Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 29, Number 1, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 2 July 1898 — Page 1

VOL. 29—NO. 1.

YOUNG AMERICA'8 DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE..,

Ow patriot fathers stood firm in the fight And woro ready to conquer or die lor the right They won. So will we should we fight erery man Who would place our firecrackers ofuler a ban. What? Keep as from showing how happy we feel That we live where to despots we never need kneel. Bhonld they try to do this we'll declare our rights, too, jfr And firmly maintain them against the whole crow.

Some claim that onr method of keeping the day Is a nuisance that should be proscribed right away And that then onr rockets' and firecrackers' rattle Would no longer disturb their meaningless tattle.

No doubt there's some danger to life find to limb When we keep up the Fourth with our usual vim. A few may be injured, some row perhaps die, By our loyal display on the Fourth of July.

But If there's some risk in our fiery display 'Tis mostly to us. And bow could we, pray, Our sires emulate, to their spirit aspire, But by having, like thuro, a baptism of fire?

Then, hurrah, for a bright, noisy Fourth of July I Let us honor the day and constantly try To follow their footsteps who willingly gavo Their all, even lifq, their dear country to save.

N KI MACDONAUD.

ON THE QUI VIVE.

-TheJJbrmal School, board tfi#rted'a coi^ witlf coun'oll c«nftf itt^e for tli^ consideration of some timely and necessary improvements in which the state and city are jointly interested. Terre Haute naturally has feelings of pride and interest in Normal School property which, as one of the city's finest features, should be maintained in the best condition. It has long appeared to Q. V., as well as to many Others, that the grounds around the Normal School are not what they should be and he has thought for years that they ought to be transformed into a handsome little park, to be an ornament to the city, and a pleasure to every citizen and student. We have both' a public and selfish interest in this and the couucil should meet the Normal School trustees in a very liberal spirit in any measure for beautifying the great school building and grounds. As the city is bound by an early agreement, to assist in the maintenance of the property it will be well to do cheerfully what has to be done, to have a good effect upon the state at large, which supports the school liberally

It Is estimated that the money spent in Terre Haute by over a thousand students, and by the suite in supporting the school is almost, or quite, a quarter-million dollars a year. The school is a grand institution and has now a uatlonal reputation. Its thousands of graduates go all over the state, aud the nation, to carry their good or Impressions of Terre Haute, and Terfe Haute will be wise to show always a cordial, liberal spirit towards the school, its faculty, students and trustees, and doubtless it always has felt this spirit and always will.

"Everything is taxed now but air and sunshine, and these gifts of nature are exempt merely because there is no way to make a stamp stick to them," says the Rockville Tribune. Tt hurts the Tribune to see any preparation made for paying for the war. Toe Democrats in the house were very anxious to hurry tip a war with Spain, but we will give the credit to the most of them of being able to see that war must be {mid Cor, and with money. The Tribune doubtless advocates* printing rag money and then repudiating it. The people will stand all the taxation that goes toward maintaining the army and navy, am! paying and pensioning the gallant men now fighting in the tropica) climate of Cuba. The war for Cuba is a oopular war and an honest people will pay for it in

honest money, but not the Tribune which School has the most commanding position oppose* borrowing the money or raising It by taxation. It i« for rag money.

Quite a sensation was created this week by the announcement that the proprl* tors dominate the sky. of the People's Telephone Company had fluttered against the grey-blue"two-lights been In consultation with the represent*-^ sky which the moon was beginning to tlvess of tJbe Central Union, giving out the silver it was exquisitely beautiful in its impression that the old company was pre- lofty isolation. A gentle breeze slowly paring to abworb the new company, which spread it against the sky to let it fall Into was recently granted a franchise by the soft curves and fokK to catch it and council. IT transpired that there was Justj spread out the stripes and stars which enough In tbe report to make talk. Mr. seemed to shine wltb their own light. It Hoberg meta representative of the Cen-j thrilled the beholder and preached a gospel tral by request at the Terre Haute House of loyalty not only to country but to and consulted with hint concerning many every noble Impulse of

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questions of mutual interest. An unjust impression was created against the new Company, as it is claimed that it is proceeding with Its work in accordance with the franchise granted it, and everything is done in good faith. Several hundred subscribers have already been secured, and the exchange will be in perfect working order by the first of December, if not before.

