About Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1909)
6 I - Mn nl 1 vCnuj/fi s' jjfwj <» Conducted By —\ y« MissL.O.Thomas^^— 4 AH letter* written to* tbl» p*<* aux have the writer’* real name and address enrloaed. Thia la not for publication nor for the us* of any one except tbe editor of thl* page. «f . your letter baa not been published thia may be the reason. Address letter* for "Boueebold ’ to Mlaa L O. Thomas. Lock Box Mt. Atlanta. Ga. Marshes of Glynn O braided dusk* of tbe oak and woven shade* of tbe vine. Whllr tbe riotou* noon day of tbe June day long <n<i ahlne Y* held me fast tn your heart and I held you fast tn mine. But now when tbe moon t* no more, and riot Is mt, tbe sun Is a-walt at tbe ponderous gate of tbe Wear. AM the slant yellow beam down tbe wood aisle doth seem T-t>» a lane into heaven that lead* from a m. Ay, now. when my soul all day hath drunken tbe aoul of the oak. And my heart to at ease from men and tbe wearisome sound of the stroke Os tbe aeytbe of time and the trowel of trad* IS lOMT And belief overmaster* doubt, and I know that I k And my *plrit to grown to a lordly great com ps** wltbta. That the length and the breadth and tbe sweep of tli* maralK.* of Glynn Will work me no fear like tbe fear they have wrong at me of yore When length was fatigue, and when breadth wa* bat bittern*** sore. And when terror and shrinking and dreary un jfp’bhlf pain Drew over me oat of tbe merellea* mile* of the a . - Ob. now. unafraid. I am fain to face The vnat sweet visage of space. To tb* edge of tbe wood I am drawn. I am Where'*"* gray bench glimmering runs, a* a gar a*m*t* and •* mark to tbe forest dark. Ob. what to abroad In tbe marsh and tbe terminal *ea? . Somehow my soul seems mddenly free From ime weighing of life and tb* sad dto cntfslcn BiD, By tbe length and th* breadth and tb* sweep of th* marshes of Glynn. .... Y* marshes bow flndld and simple and nothlng wtthbold and free Y* publish yourselves to the sky and offer yourselves to the •**’ . Tolerant plate* that suffer tbe sea and the rains and tbe sun. • Ye spread and span like the Catholic man who Cod out and good out of infinite And right out of bltndnem and purity out of m StStD* A* th* marsh-ben secretly builds on tbe watery BeboiTl' will build me a nest on tb* greatness 1 wiU^fly 5 nT tbe greatness of God as tb* marsh la tfc**fr*«rioai that fills all th* *pae* ’twist tbe marsh and tbe skies: By so mtny roots as tbe marsb-prsM sends in tbe sod I will b*artily lay m* a bold on tb* great itsss of God: • Oh. Ilk* the greatness of God is tb* greatness The range* of tbe marshes, the liberal marshes of Glynn. . . . And now from the vast of tb* Lord will tbe water* of th* sleep 801 l in on tb* soul* of men. But who will reveal to our waking ken The forma that *wlm and the shape* that creep Under th* water* of sleep? And I would I could know what swimmeth be low when th* tide cease* tn On tb* length and tbe breadth of tbe marvellous mnrab*. of Glynn. laNIEB. | E i-l 1 || CHAT I certainly am glad that one member of oar Household has solved the badge problem. Once I said that I would be al the fair grounds, in The Journal head quarters and would have pictures of the badge* and we could decide on the de sign. To me that meant giving up. or breaking into the days’ work; but io meet the writers and settle the question would compensate for having to work a 1 night to make up the time taken from a heavy day’s work. You know how that turned out. To get real gold badges big enough tc be seen across the room for one dollar I have to order at least twenty-five at one rne- Two people answered that chat, so long ago decided that when the subject of badges was introduced in the letters it was simply as the Japanese say "for talk-ceed.’’ In straightening my desk in December, I came across the various jewelers cata logue and deciding that there was a better use for the space they took up I burned them. I am willing to make one more effort. I will register Vera Noble’s order for two and when as many as twelve have writen me that they will take them at one dollar each I will tell you through this column and then you may send the money. Please don't send the money until I notify you through Chat, and please don’t say you are going to take it and fall. I must send a money order when I send for the goods and for some of you to fail after saying you want one would break the dosen. In January 12th’s Semi-Weekly was an article about the lady in Aiken. S. C., Who has leprosy. My heart is stirred by the notoriety that has been given the case. Leprosy is awful; it is in some cases loathsome, in others merely a flaky whiteness of the skin, and that. I suspect., she has. In the east one is liable to meet it anywhere. Japan is supposed to isolate her lepers, that is c-nly to make the tour ist comfortable. The doctors and the po licemen wink at certain forms of it. I remember one