Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 28, Number 48, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 28 May 1898 — Page 1

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VOL. 28—NO. 48.

ON THE QUI VIVfi.

Some of the friends of Alexander Lawrence, who was murdered by Alexander Owens at Highland Lawn cemetery several months ago, are circulating a paper to raise money to erect a monument over his grave. It is only such things as this that remind one that there: was a murder, entirely unprovoked according to the evidence of the witnesses, and that the murderer has never been brought to trial. From present indications Owens will have become old and decrepit before anything further is done about his trial. The Owens case has probably gone to join the case against John S. Beach for appropriating the money of the depositors in his bank.

The decision to postpone action by the city commissioners in the mattor of the opening of Ohio street was the result of an investigation of the rights of the mortgagee owners, in accordance with the decisions of a number of cases where similar interests were involved, by Robert B. Stlmson, special counsel for tne city in the matter. He had originally intended to allow the proceedings to go ahead, and then if benefits were allowed the railroad company to place the money in the hands of the court, and then have the mortages decide by law whether the railroad company or the mortgagees were entitled to it. He decided, however, that the plan of notifying the mortgagees of the prooceedings was the beat plan, and he therefore recommended that all proceedings be delayed until they had been notified according to law. The new council is evidently opposed to a viaduct crossing, and if proceedings are delayed in the courts the result will be as Q. V. prophecied, that our children's children will be gray headed before Ohio street is opened as contemplated when the late Mrs. Deming made her offer of a park east of the city, contingent upon the opening of Ohio street across the tracks.

The plan to vacate a portion of Tippecanoe street near Seventh, for the purpose of assisting the Big Four, went through the council on Monday night by a vote of 10 to 8. Q. V. is opposed to giving the town to railroad corporations, or any other, for that matter, but he fails to see where any serious damage is done the property owners by the change in the lines of Tippecanoe street as proposed by the Big Four. The abutting property owners, who are most affected, are satisfied with the arrangements made by the company,the public will get the benefit of just as good a street, ami he cannot see where any one has been damaged by the proposed change. Of course the Big Four is not going to put up any fabulous-priced depot, but anything would be an improvement over the "shack" that has been distinguished for years by being called a depot. Some very long prices have been paid for property In the vicinity of the new depot, and there promises to be a great deal of building In that immediate vicinity as soon as the new street lines have been adopted, and the building of the depot actively commenced.

Terre Haute it seems, Is going to have a telephone war In earnest. A company of enterprlslug citizens, including such men asW. P. I jams. Col. John Beggs, C. R. Duffln, A. M. Hlggins, and others, have obtained control of the Citizens' franchise granted by the council several years ago to A. J. Crawford and others, and are going actively into competition not only heret but throughout the country. A meeting of the company has been called for June 6th to increase the capital stock of the company to $75,000. Tuesday night, the telephone project that ex-Mayor B. F. Havens tried to get through the council two years ago, came up again and the company asked for a franchise under the title of the Peoples' Telephone company. This company has been reorganised, and its officers are Wm. K. McLean, president Max F. Hoberg, vice president and treasurer, and B. F. Havens, secretary. The petition was referred to a special committee and will come up at the next meeting. Both the new companies promise to reduce the telephone tolls from 40 to 00 per cent. There promise® to be a smart rivalry between the new companies. Col. Mcliean in a public interview insists that the Citizens' charter Is void, and that the company will have to petition anew for a franchise but this the Cltlsens* people deny. The People's Company agree to put their wires in conduits in the principal part of the city and after ten years' pay the city two pet cent, on its gross receipts In the city. All the while the adroit Central Union Company, which seemed to own a number of members of he old council when the Peoples* projcct was up before has said nothing for publication. Its Interests are being looked after,- however, and if any person thinks that that powerful corporation is going to permit any of its monopoly to be taken away from it without a fight he is badly mistaken. The Central has plenty of money ami knows bow to use it in getting assistance. If it had not, the Peoples* franchise would have been granted when It waa asked for a couple of years ago. It has representatives on the ground all the time, and it isn't sleeping by any means.

