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GAY IN DEATBgl'ACE.
SUNDAY SCENES IN HAVANA IN
THE MIDST O WAR'S ALARMS.
Revels go With MiseryCoffin Makers the
Only People With Much Real Work
Gayetr Reigns Whtle Men, Women, and
Children are Starving.
HAVANA, April .On weekdays Havana
is war mad. On Sundays the city is pleasure
mad. The commandment, as translated by
the hotheaded people of this feverish city, is:
"Six days shalt thou fight and do all thy
killing but the seventh day is the day of
pleasure in it thou shalt have no war."
Havana's Sunday is a day of cock fights,
bull fights, concerts, promenades, and mas
.Querade balls. In these pleasures Spaniards
and Cubans, enemies all, -consort together
as comrades without arms. At 7 o'clock on
Sunday morning the Spaniard shares the
coffee with the Cuban, and fails to give the
passing Americano the customary weekday
glare. At the same hour the Americano takes
his coffee alone, and wonders what will hap
pen next in this Vesuvius-like city.,
From coffee hour at 7 until breakfast at 11
everybody attendschurch? No! The peo
ple go shopping, for all the stores are open.
The Spanish soldiers buy American trinkets
at the American shops to send to sweethearts
in Spain. The American buys articles for
the folks at home, in shops where the clerks
speak not one word of English. He pays $7
for a small fan, or $4 for a canary bird, or $8
tor a pair of castanets, or $15 for a mantilla.
These prices are created exclusively lor
Americans. For the same articles a native
would pay only half the price. But in Ha
vana, as in all countries, save the United
States, the American is made of money, and
is entirely bereft of reason in spending it.
The Cuban, during the shopping hours, loi
ters in and out of the shops, but buys noth
ing for only one Cuban in a thousand has
money to spare, and he is an exception if he
has money enough to buy necessities.
Misery of the Reconcentrados.
Meanwhile the reconcentrados flood the
streets and beg. Thousands of outstretched
arms line the sidewalks, or rather the gut
ters. Those begging alms are, in most
cases, nothing but bone and skin. Starva
tion is the common lot. Some are so nearly
dead that all the food in Christendom could
not save their lives. Others need medicine
more than food. All are utterly miserable.
Not one has a gleam of hope. Not one knows
even partial happiness, except as a some
thing remembered. To a stranger in Ha
vana, on Sunday, amid all the madness of
pleasure the fact that there is a reign oi
misery is more apparent than ever. On that
day, and, for that matter, on all days, the
misery is ignored by the average Spaniard
The Cuban3 would help if they had not al
ready done all and given all in their power.
The Americans give, and" give promptly and
liberally. But the Spaniard continues to
ignore. But soon the American perceives
the utter hopelessness of such charity, and
sends what he can afford to the relief fund,
where he knows it will be wisely distributed!
In Havana alone there are 25,000 reconcen
trados. Of these one-half are not only
hungry, but starving. The other'half arf
relieved and cared for by the fund.
Negro's Hoar of Sport.
On Sunday the negro has his great hour.
It is the shopping hour just described. Bui
the Cuban negro docs not shop. Having
boueht his" mite of codfish, cornmeal. and
collee, and his had cigar in the early morn
ing, he spends the balance of the "time befor
breakfast in alleys and side streets, at cock
fights and street dancing. A "boss" negro
owns the cocks. A courtyard is chosen as a
ring. The spectators, all negroes, pay 1
oentano (20 cents) each to see the cocks kill
each other. That 20 cents represents a ne
gro's wage, if he is fortunate enough to have
work, for a whole day. It is evident thai
the Cuban negro i3 a confirmed lover of the
cock fight.
After breakfast come the bull fights, Spain's
national sport. Killing a bull is,to a Span
iard what batting a baseball is to an Amer
ican. The American present at a baseftalJ
game is an excited person at best. The
Spaniard present at a hull fight is more than
excited, more than enthusiastiche is blood
thirsty. The place set apart for the bull
fight very much resembles the polo grounds
in New York. Only instead of a square
center there is a ring, as at a circus. All
Havana is there, the Spaniard, the Cuban,
the creole, the negro, the American visitor
men, women, and children. The pleasures
of the hour are opened with a speech. The
officers of the army and navy sit in a box of
state, and act the part of complacent and
conquering heroes. For Cubans are there.
