A
THE 8EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRA8KA.
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MANICURING A
i Do Vry, the noted nnlmnl keeper of tho zoo In Lincoln park, Chicago,
1b hero seen cutting tho claws of a big Hon whHo attendants keep tho brute's
head back with poles.
HORRORS OF OLD
I
110 Bl SAILOR
San Juan de Ulloa in Vera Cruz,
Terrible Spot.
AS SEEN BY NAVAL OFFICER
You.no United States Navy Man Writes
Letter to Mother Telling 8tory of
Mexico's Political and Mil
itary Prison.
New Yorlt. When tho United States
naval forces under Admiral Fletcher
captured Vera Cruz last April 21, In
tcrost was Immediately aroused among
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pwwui'i'jiwu"
Harbor of Vera Cruz.
those who woro fairly acquainted with
Vera Cruz history In tho old fortress
of San Junn do Ullon. This ancient
fortress, commanding the entranco to
Vera Cruz harbor, would havo dom
inated tho entlro situation on April 21,
If It had boon properly armed. In Its
curly days It wob considered Impreg
nable but Its armament has never
beou Improved and latterly It haB been
used mainly ub a prison. Tho tales
that have hovered ovor this proud old
fortress havo In cousequenco been
those of flondtsh tortures, Inquisitorial
mothodB, and heartless cruelty, rather
than those of gallant defenso or horolc
conduct.
Vera Cruz was In Its early days sub
ject to frequent attacks by buccaneers
and pirates, tho city bolug actually
sacked by these blood-thirsty gentle
men Iu'iC5'3 and 1712. In consequence
of those uttucko the castle of San Juan
do Ulua (or Ulloa) was projected,
Work wbb bogun In 1582, and after
many yours of labor and tho expend
iture of tho enormous sum of 40,000,
000 pesos, a sum which equals today
In value probably moro than that
amount of dollnrs, tho castlo waB com
pleted. It was built on an Island just
off tho waterfront of tho city which,
with tho causeway or brcakwutor con
necting It with tho mainland, practical
ly formB the harbor.
The city and with It tho cnstlo was
captured by tho French In 1S38; again
by our forces under Gonorul Scott In
1847; and again by tho French In 1802,
being abandoned and turned ovor to
tho Mexicans after each of theso C
cupatloiis.
In tho recent capture of Vera Cruz
by tho American naval forces under
IN
PRISON
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CHICAGO LION
Admiral Fletcher, thq fort was not
bombarded, its commander being
warned that It would bo demolished
If n shot was fired, but was abandoned
by Us commandante, together with Its
garrison, under agreement with tho
American authorities, several days
after tho city was taken.
Tho Interest which lmB centered In
tho old fortress during our capture lay
In tho curiosity evoryono felt an to
what secrets of torture and medieval
administration would bo exposed.
And this Interest was warranted and
our occupancy brought to light a state
of affairs upon which comment Ib dif
ficult In tho light of our own attitudo
and custom In such matters.
Tho following letter, written by a
young naval ofllcer, ono of tho occu
pying force, to his mother, describing
his visit to tho fortress, gives a
graphic Idea of tho Mexican way of
conducting a political and military
prison:
Dear Mother Yesterday afternoon
O and I decided to visit tho old
and historic fortress and prison of
San Juan Ulloa, of which thero Ib a
picture in tho bunch I am Bending you.
It Is on a 'small coral Island to one
sldo of tho hnrbor and wnB built by
tho Spaniards way back around 1C00
perhaps earlier. It Is "tho prison"
of Mexico, and has somo of tho most
atrocious tales credited to It of any
of Its kind In tho world. It also con
tains tho so-called "navy yard," con
sisting of a torpedo tube, machine
shop, foundry and magazlnos for ex
plosives. There Ib also a floating dry
dock moored near by, Tho Hhops aro
within tho walls, monsters In height
and thickness and of whlto sandstono
and coral. Thoy must bo 10 foot thick
In places, though somo aro only throo
or four feet thick. All entrances, door
ways, etc., aro In tho form of arches.
Tho inner part of tho fort Is surround
ed by a moat; that Is, thero is an In
ner fort bohlnd tho outsldo walls.