The Indiana troops at Chickamanga are to be supplied with the new Kmg-Jorgen-kd rifle*, whether any other of the 40,000 troops get them or not litis la because Major Russell B. Harrison has applied for them. At least tie *ays he has applied for them, aifd his application in looked upon with favor. The major is cutting a wide swathe right now, as a resnlt of his ex

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tensive military experience. In an interview in the Sentinel he speaks of a number of recommendations he has made to the governor about how the military system of Indiana ought to be run in the present emergency, and leads to the suspicion that he has taken the place of that noble dignitary. Military Secretary Charles Wilson, as military adviser to Governor Mount.

Mrfjor Harrison has been attached to the staff of General Fitz Hugh Lee at Tampa. If General Lee should need a press representative during the present war he will have a good man to call on.

FRATERNAL CELEBRATIONS^ Masonic Banquet and Work.—Oriental Lodge K. of P. to Celebrate Its 20tli

Anniversary. On Wednesday night, Euclid Lodge, No. 578, A. F. & A. M., celebrated its twelfth anniversary, by conferring the Master Mason's degree on two candidates, Capt John Beatty, of the police force, and Charles E. Tracy, foreman of Moore & Langen's composing room. The work was done by a team composed of Past Masters of the lodge, and was witnessed by a crowd that tested the capacity of the hall. Following the work an elaborate banquet was given, over three hundred persons enjoying this feature of the entertainment. Euclid Lodge was chartered on the 25th of May, 1886, with a membership of twelve, and it now has a membership of 157.

On Monday evening, Oriental Lodge, No. 81, Knights of Pythias, will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of its organiza tion by a banquet and entertainment at Castle Hall, to which all members of the order have been invited. It will be the most pretentious effort of the kind ever undertaken by a lodge of the order in this city, and preparations have been made for entertaining several hundred members of the order. The menu for the banquet will be unusually elaborate. The list of exercises includes the reading of a paper by W. W. Byers, now of Laporte, Ind. He was one of the charter members, and was invited to attend, but will be unable to do so, and his paper detailing the earlier experiences of the lodge will be read. The welcoming address will be delivered by W. W. Dickerson, chancellor commander of the lodge, and there will be a recitation by Will K. Hamilton, and responses to the following toasts, by the members named: "Pythianism, Its Object and Results," by E. F. Williams, "Our Mothers and Sisters," SamuelK. Duvall: "The Social Side of Pythianism," by W. A. Keerns. There will be other addresses not made up in a formal programme, and the event promises to be a most Interesting one in the history of Pythianism in this city.

^Harrison Park Casino. Ae Casino will open to-morrow evening with a grand vaudeville bill preceded by a band concert from 7:30 to 8:80 by the full Ringgold band. The basino will hardly be recognized as it has undergone so many changes and it now looks metropolitan in all respects. The show will start promptly at 8:80. The rear of the building repre seats a palm garden where you may sit and eat ice cream or get a drink of lemonade and still enjoy the performance. The bill includes some very popular features, including Belmont & Newton in their sketch, "All Mixed Up" Lulu Wentworth, banjoist: Harry Edson and his wonderful dog, Doc Ward & Cowden, comedians Frank Cushman, one of the most entertaining black face comedians on the stage Goldsmith Sisters, dancers, and the Van Aukens, gymnasts, The prices are 10 and 30 cents with 80 cents for reserved seats. The indications are that the Casino will enjoy a good season.

The W. C. C. Uaces.

There is one event each year that is looked forward to with a great deal of pleasure, and that is the Decoration Day races of the Wabash Cycling club. This year an unusually interesting programme has been prepared. It includes a one mile novice, one mile, 2:80 class, Terre Haute Brewing CO.'B handicap, two and onequarter miles, one mile open, one mile club championship, Thorman & Schloss' handicap, half mile open, and a five and one-quarter mile handicap. One hundred and ten entries have been made and the sport promises to be very exciting.

The Ringgold band will furnish the music for the occasion. The races will begin promptly at 2 o'clock.

The price of admission is 25 cents, with no extra charge for reserved seats. Admission to the grand stand is ten cents.