It is said that tie Lamb machine of the Democratic party received a severe blow in the defeat of "Dud." Weeks for county clerk. It is claimed that had Mr. Weeks received the nomination for that office and been elected Pat. Walsh, yho was defeated for city treasurer in May, would have been his deputy.

FOURTH OF JULY.

How the Natal Day Will be Observed in Terre Haute —An Interesting Programme.

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Tene Haute is going to have %he most Interesting and generally observed Fourth of July this year that she has had for a quarter of a century. The interest in the war has aroused a patriotic interest that has somewhat lagged in recent years, and men will be interested in the celebration this year that haven't thought of such a thing for a long time. Mayor Ross has issued a patriotic proclamation inviting a general celebration of the day, and it will receive attention. The Vigo Fair Association HXs arranged for a celebration of the day that is likely to attract more people to the fair grounds than for many years. The programme is of unusual interest. In the afternoon there will be an exhibition drill by Terre Haute Co. 3, Uniform Rank. ^^ib(^^^l!m:eg, fer prigee aggregating TOf^'tpi&e horse races, a balloon ascension and paraohute'leap by Prof. Woodall, a cake walk under the direction of the champion oifc Indiana, Frank Tuller, dancing in the art hall, and various other features of equal interest. In the evening there will be given the finest display of fire works ever witnessed in this city. Over a ton of fire works has been ordered and the designs are very novel, including portrait in the sky of Admiral Dewey, the hero of Manilla, and a representation of that battle. All together the programme id of great Interest, and there should be large crowds there on that day. The afternoon admission will be ten cents, the same being the admission at night.

The Hoad Race.

Myers Bros.' road race on Tuesday was a great succsss, and attracted several thousand persons to the fair grounds to witness the exciting finish. Earl P. Hamilton won the principal prize, the time prize, and also finished second in the race (or position, Charles Davis winning the position prize. The following was the official record of the race for position:

First—Charles Davis, handicap 8:30 time 82:21 2-fi. Second—Earl P. Hamilton, handicap 1:30: time 31:22 4-5.

Third—Dan Ferguson, handicap 1:30 time 31:24. Fourth—C. V. Cook, handicap 1:80 time 81:94 15.

Fifth-—J. Kickler, handicap 8:00 time 33:03 4-5. Earl Hamilton wou first time prize, a 185 diamond, and second position prize, •10 in merchandise, while Charles Davis won the #25 diamond offered for position.

THE WAR NEWS.

The dispatches from Santiago this morning report that a great fight is in progress there between the Spanish forces and the forces of Uncle Sam under direction of General Shatter. The United States troops are reported to have Captured the outworks of the Spaniards, who have retreated within the city. The loss of the Americans is estimated in the neighborhood of one thousand, dead and wounded The fight is in progress to-day,*with the indications that the United States forces will win a decisive victory.

Th« Xormal*s New Flag. The bright new on the Normal

in the city. Away up on the flagstaff springing from the lofty tower which riee* from a noble pile, set in abroad open plasa. it seems to crown the city and

Last night as it

several days and during battallion drill about ten days before he died he asked to be excused, and up to the time he was taken to the hospital at Fort Meyer his condition was uot considered serious.

Iu the death of this young man Company loses one of its most trustworthy members, always prompt to his duties and by his kind and courteous manner he had won the friendship and esteem of both officers and men. The news of his death Peached our quarters just before taps and many a tear coursed down the cheeks of the boys when the sad news was conveyed to them. The heart of each one of his comrades beats in sympathetic unison with the dear ones at home. He responded promptly to his country's call he left his dear ones at home full of patriotism and willing to eudure the hardships and privation of a soldier's life, and when his body is lowered to its last resting place and the bugle has sounded ''lights out" the young mm should occupy an honored place in the memory of all Terre Hauteans.

Capt. Biegler hearing of the death of Private Caton left immediately for Washington and in company with the Hon. Geo. W. Faris completed all arrangements for shipping the body home Sunday afternoon. A squad under command of Corporal Dempsey and his messmates, Privates Chas. Coole, Homer Smock, Charles Whitlock, James Dempsey, Wm. Bay less and R. O. Grams went to Fort Meyer and took charge of the body from the fort to the station.