They have no money for trinkets and no
pennies for the starving reconcentrados, but
they manage to raise $3 in Spanish silver to
see the four bulls butchered.
At the Ball Fights.
The fight begins. Ah, almost instantly the
American cries, "But this is not a fight, it is
only a slaughter." No matter. The Span
iard thinks differently. He cries, "Bravo,
bring in another bull." Finally, after twelve
or fourteen horses have been gored to
Jeath by the four bulls, and after the four
bulls have been tortured till they are so weak
iliey can hardly stand, the great hero, th
matador, steps in and kil'Is the bulls, one
ifter another, by plunging bis sword through
their bodies.
At the last bull fight here the matador was
Spain's greatest. His name was Mazzlntini.
If the butchers in the slaughter-houses al
"Jhlcago, where they slay an average of on
)ull per minute, could see this famous Maz
zlntini kill his bull, they would hiss him.
.This same idol of the people, Mazzlntini, re
turned to Spain after that so-called bullfight.
He ook with him, jn his leathern belt, $25,000.
And yet nowhere on the lace of God's earth
can so much misery, ruin, poverty, and starva
tion be seen as in Havana at the very time
its citizens are paying from $3 to $12 each foi
seats at a Sunday bull fight.
As soon as the fight i3 over there is a rush
for the ferry. Back to the city swarm the
pleasure-lovers, mad with the sight of the
slaughtered "horses and bulls, wildly merry,
over the entertainment that would simply
disgust the average American. Through the
streets they pour, scores in cab3, hundreds
afoot, toward the Prado, the plaza, and the
park. In carnival mood they pass house aftei
house, in front of which hang yellow flags
marked with black Vs in their centers. ID
each cf the houses there are one or more cases
vof
1
i"
smallpox or yellow fever.
The Busy Coflln-Maleer.
What care3 the pleasure-mad populace?
There are plenty of coffin3. The coffin-maker
13 the only man who is hard at work in all
Havana on Sunday. He works in his own
doorway. A number of coffins, all made that
Jay, arc piled up on one side of the doorstep,
jjtill this carpenter works on, nailing thin
pine hoards into shapes to fit the human form.
For by Monday morning he.knows that all
the eofflns he has made on Sunday will be
.lowered into the ground, each with its des
tined occupant. ,v
The passing crowds grin at him. Ha! ha!
poor carpenter! He must drive nails on Sun
day instead of seeing Mazzlntini kill the bull!
Poor man! They sincerely pity him.
Now the crowds/after swarming into the
plaza, tbe Prado, and the park, gather round
the tables on the sidewalk In front of the
cafes. Spanish private soldiers drink sugar
and water. The officers drink anisette. Ameri
cans call for lemonade and Ice cream. The
rCubans look on. or are treated by their friends,
the enemy, alias the Spanish. All smoke big
fe kcigars of various qualities, though the ma
jority of them are good. Seven cents buys
,,an Havana perfecto, which in $ew York
'fta*rul cost a quarter. 4,,x
CONTINUED IN 7TH COLUMN
LIFE AT WEST POINT.
UNCLE SAM TRAINS OFFICERS
FOR HIS STANDING ARMY.
Rontlne of tbe SchoolGood Place for
Bright Boys Bad Place for Shrlnkers,
Discipline and Hard Work MarkJEvery
Hoar of the Day.
WEST POINT, N. Y., There is no
place in the country where the prospect of
war is more eagerly looked forward to than at
West Point. The 300 cadet3 of the United
States Military academy hope soon to be in
the active service of Uncle Sam, and a con
flict that required the services, of a. large
number of troops would be welcomed as of-
-fering-chances-for expert enceandpromotion'
that are slow in coining to the young soldier
in time of peace.
If the United States had to raise a volun
teer army ito fight against Spain or aey other
country it would be officered chiefly by recent
graduates of the West Point institution.
Some persons affect to believe that these
youngsters, fresh from their studies, would
not be fitted for the serious work of war.
But those who are familiar with the work
required of the army boys at West Point and
with the record of the old school in past wars
have no such fears.
The same thing was said at the beginning
of the civil war, but when tha't desperate
struggle had been fought and finished the
men on both sides who had won rank and
fame were those who had been trained at
West Point. Grant, Sherman, Sheridan,
Dee, Johnston, "Stonewall" Jackson, McClel
lan, Hooker. Meade, were all West Point men.