The Coming Xatlon/

Eugene V. Debs has returned from his lecturing tour, and will deliver an address at the Grand Opera House on Tuesday evening on the "Coming Nation." The proceeds of the lecture will be devoted to the library of the Central Labor Union, and It Is likely that the popularity tbe lecturer awl the worthy object tor which the lecture Is delivered will draw a large crowd to the Grand Tuesday night. The Ringgold will furnish the music for the occasion, and will render a number of selections in front of the theater prior to the lecture. The lecture promises to be one of great interest and all those who are interested in the growth of the library of the Central Labor Union will be in attendance.

The Trotting Association has changed the date of Ita fall meeting to one week earlier than originally announced, in order to avoid confiding with the meetings at liOttlsvaieand Springfield. The Association will issue in a short time an entire new IIit of purees, condition*, eto.

SANTIAGO DE CUBA.

ONE OF THE OLDEST CITIES IN THE NEW WORLD.

TERRE HAUTE, END., SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 28, 1898.

Tlie Famous Old Castle, Upon Whose Ramparts Our Men of the Virginias Were Executed—What Americans

Have Been Doing In Southern Cuba,

Special Correspondence of The Mail.

WASHINGTON, May 24.—Most visitors to Cuba touch first and last at Havana, on the northern shore, and restrict their explorations to that city and its environs. Those travelers know about as much of Cuba as the foreigners who spend a few a few weeks in New York, Boston and Philadelphia, and then go home and write exhaustive treatises on America. The truth is that this largest island of the Antilles, extending through three and and a half degrees of latitude, presents as many varied aspects as a journey across our continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Its length from east to west is only a trifle more than the distance from New York to Chicago but the northern coast is entirely different from the southern, and the eastern portion from the western.

Approaching Cuba as Columbus did— across the narrow stretch of sea from Santo Domingo, you will first sight the long, low promontory of the eastern tip. which the discoverer named Point Maysi. So different is the prospect from that seen at the other end of the island, as you come down in the usual route from New York or Florida, that you can hardly believe it is the same small country. From Maysi point the land rises in sharp terraces, backed by high hills and higher mountains—all so vague in mist and cloud that you do not know where land ends and sky begins. Coming nearer, gray ridges are evolved, which look like cowled monks peering over each others' shoulders, with here and there a majestic peak towering far above his fellows—like the Pico Turquino, 11,000 feet above the sea. Sailing westward along this south shore the "Queen of the Antilles" looks desolate and forbidding, as compared to other portions of the West Indies a panorama of wild heights and sterile shores, and surgebeaten cliffs covered with screaming sea birds. At rare intervals an opening in the rock-bound coast betrays a tiny harbor, bordered by cocoa palms, so guarded and coQcealed by hills that its sudden reveakir, tion, when close upon it, astonishes yon as it did the first explorer. According to tradition, every one of these was once a pirates lair, in the good old days we read about, when "long, low, suspicious looking craft, with raking masts," used to steal out from sheltered cover to plunder the unwary. Each little bay, whose existence was unknown to honest mariners, has a high wooded point near its entrance, where the sea robbers kept perpetual watch for passing merchant men and treasure-laden galleons, their own swift sailing vessels safe out of sight within the cove and then, at a given signal, out they would dart upon the unsuspecting prey like the spider from his web.

Among the most notorious piratical rendezvous was Guantanamo, which our war ships are said to have shelled two or three times of late. In recent years its narrow bay, branching far inland like a river, has become of considerable consequence, by reason of a railway which connects it with Santiago and also because the patriot army, hidden in the near by mountains, have entertained hopes of overcoming the Spanish garrison and making it abase for receiving outside assistance. Before the war there were extensive sugar plantations in this vicinity—now all devastated. The Cobra mountains, looming darkly agsinst the horizon, are the great copper and iron range of Cuba—said to contain untold mineral wealth, waiting to be developed by Yankee enterprise. In earlier days four million dollars a year was the average value of Cuba's copper and iron exports but in 1807 six million tons were taken ont in less than ten months. Then Spain,pnt her foot in it, as usual. Not content with the lion's share which she had always realized in exhorbitant taxes on the product, she increased the excise charges to such an extent as to kill the industry outright. For a long time afterwards the ore lay undisturbed in the Cobre "pockets," until the attention of Americans was turned this way. Their first iron and copper claims in these mountains were recognized by the Cuban government seventeen years ago. Three Yankee corporations have developed rich tracts of mining territory hereabouts, built railways from the coast to their works on the hills and exported ore to the United States. The oldest of these companies employed 2,000 men, and had 1,000 cars and a fleet of twenty steamers for the transportation of its output. The Carnegie company, whose product was shipped to Philadelphia, also employed upwards of a thousand men.