The One Hundred Fifty-Ninth and the Third New York left Thursday morning at five o'clock in heavy marching order for a twenty mile march we arrived at our destination about one o'clock, strrick tents at "Camp Allen," which Is situated on Difficult Creek. Our battallion was assigned to outpost duty Thursday night on Friday we were attacked three times by the New York cavalry but each time the enemy was repulsed. The loss of life on the part of the cavalry was reported to be quite heavy. The exact number killed could not be ascertained.

We began our return march to Camp Alger, Saturday morning, at four o'clock. The trip home was a severe test and while the number of men who fell out of ranks to be picked up by the ambulance wagons was quite small in the One Hundred Fifty-Ninth, the boys of the Third New York fell by the wayside like sheep, and their officers pressed Into service farm wagons for use as ambulance wagons.

The beat was unbearable and the dust was six inches deep nearly till the way and almost choked the men as I stated before, this march was a severe test and I fed proud to tell yon that the One Hundred Fifty-Ninth has made the best record so far of the number of regiments who have made the same trip, In the time taken and the ccndition of the mm at the

Company B. after resting eighteen boors was again assigned to outpost duty, this time five miles foom damp Alger, with headquarters at George Washington's old water milL The spot is a romantic one and the historic interest attached onr stay all the mote interesting. This water milt, which was formerly owned by

TERKE HAUTE, rNT., SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 2, 1898.

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CAMP ALGER.

Special Correspondence of The Mail. CAMI» ALGKR, VA., June 28.—The death of Private Charles Caton,' which occurred at Fort Meyer, on Saturday, June 25th, of typhoid pnettmonia, was a great shock tog-if his comrades.

f|eorge Washington, is now in possession Of an old hermit, who is quite a character. I&fter ten minutes conversation it does Jjot take long for one to find out that the old gentleman was a rebel, and, as he stated, fcroud of it, but he is now happy to know that the people of the North and South rtre again reunited. This old warrior says he was turned loose on the Spanish he would exterminate them. -y

Mrs. Dr. Stunicard .and son, fiarrold, have arrived at Camp Alger and are quartered at the Campbell Manor. Mrs. Stunkarrl will remain here*until Major Stunkard leaves with his regiment for the south.

Sergeant Major D. Slocum, has been appointed adjutant of the Second battalion, under Major McAuliff. The appointment of Mr. Slocum iheets with general approval.

The heavy and foreed marches, which Company has participated in during the last week is

%seasoning

the men for

campaigning and is fitting them for a trip to the front which all are expecting in a short time.

As one wanders up and down the streets of the White City, which so recently nestled down admidst the gentle slopes and wooded hills of Virginia, he meets at every turn the dogs, cats, chickens, goats, and even a coyote which are dubbed "mascots this word was recently defined by some one as "an outgrowth of American humor."

This definition doubtless holds good in many instances, but the greater number of the mascots of Camp Alger are the outgrowth of the American soldiers love of home, his longing for companionship, and is the one touch of domesticity to which he clings with a tenacity that is almost tragic in its tenderness.

Friday was a day of fatalities, and reports of deaths and accidents came in from daylight until dark. The first which was reported was the death of Private Oscar Stone, of Company L, Fourth Missouri, who died at four o'clock at the division hospital, from an attack of measles. The second was that of Private Caton, of Company B, who died at 5:30 p. m. at Fort Meyer. A few hours later a firing squad from the Second Tennessee accompanied the remains of Private Shindal to Arlington, where they were interred. Between twelve and one o'clock a man named Hepburn, a resident of Falls Church, was driving on what is known as the Back road, about two miles from the camp, when a bolt in the front of the wagon came lose, causing the horse to run away, and throwing Hepburn out. His head came in contact with a tree, and he is not expected to live more than a few hoars.

The driver of one of the army wagons, while passing a carriage in which a lady was seated, cracked his whip, causing the horse of the latter to run away, upsetting the vehicle and throwing her to the ground. She was taken to the Sixth Pennsylvania hospital, where she was attended by Surgeons Asbenfelter, Ward, and Fltcpatrick. She Is suffering from concussion of the brain, and is not expected to Hye.

