The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-03-28

..'ii' '''"S tuIilciS anu uafk dungeons,
and it is difficult for Il stranger to 20
through them without the assistance
OF guide. In Cabanas ! saw the
dead line the place where the Gu
pan prisoners were made to stand up
against the wall 10 be shot. The guns
that Spain mounted on these forts are
still standing and are nothing compared
to the modern guns now used in the
United States. They have the appear
ancc of being one hundred years old.
y visitor could easily spend IL ,lny
viewing these old structures, whicharc
surrounded by massive stone walls.
IN government steam yacht, accom-
panied by Mai. B. B. Evans, our party
visited the maine" wreck, which still
stands in tho harbor. After viewing
| the wreck could not see how il was
possible for any of the men on the yes
sci to have escaped alive.
| Colon Cemetery is another place of
lntcrcs; to visit, and here YOU will see
some very fine monuments. l'n,lcrthe
! OLD Spanish law each grave there il
taxed SD much every year, and if the
tax Is not paid, the grave is opened
and the bones of the deceased are
| thrown into pile in one corner of the
cemetery.
| Ofthc 2S0,000 inhabitants Of Havana,
very few arc foreigners, and about Ii
per cent. are negroes. III The country
districts. however, the negroes and
mulattoes are i'll the majority. The
only difference between them and our
negroes is that they are blackcr and
speak Spanish. just now the race
question Is serious problem in Cuba.
and II is thought will cause trouble
before it is solved. About 50 per cent.
Of the population OF The Island cannot
read nor write, and it is proposed when
the civil government is firmly cstab-
lishcd TO have Il property and cduca
tional qualification for suffrage The
population is dividcdinto three classes.
The first class is composed of what
might be called the aristUcracy-thc
native Cubans of pure Spanish cXtiac
ton, who draw the social line on the
mulatto and the negro. There is no
social distinction between the second
class and the negro. They intcrnarry
and mix and mnglc together in every
possible way.
Our party met and interviewed Il
number OF prominent Cnbans. repre-
sentiug various business and profcs-
sions. as well as other residents Of
Havana, and the majority Of them arc
delighted with the present conditions
and want the United States to main
tain prOtcctorate ever them for some
time to come. was told that many
OF the Spaniards who own property on
tho Island and who were forced to re-
turn to Spain during the war are now
returning to Cuba and are especially
anxious for ''Enclc Sam to hold on
there. also met Al number of citizens
who believe that Il great majority of
the Cubans are absolutely unfit for
lf-govcrnment.
So far very few Americans have be-
come residents of the Island. During
the past few months great many have
gone there prospecting. but will not
locate or invest their money until they,
see what sort of Il government is cs-
tablishcd. They are simply waiting
and watching. The municipal elections
take place Oh the Island on April nth,
and the politicians and office seekers
arc now hard ut work | was inform
Ell that already there are twelve politi-
cal factions in the city Of Havana.
The police force there is composed OF
native Cubans, but is directly under
tine control OF American army officers.
The United States troops have made
wonderful changes OH the Island, and
the more intelligent and property OWL
ing class appreciate what has been
done i'll their behalf. But there arc
large numbers of the natives who hate
the American and his methods, and it
is this element, it is believed, that will
bring OF trouble when the United
States troops are withdrawn from the
Island.
Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, who is the gov
crnor- general OF the Havana province,
is the most popular American on tho
Island, not only among his own troops
but among all classes. The people as
Il class arc pleasure loving people,
and Gen. Lee has allowed them to in
dulgc III their amuscmcnts. His camp
is situated eight miles from Havana,
and large crowds OF the natives 20 out
there every day or two to enjoy their
sports and listen to the music Of the
Regimcntai bands.
American money is in demand in
Cuba, and one seia $G.4O in Spanish
silver for $5 of our money.
AS have already said, Cuba is
grand country, but it is difficult to
foretell what its future will be, and /
would not advise any one to go there
to locate at this time.