At last au abrupt termination of the Stem, gray cliffs which mark this shcre line, indicates the proximity of Santiago harbor, and a nearer approach reveals the most picturesque fort and castle, as well as iwe of the oldest, to be found on the western hemisphere. An enormous rounding rock, whose base has been hollowed into great caverns by the restless Carribean, standing just at the entrance of the narrow channel leading into the harbor, is carried up from the waters' edge in a succession of walls, rampant*, towers and turrets, forming a perfect picture of a rock-ribbed fortress of the middle ages. This is tbefamous cattle of San Jag©—

familiar fortress of the same name in Havana harbor by at least a hundred years. Words are of little use in describing this antique, Moorish-looking stronghold, with its crumbling, honey combed battlements, queer little flanking turrets and shadowy towers, perched upon the face of a dun-colored cliff 150 feet high— so old, so odd, so different from anything in America with which to compare it. A photograph, or pencil sketch, is not much better, and even a paint brush could not reproduce the exact shadings of its timeworn weather-mellowed walls—the oriental pinks and old blues and predominating yellows that give half its charm. Upon the lower-most wall, directly over-hang-ing the sea, is a dome-shaped sentry-box. the Moro, which antidates the more

of stone, flanked by antiquated cannon. Above it, the lines of masonry are sharply drawn, each guarded terrace receding upon the one next higher, all set with cannon and dominated by a massive tower of obsolete construction. It takes a good while to see it all, for new stories and stairways, wings and terraces are constantly cropping out in unexpected places, but as it occupies three sides of the rounding cliff and the pilot who comes aboard at the entrance to the channel, guides your steamer close up under the frowning battlements, you have ample time to study it. Window-holes cut into the rock in all directions, show how extensive are the excavations.

A large garrison is always quartered here, even in time of peace, when their sole business is searching for shady places along the walls against which to lean. There are ranges above ranges of walks, connected by stairways cut into the solid rock, each range covered by lolling soldiers. You pass so near that you can hear them chattering together. Those on the topmost parapet, dangling their blue woolen legs over, are so high and so directly overhead that they remind you of flies on the ceiling. In various places small Ditched have been excavated in the cliff, some with crucifixes or figures of saints. In other places the bare, unbroken wall of rock runs up, sheer and straight, a hundred feet. Below, on the ocean side, are caves, deep, dark and uncanny, worn deep into the rock. Some of them are so extensive that they have not been explored for generations. The broad and lofty entrance to one of them, hollowed by the encroaching sea, is as perfect an arch as could be drawn by a skillful architect, and with it a tradition is connected which dates back a couple of centuries. -irSfj at

A story or two above these wave-eaten caverns are many small windows, each partly barred with iron. They are dungeons dug into the solid rock, and over them might well be written, "Leave hope behind, ye who enters here" A crowd of haggard, pallid faces are pressed against the bars, and as you steam slowly by, so close that you might speak to the wretched prisoners, it seems as if a shadow had suddenly fallen upon the bright sunshine, and a chill, like that of coming death, oppresses the heart. Since time out of mind, the Moro of Santiago has furnished dungeons for those who have incurred the displeasure of the government infinitely more to be dreaded than its namesake in Havana. Spain, whose political existence on this side of the Atlantic has long been unstained only by cruelty and oppression, has shown no mercy toward those whose hands and voices have been lifted in freedoms' causes. Had these slimy walls a tongue, what stories they might reveal of crime and suffering, of tortures nobly undergone, of death prolottted through dragging years and mnrde^gthat will not "ont" until the judgment day. Against that old tower, a quarter of a century ago our countrymen of the "Virginias" were butchered like sheep. Scores of later patriots have been led ont upon the ramparts and shot, their bodies—perhaps with life yet in them—falling into the sea, where they were snapped up by sharks as soon as they touched the water.