Thoro aro various parapots and signal
towers and on tho rampartB tho half-
moon platforms whoro tho heavy can
non wero mounted In long rows, closo
togethor, behind and just overlooking
tho walls, can bo plainly soon. Bo
hlnd and within tho walls thomsolvoB
are tho various colls and dungeons
nnd quarters for tho Boldlors and of
ficers. Those all open on a tromond
oub rectangular court yard, paved In
stono and brick. Various winding
stairs of stono lead up through tho
walls and to Intricate dark halls and
cells of vnrlous shapo and sizes. Tho
garrison consisted of about 700 ar 800
Mexican Palace at Vera Cruz.
soldiers, with a post of 200 on watch
continually, although I beltuvo thero
wero only about 200 soldiers thoro al
together when wo took Vera Cruz.
When tho battle began tho captain of
tho I'rnlrlo said that lr ono shot was
llred from tho fort ho would blow It
to atoms. Thoro was a torpedo al-
, ready trained ou tho Vralrle. The
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commandanto, however, thought bet
ter of It, and said ho would not fire
unless fired upon. Nothing, therefore,
ever happened though, as I said In my
early lotters, soveral nights thoy tried
to escapo ovor tho causoway that con
nects It to tho land to tho northward
That was my Job to watch for several
nights.
Well, tbc fort surrendered about
April 29 with tio fighting. Commander
Beach, commanding tho Vestal (repair
ship) was put In chnrgo and found
that ho had somo 700 prisoners oh his
hands in tho dungeons. Tho condi
tions revealed were frightful. Fifty
and Blxty of tho poor devils were hud
dled Into each of tho half dozen big
colls. They are all nearly pitch dark,
only a llttlo light entering through
a silt In the wnll, four Inches wide by
threo foot high, with thick Iron bars
across, through walls, six feet thick
Hero thoy havo been for months;
many for years. Tho offlclalB had fled
with all records of tho crimes. About
E00 woro CBtlmatcd to havo been In
carcerated becauso they wouldn't
servo In Huorta's army.
About 100 were murderers and 100
moro convicted of petty crimes. When
G nnd I got thoro nil but 102 had
been fed, clothed and liberated. Prof.
Carlos V. CuBncks, U. S. N., who was
ordorod to Vera Cruz from tho naval
academy to act as Interpreter, got In
touch with tho federal olllcor that
brought tho prisoners from tho Inter
ior (Tabasco) and with his help was
nblo to ldontlfy many of thorn. They
had been living In utter filth for years,
somo of them starved and full of every
concnlvnblo dlseaso. Thoy never
washed, and novor saw tho light of
day. Many woro In cells designed
with tho celling bo low thnt thoy could
not stand up or walk! Others in cells
nt tho wator edge, so that when tho
ftldo was high they had to stand to
keep from drowning.
When they were taken from tho
dungeons fow could walk without
ctumbllng nnd half woro nearly blind
and had to havo partial bandages over
their eyes for a long time. They wero
kept In the open courtyard, clothed
Prison of San Juan de Ulloa In Vera
Cruz.
and fed with tho regular navy ration
and all tho cells fumigated after tho
various filth and vermin had beon
wasbod out with hose. As I say, there
wero 102 left yesterday. Wo saw them
bathing In the moat with a dozen ma
rines with loaded rifles around them.
Thoy wero tho most horrible looking
lot of human beings it has over been
my fortune to look nt. Later they
camb back to tho courtyard for moro
"assorting," according to tholr crlmos..
Most of theso wero murderers, though
somo of thorn wero Innocent abso
lutely, had dono nothing save perhaps
agitato against tho government. Many
of thorn had blankets huddled around
thom and shivering with tho nguo.
Tholr faces woro seamed with vlco
and cruelty, tholr eyes shifting and
disease of many kinds showing.
Ono old follow had gray hair and
board, unkorapt, shivering (tempera
ture 90 degrees) and scantily clad.
Through his brown skin woro, great
lenden black splotches on his faco and
hands. His oyos wero sunken and
bloodshot. Lord knows what ho had.