On our march to Difficult creek a favorite yell of the boys on the dusty and hot roads was«the yell popularized by the Poly* at home relating to onr worldfamous Terre Haute beer. On our return trip the yell was changed somewhat. When the boys passed a played-out squad of New Yorkers they would yell: "Who builds the ambulances "Indiana." "Who fills "New York."

ROBERT L. MATMAX.

SPAIN'S ALLIES.

DISEASES IN CUBA WILL SOLDIERS.,

AID HER

Perils That Await Our Soldiers In Cuba—-'The Pestilence That Walketli In Darkness" —What May be

Expected In Spanish Prisons. Special Correspondence of The Mail. WASHINGTON, D. C., June 27.—Spanish bullets are not the only dangers our boys in Cuba will have to encounter. First, and more to be feared than all the guns of the enemy, is the "pestilence that walketh in darkness." One of the most noted yellow fever centers in the West Indieseven worse than Havana—is Santiago de Cuba, its bottled-up harbor being always a favorite abode of that dread disease, and these mid-summer months the very height of his harvest time. But Yellow Jack, so much talked about since this war began, is by no means the worst disease which will assail our brave men in Cuba. Dr. Brunner, the sanitary expert, who lately left Havana, after having been several years employed there by the United States government, says that of the 32.000 Spanish soldiers who died last year in Cuba only 6,280 died of yellow fever. Twelve thousand of them were carried off. by dysentery and inflammation of the iniestlnes, and upwards of 7,000 by malarial fever. The diseases which particularly afflict the Queen of the Antilles—in the order named as to mortality—are dysentery, malarial and typhoid fever, smallpox, cholera and leprosy. An eminent ancient medical authority suggests that unless we Hre extirmwlfd&^ulAwUjnbBtoJ&mpaign may result as disastrously as the French cam' paign in Madagajjjbar three years ago, The French soldiers were all robust men? and were cared for by the best military surgeons in the world but a very large proportion of them died from malaria, the few who returned to Paris being mostly convalescents. Cuba and Porto Rico are not unlike Madagascar in climate—the same fertile, marshy soil, filled with swamps aud lying to the southeast of the main land, surrounded by warm ocean currents. Everybody remembers the terrible mortality along the Chagres river, in the days of '47-'49, when thousands of men took that route to California. The journey across the hyphen of land which connects the two Americas occupied only a week, but so many died from the deadly miasmas of the flowery jungles that "Isthmian fever" became known as a distin^ ad fatal malady. Portions of Cuba End Porto Rico are no better to-day than was the Isthmus of Panama in '49. Of course our army surgeons will administer quinine galore and think of the years it will take to get that poison out of the system of the men! The universal Cuban custom of drinking strong, black coffee, unadulterated with milk, is as natural and as necessary as for sick cats to seek grass—both being nature's antidotes for certain ailments.

As to small-pox—every town in the West Indies is continually ravaged by it and like grim death, the loathsome disease has all seasons for his own and loves the "shining mark" of the Anglo-Saxon. The natives expect it as we do mumps and measles once in a life-time, and take no pains to check the spread of the disease by isolating patients. Nearly everybody you meet in Cuba is more or less pitted, and infected houses, public or private, are not quarantined. Thorough vaccination is the only safeguard for the foreigner. Another unexpected bugaboo is glanders— a disease which in our country is confined to horses. Dr. Burgess, (another medical expert from the, United States who lived in Cuba many years)—says that there were 137 deaths last year from glanders, in Havana alone., |As to leprosy—it is a common thing to see the scaly hand of a leper outstretched for alms, and a very dangerous thing to handle public drinking cups, "shin-plaster" currency, or any article In common use among the poorer classes. Even the aristocrats are not exempt. I know a family of wealth and refinement in Havana, one of whose several children is a leper. The little sufferer is perhaps six years old—a beautiful blue-eyed girl, whose face is yet untouched by the dreadful disease but her hands are scaly ae tbe claws of a bird and the nails are dropping from the fingers. She is allowed to sleep and play with the other children, to handle the same toys and bathe in the same tub. Nobody has the heart to insist upon taking the child from her parents, and if he did. there is no law to sustain him- The lepers'hospital to Havana, in charge of the eminent physician, Dr. Vidal de SotolongoyLinch, has few—If any—superiors in tbe world. I have visited it more than once, and seen the several hundred poor creatures, male and female, black and white—all

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well-fed and well cared for, looking positively happy in their affliction. Yst there are many more, mostly beggars, wandering unrestricted around the streets of Havana, there being no Spanish law to compel the confinement of lepers and nobody whose business it is to induce them to take refuge in the hospital.