The narrow, winding channel which leads from the open sea Into the harbor pursues its sinuous course past several other fortifications of quaint construction bntof little use against modern guns— between low hills and broad meadows, fishing hamlets and cocoanttt groves. Presently you tern a sharp angle in the

hills and enter a broad, land-locked bay, enclosed on every side by ranges of hills with numerous points and pr jmontories juttiug into the tranquil water, leaving deep little coves behind them, all fringed with cocoa palms. Between this blue bay and the towering background of purple mountains lies the city which Don Velazquez, its founder, christened in honor of the patron saint of Spain, as far back as the year 1514. It is the oldest standing city in the new world, excepting Santo Domingo, which Columbus himself established only eighteen years earlier. By the way, San Jago, San Diego and Santiago are really the same name, rendered Saint James in our language, and wherever the Spaniards have been are numbers of them. This particular city of Saint Janates occu-

A BOQUET OF GOOD LOOKS—THE GRAND USHKRS.

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pies a sloping hillside, 600 miles southeast from Havana, itself the capital of a department, and ranks the third city in Cuba in commercial importance—Matanzas being second. As usual in all these southern ports, the water is too shallow for large vessels to approuch the dock, and steamers have to anchor a mile from shore. While waiting the coming of health and customs .officers—those lordly gentlemen who are never given to undignified haste—you have ample time to admire the prospect and if the truth must be told, you will do well to turn about without going ashore, if you wish to retain the first delightful impressions—for this old city of Spain's patron saint is one of the many to which distance lends enchantment. Red-roofed buildings of stone and adobe entirely cover the hillside, with here and there a dome, a tower, a church steeple shooting upward, or a tall palm poking its head above a garden wall, the glittering green contrasting well with the ruddy tiles and the pink, gray, blue, and yellow of the painted walls.

In the golden light of a tropical morning, it looks like an oriental town, between saphire sea and turquoise mountains. Its low massive buildings, whose walls surround open courts, with pillared balconies and corridors, the great open windows, protected by iron bars instead of glass, and roofs covered with earthen tiles—are a direct importation from Southern Spain, If not from further east. Tangiers. in Africa, is built upon a similar sloping hillside, and that capital of Morocco does not look a bit more Moorish than Santiago de Cuba. On the narrow strip of land bordering the eastern edge of the harbor, the Moro at one end and the city at the other, are some villas, embowered in groves and gardens, which we are told belong mostly to Americans who are interested in the Cobre mines. The great iron piers on the right belong to the American mining companies, built for loading ore upon their ships. FANNIE B. WARD. -,

The Ushers' Minstrels.

The group of handsome faces above depicted is a representation of the ushers at the Grand, whose minstrel performance next Monday night promises to be the event of the season.

The indications are that when the curtain goes up on the first part of the Ushers' Minstrels, at the Grand- on the night of May 80, it will be before one of the largest houses the Grand has seen. The young men composing the ushers1 corps are unusually popular, they have arranged a most interesting programme and are working hard to make the show a success. The first part setting will be a novelty. The action will be in a Japanese padoga, and all the participants will be dressed in Japanese costumes, except the end men, ten in number. The olio will introduce a number of very interesting features, and altogether the entertainment promises to be very interesting. The prices are but 75. SO and 25 cents, and the boys are meeting with great success in disposing of tickets.

The County Conventions. The Democrats met last Saturday and fixed their county primaries for Saturday, the 11th of June, with the convention for the Saturday following, the 18th.

The Republicad county committee met tills morning and fixed the county primaries in the couuiry for the 10th of June, at 2^0 p. m. In the city they will be held on the evening of the I7th of June, The county convention trill be held on the 25th of June, or week later than the Democratic convention. The delegates to the State convention will be elected on the same date as tite coanty delegates.

