The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1914-04-24

remains hidden to this day.
Clearing Fortune Island with our
black pirates on board we steam away
for the windward pass and Cuba, pass
ing another light house on Anagua
Island with the customary wreck in
her front teeth, and twelve hours later
we sight Cuba.
To the traveller who has read much
and seen nothing of this Pearl OF the
Antilles the first sight of Cuba is disap-
pointing. One may look in vain for
the tropical verdure, the Royal palms
and gorgeous beauty associated with
this imagined isle. What one really
sees is a ragged, mountainous coast,
denuded of verdure, and apparently
unwatered and uninhabited. For a
hundred miles we skirted this coast
and with but one exception we failed
to find human habitation although
twenty pairs Of glasses searched among
the recesses and along the coast line.
The mountain ranges as we neared
Santiago reached higher and higher I'M
til in places the clouds hung about the
higher peaks, but always towards us
they presented the same seamy,
ragged, age marked exterior. In
places the iron ore showed in broken
creyices and land slides, red and rusty,
like the sides of an old wreck.
1t was outside Guantanamo Harbor
on the southern coast of Cuba that we
saw the first American flag. 1t was a
supply ship returning from the feet oil
battleships which we later saw hidden
away behind the headlands, some
twelve or fifteen in number. I will
mention here that though / travelled
some four thousand miles, and saw
shipping from every land never saw
the American flag again except in a
moving picture show in Jamaica. Per
nit me to digress. This said picture
show, remember was in Kingston, on
British soil. This particular film was
one common to US at home. A pa
triotic western play where the Indians
capture the beautiful maid with the
blonde wig and which winds up with a
thrilling capture and red river of red
mans blood, while the hero stands in
the exact center and unfurls the AM
erican flag. was interested to note
that the sight Of the American flag in
this land of England's rule excited ex-
actly the same kind OF applause that
it would here at home, an applause
that would haye made George Cohen
proud of himself and the flag he made
theatrically famous.
Guantanamo harbor is the present
naval base for the Panama canal and as
we passed, five miles at sea we could
see the fighting tops of over a dozen
leviathans lurking behind the entrance,
waiting, waiting, with the wireless
tower frowning down on their turets
and Mexico only few hours away.
Guantanamo harbor has Is square
miles of sea room and is used by the
United States as a coaling station and
naval base.
Leaving Guantanamo we steamed on
towards Santiago, passing more noun
tains, ragged and emaciated, suggest
ing some weary old hack horse with
protruding ribs and razor back. About
shutdown we were off Santiago with its
frowning Moro castle. As we leaned
over the rail and surveyed this lonely
coast someone remarked that this was
a long ways to come to start presi-
dental boom. And another remarked
that we must not overlook the con-
gressional career and the senatorial as
pirations Of the effervescent Hobson.
AS we neared the harbor entrance
and passed under the frowning Moro
castle, now dismantled, but looking
dangerous even in its decay not one
of US but paid mental tribute to the
daring of that young man who went in
under hell fire which poured down
and sunk the Merrimac. AS to the
question Of good judgment and ex-
pediency, that is another story, but
there is no question Of courage.
AS we passed Moro the Cuban army
came out and lazily watched US go by.