Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1906-09-28


II IS related that Palma wept when
come weeks hcf,.e his Inauguration he
landed at 81 ara and again set foot
upon his native soil Again when he
visited his birthplace aud met a sister
whom he had not seen for thirty years
he wclt. And again when he caused
the dl.iutrrmcut of his mothers re-
mains and their reburial at the old
home. the mother havin. died from
Spanish tulturcs and crueltics during
the ten years war. General Palma's
grief is said To have been as touching
as II his mother had just died. This
tender hcarteLucSs. this love of family.
Is one of the cuban presidents most
distinguishing characteristics.
1.-The Lille SlhOolmaSter."
Palma came to New York after his
release from the SuauiSh prison In
lSIS. Being peuuilc>S and unable 10
speak English, he soon found that
New York was not the place for him.
General Maxine Gomez. with whom
he had fought for years and who had
been his secretary of war during Pal
mas brief experience as provisional
president. was then In Honduras He
wrote TO Palma, urging him to 20 to
that country. Palma borrowed money
from friends and went 10 Honduras
where the president of that little re
public appointed him postmaster gen
cral. The cuban revoIutionist soon
married the presidents daughter, and
son wa~ born 10 the couple.
Another president coming into power
Palma lost his official position and
brought his family to New YORK. de
termiuiug 10 become an American citi-
zen. lie settled at Central Valley, in
Orange county. forty miles above the
metropolis. and opened the Estrada
Palma institute In u roumy, old fash
iuucd farmhouse. where he took up his
residence Here for nearly eighteen
years he lived, teaching English 10 Gu.
ban and other Spanish boys
and teaching Spanish Ia the boys OF
his cighborhood. Head Master Palma.
or Estrada. as he was known in Cen
tral Valley. soon became proficient in
English himself though he still speaks
1t with strong Spanish accent He
was known atfectiouatcly in Central
Valley as the little schoolmaster."
There live more children We're born TO
the family. making tue future Cuban
executives brood equal in number TO
President Rooseyelts
Whcn,lu lS9J the second and success.
ful war for Cuban independence began
Schoolmastcr Estrada was unanimous.
ly chosen 10y the Cuban revolutionary
societies In various countries to repre-
sent the revolutiouists as their general
agent for the raising of funds with
Which to carry on the war. Palma
opened dingy little office in New York
city and for three years worked inces-
sanity. raising hundreds of thousands
of dollars for the cause.
The war ended, CUBA free by grace
Of the intervention II the United States,
Palma returned to his home Mt Central
Valley He had closed his school upon
taking charge Of the "junta." He was
poor There was still mortgage upon
his house ana twenty-four acres Of land
ut Central Valley. But the land was fer.
tile. and the old patriot. like Cincin,
natuS. set his hand to the plow and
started In TO make n living as a garden.
cr. In SemiSarcasm somebody called
him "A gentleman farmer"
Such was Tomas Estrada Palma
when there came from cuba an ire
sistihlc demand that he should stand
for the presidency OF the new republic.
At first lie demurred He was sixty,
seven years old Married in middle life.
his children were still growing up
around him. He was deeply devoted
TO his family and his quiet home life.
~Alorcoyer hs felt that the place Of ex,
ecutivc power, the honor Of being the
first president, belonged IL another.
General Gomez" he said. lis Ell.
titled to ii. He has been fighting IN
the field. have been away for many
years. Gomez should have it,"
But Gomez himself came to New
York and urged Palma to accept the
candidacy. The rest is history.