KMs~

TWENTY-EIGHTH YEAR

THE CANDIDATE.

As foxes know their holes and birdies their nests, so does the perennial office seeker know the season of year* when it behooves him to trim his whiskers, expend about a nickel's worth of Rising Sun Polish on his congress shoes and launch out to seek the unwary delegates.

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I am that way myself. I am a candidate for office, and as there may be others. I imagined a little confidential talk with them would be mutually beneficial. I know I am well equipped for the office, for at every convention my party has had for a good many years, I have been chief usher, and it was my duty to see that all were accommodated. I did this well, I am assured, by the fact that at the last convention, the candidate for congress kissed me on the A forehead, and as my brow I is somewhat expansive, the kiss was rather formidable. My forehead is higher than it used to be, but I exrect to overcome that as soon as I am nominated. I will then apply some excellent hair restorative, which will re-1 store my pristine beauty and also reduce my brow, which now extends from my chin to my rear collar button. That is too much, and when I blush, it emharasses ray friends, vf I shall likewise trim my neck-beard, and if my shoes do not need it all, I •v will apply a dab or two of blacking, so I will look real cute. I will allow the delegate* to toy with mymuligatawney whiskers, which will please them greatly v.- ,'t

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my friends had not insisted upon it. 4 But when any large-sized portion of the community takes me by the bootstraps and endeavors to yank me into the public service, I can no longer find it in my heart to decline. It wouldn't be right nor patriotic. And I am nothing if not patriotic. Of course, I don't Intend to go to the war against Spain, but I wear a red, white and blue necktie every day. I also wear the other things, of course, and what more do the people expect?

As stated, I should not think of forcing myself upon my party If so many of my friends had not urged me to run.

Weheldalittle caucusatBillHenthorn's 4 one evening last week, and speeches were made urging me to run. When I heard what they said and how interested my neighbors were, I wept. Some envious ones said it was for the -sake of getting me out of the neighborhood, but I ignored their impertinent remarks, totally. I was real haughty about It, too. Gld Harkness got up and made a very eloquent speech, setting forth my virtues as a candidate, and it affected me so that I went over and fell on his neck and wept on his bosom until all the starch was taken out of his shirt front, and I had a pocket full of tears of his. I also missed my long green tobacco out of the same pocket, but I don't mind that when I'm running for office.

John Tucker also got up and made a touching appeal in my behalf. He said I had been carrying torches in processions and acting as usher at meetings, and had put up bills and acted as general all-around, chambermaid for my party long enough, and he was heartily in favor of seeing me go up higher, and reaping some better reward. He said nobody was better qualified than I am, and I agree with him. He also said that I could write beautifully without sticikng my tongue out. and some of my flourishes in making capital letters were beautiful and always shaded at the right place. And my spelling could not be improved on since I spelled the school down at Hungry Hollow on the word "phthisic." His touching words brought the house down, and impelled me to consider the urgent wishes of my friends, especially as none of the audience knew that I had given six other orators of the evening a sack of buckwheat flour for their labor.

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So what can I do? There may be ofclier candidates willing to be offered up as sacrifices on the altars of their country. I dare say there are those who would be martyrs for their country's sake, but I cannot ignore the tears of my constituents, who are clamoring for my preferment. I allow folks to clamor a good deal before S I am moved. I allow their clamor to rise to a good height sometimes as high as eleven feet, but that is high enough. When they continue to insist on serenading me, and demand a speech each time, I refuse to allow it to go any farther, and I agree to accept the office.

I don't know what office I'll get. Indeed, I do not care. Your true patriot asks no questions but takes what comes. So I have decided to split no hair about what office I shall be a candidate for, but will take any old thing, from dog pelter to justice of the peace. That is the only proper way. Take what comes and serve your country In any capacity, no matter how humble, for it is better to hold an office in your country than to dwell beneath your own vine and fig tree and work for an honest living.

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may land me in office. I should never "have came" out for office if

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AL.EX MLIXEB.

Most men feel too much dressed up wearing cuffs every day.