Among those in the highest ranks were some
who wen't directly from their books to the
battle-field.
Making of a Soldier.
There is a reason why West Point men are
likely to be the leaders in any war that may
come to the United States. Discipline, sound
health, and scientific knowledge, ars the I
Admiral JouetfB assertion that the Ameri
can monitor Is the highest and most satis
factory type of marine fighting machine, is
being generally accepted without question by
students in the science of naval warfare. The
monitor Is a form of craft little understood or
appreciated until lately even by experienced
sea-going men. It came into existence in
crude shape during the civil war, and, thanks
to tbe genius of John Ericsson, did such good
service that the United States naval authori
ties decided to improve and perpetuate this
tuings'am matte goea soldle'rs, and these are
the things that.are drilled into the cadet every
hour of the day during his four years' stay
at this military academy.
From the time of his admission until he
graduates be must submit to a daily round of
work and discipline more rigorous than is re
quired of any other schoolboy in the coun
try- West Point men. become fit to command
because they first learn how to obey.
In West Point every action of the day
move3 with martial stop, to the command of
the bugle. At 6-30 In the morning its shrill
notes echo through the silent halls of "bar
racks" in the reveille with its familiar re
frain.
"I ean"t get *em up, I can't get 'em up,
"I can't get.'em up In the morning."
Simultaneously 300 boys tumble out of bed,
hastily thrust themselves into shoes, trou
sers, coat, and cap, and then tumble dowrii
stairs Into ranks for morning roll call. No
matter how sleepy the cadet may be, or how
cold his barren room, there must be no de
lay, for If he Is an instant behind at roll call
his name will be posted on the .demerit list,
and his tardiness must be made up for by
wearisome tramping along the halls with a
gun across his shoulder.
As soon as the line Is formed the lordly
first sergeant steps before the company and
calls the roll. He rattles over the seventy
or eighty names as fast as his tongue can
wag. He never uses the roll book the names
are firmly fixed In his mind by many repeti
tions, and he gets through the list in an in
credibly short time. Then back go the boys
to wash, dress, and tidy up their rooms in
the half hour that intervenes before break
fast. The tldying-up process does not take
long, for the rooms are bare of all except the
necessities.
s^-v Care of the Rooms. y.""lv',
^at:t
Each room Is shared by two boys, and con
tains two study tables, three uncomfortable
wooden chairs, a wash bowl and stand, two
iron cots separated by a low wood-en parti
tion. Against the walls are shelves for books
and. clothes, and a .row of iron, hooka.. That
.is air. No rugs on the floor, no easy chairs
(or comfortable pillows or pretty pictures.
(Everything is ruled by martial simplicity,
and every room is the same, whether it Is
occupied by a son of a millionaire or a wash
woman's boy.
The two boys who occupy a room take
turns in serving as room orderly, each act
ing for a week at a time. The room orderly
must sweep and dust and care for the room
and each man must keep his personal belong
ings in order. On rising he must carefully
fold the bedclothing and mattress at the
head of his cot, range his shoes in a regulai
line on the floor at the foot, and han ach
article of attire on its special hook before
the inspection officer makes his rounds.
When that personage appears at the door the
two cadets stand at attention while he care
fully notes the condition of the room. II
there is a speck of dust on the floor, a shoe
out of line, or a scrap of soiled linen in sisht,
it means demerits for the offender. Per
sonal friendship with the inspection offlcei
will not help the cadet. The. officer is "on
honor" to make an accurate report, and tc
put a cadet on his honor is better than tc
have his oath. Lying is a vice that has nc
place at West Point.
West Point Routine.
After inspection comes breakfast, and then
there is half an hour for. stu^v before recita
tions begin, at 8 o'clcck. From S to 1 are
recitation and study hours. Each cadet has
usually three recitations a clay, and the
cla?rs are all called and dismissed by bugle.
Th~ boys:i line tipandd
v"1.ls
an march to the'lecture in body are inspected bv th
0f fh.3 flay before they are dismissed.
Between 8 and 1 the cadet cannot leave his*
room, except to go to recitations, and the
academic building is as silent as a country
ihurchyard, save when the classes march to
ar from their rooms.
One o'clock is the dinner hour. The cadets
form in line and march down the street to
the long, lew mess hall, where they take their
places at some thirty tables and fall upon
ihe roast beef and other viands with as much
vigor as though they were attacking an
nemy. Thirty minutes is all the time al
lowed for eating, and then they march back
to barracks for more study and recitations
from 2 until 4.
