. The Hemin Herald. l VOLUME IV. IIEMINGtfORD, BOX BUTTE COUNTY, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 1898. NUMBER 9. gford h I h V 11 ft, Jo . T ''V fk- THE MESSAGE. PRESIDENT IS OPPOSED TO RECOGNITION. FOR ARMED INTERVENTION. ASKS CONGRESS TO GRANT ARMED FORCE TO END WAR. Responsibility fortho Maine Horror Remains to be Flxod Says Rec ognition of Cubans Would Not Bring Peaco Awaits Action of Congress. Washington, D. C, April 11. The president today sent the following mes sage to the congress of the United States: Obedient to the precept of the consti tution which commands the presi dent to give from time to time the congress information of the state of the union, and to recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall Judge necessary and expedient, it becomes my duty now to address your body with regard to the grave crisis that has arisen in the relations of the United States to Spain by reason of the warfare that for more than three years has raged in the neighborhood Isl land of Cuba. IT AFFECTS US. I do so because of the Intimate con nection of the Cuban question with the state of our own union, and the grave relation the course which is now incumbent upon the nation to adopt must needs bear to the traditional policy of our government, If it is to ac cord with the precepts laid down by the founders of the tepubllc and relig iously observed by succeeding admin istrations to the present day. The pres ent revolution is but the successor ot other similar insurrections which have occurred in Cuba against the dominion of Spain, extending over a period of nearly half a century, each of which, during its progress, lias subjected the United States to great effort and ex pense In enforcing its neutrality laws, caused enormous losses to the Ameri can trade and commetce, cuused irri tation, annoyance and disturbance among our citizens, and by the exercise of cruel, barbarous und uncivilized practices of warfare, shocked the sen sibilities and offended the humane sympathies of our people. A BARBAROUS WARFARE. Since the present revolution began in February, 1&95, this country has seen the fertile domain at our threshold ruv uged by lire and sword in the course of a struggle unequuled in the history of the island and nirely paralleled us to the number of combatants and bit terness ot the contest by any revolution of modern times where a dependent people, striving to be free, hae been opposed by the power of the sovereign state. Our people have beheld a once prosperous community reduced to com parative want, us commeice virtually paralyzed, its exceptional productive ness diminished, its fields laid waste, its mills In ruins and its people perish ing by tens of thousands from liunger and starvation. We have found our selves constrained in the observance of that strict neutrality which our laws enjoin and which the law of nations enjoins, to police our own waters and watch our own seaports In prevention of any unlawtul act in aid of the Cu bans. OUIl OWN UNREST. .Our trade has suffered so that the capital invested by our citizens in Cu ba has been largely lost and the for bearance of our people has been so se verely tried as to beget a perilous un rest among our own citizens, which has Inevitably found Its expression from time to time In the natlonul leg islature, so that issues wholly external to our own body politic engross atten tion and stand m the way uf that close devotion to domestic advancement that becomes a self-contented common wealth whose primal maxim has been the avoidance of all foreign entangle ments. All this must needs awaken, and has indeed moused, the utmost concern on the part of this government as well during my predecessor's term as my own. AN INHUMAN WAKFAHE. In April, 1S9C, the evils from which our country suffers through the Cuban war became so onerous that my prede cessor made an effort to bring about a peace through the mediation of this government In any wny that might tend to an honorable adjustment of the con teat between Spain and her reolted colony on the basis of some effective scheme of self-government for Cuba under the llag and sovereignty of Spain. It failed through the refusal of the Spanish government then In power to consider any form of mediation, or, indeed, any plan of settlement which did not begin with the actual submis sion of the insurgents to the mother country, and then only on such terms as Spain herself might see fit to grant. The war continued unabated. The re sistance of the lnsui gents wns In no wise diminished. AN INHUMAN POLICY. The offorts of Spain were inoreased, both by the dispatch of fresh levies to Cuba and by the addition to the hor rors 'of the strife of a new and Inhu man phnse happily unprecedented In the modern history of civilized Chris tian peoples. The policy of devastation and concentration, inaugurated by the Captain