OthorB wero worse looking. Altogeth
er It was a pitiful, pathetic, ghastly
sight, which I remarked to Command
er Dead), whereupon ho ropllod, "My
boy, you ought to havo soon thom two
weeks ago I" That was enough. Can
you Imagine such a horrlblo sceno?
And when a dozen wora nicked out
after telling their atorlcs, etc., to bo
fired today, moBt of thom didn't want
to go! Thoy preferred to stay thoro
nnd bo fed by Uncle Sam to being
Bhot by robels or Impressed by fed
orals. Somo of tholr yarns woro
hoartrendlng. Cusacks translated
their stories, but I haven't tlmo to
write mora as It Is nearly 12. Good
night.
RELIC IS GIVEN TO NAVY
Historic Constellation Cup Presented
to Commodore Kearney, Given
to Government.
Washington. Secretary Daniels
sent to James Lawrcnco Kearney, Bon
of the lato Commodoro Lawronco
Konrnoy of Forth Amboy, N, J., a let
ter nccoptlng his donation of a cup
to tho historic old man-of-war Con
Btollntlon, which was presented to tho
commodoro by tho ofllccrs of tho Con
stellation In 1813.
Tho cup Is of china, four and one
half Inches high and throo and ono
halt Inches In diameter and Is artisti
cally decorated with a painted sceno
representing tho Bhlps Constellation
and Uoston lying at anchor in a Chi
nese harbor.
Tho representations of the shlpe, It
Ib said, aro wonderfully accurate.
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Faith Gives
Confidence
U, RLV. J. H. RALSTON 4
Secrrtary of Corrrtpontlcnce Df partmenl S
Moody DiUc lottiltitc, Chicago
$4.m3xmmx
TEXT And wc bcllcvo and nro suro that
thou nrt that Christ, tho Son of tho liv
ing God. John C CJ.
Possibly the
generation to
which the peoplo
of tho twentieth
century belong
has moro .to dis
turb Its faith than
any preceding
ono. There may
be no rejection of
tho testimony of
tho senses, of in
tuition, or of faith
Itself, but tho ap
peals to faith
como from more
sources than for
merly.
The Appeal of Religion Has Changed.
In a former day, tho appeal was to
tho acceptanco of tho evangelical
teachings of tho Now Testament ac
cepted by all denominations, nnd
sometimes to tho particular doctrines
of tho denominations, but now It Ib
made to tho accoptanco of certain cari
catures of Christianity known as
Christian Science, Russelllsm, theoso
phy, etc., and sad to say, with a very
large response. This Indicates that
man Is naturally religious. He wants
something that will meet the demands
of tho spiritual craving within, nnd ho
is quite apt to take up with something
that takes on the namo of Christian
or that ppofosses to be biblical, and
yet ridicules evangelical Christianity
and offers a substitute for It, however
fraudulent It may be.
The Search for Certainty.
Many aro asking for certitude, or
certainty, In tho things of religion.
How is a man to gain this certainty?
In tills consideration let us first note
that thero aro various spheres of
knowledge physical, philosophical
and spiritual. In tho physical sphero
tho senses must be tho witnesses, in
tho philosophical reason, and in the
spiritual faith, although in tho spir
itual faith does not reject the witness
lng of the senses and reason. In the
physical sphero tho testimony of tho
sonses may be misleading, as one man
may eay an object Is of ono color,
while another mnn says It is of a dif
ferent color, tho fact being that ono
of these Is certainly color blind, and
It may be that both of them are so.
As far bb philosophy Is concerned,
reason may take tho reins In hor
mouth and plunge Into tho abyss of
Infidelity and atheism as was tho case
In France a century ago.'
Faith Must r;ot Be Blind.
While the senses or reason may not
apprehend what faith needs to appro
bond, yet faith makes recognition of
tho testimony of history, personal ex
perience, and of any rovelntlon that
God sees fit to make. In tho enso be
fore us the disciples said that they be
lieved and wero sure that Jesus was
tho Christ, tho son of tho living God,
tho most Important fact for man to
apprehend, tho minimum of Christian
beilef. Wo havo said that faith rests
on certain things that may not belong
to tho supernatural. The many false
forms of religion to which we havo re
ferred, make strong appeals, that Is, In
tho vehemence of thom, and apparent
ly In thelrlncerlty, but when wo ask
for something In connection with thom
for our faith to rest upon, thoy havo
really nothing, to glvo, except tho ipse
dlxits of Bomo man or womnn who
has repudiated all that wo havo rev
ered and honored In tho past. While
thero mny be somo facts presented, as
In tho alleged cases of healing, there
Is no appeal to that which Is behind
us, the experience of millions of Chris
tian peoplo through tho centuries.