At 4 o'clock mental labor ends for a time,
and fifteen minutes later the rcll of the drum
calls the cadet3 to arms and to the field. The
next, hour is spent on the drill ground, if
the weather is nleasant,. or in the. armory, if i
peculiar style of vessel. From the "cheese
box on a raft," which destroyed the mighty
Merrlmac, in 1862, has sprung a fleet of pow
erful warships, the merit of which has been
overlooked in the more imposing grandeur
and overtowering size and armament of mon
ster battle-ships like the Indiana and Iowa.
The monitor of 1898 bears little resemblance
even in exterior design, to its progenitor cf
1862, though both are constructed on
one vital principle of a low free-board a
small an amount of obstruction on
is not, gotng through company arm
md instruction in the manual of arms. At
he same time the cavalrymen, the tbird
:lass boys, are going through their evolutions
on another part of the field, sitting their
'iorsfs with e*sy trrnc. and putting the lively
steeds through all their paces.
Winding Vv- Day 's Work.
Drill ends at 5:20 o'clock, unless it is paradf
lay. In that case the cadets are out asrair
:n ten minutes, having changed to their dres?
miforms in tbp Tneantime. The band ap
lears, led by the mighty drum major, anc"
arches across thp field before the long Um
Filent cadets, all =tandin?r at rarade rest
not the? variation of a fraction of an inch
In .their positions. The blare of martial
music, the long plumes of the reviewing
officers, and the bright red sashes of the
officer cadets lend an element of life and
color to the dress parade that makes it always
an inspiriting sight.
Then, as the sun sinks behind the rugged
barrier of the Hudson hills, the boom of the
sunset gun echoes across the river, the starry
flag comes drifting slowly down from the
tall flag pole, and the "Star Spangled Banner,"
softly played by the .band, floats across the
field, while the gray, line still stands silently
at parade rest, and the enlisted men of the
post, who are lounging about on. the old
cannon, remove their cap3 in a reverent at
titude of attention. It is a daily lesson of
honor and respect to the beloved nblem for
which scores of brave West Pointers have
laid down their live* in the past, a lesson that
is not lost on the young men in gray.
Now sharp-spoken orders ring across the
field, the line stirs into motion once more,
and the men march back to barracks. A
brief breathing spell, the one hour of the
twenty-four the cadet can call his own, fol
lows before supper.
Half an hour after supper comes the "call
to quarters," which means that every man
must return to his room and to his study
on the morrow's lesson The sentries make
their rounds of insoection and unlet reiens
CONT1OTIP IS 6TH COLUMN
a&fis^iisiig?
FIBE0F0EAT0BY.
ROBTO. INCERSOLL DISCUSSES
IT IN A PRACTICAL MANNER.
One Essential Is IdeasTalkers Should
Have Subjects Worth Talking About,
Thomas Corwin was Easily the (First
Man i all the old School Orators.
You ask me, f'What advice would you
give to a young man who was ambitious to
become a successful public speaker or ora-
tor?"
In the first place, I would advise him to
have something tp saysomething worth
sayingsomething'that people would be glad
to hear. This is the important thing. Back
of the art of speaking mu3t be the power to
thinfe WtthWtt'-iSjIioughts words are empty
purses. Most people imagine that almost
any words^ uttered in a loud voice and ac
companied by appropriate gesture, consti
tute an oration. I would advise the young,
man to study his'subject, to find what others
had thought, to lock at it from all sides.
Then^ I would tell him to write out his
thoughts or to arrange them in his mind, so
that he would know exactly what he was
going to say. Waste np time on the how un
til you are satisfied with the what. After
you know what you are to say then you can
think of how it should be said. Then you
can think about tone, emphasis, and gesture
but if you really understand what you say,
emphasis, tone, and gesture will take care
of themselves. All thtse should come from
the inside. They should be in perfect har
mony with the feelings. Voice and gesture
should be governed by the emotions. They
should unconsciously be in perfect agree
ment with the sentiments. The orator should
be true to hi3 subject, should avoid any refer
ence to himself.
The great column of his argument should be
unbroken. He can adorn it with vines and
flowers, but they should not be in such pro
fusion as to hide the column. He should give
variety of episode by illustration, but they
6hould be used only for the purpose of adding
strength to the argument.
