Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-04
LIVELY F0RTY-FOOTER.
The Ida Belle Lowndes off for
Havana.
Hor Muster Fornor Naval 0mcer
orrwo Wars, with n Lively. 1ris-
tory -Hi. Opinion OF cnbn aha GU
bans "A Husrness Trip.

The little forty-foot gasoline and
SAL yacht, Ida Belle Lowndes. Captain
Thomas l.. Madge. master. is lying in
the Clyde dock ready to sail south.
s nee arriving here Friday she has add
ed new spinnaker boom, u spinnal1er
and flying-jib to her snll equipment,
overhauled and repaired her engine and
Is now good for between twelve and
fourteen knots. She is a flyer for her
size. Though SO small she carries a
thirty horse power engine, and can
show her heels to many II fUrger boat
Of more pretensions.
She carries a party Of three and her
destina ion is Havana, Cuba. Her mas
ter, Captain Madge, is largely engaged
in the importation OF tropical fruits,
and has been since 1870. He is on his
way south in the interests of his bust
ness and, preferring travel by water
to that by rail, has taken his yacht on
this trip via inland waterways, which
he Will continue in as long as poss BILE.
possibly trying a few shots at duck,
swan and other game enroute.
SHP>oib hAoo5C t.tlS tu0 IL very GIG n
cred career. and one Of which most
any one might well be proud Born In
the South, he was educated there and
chose the navy as his ,voca ton, spend
Ing several years in the United States
Navy before the outbreak OF the civil
war when he resigned and offered his
services to the. Comic deracy, and was
In command of one-of the tenders run
ming between The navy yard and Hamp-
ton Roads March Sth and 9th, 1852, dur
ing the famous MerrimaclS and Monitor
fight. Later he went to Mobile and
thence to Florida and is said to have
commanded the steamer on which IL
was intended that President Davis, of
the Confederncy, and his Cabinet
should escape from this country. which
steamer was in waiting on the Florida
coast whFn they were cap ured
At the outbreak Of the late war with
Snain he ngain offered his services to
the Government. WIS accepted, made Il
lieute- ant commander and began the
fitting out OF the Scindia at New York,
but was called from there to Boston to
| fit out the repar-ship Vulcan, which he
completed in wonderfully quick time.
Fic was then ordered to fit out the
Monitor Wyandotte and take her to
Santiago, which he did. arriving there,
however. just after the place had sur
rendered.
After the war he re-embarl1ed in the
fruit business IN New York and Cuba
and, having lived for some years in
Cuba and speaking Spanish nuently,
was well-ftted for the business.
Captain Madge is well acquainted
with the Cuban situation and comm emit
ed freely on the prospects of that
Pearl OF the Antilles. His observations
on the native Cuban in general were
worth noting. He distrusts them and
gives his reasons for it. remarking that
the generations OF abuse. cxtortion
wholesale theft and plundering the Gu
bans have experienced ut the hands of
the Spaniard have made him cunning.
devoid OF honesty and treacherous.
That it will take genera tons of living
under fair laws. Justice and equal
rights to educate him 10 the point
where q comparatively few have reach
ed and make him fit for self govern
ment
-He-extalled- GeneralLec and General
Wood. but had tie save contempt for
Generals Blocks and Ludlow, whom he
said were soldiers only, with n SOL
diers natural love OF booty and plum
der, and related an incident where his
property had been allowed to be plum
dered by the latter two. and he aided
in saving the same by one OF the for
mer two generals. He believed that un-
der General Wood fair play would be
given and every mans properly be Sc
cure, but did not belle this country
had any intention of giving up Cuba
or giving it independent government
He states that many laws of ex' ortion-
ate taxation. made a dead letter even
by the Spaniards, have en- revived ty
the Cubans and enforced against for
eigners and even against their own
people, and says a contract with the
natives Is only good where it can be
enforced by force. He said this did not
apply to all. as there were numbers of
honorable and honest men there, but
that of the average Cuban it was true
bill.
Captain Madge is Il hearty sympa-
thizer with the Beers denonnces any
entangling alliance with c. eat Britain
as the height of folly, and believes our
Philippine policy sham to cover the
schemes Of capitalists only.
i