night in Hiroshima, a missionary, who had been a trained nurse tn a London hospital, came in and said: “You know the woman who wanted the Bible taught her sick daughter? I have been bathing her and doing all in my power to help the girl’s body as well as souL Today the symptoms seemed strange for dropsy, and I have questioned her having dropsy all along. So I called in Dr. Saito, and what do you think is the disease' A genuine case of leprosy!" Os course, we were troubled, but she was a strong, healthy young woman, and had always carefully used disinfectants after each visit, and as she had ro broken places on her hands, she had no bad ef fects What became of the girl? you ask. She was so near death that the doctor said it was a shame to move her. The lady visit ed her to the last, though she turned over the treatment, or alleviation of the burning, to the doctor. I was sick for a long time and in July was sent to a very high mountain for the benefit of the sudphur water. The morn ing after my arrival I was shocked to see dose ns of lepers. They had dug holes in the ground and trenches to convey the water from the hot springs. All day they EARN $7 DAILY SELLING JHctlcls co.. boxito st. “»• would lie with the water up to their chins, at meal time they went to the hotels and held out the maimed hand, or the leg from which the foot was gone or pointed to the dark, angry looking red, as in a burn, and asked for food and money. You cannot imagine how loathsome that sort is. and you can readily see how it should be isolated. The doctors there say that the taint gets in the blood from eating spoiled fish. Be that as it may, it is all over Japan, though less now than before sanitary measures were known. Somebody may want to know how san itary measures would affect leprosy. Thera are inspectors who go from house to house and examine not only the premises but the matting on the floors, and even lift it up to see how things look under it. In cases of contagious disease, or dirty mat ting the house is cleaned by the govern ment and the head of the house fined. That need not make you think they are any cleaner than we are. Human nature is the same the world over. Some care ful, some anything but careful. Miss Gregg saw the earthen vessel she had bathed the sick girl in used by the moth er to wash the rice. You need not turn up your nose, some of you have seen cooking utensils put down for the dogs to lick. I can't close this Chat without saying how glad I am to receive this letter from Old Woman. I often contend that people are disagreeable because they have not realised the fact.* We extend our heart iest congratulations to Mother and daugh ters, and hope that some of the other un happy mothers who have written me of similar experiences may this year see just such changes in their homes. "Sharper than a serpent's tooth is an unthankful child." and nothing can be compared to a home where peace and love are ever abiding guests. Faithfully yours, LIZZIE O. THOMAS. Concerning Several Things Dear Miss Thomas—Please allow me a seat over here in the corner beside Mrs. Albert as we want to chat a while about what "queer creatures these Household ers be." More than two years ago I wrote to Our Household strongly advocating com pulsory education, but my letter passed almost unnoticed. Then, last spring, when the subject was introduced for dis cussion I felt “bound to have my say.* Hence, I fell upon the plan of present ing first the various objections frequent ly urged by parents not only to compul sory education but to education in gen eraL This was followed in a very few days by a "second chapter," setting f<Mh my own view in answer to each of these objections, but for some reason this "chapter” failed to appear in due time and for months I was chafing under be ing left in the position of opposes a compulsory law—the only solution of the educational problem in Georgia. What a storm has been visited upon by defense less head. In a comparatively recent is sue of Our Household, the combining of two letters might make it appear that my own views gained expression only af ter this storm arose and thus made to conform to popular opinion (so far as this department is concerned which is by no means the case.) The subject of compulsory education has been ably discussed, and the only reasonable objection that I have ever heard Is that it would be a great hard ship for parents who are really interest ed in the education of their children to be compelled to send them to some of "the sorry teachers” who are now in the field. To meet this objection it is only necessary to see that the existing law, which provides that teachers must be moral, competent, humane and attentive to business, is properly enforced. This would require nerve on somebody's part, and who is sufficient for the task? Again and again have these House holders clamored for a badge until it seemed almost