OUR MONITOR FLEET.
Miahtonomah. Terror. Puritan.
possible. The monitor of 1863 was a shallow
water boat, a craft handy forfightingin rivers
and bays, but of little use on the ocean. The
new monitor is an efficient, seaworthy ship
of the first class, capable of making long
voyages through rough water In safety. It
is the testimony of one of the best officers in
the navy, who took one of the new monitors
around Cape Hatteras In the teeth of a wild
that he never trod the deck of a stout
or more comfortable boat.
Ms now the possessor of six first-
Should Study Language.
The man who wishes to become an orator
should study language, He should know
the deeper meaning of' words. He should
understand the vigor and velocity of verbs
and the color of adjectives. He should know
how to sketch a scene, to paint a picture, to
give life and action. He should be a poet and
a dramatist, a painter and an actor. He
should become familiar with the great poetry
and fiction, with splendid and heroic deeds.
He should be a student of Shakespeare. He
should read and devour the great plays. From
Shakespeare he could learn the art of
expression, of compression, and all the se
crets of the head and heart.
The great orator is full of varietyof sur
prises. Like a juggler he keeps the colored
balls in the air. He expresses himself in
pictures. His speech is a panorama. By con
tinued change he holds the attention. The
interest doe3 not flag. He does not allow him
self to be anticipated. He is always in ad
vance. He does not repeat himself A pic
ture i shown but once. So, an orator should
avoid the commonplace. There should be no
stuffing, no filling. He should put no cotton
with his silk, no common metals with his
gold. He should remember that "gilded dust
is not a3 good as dusted gold." The great
orator is honest, sincere. He does not pre
tend: His brain and heart go together. Every
drop of hl3 bfood is convinced. Nothing is
forced. He knows exactly what he wishes to
doknows when he has finished It, and stops.
Knowing When to Stop. 'i
Only a great orator knows when and how
to close. Most speaker* go on after they are
through. They are satisfied only with a
"lame and impotent conclusion." Most speak
ers lack variety. They travel a straight and
dusty road. The great orator is full of
episode. He convinces and charms by in
direction. He leaves the road, visits the
field wanders in the woods, listens to the
murmur3 of springs, the songs of birds. He
gathers flowers, scales the crags* and comes
back.Jto. the .highway refreshed*, iuvlg-orated.
HIE- roes not move a straight line. He
wanders and winds like a stream.
Of course, no one can tell a man what to do
to become an orator. The great orator ha*
that wonderful thing called presence. He
has the strange something known as mag
netism. He must haxe a flexible, musical
voice, capable of expressing the pathetic,
the humorous, the heroic. Hi3 body must
move In unison with his thought. He must be
a reasoner, a logician. He must have a keen
sense of humorof the laughable. He must
have wit, sharp and quick. He must have
sympathy. His smiles, should be the neigh
bors of his tears. He must have imagina
tion. He should give eagles to the air, and
painted moths should flutter in the sunlight.
While I cannot tell a man what to do to
become an orator, I can tell him a few things
not to do.
There should be no introduction to an ora
tion The orator should commence with his
subject. There should be no prelude, no
nourish, no apology, no explanation. He
should say nothing about himself. Like
sculptor, he stands by his block of stone.
Every stroke is for a purpose. As he works
the form begins to appear. When the statue
is finished the workman stops: Nothing is
more difficult than a perfect close. Few
poems, few pieces of music, few novels end
well. A good story, a great speech, a perfect
poem should end just at the proper point.
The bud, the blossom, the fruit. No delay.
A great speech is a crystallization in its logic,
an efflorescence in its poetry.
Most of the great speakers in our country
were before my time. I heard Beecher, and he
was an orator. He had imagination, humor,
and intensity. His brain was as fertile as the
valleys of the tropics. He was too broad, too
philosophic, too poetic for the pulpit. Now
and then he broke the fetters of his creed,
escaped from his orthodox prison, and be
came sublime.
Theodore Parker was an orator. Ke
preached great sermons. His sermons on
"Old Age" and "Webster," and his address on
"Liberty" were filled with great thoughts
marvelou3ly expressed. When he dealt with
human events, with realities, with things he
knew, he was superb. When he spoke of
freedom, of duty, of living to the ideal, of
mental integrity, he seemed inspired.
Severe on Daniel Webster.