A Definite Faith.
The faith of tho disciples was very
definite. "Wo bellove and aro suro
that thou nrt that Christ, tho son of
tho living God." Tho evidence of this
doflutte faith Is abundant ns may bo
proved by tho men who expressed It
being perfectly willing to certify It by
tho sacrifice of wealth, position, and
oven lifo Itself. That adhoronts of
falso forms of Christianity havo made
great sacrifices will not be questioned,
but In connection with Chrlstlnn sac
rifice we havo a law that has existed
through twenty centuries, nnd tho
blessings thnt havo como out of this
spirit of sncrlflco and realized by tho
Individual havo certified to tho genu
Ihoness of tho faith they havo new
wealth, now position, and foretastes
of tho llfo that Is not only eternal but
In harmony with the llfo of God.
The agent In this nssuranco Is noth
ing less than tho holy spirit of God,
which Indicates supernatural origin.
"No man can say tlmt Jesus Is tho
Lord, but by tho holy ghost." Horo
Is whoro tho religion of Jesus Christ
nnd'tho apostles Is to bo differentiated
from any other religion. Notwltn-
standing that It is from above It does
not relievo from personal responsibil
ity, lit tho blessings In benrlng the
responsibility nro so Infinitely abovo
anything that tho world has to offer,
thn: tho responsibility may be forgot
ten. A man with a long head soldom has
lnne faco. I B. Coloy.
mSIUNCHDN CITY
BMIimMMMMMMMMMMMMsMMnMMmiaMWnmMI IHWlllllHCHMMMrOTM II P 1 II IIOMMMt
Washington and Boston Connected by a Subway
WASHINGTON. At last Washington and BoBton are connected by a sub
way. Thnt Is rather startling, Is It not? A very fow knew such a proj
ect was under way. It Ib not a great nig tunnel, however, and Is not
designed for passengers and freight.
MO MORE OF THIS
companies a heavy loss In revenues
ns well as In expenses for repairs, and plans wero mado during those awfnl
hours for Just exactly such a subway aB Is now being completed.
It has been found much cheaper to dig a trench for tho wires than to
Btring them over a line of poles, and tho economy has been emphasized by
the shortage of timber sultablo for telephone polos, and then tho very great
advantage Is that service can never bo Interrupted by storms as the overhead,
wires aro. It Is said that along each cablo It Is possible to conduct 99 tole
jphono conversations at onco and to send, at the samo tlmo, 296 telegraph,
messages.
In building tho subway a trench was used which crawls along tho right
of way, leaving a trough largo enough for tho cables. Wherovor streams were
crossed the conduits are carried through creosoted ducts suspended from the
bridges, or else In pipes which cross on the bridges. Pipes aro only used la
places where tho bridges uro liable to bo submerged by spring freshets. At
ordinary crossings iron Is not used, becauso it rusts away and is llnble to
cause short circuit and to break down In tho course of tlmo.
Good commercial service Is given over 450 miles In length. A fow years:
ago tho cables gave satisfactory service for a distance, of a fow miles.
Monkeys Enlivened Mrs. N. Longworth's Dinner
THOSE peoplo who are prominent In tho official llfo of Washington do not
always have tho privilege of selecting their own pets. Many como to
them In tho shapo of "freak" gifts from all over tho world, and often prove,
an embarrassment because thoy aro
allvo and cannot bo stored away In
some safe and secure place, to be
taken out only on occasion.
Thus It happened that Mrs. Nich
olas Longworth, the daughter of for
mer President Roosevelt, and wife of
tho distinguished Ohio representative,
had presented to her among many
other gifts, two llttlo monkeys, who
lost no mite In sustaining their repu
tation for mischievous antics, and
they kept the Longworth household
In a panic as to "what was going to happen next. They wero too nimble and
quick to bo punished for the ovll of their ways, and so, week In and week
out tho monkeys had a lovely tlmo of It. When Mr. and Mrs. Longworth t
entertained, tho little creatures wero shut up behind lock and key, and usual
ly wore themselves out In tholr effort to break through, and went to sleep
In consequence, from sheer exhaustion.