within their grasp, but as soon as information is given out that the much coveted badge can be procured upon payment of one dollar the excite ment rapidly subsides and soon becomes a thing of the past. In the course of time it crops up again with the same results as before. If we are ever to have the badges let us pay the price, secure the article and then let the matter rest. I stand ready to pay the price of two badges one for myself and one for our popular member "Little Maid,” if she will accept it from the hands of one of her many Household friends. The country girl vs. the city girl is being ably discussed by some of our members, while others are on the extreme one way or the other. There are two sides to almost every question. Wishing a happj and prosperous year to all, I am, Sincere!?, VERA NOBLE. For All of Us To Do Dear Household: Our poor little friend. Ben C. Knight, has "crossed the bar." Through the kindness of Mr. Thomas H. Dickens, postmaster at Enfield, N. C., I am able to tell you something of his last illness He says: “While I was personally acquainted with him. I knew him better through his letters in Georgia papers, and as post master. through his voluminous corre spondence. HbWas the recipient of many letters—some even from foreign coun tries. "He sat in his little chair—a child's chair—dwarfed and drawn by rheuma tism, the picture of desolation and hope less despair, for thirty-odd long, weary, poverty-stricken years, without one ray of light except his correspondence. "His last Illness—acute indigestion— lasted for about 30 hours, and was brought on by the eating of an apple. "He had every attention possible, medi cal and otherwise." There’s a land where flows a crystal stream, proceeding from the throne of God. where there is no pain, neither any more crying; where there is no need of the sun. for the Lamb is the light there of. Tn that country where 'tis never said of one. "He is afflicted,” we trust our friend is now living. "For that from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far; I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar." Friends, write those cheering, helpful letters today; tomorrow's sun may never rise for us. I received a letter from Miss Emily Whitfield not long ago. She is helpless—cannot walk a step. Have you answered the appeal so touchingly made for herself and sister in The Journal? Her address is Seville, Ga. "Whosoever giveth one of these a cup of cold water in my name, he shall in no wise lose his reward.” Can we begin .the new year bet ter than by being a friend to tbe help- TfiE ATLANTA SEMI WEEKLY JOURNAL, ATLANTA. GEORGIA, TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 190 W. TIME-YELLOWED OLD NEWSPAPER, LEFT BY MRS. M. E. DUNCAN, TELLS INTERESTING STORY OF LONG AGO THE Numb. 17. MERCURY, o r ckSir '* THE Weekly 1 M Advertiser, /n/A tbe frefhejt A evicts, ( Foreign and Domes! ic rxtret t«*ev<***»»*»»*«»** ******* •’*’”'•*•*♦♦*♦*•••**************•**********'* TUESDAY, December tg, i7sß , LONDON in such a ftfuanon upon the continent, th’* •*** nower' in Europe has mp»-* u: ———— "An old newspaper" said Nathaniel Hawthorne, "is like a bit o magic looking glass In which an age gone has left the image of its life and people.” Just such a bit of magic looking glass has fallen into the hands of Forrest suggested to the staid dames of Newport Mercury for December 19, 1758. That is a pretty old paper, for on the morning it came from its slow, wooden hand press, the Revolutionary war was 17 years in the future; and if any rascal had then suggested to the said dames of Newport that their great-great-great-great grand daughters would one day go out on the streets with gowns open from knee to ankle or lounge by the seashore* in abbreviated bathing skirts—goodness gra cious! The old ladles would have keeled over on the spot. The Newport Mercury for December 19, 1758. was found among the keepsakes of Mrs. M. E. Duncan, who recently died. It has been handed down for gen erations. Her brother, S. C. Fort, has given it to Forrest Adair, Jr., of whom he thinks a great deal. A Fat Deity It is a time-yellowed, precise looking little old paper of two sheets about half as big as a newspaper of today. At the top of the first page is printed a pic ture of the god Mercury with wings on his cap and wings on his feet, floating amid a cloud of black ink. He is a very fat god. His waist line looks as if he had just finished a heavy dinner; and so does the expression in his eyes. Perhaps his face was drawn with a view of suggesting delicately some resem blance to the publisher of the journal whose name was James Franklin. Mr. Franklin’s editorials read as though he had just finished a heavy meal. One of these editorials takes up the whole first column of the front page and spills over to the second page. It deals with what the writer thought should be England's attitude to the oth er