The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-11
CARING FOR THE NEEDY
OVER 700 CUBAN ORPHANS FED,
CLOTHED AND HOUSED IN A WEEK.
With n Little Time and Aid Prosper
ity VIII Come TO the Natives Again
Quaint City of Madruea.

CIENFUEGOS. May 2.-Over seven hun
dred hungry. homeless and helpless little
ones gathered into permanent homes and
rescued from beggary is the Red Cross
record of the last eight days. Within the
month two thousand more viii be equally
well provided for. and II the good work
keeps on through the summer-that Is. IL
the friends at home continue to uphold it
by their generous contributions. the day Is
not distant when Of the 1900 parentless aad
destitute children left by the war In Cuba
not one will roam the streets uncared for.
Let me give you a partial account OF the
eveatful week. From Guines. near the
northern coast, we made our way by rail
to the interior town OF Madruga, stopping
at many stations en- route. and everywhere
hailed with demonstrations OF joy. Miss
Barton's good work OF last year is CRATE
fully and the people welcome
her as an angel from heaven Word has
flown before that she is coming, and where
ever the train stops crowds are waiting.
men. women and children invade the car.
and often with streaming tears pour their
tales Of woe into her sympathizing ears.
The other day at a desolate junction where
only two straw-thatched huts gave sign OF
human habitation a whole family fell upon
and embraced her-or rather the remnant
VI WHAT Va CnCc a numerous uOuStuolA@
Miss Barton was acquainted with this fam
lily before the blockade. when the head OF
it counted thirty-seven sons, daughters ana
grandchildren. Now only sixteen remain
in the land OF the living, the others hav-
ing died of 1.-THE misery induced by hunger
and how the rest manage TO sustain life
only He who feeds the raven knows With
tears rolling down his face the old man
related how he had buried his loved ones,
one by one. along the railroad track. where
he has some slight employment as a SWITCH
man.
Sad as these stories are. there are lights
as well as shadows in the picture. Incl
dents are common like that of the Yankee
lineman, who. with smutty face and coil
OF wire over his shoulder, rushed through
the moving train 10 grasp Miss Barton's
hand and tell her with OVERLOOKING eyes that
twice she had saved his life-frst In q field
hospital of our civil war thirty years ago
and again at Santiago; and OF tho Cuban
telegraph operator who dared not send q
private Red Cross message over the rail-
way wire. but managed somehow to dis
patch it from an inland station, declaring
that he would walk forty miles any day
to serve Clara Barton" Whenever we
change cars-and that happens very ire
quently on these roads, which were orig
inally constructed TO accommodate the
sugar planters-it Is speedily whispered
through the train that the Red Cross presi-
dent is on board. and then young and old.
natives and foreigners. press to greet the
plainly dressed and retiring little old woman
who is the heart and soul OF this great
work; fruits and flowers from unknown
donors find their way to her seat. and every
step of the journey is q continuous ova-
PICTURESQUE MADRUGA-
At Madruga station an enormous crowd
was waiting, headed. as usual. by the al
caldi, the judge, and other dignitaries of
the town. THEREAFTER the inevitable hand
shaking and -speechmaking, escorted by the
entire population, we visited the points OF
interest" including the pitiful apology for
an orphanage. with its hundred wretched
waits, and the pleasant casa which the
good citizens had set apart for our resi-
dence while in the city. At dark the pro-
cession rounded up at the hotel door, whero
dinner awaited our weary party. but the
much-needed meal had to wait yet longer
while these kindly verbose people relieved
themselves of more congratulatory
speeches. Then, after another seance at
hanG-shakng. like unto a Washington pres
idential reception. the better part OF the
throng dispersed to their homes-all but the
rabble, black and white, several hundred
strong numerically and Of uncomputabis
strength olfactorily, who, having no homes
and nowhere in particular TO go. constituted
themselves our perpetual guard OF honor
With all their rags and they
swarmed the hotel doors and windows,
watching every movement with curious
eyes; they followed us later to headQuar-
ters and camped round about. and continued
to stick closer than the tropical brother
till the very last minute OF our stay.
Quaint old Madruga reminds one Of Sans
tiago, its architecture being OF the same
antique pattern brought from Spain at an
early day. and its narrow streets rambling.
haphazard, up hill and down It's low casas
were once painted in all the colors OF the
rainbow, sky blues and rose-pinks predomi-
mating, but now mostly meliowed by timo
to indistinguishable tints. Its central plaza
is queerly elevated, whether on a natural
or artificial hill, or because the ad5aceuf
streets have been cut down. i do not know
At any rate the fiower-nlled space in the
center of the town, inclosed within q bright
blue wall and environed by the most pre-
tentious edifices OF church and state, a
reached by four flights of blue-painted steps,
which call TO mind the Navajo pueblo in
AflZOnd, where the ln0lhnS ciimD up seven
ladders and down seven la 1ders whenever
they wish to take a stroll IN the plaza Be-
ing beyond the usual route OF Cuban travel
> the outer world has heard little OF Mad
ruga. notwithstanding fits extraordinarg
charms Of quaintness and genial climate. tn
giant criba trees and Indian laurel groves,
and its fine mineral springs which the peo-
pie OF the region believe TO be a sovereign
remedy for all bodily Ills. The springs are
turned into baths, Enclosed within a cluster
OF rather handsome wooden houses built
after the fashion OF an American summer
resort hotel. and these furnish about the
only paying business there d In the war
1 desolated little city.
The existing orphanage. which the i'm
. poverished citizens have supported as well
as they could. being found IN hopelessly un-
3 sanitary condition. we decided to abandon
1t altogether A large house I'm the outskirts.
with considerable land adjoining. was Sc
. cured. fitted up with fresh cots and bed
! ding. and a generous store OF simple food
supplies laid In. And then the children
, thoroughly cleaned from top 10 toe. for per-
, haps the first time In their lives-and
: dressed I'm new clothes, were installed there
: in. under the care OF a competent matrou
1 and two assistants. The ground was plowed,