This had always Insured tho success of a party, without any disturbing
Interruptions, until ono fateful night when Mrs. Longworth looked up to dis
cover a monkey grinning at her from the top of a picture. It was only a
second until the other one climbed up tho corner of the cloth, nnd snatched
a fow nuts from somo of tho panic-stricken guests. His partner In crime
leaped from tho picture and perched himself upon tho shoulder of a guest,
nnd tho details of what followed are pot laid down in tho directions given
to polite society as to how to entertain.
"But," laughed a guest not long ago, "I shall nevor forget how utterly
funny It was, nor how wo all enjoyed It, just as soon as we were assured the
nKnkeys would not eat us." ,
Story of the Tails Worn by Nigerian Women
THERE dwell In the remotest part of Nigeria, not yet under the complete
control of tho British, several tribes whoso women wear tails and are
proud of them. The information came to the National Geographic society
tho other day In a letter from Maj. A.
fiber, platted or bound together with string nnd usually stained with a red
earth, which la also used for tho further adornment of tho lady's body," Major
Tromearno said. "Sometimes a KaJJl matron who desires to bo a leader In
tho fashlonablo world, will wear a tiny Iron boll just abovo tho tall, but this
is of roro occurrence and the bell Is nt often seen.
"To add further to their beauty, both the upper and lower lips of these
women are pierced In order to admit a flat, round disc of wood called the
Tlchlak, which Is usually about the size of a half-dollar. Tho object of this
singularly discomforting adornmont is to prevent the women from eating
c"ogs, which are considered the greatest delicacy by tho men of tho tribes.
Both soxea decorate their bodies with regular designs. When girls arrive at
marriageable age, two sotB of parallel lines are cut both on tho chest and
tho back, and as soon as possible after marriage headlines aro made. These
consist of a number of short cuts across the forehead."
Senator Smith Names Hotter Place Than Capital
HEAT has no terrors for Senator Mark Smith of Arizona, though ho sug
gested tho other night there was prospect that tho members of the
sonnto might get overheated and cut short tho session. Senator Smith llvesi
In a hot country that Is hot. '
"Yuma, Ariz., Is said to bo the
hottost place In tho United States,"
remarked Senator Smith. "I don't
think I over saw tho thermometer
hlghor than 125 degrees, but, bless
you, thero's a hotter place In Califor
nia than Yuma. Down on tho shores
of the Snlton sea. when) It is ISO feet
below tho sen levol. I havo seen tho
merciry at 116 degrees at ono o'clock
In tho morning. But neither nt Yuma
nor In tho Salton sea is tho weather
so oppressive when the thermometer registers Its highest ns It 13 In Wash
ington at this tlmo.
"Thoro Isn't a drop of humidity In Yuma, and 125 degrees thero is not
moro burdensome than 98 degrees In this city. Ono can walk through a.
clover Held In that country at sunrise and not got the soles of his shoeB
even damp.
"I haven't been through the Salton sea section, for two years. Then tho
water was receding ot the rato of 15 feet a year. Onco tho Salton sea was a
huge body of water, 100 feet deep."
but Is for the telephone lines betweon.
theso two cities and the hundreds of
intermediate points.
Tho crying necessity for this Bub
way was emphasized at tho tlmo of
tho Inauguration of President Taft In.
1909 when tho national capital was
cut off from communication with the
outside world for several hours by as
bovero sleet storm. Tho Interruption
in the service caused the telephone
J. N. Tremearne, who has served
there both as a political and police
officer. Theso tails, ho said, play an
Important part In tho Bocial life of
tho people, for they aro tho sign of
matronly dignity. A woman, on be
coming a bride, casts away a simple
girdle of twisted, grass, which up to
that tlmo has been her solo ndorn
ment, and begins to wear an apron
of leaves and a fancy tall,
"Theso tails aro mado of palm
)
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