nations of Europe. It bristles with dignified loyalty. You can almost hear Mr. Franklin clearing his throat indig nantly at certain encroachments the continental powers were threatening Englanu s prestige. The style is full of antithesis and balanced sentences; tn fact it is as much like Dr. Samuel John son’s way of writing as it could be made. less? God doesn’t forget us, and yet we are so careless, so forgetful of others. Oh, the pity of it! Begin now to give something to the unfortunate. With love, BINGHAM. Congraulations Are in Order Dear Miss Thomas; I want to thank you for your sympathy for me and your good advice to my girls. I think they have turned over a new leaf for one of them (the graduate) has never spoken but one impudent word to me since I wrote you. The other "blessed me out” when she read the letter but I told her she was not too large to whip, and if I had to use the rod it could not be taken off after it was put on. I think they saw how bad it looked after reading some of the letters, especially Mrs. Felton’s letter. They say that they never saw such a change in any one one as there is in me, and I tell them it is because they are so changed that I can’t help changing. I told them I did not mind working for them, but I could not take their slurs and disobedient ways. I saw where one said she, too, believed as I did about education. I knew a son of a once W’ell-to-do man, (he was called the only white sheep in the family of boys) he was educated but the rest of the boys had very little education. The old man lost all of his property except a small farm, his wife and children left him and he went from house to house to get his horse fed and a place to sleep and something to eat himself. This smart son taught school several years, got tired of that and saw a chance to get his fa ther home (or place) and he, too, went from house to house with his father and when they could not stop at some white man's house they would stay at a hut where an old negro man lived alone and there spend the night on a bed of straw. The son finally got the deeds to the land, took a trip to New York and sent his fa ther to the poor house. It humiliated the old man, he kept waiting for his son to take him out of the poor house, but he never did. He let him stay there and die. I also knew an old woman that had three children, the two oldest were boys. She skimped and worked hard and by the skin of her teeth she graduated them all. She would get up in the morning, make the fires, get breakfast, milk the cow, wash the clothes and dishes, the children in bed and doing nothing. After the last one was through college, she went with her oldest son to spend the day with her nearest neighbor. While there she told her frfend that she got up in the morning, made fires and got breakfast and so on. The son was ashamed and all he could say was you raised us that way. She then said if I did you are now old enough to know right from wrong and quit it. So I confess I have done the work when I ought to have let them do it, but when I would try by telling them to work if they did not wish to do it their father would not say a word and if I threatened to use a switch, he would take up for them and say they were smart and if I touched them I was no Christian and did not have a drop of mother’s love in me. So I am all to blame. I know they are ashamed of the way they have treated me. for they never did talk back to me and say they would not do what I told them to until the last two or three years. I always said I never could endure an impudent and ungrate ful child. I got to where I could not en dure it any longer. I tried by telling them Shall, for the fake of variety, this week entertain myreadeig a. few have httl* or no relation to par ty, and yet, such a* concerns every Englilhman to know. There is not a of com- who does that affairs are now The advertisements are among the most interesting things in this ancient sheet. They show just what people did and thought in those far away times. One of them reads: “To be sold on Friday next at 11 o'clock in the forenoon at Taylor’s wharf by Public Vendue, the Privateer Brigan tine, Prince Frederick. Her appurtenan ces, her warlike stores, will be disposed of separately at the same Time and Place consisting of ten 3-Pounders, eight Swivel Guns, and Four Cohorns, a num ber of Small Arms, Cutlasses and Pis tols.” Old Newport had its thrills even 150 years ago. How the cocked-hat, knee trousered, be-wigged old gentlemen must have chattered to each other as they crowded about the wharf and gazed on the scandalous Prince Frederick. No doubt there were hair-raising tales of the smuggling she had done and the number of honest throats those wicked cutlasses had slashed and the outrageous Impudence with which her bloody cap tain had so long defied the laws of His Gracious Majesty, King of England. But Newport had its gentler