The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-01-02

~S~S~~N~srN-~~-~s~~~r~-
properly educated and trained There
is to DO no attempt made to proselyte
them, beyond teaching them to be
moral and honest. To better under
stand the terrible condition of the
peasants of Cuba, who are the ones
now being benefited, few quotations
from the report OF one of the American
commission sets the facts more plainly
before the public. He says:
Cuba was not suffering from COM
merclal or financial panic. 1t was in
state OF utter prostration and collapse.
Business and agricultural life had long
ceased. The whole island was dead.
Even now the result of Weylers or
der OF RECOMMENDATION Is not under
stood or appreciated in this country.
Should the commanding general In the
American army issue an order, the re-
suit cf which would be that one could
travel from New York to Rochester
and not see one COW, not one chicken.
not one farmhouse, not one man work
ing in the fields. 1t would be something
similar to the result Of Gen. Weyler's
demonstration order in Cuba.
THE whole rural life OF three great
provinces - Havana, Matanzas and
Santa Clara-was absolutely blotted
out. Occasionally clump OF banana
trees, whose roots had escaped the fire,
or scarlet creeper, would show where
farmhouse had stood; but the trop-
ical growth quickly covered the ruins.
1t Was inconceivable that in the midst
Of this teeming vegetation the country
should be a desert, for no sigma OF
human life appeared.
"On the contrary, every town and
city visited was thronged with beggars.
many Of them emaciated and gaunt:
women, children, cripples, and a few
spirited men; and the dreadful
odor OF every place occupied by Span
ish soldiers. There was no decency,
there was no sanitation in our sense
of the word, inaeed, there was no dis |
cipline. II was wanton and profit |
gate devastation in the time of peace"
Amid all this misery, and herding to- |
gether like cattle, were the little chill |
dren, the future citizens of Cuba. |
whether as a republic or as part of
the United States And it was for the |
and development of the flu
ture generation OF the island that the
Cuban orphan relief fund was started.
Mr., Charles w. Gould. who is very
prominently connected with the fund.
made remark few days ago which |
corroborates a statement made by a
Catholic priest, who had Just returned |
from Havana. as to the patriarchal |
system In Cuba. Mr.. Gould said:
1 never saw anything to equal the
love and sacrifice of the Cuban parents.
The men died first, the women fol- |
lowed and it is the children who are
loft"
These remarks give an idea of what
me Cuban orphan fund started out to
10. Miss Laura d. Gill was selected as
pest lifted to represent the trustees of
he fund in Cuba. She has two assist
lnts, Miss Levy and Miss Wilson and
hese three brave women. to use the
words OF one of the prominent mem
'ers OF the fund, are doing as true
missionary work as any Jesuit ever
lid"
Miss Gill writes:
In sancti Spiritus we found a con-
ition of suffering which is much more
erious than anything which we have
cen before. There are over four hun-
red children who need to he taken
are of right away and the town has
My been able to provide for twenty
We little girls, who were selected he
ause they were physically worse off
han anybody else in town. Although
hey have now been cared for nearly
TX weeks, they are still mere littIe
keletons, and almost make one doubt
Thether 1t was any kindness to helm
hem to live few wears longer"