Webster I never heard. He had great quali
ties force, dignity, clearness, grandeur but,
after all, he worshiped the pa3t. He kept
class monitors of the double-turret pattern.
They are the Amphitrite, Mianton omah,
Monadnock, Monterey, Puritan, and Terror.
By naval rating these, as well as the thirteen
old-style single-turret monitors, still carried
on the list, are classed as coast-defense ves
sels, but this is a matter of nomenclature
only. In all the requisites of open-sea fighting
the new monitors are battle-ships of the high
est grade. The Puritan, the largest of the
fleet ,is a ship of 6,060 tons, and 3.700 horse
power. Her armament consists of four twelve-
ms oacK to tne sunrise. There was no aawn
in his brain. He wa3 not creative. He had
no spirit of prophecy. He lighted no torch.
He was not true to his ideal. He talked some
times as though his head was among the
stars, but he stood in the gutter. In the name
of religion* he tried to break the will of
Stephen Girardto destroy the greatest
charity in all the world? and in the name
of the same religion he defended the fugi
tive slave law. His purpose was the same
in both'cases. He wanted office. Yet he
uttered a few very great paragraphs, rich
with thought, perfectly expressed.
Clay I never heard, but he must have had
a commanding presence, a chivalric bearing, a
heroic voice. He cared little for the past. He
wa3 a natural leader, a wonderful talker
forcible, persuasive, convincing. He was not
a poet, not a master of metaphor, but he
was practical. He kept in view the end to
be accomplished. He was the opposite of
Webster. Clay was the morning, Webster the
evening. Clay bad large views, a wide hori
zon. He was ample, vigorous, and a little
tyrannical.
Benton was thoroughly commonplace. He
never uttered an inspired word. He was an
intense egotist. No subject was great enough
to make him forget himself. Calhoun was a
political Calvlnistnarrow, logical, dog
matic. He was not an orator. delivered
essays, not orations.
KoMuth and Tom Corwin.
I think it was in 1851 that Kossuth visited
this country. He was an orator. There was,
no man, at. that time, under our flag, who
could speak English as well a* he. In tbe
first speech I read of Kossuth's wife this line:
"Russia is the rock against which the sigh
for freedom breaks."
In this you see the poet, the painter, the
orator.
S. S. Prentiss was an orator, but, with the
recklessness of a gamester, he threw bis life
away. He said profound and beautiful things,
but he lacked, application... He waa .uaevan
CONTINUED r 7 TH OOLUHK
i^iliswk-Si
LIFE AT WEST POINT.
UNCLE SAM TRAINS [.OFFICERS
FOR HIS STANDING ARMY.
Routine of the SchoolGood Place for
Bright Boys Bad Place for Sbrlnkers
Discipline and Hard Work Mark Every
Hour of the Day.
CONTINUED FROM 3BD COLUMN
until 9:75 o*ciocit, ^wnen "tattoo" warns the
tired youngsters to prepare for bed. Fifteen
minutes later the slow roll of "taps" sounds,
the lights go out in the old academic building
and sleep assumes the command of the young
guard of the republic.,.
Vacations and Pleasantries.
There are no vacations at West Point. Ex
cept for. a few weeks at the close of lthe third
year the cadet is not allowed a leave of ab
sence during the four years' course. But
from the middle of June to the end of August
books are laid aside and the hoys go into
camp in the little grove at one side of the
campus. Tent life is always welcome, but it
can scarcely be looked upon as a holiday.
Reveille sounds at 5:30 in the morning, and
every moment of the day is occupied with
some military duty. There is troop parade
every morning after breakfast, after'that the
daily guard mount, and then two hours' in
fantry drill. Then the fourth class men, the
plebes, tramp away to Washington valley and
spend an hour in receiving instruction in
3wimming, the third class men have artillery
drill, and 'the first class, the seniors, have
target practice. The afternoon is'filled with
moro drill.
In spite of the Spartan discipline main
tained and 'the unceasing round of drill and
study, there is plenty of fun for the ca
dets. T'o the boy of athletic tastes the prac
tice in swimming, fencing, and riding comes
under that head. There are officers' hop3
twice a week, which bring pretty girls from
all -along the river, and graduation week is
a. bright, oasis, in. the. year, made gay by a
small army of sisters, aunts, and cousins
who overflow the place.