interests, its aesthetic side as the following ad vertisement will show: Gentler Interests "Any Person who plays on the Violin on application to the Printer hereof may be Informed where he will meet with Proper Encouragement.” Tod By this same advertisement would read: “Wanted—A fiddler." And there is another ad in the Mer cury which arouses the imagination of any man with a spark of human interest in him. It reads: ... “Sarah Osborn,> Schoolmistress in New port, proposes to keep a Boarding School. Any person desirous of sending Chil dren may be accommodated and have them instructed in Reading, Writing, Plain Work, Embroidering, Tent Stitch, samplers, etc., on reasonable terms." Dear Miss Sarah Osborn! No doubt she was some worthy spinster, a sort of faded life laid away in lavender. Maybe she had had a romance. There was many a hearty laugh in New port over that sly wit, no doubt. Just who James Franklin, the publisher, was, we cannot say. We gather, however, they would be sorry for it when it would be too late, but that seemed to have no effect so I wrote to the Household so they could see what other people thought of such girls, and if that had not stopped them, I was going to pick up my bed and walk off. But I want to thank you all again for I am happy and glad to say I have two sweet, smart girls. Much love to Miss Thomas, Mrs. Felton and the Household. OLD WOMAN. Information Wanted I want to find my brother, Robert L. Chambers. The last letter I received from him was the 23rd of last March. x.e left Mattingburg, Texas, R. F. D. No. 1, about the first of April. He had started a crop with a man and the man says he does not know where he went. If this catches the eye of any one who knows anything about him, even if he is dead, please let me hear. Any thing would be better than this long silence. My brother left here ih 1904, and I have heard from him every week or two until last March, so you see how the silence distresses me. Address, W. T. CHAMBERS. Cullman, Ala., Route 1. Wants Song Can any one of you send me, or tell me, where I can get the song, “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen?’’ Thank ing you in advance, MISS RUBY CASON. Midland City, Ala. For Exchange Mrs. M. D. Hicks, Adel, Ga., has for exchange one full blood Rhode Island Red rooster for ten yards good quality percale. Write first. Help Your Orphans’ Home Dear Household: I am all alone—nc one to talk with and have finished my day’s work —so I find myself writing a short letter to the Household. When writing a letter to this page it seems like addressing a congenial friend, one who would shares in my sorrow or hap piness, or one to whom I could go to in perfect ease for advice. “The day is cold, dark and dreary. It rains and the wind is never weary,” is a good expression of today. I like cloudy days occasionally, also to be alone occasionally, for it causes us to reflect over the past, which comforts us with sweet and bitter memories and to plan for a future, with fewer mis takes. We have had the most pleasant win ter that has passed our way in many years; have not had a real cold day yet, although some are prophesying that tha latter part of January and February will be unfavorable. A collection was taken up at our cnurch on our last meeting day for the State Baptist Orphans’ home, which amounted to thirteen dollars and five cents; also a box of clothing was sent by the ladies the same week. Os all on earth who need the care of the people, nobody needs it worse than a little or phan child, one who has no father or mother to care for him. In these homes they are cared for, loved and nursed when sick, clothed and, last, but not least, educated. They require more ed- Almost the fame obfcrvation holds good with regard to the Swedes, who likewise have put m for their sru. of the spoils of the house of Brandenbourp. They he *jcfry, and they have hitherto proceeded with more fpi nt, or rather with.lefs caution, than the Ruffians nav done, but with allrfhe poverty of the P' " have the gjisfortune of being* govyr shat has wrefred all power from thr to follow no dilates,, but.thofc r delpair.. In what Sbcetaditior •. ment-*' that he was interested first of all in poli tics, then in farming and finally in the amount of advertisements his paper car ried. Underneath the corpulent deity sus pended at the head of the front page he describes his newspaper as follows: "The Newport Mercury, or The Weekly Advertiser, With The Freshest Advices, Foreign and Domestic; Printed by James Franklin at the Printing Office Under the Town School House by Whom Subsclip tions and Advertisements Are Taken In.” James was probably no kin to Benjamin Franklin, but he announced that he had Benjamin’s almanac for sale. "I will also sell." he states just under his editorial, “Poor Richard’s Almanac for the year 1759, containing divers moral sayings and a most Excellent Prescrip tion for the making of Soap.” Mr. Adair is going to keep the "Mer cury” among his most highly prized treasures. All spinsters had romances in those days. How her sensibilities must have trembled as she seized the Newport Mer cury’ for December 19. 