The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-31


Santiago So. in Matanzas so. al OF the
most intelligent men OF Cuba There
were women. too. in MatanEas. to the
number OF 81. The choice OF women for
such positions was distinct novelty. but
a novelty which was highly popular as
well as a distinct advantage TO the ser
vice, for the women were fully equal 10
the men in their work Indeed, the ap-
pointment Of the women gave the Gu
bans a new glimpse into the meaning Of
American rule and made warm friends
OF thoUsa1 ds Of Cuban women.
Each enumei ator was supplied with a
deep brown canvas bag. in which he car
RED his portfolio OF blanks, a bottle Of
ink, pens and blotting pads. Those in
the country rode horseback. visiting
every little matched hut in the land
Down in the southern part OF the prov
ince OF Santa Clara there IS a great
swamp known as the Lapata marsh. The
enumerator to whom this district IN re
ported while I was at MatanZaS. he
limped from a severe wound In his les,
where he had been bitten BY an Slliga-
Tor. and he reported that in his journeys
through the deep everglades he had been
forced to kill twenty-five aliigators that
disputed his way. Here he found ma
tives who had not heard OF the closing
OF the war with Spain. and some Of them
had never even heard OF America and the
Americans. In Pinar del RIO an enum-
orator found a settlement OF nearly nine
hundred persons "engrooved in the
mountains" as he expressed IL. entirely
out OF touch with the outside world. Hv-
ing on pintains and sweet potatoes and
governing themselves in sore OF prim-
tive republic. An almost unheard Of set
Element among the mountains OF san
tiago puzzled the enumerators far moro
Cubans nor Spaniards nor Negroes, ut
than anything else, The people were not
Indians. the only remnant left OF the
once powerful tribes which inhabited the
island when Columbus discovered Ameri-
ca. They are few IN number and shy.
and they live in the most primitive man
ner,
The blanks used were exceedingly sim
pie. They were three in number. Al
headed "Censo de Ia Isle de Cuba bajo
la Direction re los Estados Unidos'-
Census OF the Island OF Cuba under the
Direction OF the United States" The
first deal with population. the second
with schools, and the third with agri-
cultural statistics. The population blank
spaces for twenty-five names.
the first spaces being devoted 70 the
usual questions as to place OF residence,
name of person, color sex, age and
whether married or single. or these
questions that Of color was most diff
cult The enumeratOrs made three clas-
iacations-white. mes;izo and black
but il there are three coiors OF complex
ION in Cuba there are a hundred. More
over. the blacks wanted 70 be mestizOs,
and the mestizos white. Scores OF times
a black negro would answer the ques-
ton. What color are your" with the
answer, white"
But you are black-you are a negro"
the enumeration. would insist.
mo, We are free; didn't we fight 70 be
white men? We are independent white
men"
And no amount Of persuasion could
persuade him that ne was NOT really
white man." and that the euumerator
put him down black In spite OF himself
The inquiries as to nativity and occu-
patton were easily answered. but that OF
came very hard. Three d.
visions are given to the blank-Cubau.
Spanish or suspense" in suspense. To
these the enumerator added "extranjero''
or foreigner. It IS often d.f-
icult to know just where the dividing
inc comes between Spaniards and Gu
pans, and In the present bitterness OF
ceiling the drficulty Is doubled. Besides /
hat, many Spaniards have not yet reg
stored their intention OF remaining /
spanish subjects. They arc. therefore. /
in suspense" Others cal themselves I
Jubans. These classihcations Of citizen
hip have been watched very closely by /
he Cubans. for the "suspensos'' may /
LAY an important part in the elections. /
when they take place.
The statistics gathered on the agricul- 4
ural blanks-ot the sugar and coffee es-
ates, the number OF cattle and horses
md so on-will be valuable CONNER
AdAiEs anu AAftst EFHA AEhNatA ~
Ieve that thty were consclentiously coll
ected.
Indeed, the work OF the snunerstors
vas thoroughly done throughout More
lowly, perhaps. than Americans would
ave done It, and yet Il was not dragged /
ut unduty TO increase the salary allow
nee. FOR there were many enumerafors
n Havana. santiaEo and the other cities.
gho completed their districts in Eve Or
TX days and turned IN their blanks
omplete. on the other hand. -ons %
Re country euurneratorz. where the
Dads were impossible with mud ana thu
UNCLE was thick. hardly finished in sz
seeks. To show that the work was con-
done IN one case. ~ least ]
now that the enumsrato- came % me
oteI IN Santiago where was Stopping.
sc OF six times 70 see personally ard
et the names Of eve-y guest. their sEe
stionality and 50 on. although nearly
u ~ them were "exfFanTeros." Aud
eater penmauzbip thai that q ere
-hedules all over Cuha was never fssn
nywhere- The echooi@d Cuban. srss-
ALLY THE Cuban woman. r. q torn pn-
ian, ard soue - the flle3 blanks we're
= dean and precise as copper plass.
-i.h never a rnuaEs a. dirt It = elfs-
at % conceive bow the suumsra or
-ers able 20 keep ne blanks - Aeautl-
5ly. travelling E1e3 roass Do suca
'eathe-. visiting mud ao0r bats aaa
espins Or ir4gis.tivs auRsr1
or lats there has been fsserrr-s ~ .ss
anger q black rea-saise 81 Caaa siru.-
r 20 that n San Tsomiaga ast ihs een-
- V1I uneou5te4iy rAow thai tAe pop
.aT impression q C1bz 80 oTer-rsarr1-
= zith HeEross = erronsols Tae uso-
7rti9a az slacka - Ehi.ss Is fsr from
sizE - large 1n Cuss sz f. g. IN r-aHg