The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1918-07-19
CHAPTER xlll-continued.

ii
81 inferred as much from what 10
PEI told me-" The general nodded hi
white mead "Well. you'll make coo'
soldier. and we shall he glad TO have
you" He extended his hand, anC
OReilly took il gratefully.
She city Of Matanzas was "paCifed.
SO ran the boastfu bando Of the cap
tain general. And this was no eXag
Eeraton. as anyor" could see from
the number of boggarS there. OF al
his military operations, this "pactica
tion" Of the western towns and prov
inccS was the most conSpiCuOusly sue
CesSful and the one which gave Valeri-
ano Weyler the keenest satisfaction ;
for nowhere did the rebellion lift It's
head-except, perhaps, among the
ranks OF those diSafectcd men who hid
in the hills, with nothing above them
but the open sky. As for the popula-
tion AZ large, II was cured of treason
IL no longer resisted, even weakly, the
law Of Spain The reason was that IL lay
dying. Weylers cure was simple, eff
cacious-lt consisted OF determination,
swift and pitiless.
| Poverty had been common In Matan-
Zas, even before the war but now
there were so many beggars I'm the
city that nobody undertook to count
them. When the refugees began to
pour In by the thousands, and when
1T became apparent that the govern
iment intended to let them starve, the
'Detter citizens undertook an effort at
relief; but times were hard, food was
scarce, and prices high. Moreover, II
soon transplred that the military
crowned upon everything like organ
azed charity, and in consequence the
newcomers were, perforce, abandoned
to their own devices. These country
people were dumb and terrified Mt the
miSfortunes which had oyertaken
them; they wandered the streets In
aimless bewilderment, fearful of wha.
blow might next befall. They were
not used to begging. and therefore
they did not often implore aims; but
NIL day long they asked for work. for
bread. that their little ones might live.
Work. however, was even scnrcer than
FOOD. and the time soon came when
they crouched upon curbs and door
steps. hopeless. beaten. silently re-
proachful OF those more fortunate
than they. Their eyes grew big and |
hollow; their outstretched hands grew |
gnu,t and skinny. The sound Of weep |
'ng women and frettlng babies be-
came common thing to hear.
y Dogs and cats became choice articles |
or diet. until they disappeared. The
government did supply one quality Of,
SNNsl, however; at intervals, II distri3-
uted yucca roots. But these were
starchy and almost indigestible. FROM
eating tIem. the children. grew Einched
In dspr and face, while their abdomens
NY>'ted hugely. NIatonzas became
.I,copled with race of grotesquely |
mlsshapen little folks gnomes with |
young bodies, but with faces old and |
sick.
OF course disease became epidemic |
for I'm the leaky novels, drt-eoored !
and destitute Of any convenience. there |
could be no effort Mt sanitation. Con-
ditions became unspeakable. The chill |
dren died first. then the aged and In
firm. Deaths In the street were not
uncommon; nearly every morning bod
les were found beneath the portales.
Starving creatures crept to the mar
ket I'm the hope Of begging stray bit
of food, and some of them died there,
between the empty stalls. The death
wagons, heavy with their daily freight.
rumblen ceaselessly through the
streets. adding to the giant piles Of
unburied corpses outside the city.
Typhoid. smallpox, yellow fever
ragged unchecked. The hospitals were
crowded. and even In them the COM
monest necessities were hacking. Ii Is
believed that men have returned from
the grave, but no one. either Spanlnrd
or Cuban. had ever been known to
return from one of these pesthouses.
and. In consequence, those who were
stricken preferred to remain and to
die among their dear ones.
Yes, MatanZas was pacitied. Wey.
lers boast was true. Nowhere In the
entire province was n field in cult
walton: nowhere, outside the garri-
soned towns. was house left stand.
Ing. Nor was the city of Matanzas the
only conccatratioh camp: there were
Others dcficd through Santa Clarn,
Hnhrna - pinar del Rio. In them
hale people cried for food.
Tr, llous land was ever
pGcified than this. no
, ,ver more completely
city OF beS-3ry and
VaronT and her two
u.s. looking for relief.
They nau. 49,, tourney without mis-.