1758, and read her little advertisement! It was an event in her life. One News Story In the whole edition there appears only one news story. In those days, you see, people were not so greedy over news as now. They were more appreciative of the luxury a real piece of news affords; and so, instead of reading it and then for getting it, they would read it and keep talking about it for 60 days to come. Thus one story would do a community for months. This story recited an attack the English hdd made some three or four weeks before on a French fort in Canada. The information had seeped into New port through a letter some one had writ ten home. It concludes by saying: “The monsleures did not stay at the approach of our army, but blew up the fort, spiked their cannon, threw them into the river and made the best of their way off, carrying with them everything that was valuable except the ground where the fort stood." Observe that little touch of humor with which the stirring narrative ends: “Car ried away everything that was valuable except the ground where the fort stood." ucation than a child who is blessed with parents, for most of them have to pro vide for themselves at an early day, and generally get small wages for their work. Hurrah for John W. Owens. He ex pressed my sentiments in regard to Sawal's letter on marriage license and compulsory education better than I could myself. Mrs. Green, Zeb, Country Lassie, El lender and all you good writers, come again. Every letter of this page seems better and dearer every week. With many good wishes to our dear editress and the many readers, Sincerely, LULA SCOTT. Avalon, Ga. NEW YORK NEWSPAPER OFFERS MAN FOR SALE NEW YORK, Jan. 22.—The following advertisement appeared this morning in the “for sale” column of a metropolitan daily: "For Sale—A man, 43 years old, feet 1 inches tall; weight 160 pounds. Sound in limb, broke to machinery, easily driven. Won’t shy at work. No reasonable offer refused. This is no fake. Right person will find a bargain. Apply to E. T. O’Loughlin, No. 739 Car roll street, Brooklyn.” Mr. O’Loughlin is not a press agent, as might be supposed, but a business man with an interest in sociology and economics. The man whom he adver tises for “sale” applied to him for work and having none to give he decided on the other plan at the applicant’s sug gestion. The man for sale wants primarily food, shelter and clothing and in ex change therefor is willing to draw up a contract in writing with the purchaser. He is a machinist by profession, btrt. i? at present destitute. GIRL,IIRED()FLIFE, FINDS REST IN DEATH CHICAGO, Jan. 23.—A remarkable let ter was left by Miss Alice Law, an editor employed by a local publishing firm, who committed suicide Friday. It follows: “To all whom it does not concern: “I am ending my life because I am seiz ed with an acute disinclination to live, and I believe I have an absolute right to end my’ life, if I wish. The struggle is too hard. There is too much work, too much monotony, too much weariness, and no! enough art, music, recreation and rezt." PROMINENT WOMAN HELD ' FOR KILLING NEGRESS MONTGOMERY. Ala., Jan. 22.—Mrs. May Hearn a well known matron, was sent to jail this morning for the killing of Nida Patterson, a negress, some days ago. The negress w’as trying to get into her house when the white woman fired. DYNAMITE DESTROYS MADRID’S MAYOR’S HOME ANDOAIAN, Spain, Jan. 23.—An explo sion of dynamite here today destroyed the residence of the mayor. Neither the mayor nor any member of his family was Injured. CONDITIONS IN CUBA \ , BY BISHOP WARREN A. CANDLER. Conditions in Cuba must always be of Interest to the people of the United States. We went to an expensive war with Spain on behalf of the people of this beautiful Island—a people who have suffered much oppression, and who nev ertheless have triumphed over many ad versities. The American people without respect to their party affiliations united as one man to support that costly war and however adventurers (political and commercial adventurers) may have been moved by sinister and selfish purposes, the people of our country as a whole were inspired by the most unselfish and thropically concerned for the freedom and benevolent motives; they were philan prosperity of the Cuban people. Despite all the blunders and wrongs that have transpired since Cuba was de livered from the oppressive yoke of Spain, the welfare of the Island has been promoted by our intervention on its be half. The Cubans are on the highway of progress, and they will steadily ad vance in the future. Since the Spanish- American war I have made thirteen visits to the Island, and I have noted with each successive