Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-05

GOWN to conference. Gomez stated that
IN view OF the unusual haste required for
the conference Quintin should leave his
army behind and come at once with as
small an escort as possible. Old Quintin
felt highly honored upon receiving the in
Fltatlon to confer with the comma nder- in
chief, and proceeded with all haste to find
aim: upon presenting himself at the gen.
erals headquarters old Gomez rose slowly
from his hammock looked cautiously
around, perhaps to ascertain if Quntin had
ieft his army behind. and then after ask
ing him few questions he berated him
soundly, finally taking his command away
from him by telling him that he was no
longer general, but an ordinary, common,
everyday Cuban negro, and he couldn't re-
turn to his force in the Trinidad hills
The next l heard of Quintin Banderas
was after our various fights with the Span
iards around Santiago and the American
troops had taken possession of that city. 1t
may be remembered that General Shafter
refused to allow the Cuban General Garcia
and his army to participate in the capitu-
latlon ceremony of the Spanards, and that
the Cuban general with such force as he
mad withdrew in a rage. We had taken the
city and our pickets were posted outside
with orders to disarm all Cuban soldiers
before allowing them into the city. There
was some talk of an outbreak upon the part
OF these Cubans. when farmers entering
from the country announced that they had
been held up while on their way to town
with produce by General Quintin Banderas,
tables. told them that they were prohibited
taking anything into the Americans 1t
seems that the old warrior had got up an
other negro army and on his own hook was
laying an embargo on the city just as the
insurgents used to do in the insurrection
days when only the towns or cities were
In the hands of the Spaniards and the coun-
try in the hands of the insurgents.
Upon hearing of this action on the part
OF the old negro general l wrote a short
piece for Cuba's first American newspaper
describing him as the good natured old dar-
Key whom L had known In the field and
after giving an account of his degradation
by Gomez L recommended our military
authorities to invite him to a conference
as Gomez had done, and as the streets of
Santiago were then very dirty to make him
chief OF the street cleaning department l
thought by this method old Quintin might be
made very useful ally of the Americans and
by giving him this job he might be able to
turn his negro followers to some useful ac-
count. But it proved that of all things dis
tasteful to the Cubans it was the ment ion
of .cleantng up. especially cleaning the
streets. The idea that a Cuban general
should be put in charge of such work and
especially a general of Quintin Banderas
renoWn, was an outrage upon their dignity
The article, as soon as il appeared was
sent TO Gen. Quintin In proof of the sordid
nature of the Americans, who would de-
stroy the tone of the Cuban army by rec
ommending any portion of it to clean
streets. AS soon as the generals secretary
mad read him the article the old fellow be-
came furious; they say he even got blue in
the face, and after storming around a while
he ordered the secretary to write a protest
to Gen. Lawton in which he dwelt upon
the ingratitude of the human race, and an
nounced his intention of withdrawing to the
wids of El Cauto.
Gen. Lawton did not invite the old fellow
to conference. as was suggested, and the
next thing we heard was that he had put
into execution his threat and withdrawn
with his following to the Cauto, where he
appears to have disappeared from history
for the time being. After the evacuation of
Havana by the Spaniards he turned UP in
Havana, as fat and good-natured as ever
l saw him, dressed in new suit of starched
linen. in the uniform of general. at the
last sessions of the self-constituted Cuban
government, when they hauled old Gomez
over the Goals for accepting 100000 from
the Americans to pay his army, denounced
him as traitor and finally degraded him.
When the final vote was cast degrading the
old war hero Gen. Quintin Banderas fat
sides shook with laughter, as. leaning on
his cane looking through the opent door at
the assembly, he said:
That's the way l like to see great men
come up with! That's right It's the gen.
eraiisimo's turn now! He won't degrade
any more veterans now! No, stree! His
time has GOMEZ
Shortly after this old Quintin bought a
printing press and started with it to San
tiago to publish patriotic paper. AS to
the success of this venture l never heard;
but, considering that the old fellow had not
the advantages of any schooling at ALL and
all his correspondence during the insur-
rection had been done through his secre-
tary, with the exception of his signature,
which required considerable time and pa
thence on his part to produce. he must have
found running a newspaper a much more
difficult proposition than recruiting an
army.
Now that the old general has threatened
to take to the bush again the Cuban gov
eminent may be able to find a congenial
job for him. 1t won't do for them to offer
him anything in connection with the street
cleaning department.. but they can make
him supervisor of education or a super
visor of the forestry division. or, better
still. chief of police. 1t must not be any
sordid occupation that they offer him, for
the old general is not mercenary: he does
not care a rap about the salary. but he
does care about his honor and dignity.
THOMAS r. DAWLEY, Jr
PaoSor, Enn11rh