One pleasant feature of West Point life
is its democratic equality. If a man is a
gentleman he stands as well as any of his
inch breech-loading rifles and two four-incl
rapid-fire cannon in the main battery the
secondary battery is made up of six six
pounder, rapid-fire guns, four gatlings, anc
two 37-mllllmeter Hotchklss rifled cannon.
The other boats In the fleet compare favor
ably with the Puritan in size and fighting
force.
The monitors are not built for speed, bu1
they make long trips at a uniform log oi
from eleven and a half to fourteen knots
an hour.
jiiows. Each cadet receives $540 per year
from the government. Out of that he must
buy bis clothing and rations from the com
missary department. He is allowed to re
ceive money from outside only in excep
tional cases. There can be no difference in
dress or style of living, and this spirit of
equality enforced by the rules is accepted by
all the men.
West Point is a place where manly men are
made, and the only material for tha't purpose
is found in manly boys. Uncle Sam has no
use for any other kind.
Appearance and Merit.
Girard, the famous French painter,
when very young was the bearer of a
letter of introduction to Lanjuinais,
then of the council of Napoleon. The
young painter was shabbily attired,
and his reception was extremely cold
but Lanjuinais discovered in him such
striking proofs of talent, good sense,
and amiability, that, on Girard's ris
ing to take leave, he rose, too, and ac
companied his visitor to the ante-cham
ber. The change was so striking, that
Girard could not avoid an expression
of surprise. "My young friend," said
Lanjuinais, anticipating the inquiry,
"we received an unknown person ac
cording'to his dresswe take leave of
htm according to his merit."
1
'Warships of Vast Cost. '*r'
The new British battle-ship Impla
cable is to cost over $5,000,000, the
largest sum ever spent In the building
of a man-of-war. The armor plates
alone will cost $750,000"and the guns
nearly as much.
GAY IN DEATH'S FACE.
SUNDAY SCENES IN HAVANA IN
THE MIDST O WAR'S ALARMS.
Revels go With MiseryCoffin Makers the
Only People With Much Beal Work,
Gayety Reigns While Mt-n, Woman, and
Children are Starving.
NTINUED FROM 1ST LUMN
Some Feast, Others Starve.
At 7 p. m. dinnerthat ist the Spanish offi
cers Cine, the Americans gorge, ice uuumia
have a meal, the Spanish soldiei-3 eat. At the
same time reconcentrado3 file past the feast
er3 and starve. And away in the outskirts
of the city you may run across a camp of
Insurgents roasting a whole pig for their
evening meal, as on the scene of which I
send you a photograph with this letter. It
being Sunday evening, the insurgents feel
that there is a truce of a few hours, in which
they, too, may "eat, drink, and be merry."
In the evening Havana gathers in the
theaters, the music halls, at the cpera, and
at the clubs. One of the finest clubhouses in
the whole world is only a few blocks frcm
where 2,000 women and children lie huddled
together, too weak to stand, literally dying of
hunger.
The theater, the opera, and the clubs aro
attended by those whom the bull fight has
not bankrupted. For the poo: and penniless
there is music by the military band in the
plaza. As the women of Cuba seldom attend
the theater, they may be seen cow, Sunday
evening, promenading in the plaza. See a
senorita, and just as surely will you see a
senora. See the young lady alone? Nc! Her
duenna's eyes are upen jcu. And such eyes!
[f the Cuban women had nc:hine but ejes
there would be no race on earth who could
compare with them for beauty.
Masquerade EIICM sst Kix ht.
After the theaters and the concert every
body goes homeat leat, so it appears to the
3tranger. At 11 o'clock the city seeni3
wrapped in nervous, fitful slumber. The
veteran visitor knows better. Half of Ha
vana, maybe, is sleeping. Ihe other half?
Ah, it is Sunday night the other half may
be found at the masquerade balls. Other
wise, who were the hundreds of masqueraders
who have been riding and running about the
streets ever since sundown? Go tack to "he
theaters. The seats on the parquet floors
have been covered with boards, as if by magic.
Over the seat3 there is now a danc:ng ticor.
The auditoriums have been transformed into
ballrooms.
'At 12 the balls begin. The floors, the boxes,
me galleries are crowded. By whem? The
best men and the worst wemen of Havana.
No respectable woman i3 there. AH the
women are in costume and masked. Not one
msn is in evening dress. The music begins,
Cuban music of a strange, v.-2ird tort, half
African. Two bands, one on each sice cf the
:heater, play alternately. Soma ct tno
musicians are Cubans, others are negroes.