visit marked evidences of improvement. I may enr.umerate some of the things which I have observed. The sanitary conditions of Cuba have improved. Havana is today a cleaner and healthier city than Atlanta;—its health record is better than a number of our American oities. Yet I remember that when I first saw the place its sanitation was so bad that a stranger who came within its gates took his life in his hands. The squalor which in former days was In evidence on all sides has nearly dis appeared. Os course there are now many poor and improvident people in Cuba, but the abject poverty which was once so prevalent is not now seen. Street beggars in Cuban cities are not more numerous than in many American cities of like size. And this diminution of want has oc curred during years of bad crops and a period of agricultural depression. If the seasons had been more favorable I feel sure conditions of every sort would have been even better by this' time. This year the seasons have been good, and the crops are excellent. The yield of cane and tobacco promises to be extraordinary. This of course will minister to popular contentment, and the new government will therefore start with this great ad vantage in favour of its success. From what I can hear and see here I am unable to predict with confidence what may be the outcome of this second experiment in self-government. The men who write for American papers cock sure predictions of failure upon the part of the new government constantly over look facts which give some hope of stability; while others who prophesy smooth things only for the Island equally Ignore present and possible perils. It is well to take note of all the facts in the case. As has been intimated the decreased poverty and the good crops will promote contentment and quiet among the peo ple. The political agitators are doubt less as numerous as ever; but they can do nothing by themselves alone.. They can not carry their schemes into effect in the absence of popular distress and discontent. In the insurrection qf 1906 they appealed successful!” to the unrest in the tobacco-growing province of Pinar del Rio, where there had been a failure of crops for several years in succession. To other causes of discontent in the Santa Clara province also they appeal ed successfully. That kind of an appeal will not now be so easy. Again the Intervention of the United States for the pacification of the Island has not failed of its effect on the Cuban mind. All parties how have a far clearer conception of what will be done in case disorder again breaks out. The con sciousness of the nearness and power and purpose of the American government has been brought uome to the people of Cuba most vividly. Since the completion of the Florida East Coast Railroad from Jacksonville to Knight’s Key (a marvellous piece of engineering)' Cuba is nearer tbe United States than ever before. A thousand pac ifying forces are pouring into Cuban life from the closer contact with the American people which daily comes to pass. These and other things give ground to hope that the new government may be stable and enjoy a good measure of suc cess. On the other hand there are facts which give rise to misgivings as to the outcome. The new government is a coalition government—and in all lands and times coalitions are notoriously unreliable. The Liberal party, which is the party in power, is composed of two factions call ed after the names of their respective leaders, Miguelistas and Zayistas. The leader of the former is the president elect of the Republic and the leader of th latter is the vice-president. These factions contend with each other in the Congress, and of course the representa tives of the defeated party of the Con servatives sit by to take advantage of the strife existing between the rival fac tions of the Liberal Party. These con ditions furnish a fine chance for a row when the distribution of the offices has fairly begun. If Cuba had a great overshadowing leader capable of mastering these con- Do You Like to Answer Questions ? Now if you do, just answer the following question; correctly and mail your answer to The Semi-Weekly Jour nal not later than Jan. 20, 1909, and we will mail to any person you name, who is not already a subscriber, FOUR OF OUR BEST ISSUES. “What Earthquake In Recent Years Caused the Greatest Calamity?” (Use This Form.) J My answer to the above question is: NAME POST-OFFICE STATE - R. F. D. No Tell your friends you are sending this paper for correct answer to Earthquake question. The Semi=Weekly Journal ATLANTA, GA. ditions of contention and of carrying all the people With him, the peace and pros perity of the Island would be assured. But alas! Cuba has no' Bolivar, no Juarez, no Porflrio Diaz! Cuban leaders are not statesmen, but politicians. When a country has no great leader, or lead ers, the times become the fecund mother of politicians who grasp