Soon as Uncle Sam has rescued the Queen of the Antilles from the clutch of Spain, he will have a harder task to make her clean enough for the society of civilized nation and the sanitary invasion will be as expensive as the military but if neglected, will eventually cost more American lives than the war. Soon as hostilities are ended, our commerce will, of course, be greatly stimulated—free trade, absolute commercial reciprocity and all that sort of thing being established with the independence of Cuba. But work costing millions of dollars should first be accomplished in the cities and harbors. Under existing unsanitary conditions in Cuba, intimate relatlous with her would yearly slay thousands fifed on the other hand the enforcement of necessary quarantine would be a serious drawback to trade." Havana—a perfect hot-bed of disease, planted at our back-door, so to say—should be first attended to. Uncle Samuel will find it wise to accomplish the work himself, before turning the rescued island over to the Cubans because they are now too poor to do it thoroughly—even if they develop sufficient enterprise, whioh Is doubtful. At present Havana harbor is an immense cess-pool, In the form of a ditch with oi\e end closed. This end must be dredged out, to make the proposed flushing of the gulf stream possible. For more than 300 years the stagnant water has -been receivhjg all the sewage of great city—and the wohder Is not tlfiit the neighborhood is unhealthy, but that anyowning demons of disease which have Wert concentrating themselves there for three centuries must be exterminated. The United States must also provide Havana with a sewerage system. Indeed, to render the city even tolerably healthy, a good deal of it will have to be annihilated. Hardly one-quarter of the entire population live 50 feet above sea-level, and a great many of the houses are built upon ]ftnd formed by the dumping of garbage and street refuse In what is surely one of the most densely populated localities of all the cities on the globe.

The other ports are not much better. Santiago, on its sloping hillside, has excellent natural drainage, but it is to the highest degree unsanitary Cardenas, the flourishing Chicago of the island, which before the war numbered among Its business citizens a good many Americans, is wholly devoid of sanitation. The center of its population being only four feetabove sea-level, the death rate is high, and would doubtless be a good deal higher were it not for the fine, large harborin front. Nature intended Matanzas for a healthful place, its beautiful harbor being widest and deepest at the entrance, thus allowing the sea to flow freely in and out and it is also flushed by three big rivers. Yet a thorough scrubbing and disinfecting is necessary to make the dirty old city inhabitable. In Cienfuegos—the so-called Philadelphia of Cuba, more than a third of the population live only three feet above subsoil water. Trinidad city, aloft on its high mountainside, is considered the healthiest place on the island—thanks to the accident of situation, not to the wisdom or work of Its builders. In many Cuban towns tbe water is totally unfit to drink, and so scarce in others that were the entire population to indulge In the luxury of bathing and to agree on "taking turns," each person would get no more than one bath a year. In these hot, feverinfested countries, one should drink as little water a* possible and eat no fruit until it is cooked. If a law to that effect were enforced in our army, it would save tbe lives of many men.

Tbe cities,and villages of Porto Rico are even worse than those of Cuba—only we hear less about them. Nine-tenths of tbe inhabitants are lazy, dirty negroes, and modern sanitary arrangements are un- 1 known. The water supply is poor, scant and generally polluted, houses huddled together and densely crowded, and smallpox and yellow fever continually stalk tbe streets. San Juan, the Capitol, Is as compactly built as Canton, China.

Fortunately our troops on their Cuban marches will find no ferocious beasts or venomous serpents to contend with. Snakes are few, even in tbe jungles, but they include some freakish reptiles. Such is the "maya"—from twelve to fifteen feet long and of proportionate circumference:, 7 It looks formidable enough to put a whole regiment to flight, but it is only a bluff, for his huge snakeshlp is harmless, and too indolent even to hug, like his near re* lations of tbe boa family. One of the [COKTOtUIO 0JI FOURTH PAGE.]