Evening star., 1899-03-25
Suffering and Starvation in the Is
land Of Cuba.
NO WORK OR MONEY FOR TIE PEOPLE
No Meat Seen in Cartagena for
Over a Year.
BRIGANDAGE PREVALENT

Assistant Secretary Meiklejohn Of the
War Department has received-a very inter-
esting itinerary from military sources, be-
ginning at the Rodus. in Santa Clara prov
ince, and terminating at Cartagena.
There are, according to the report. two
Spanish forts in close proximity to Rodus,
and about six miles distant is the estate of
the British vice consul. The grounds around
this house are similar to those usually
found connected with a gentleman's estate
in England and are said to be the best gar
dens and park in Cuba. The people be-
tween Rodus and Cartagena are beginning
to assume their usual vocations.
Cartagena has population of 1900 in the
city proper and about 5000 In the munich
pahty. The country to the north of Carta-
gena as far as the Matanzas line, and al
most as far as Mordazo, has been laid waste
by the Spanish. There is great distress in
this municipality, and there are great
stretches of country where there is not a
soul to be seen. The roads have even grown
into a thicket almost impossible to pene-
trate. The municipality had eight schools
before the war. Two buildings remain, but
they are not open to pupils
In Ciego Montero the boys school Is clos
ed and the girls school has fifteen pupils
At Casoajal the boys school has twenty pu-
pills and the girls school is closed. There
are no police in this town. The district
are colonials. They operate small farms
and have their grinding done at the large
centrals. There is some tobacco raised In
the district.
cattle center. The total tax before the war
was s1S, 900 or $4,000 per annum, of which
the slaughter house at Cartagena paid a
little over $4,000. or little over one-haif
Many Dying of Starvation.
At present no taxes can be collected, as
there is no currency of any account in the
municipality. The town has no telegraph
telephone. There seems to be no work
whatever for the people. Many of the peo-
pie at the date of the visit were starving.
The military official who made the trip
states that he saw several families of five
to eight people who had not had mouth
full of food for two or three days, and he
also states that he saw one woman lying in
bed dying of starvation The relief stores
or hand had been ordered distributed only
to those who could show a certificate of
having gone to work.
Food is very badly needed at Cartagena
I.efore the war the municipality had a
population of $500 people The death rate
has been enormous. reaching ten or twelve
daily At present the deaths are about
forty a month. The first meat seen in the
town for over a year was that brought by
the United States troops as portion OF
their rations while passing through the
district. The salaries of the mayor and
months. There was no doctor in the place
when the town was visited.
During the reconcentration 982 people died
in the town of starvation.
The present postmaster has held his po-
sition twenty years. When he was first
appointed Cartagena was 4 post office OF
the first class. 1t Is now an Office of the
fourth class. Only about twelve letters are
mailed and received each week. The town
has three malls a week. .,-,,, 49, -,
There is great deal Of brigandage along
the western boundary of the province, anu
1t is especially prevalent along the faguar-
amas and Corralillo districts.
The country between Cartagena ana
Santa Domingo is fine grazing region dur
ing the dry season. but the land gets very
boggy when the spring rains commence
Province of the Five Cities.
The province of Santa Clara is known as
the province of the five cities. 1t contains
twenty-seven municipalities, as follows:
Santa Clara, Esperanza, Ranchuelo San
Juan de las Yeras, Calabazar, San Diego
del Valle. Cienfuegos, Cruces. Paln,ira. Alb
reus. Rodas. Lajas. Cartagena. San Fer
nando. Sagua la Grapde, Santo Domingo,
Quemado de Guines, Cinfuentes, Ceja de
Pablo. Redmios. Caibarien, Camajuana,
Vueltas Placetas, Jaguajay, Trinidad. San
ii Espiritu.
The population at the close Of the first
war in 1873 was 2s6. 1853 The census Of
1881: nine years afterward, showed pop
ulatiOn of 37S, 461. The last census, that of
December 81. 1897, was taken three years
after the beginning of the last war, and
shows population Of 331. .126. In 1894 pre-
vous to the last war. there were 1886 sugar
factories, 3,36S stock farms, 1890 small
farms and truck gardens and 1861 house
holders who paid taxes
OF live stock there was owned In the
province December 81, 1904, beef cattle.
9665s7: horses, 99,2s6: mules 1892; swine,
34SO39; sheep. 3O.466. In addition to the
cattle raised for consumption, the province
ordinarily raises large quantities for export,
also steers, which are used for work cattle
on the plantations.
The estimated expenditure of money to
run this province for the fiscal year begin
ming June 80, 1898. and ending June 80, 1899.
all of which has been approved by the civil
governor Of Santa Clara, is $1,O12, ,S75.76.