at power with out the wisdom to wield it for the wel fare of the people, and at such times since the politicians are numerous and all of a size they are liable to make a mess of public Interests in their strug gles for place and pelt Our own coun try is suffering somewhat from an over production of politicians and a deficient supply of men- of the first magnitude, and Cuba is suffering still more from the same cause. It is impossible to over state the value of the services of Presi dent Porflrio Diaz to Mexico, and one such mighty man in the Island of Cuba would change the face of the present and turn the course ‘of its future his tory. I have sometimes thought that if General Calixto Garcia, who a few months after our war with Spain con tracted pneumonia at Washington City and died at Thomasville, had lived, ho might have become such a leader. He was certainly a far greater man than any of the Cuban leaders who survived him. It may be a capable leader will appear in Cuba at no distant day. In the order of Providence such men'gen erally appear when needed without pre arrangement on the part of human wis dom and with the help of the recognition of party managers. So the late Presi dent Cleveland made his advent into na tional service. It is to be hoped that somewhere in our country there is another such man hid away, and, that he will come forth soon for our help. May Cuba also soon grow a man of real power and of unselfish patriotism. He would be an immeasurable blessing to bls own people as well as a blessing to us in our relations to the Cu ban people. Among the things which make for peace and prosperity in this fair and fertile Island is the system Os public highways which has been inaugurated and carried almost to completion by the Provisional Government under Mr. Magoon. Nearly or quite (14,000,000 has been spent upon the public roads throughout the Island since October, 1906. These roads are well built and they can not fail to promote the pros perity of agriculture among the people. In case of insurrections also they will be of great value in the matter of the rapid and expeditious movement of troops, and tljjs meafis much; for roads and revolu tions bear a relation of inverse propor tion to each other. The Cuban people appreciate these roads, and so far as I can discover by my contact and conversation with all classes of the people, this part of the work of the Provisional Governmept is about the only part upon which they do put much value. There is sharp and wide spread criticism of Mr. Magoon's adminis tration with respect to other matters. There is public criticism in some of the papers, and popular criticism which finds no expression in print. Some men who, with the usual Latin habit of counsclence less cour.tesy, have complimented him at the banquets given him during the last days of his stay in the Island, have not hesitated to censure him at other times and places. The people, as well as the politicians, will not seriously lament his departure when he is gone, and most of the resident Americans whom I have heard talking about the matter around the hotels affirm that the feeling of the Cu bans is justified by the facts. I was handed a publication the other day hl which charges of jobbery and graft under the Provisional Government are definitely made, the dates and na ture of the alleged transactions, together with the names of the persons involved in them, being given. I do not pretend to know whether the charges made in this printed document are founded in fact, and I have neither the time nor the disposi tion to investigate the justness of them; I am not in Cuba to seek occasion to censure the representatives of my coun try. I would rather believe good than ill of them. But Ido say we ought not to allow any stain to rest upon the history of our dealings with Cuba. If we finish the work of intervention in tho unselfishness which we have proclaimed to all the world inspired our efforts on behalf of Cuba the record of our deeds will make one of the fairest chapters in our national history. On the other hand, if under our professions of hu manity and benevolence we allow any persons or associations, whether such persons be private, corporate, political, or ecclesiastical, to take advantage of our protection to make merchandise of this long-suffering people, we will receive and deserve the execrations of mankind. If half that is charged in the paper which lies before me is true it is a shame to us, and Congress • ought not to ad journ unfit an investigation is provided for in order that all men may know that the charges are false if they are not founded in fact, or that all the evil doers are exposed and punished if the allegations are found to be true. Our government should come forth from its work on behalf of Cuba without the slightest smell of wrong-doing upon its garments. W. A. CANDLER. Havana, Cuba. January 18, 1909.