They make a very big noise, and the music
and the dancing do not '"r an
rn-*?.rt
ia\ iz mlunight till 4:L0 Mcnuay morning.
The dancingwell, it is too shameful to de
scribe.
Compared with a masquerade ball in Ha
vana, the French ball in New York is tame
and puritanical.
In Havana Monday i3 an off day.' Every
body seems peevish, tired, and thoroughly out
of humor.
WON HIS WAY BY TACT.
Incident Showing, the Good Sense of
the Late It. K, Uruc e.
Philadelphia Press: On one of the late
Blanche K. Bruce's recent visits to New
York he told of an experience he had
just had after he was elected senator
from Mississippi, and it was an experi
ence which illustrates the tact and good
sense which always characterized him,
and which explained much of the suc
cess and respect which he gained by h's
public life in Washington. It was an
nounced that the senator would go from
his Mississippi home by one of the Mis
sissippi steamboats, at least as far as
St. Louis on his way. Th captain, a
man of the nann of Ler.tl^ei-?. was a
typical Mississippi river can---
tain, and he was reT^'-i-fste:inboat
i
1
ne wouiu snow tne oiacK senator wnen
he got aboard his boat that he would
have to keep his place on that boat, and
if he put on any airs because he hap
pened to be senator the captain would
teach him manners.
As soon as Bruce boarded the steam
boat he sought the captain and said to
him: "Captain Leathers, I am going to
Washington, and a part of the way as
passenger on your steamboat. My name
is Bruce and possibly you may have heard
of me. What I wanted to say is that
I know perfectly well what the feeling
of many people who are travelers re
garding persons of my color is. They
cannot help it. and I am going to give
them no occasion for any annoyance
while I am a passenger on your boat.
I simply ask tha.t you see to it that I
am made as comfortable as possible, and
I assure you that you will have no rea
son for complaint." The bluff captain
stepped back a pace or two. looked Bruce
over, and then held out his hand and
said with great emphases: "By you
shall sit at my table: you shall sit on
my right hand on the entire trip, and if
any man objects he will have to fight me.
A man who can talk as you have and
who is as fair as you are is a sight
better fitted to be a United States senator
than some of the white senators I have
carried on this boat." and on that entire
trip of three days the captain made
Bruce his guest.
COKTINUED FKOM 5TH COLUMN
tnsproporuoneasaying ordinary things on
great occasions, and now and then, without
the slightest provocation, uttering the sub
limest and most beautiful thoughts.
In my judgment Corwin was the greatest
orator of them all. He had more arrows In
his quiver. He had genius. He was full of
humor, pathos, wit, and logic. He was an
actor. His body talked. His meaning wa3
in his eyes and lips.
Governor O. P. Morton of Indiana had the
greatest power of statement of any man I
ever heard. All the argument was in his
statement. The facts were perfectly grouped.
The conclusion was necessity. The best
political speech I ever heard was made by
Governor Richard J. Oglesby of Illinois. It
had every element of greatness, reason, hu
mor, wit, pathos, imagination, and perfect
naturalness. That was in the grand years,
long ago.
Abraham Lincoln's Masterpiece.
Lincoln bad reason, wonderful humor, and
wit, but his presence was not good. His voice
was poor, his gestures awkwardbut his
thoughts were profound. His speech at Get
tysburg is1
^j'^-
,r '"tV^S A Secret. ^Wf^.s
SheJulie and Joe are engaged., but they
have decided to keep their engagement
secret Julie told me so.
He-^-Yea, I know it Joe totd.me,,-Yonkers
Statesman.
Defecfive Page
-4
7M
one of the masterpieces of the
world. The word "here" is used four or five
times too often. Leave the "heres" out and
the speech is perfect.
Of course, I have heard a great many talk
ers, but orators are few and far between.
They are produced by victorious, nations
born in tbe midst of great events, of marvel
ous achievements. They utter the thoughts,
tbe aspirations of their age. They clothe th
children of the people in the gorgeous robes
of genius: They interpret the dreams. With
the poetsr^hey.prophesy. They fill the future
with heroic forms, with lofty deeds. They
keep their faces toward tbe dawntoward
he ever-coming day. ,-'"'l^
j."?*- *&
-&
H
