Evening star., 1923-01-21

an utterly QlHerenI CITY ifoih WhdS
it was more than half a century ago,
when my father was United States
consul to Cuba and occupied an old
Spanish house on Gale Tulipan, four
miles from the Plaza de Armas. This
was shortly after the civil war broke
out (1S62), and 1t was President
Lincoln who made the appointment
Those were the days when the gen.
eral feeling in that city was strongly
in favor of the Confederate cause, and
the American consul who preceded
my father, Charles Helm, was re-
moved on account of his very pro-
nounced sympathy with the southern
states.
1t was a quaint old house, with
delightful tropical grounds, that my
father selected as a home for the
family during the term of his consul
ship.
My two younger brothers and I at
tended a private school across the
street from our home. but / was soon
removed and sent to Spanish day
school in the neighborhood. Not a
word of English was spoken there,
and in the course of six months was
often taken for Cuban boy, as / was
very dark, tall for my age, spoke
Spanish well and gesticulated like a
aative-born.
My fathers office was on the third
floor of one of the old adobe build
jngs down on the quay, facing the
harbor, and he would occasionally
take me with him as he went every
day to attend to his consular
duties. The vice consul was Thomas
Savage, and the chief clerk a Mr..
Walcot. From the window Of that
Office have seen Capt. Maffitt and his
officers come ashore in full uniform,
ct the time he commanded the Con-
federate privateer. the Florida" I
distinctly remember the impression
their gray uniforms made upon me
and how the captain glanced up at
the windows of the consulate on one
occasion. L am under the impression
that he and my father we're at the
Naval Academy together +
#**
FATHERS position was one filled
with danger in those days. made
all the more SO or account of his fear
lessness and the distinct ability with
duties. One morning when l was in
the rear office, which had no windows
ard so was quite dark-a room one had
10 pass through to reach the main office
there came p knock at the door lead
ing into the hall. Mr.. Walcot opened
IL, and I stood near him as he did so.
A young man dressed in black stood in
TIL hallway, wearing keen, not to say
fierce expression, and appearing to be
somewhat nervous. He wanted to see
TIL. consul, but the chief clerk declined
TO let him enter. He made a move as
though he intended to force his way in,
but Mr.. Walcot succeeded in prevent
ing him. At this he drew out a big,
most vicious-looking knife and gave
the chief clerk to understand that had
he succeeded in reaching the Yankee
consul, that was what he had for him
shaking the weapon in Mr. Walcots
face.
About this time great ,five-foot yellow
posters were displayed, like circus play
Mobile, offering twelve thousand dol
lars in Confederate money to any one
bringing my fathers head to either of
the southern posts just named.
Across the street from us lived
family composed of Mr.. Lavagas, his
wife and couple Of small children. He
was tall, we'll built and very hand
some man, who came there from Ma
llrid shortly after my father became
consul. He called but once or twice
while we were in Havana, and during
his last call, which was just before we
returned to the States, he informed my
father that he was employed as a spy
by the Spanish government, to keep
him closely under observation, and to
report to his home government all that
he could ascertain in regard to my
fathers business as American consul.
Such was the atmosphere in which
my father lived, yet he never took the
slightest precaution to protect himself
or to evade the dangers Of the position
that he filled.
Most of the streets in Havana were
then simply filthy. and the houses Of
the oldest inhabitants were even more
so. but I'll gnot enlarge upon this
point. While we were there an cpl
demic of diphtheria broke out, and
1000 children in the city died Of it.
My youngest bfother and I both had
IT, but a German doctor, DR.. Winter
halter, our family physician, saved
us. However, the people took the
epidemic as a matter of COURSE
the constant passing of funerals
failed to attract much attention. The
people kneeled as they passed. and
upon one occasion the children of
the school we attended kneeled while
n funeral went by the house.
Serano was the Spanish consul gen
eral, and he once attended one of our
receptions He was q splendid-ap-
pearing man in his conspicuous uni
form, and possessed most court1y
manners and address. 1t is my i'm
preston that he was shot by order
of the queen upon his return to Spain
the sentence of a court-martial.
4 X X
IS might be expected, many dis
"A tinguished people called at our
home to pay their respects to the
American consul, and one evening
Mr.. Gomez. the Austrian minister.
came. He was short, wiry little
man, with very black hair, snappy
black eyes, mustache waxed at the
ends and with bearing that gave
one the impression that he could use
n rapier "to the queens TASTE" and
take care of himself otherwise.
Among other things he wore a white
vest and very conspicuous bunch
Of charms on his watch chain.
When the time came for him to