for mitad de precio-mitiga-
ton OF price-to the "Jefe de Ia Esta-
con" and paid 81 for half rate TO Cata-
lima, receiving therefor a three-cornered
bit Of pasteboard which the accommodate
ing ''Jefe" cut crosswise with a pair OF
shears from the regular ticket. Thus 1T
tit mental arithmetic viii show that the
full fare for the short journey, in the coin
of the country, minus 20 cents on the dol
lar, is $3.50. Rather expensive travelling
is this in Cuba, all things considered.
The ramshackle old cans. discarded years
ago from somt ancient road of England
or the United States, are labelel first. sec
ond and third class. What the second and
third classes are like may be left 10 con-
lecture. Those of the alleged first
grade are about like emigrant cars on our
western railways, except that these fur
nish no drinking water 70 thirsty travellers
or other convenences whatsoever; no
train boys sally through, bringing books.
fruits and gum and in some cases there
is no glass in the windows-only wooden
shutters, which, when closed to keep out
dust, exclude the blessed air as well-to
say nothing OF the pleasant prospect.
Barring railway discomforts, the jour
ney to Catalina is delightful, leaving
Havana at l p. m, changing cars at
Guines and reaching the destination not
far from o'clock. The face of the coun-
try differs from that seen along the other
branch of the United Railway leading to
MatanZas and Cienfuegos. The scenery in
this corner of Cuba is not uniks that OF
OHIO and Indiana, except for the absence
of cultivated farms and the continual
prestnce of royal palms, long lires of
them, trending off in all directions like
plumed soldiers on dress parade. There
are clumps of banana trees, too. their
leaves arched wide; and rows Of pink
tinted pineapple plants, bristling like clus-
tered bayonets. Here and there hedges Of /
acknowledgment foliage, resembling the
Usage orange. remind one of the great
prairie farms Of Illinois. and fences of
land. Clear streams are frequent; corn
is knee high in few scattered fields. and
the thick, coarse grass of the meadows
raises anew tint old query why, in this
land of condensed milk and rank import
ed butter, dairy farms are not established |
OF course, we know that all the cattle of
the island were killed and eaten during
the war; but now that peace Is restored. !
why do not some sensible Americans |
awake from their never-to- be-reaIized |
dreams OF amassing colossal fortunes in /
Cuba and come down TO the simple and 4
feasible business Of making butter. rails /
ing chickens and culHvating market gar /
dens? Poultry sells in Havana today at
prices Unheard OF in the United States |
the smallest and scrawniest fowls bring |
ing from $50 to g each. Eggs cost IS 4
the crate; cows milk. 20 cents the quart. 1
and most OF the common vegetables are 4
not TO be had for love or money. This +.
valley Of Guines Is one OF the richest sec /
tons OF Cuba. which formerly sent 10 the 1
Havana markets onions and beniatas "a 1
kind of sweet potato) to the value Of .
three million dollars a year to say moth I
ing Of its corn and sugar cane. Nowhere /
else does the landscape show such bril-
liant coloring. IN the dark red earth.
bright blue sky and deep green foliage.
II Is very paradise OF climate with soil (
OF unparalleled richness. but desolated by I
wars relentless hand. Not a farmhouse I.
is left standing, none having escaped de- 4
struction by one army or the other Only /
an occasional hut IS seen in the open /
country, shaped like an inverted V. It's /
matched roof and palm-leaf walls form 4
ing a picturesque feature. Il Is worth .
knowing. in a commercial sense. that Two .
crops a year OF corn. onions and Irish po- I
tatoes are here'grown and marketed This 7
Is an absolute certainty. independen OF 4
any freaks OF the weather. the water sup /
Ply bang regulated by irrigation. They 4
say that three crops in year are posi- /
ble-but surely two, IN such A generous /
proportion. with an unint errupted succes- /
sion Of vegetables ought 70 satisfy any
reasonable man.
There are \ great many small stations i
along the railway route 20 Catalina. be- /
cause in Cu5a's golden days Of richc Plan /
tat.ons roads were built expressly to ac- 1
commodate the planters. each q whom
was q king in his own domain. mis- casa /
and sugar mil beng the center Of a WI /
lsge OF ss-fs. They are BOA rostIy kings 4
6eposed- the.- feds laid waste. mile and .
rouses 5uTne5. md oaly ;he serts remain /
n Reg Of passing travellers. Every sfs-
ton < fi.rJf Fed with l1ard.cants. 7 ,et4y /
women ami ca.'d-~n. vrtss pstlf1l AZ
AMI ernac.ated faces acceatuats their ta.es T.
of woe Each village IS surrounded b. .
GORDON O Spanish block-a9uses. sual. I
ones guarding az cross roads and cr5zn- (
ing every eulnenee. ard larger f5gtE near .
the railway depo-E. EVER sd age church
= stu incsose5 within barr.csde = 4
stores hastily erected w1ea the spau-sh i
army took p0seessloz- They STABBED thssr
horses iuSfse. knocked down The saints
ard ho.y affairs. used tase betty fo- a 4
watch tower and punched holes .n tzs 4
zagls through when 70 poks thss- zsns
sgch desecrat7a Eas re more remz.ks-
be sncs tie Spanish srny u = mas Tss
Roman Cath-s.-- Elt7 tae he-e5itzrT v1--
GRAFTON strong For 20 called ssr-e5 tarEs
1 rrsz: maaF neE-oes are seea s5saEs-z
around -as railway sra.--1s. most . them
wearing tae agzt cotton Inform ard
-ll~reI-uz.-.1 -s--rt st-a~ bats taat 69s To-
g1lsh -ha Cgaaa so'dlers- -OtasI.s's Of
rt,-ets5-fs gone ard ae asrd.es SIS be-
loved Gezlgtol or Gauseg-5r5aao.
sts.en frara some des- Sg17lasd. ~
longing s0- anoshsr 500 = tae sanns r4-
tare zach station s a-a9 ~ resk sr-s
q - -Jsss~ aa3 ana-1s Ezpsss e
family ase % the aaszlnE irsFe'fr---7ea. 1E
chars aas ssEnE machines ard -
ra~ed 5ezs and selsrsas s6ag sea-a1
ne x.nd5~ barr. AagtasE cd tAsnE .
ina, re Eaabhy Httls 8epscs are sroFssef
z.th he ~. sElaS1. aos-S g sta-sse