Generals Bando of October 10, 189G, In the province of Plnar del lUo, was thence extended to embrace all of the Island to which the power of the Spanish arms was able to reach by occupation or by military opera tions. The peasantry, Including all dwelling In the open agricultural In terior, were driven Into the garrison towns or isolated places held by the troops. The raising and movement of provisions of all kinds were Interdicted. The fields were laid waste, dwellings unroofed and fired, mills destroyed, and, in short, everything that could desolate the land and render it unfit for human inhabitation or support was commanded by one or the othor of the contending powers at their disposal. By the time the present administra tion took office a year ago reconcentra tlon so called had been made effec tive over the better part of the- four central and western provinces, Santa Clara, Matanzas, Havana and Plnar del Hlo. The agricultural population, to the estimated number of 300,000 or more, was herded within the towns nnd their immediate vicinage, de prived of the means of support, ren dered destitute of shelter, left poorly clad and exposed to the most unsani tary conditions. DEATH HATE INCREASED. As the scarcity ot food Increased with the devastation of the depopulated areas of production, destitution nnd want became misery and starvation. Month by month the death rate In creased In nn alarming ratio. By March, 1897, according to conservative estimates from official Spanish sources, the mortality nmong the reconccntrn dos from starvation nnd the diseases thereto Incident, exceeded t0 per cent um of their total number. No practical relief was accorded to the destitute. The overburdened towns, already suf fering from the general dearth, could give no aid. SPANISH CHARITY. So-called zones of cultivation, estab lished within the Immediate area of effective military control about the cities and forttfled camps proved Illu sory as a remedy for the suffering. The unfortunate, being for the most part women and children with aged and helpless men, enfeebled by disease and hunger coufd not have tilled the soil, without tools, seed or shelter for their own support or for the supply of tho cities. Reconccntratlon adopted avowedly as a war measue In order to cut off the resources of the Insurgents, worked Its predestined result. As I said In my mesage of last December, it was not civilized warfare; It was extermination. The only peace It could beget was that of the wilderness nnd the grave. Meanwhile the military situation In the Island has undergone a notlcable change. The extraordinary activity that characterized the second year of the war, when the Insurgents Invaded even the hitherto unharmed fields of Plnar del Rio and carried havoc and destitution up to the walls of the city of Havana Itself, had relapsed Into a dogged struggle In the central and eastern provinces. The Spanish armB regained a measure of control In Plnar del Rio and parts of Havana, but un der the existing conditions of the rural country without Immediate Improve ment ot their productive situation, icvi-ii thus imrtlally restricted the rev- olutlonlsts held their own and their submission, put forward by Spain as the essential and sole basis of peace, seemed as far distant as at the outset. At this state of affairs, my administra tion found itself confronted with the grave problem of Its duty. My mes sages of last December reviewed the situation and detailed the steps taken with a view of relieving Its acutcness and opening the way to some form ot honorable settlement. The nssasslnation of the prime min ister. Canovas. led to a change of gov ernment In Spain. The former admin istration pledged the subjugation with out concession, gave place to that of a more liberal party, committed long In advance to a policy of reform In volving the wider principle of home rule for Cuba and Porto Rico. The over tures of this government came through their own envoy and General Wood ford nnd looking to an Immediate and effective amelioration of the condition of the Island, although not accepted to the extent of admitted mediation In any shape, were met by assurances that home rule In an ndvnnced phase would be forthwith offered to Cuba without waiting for the war to end, nnd that more humane methods should henceforth prevail In the conduct of hostilities. Incidentally with these declarations, the new government of Spain continued by its predecessor ot testifying friendly regaid for this nation by releasing American citizens held under one charge or another connected with the insurrection, so that, by the end of November not a single person entitled In any way to our national protection remained In a Spanish prison. While these negotiations were In pi-ogress the Increasing destitution of the unfortunate reconcentrados and the alarming mortnlity among them claimed earnest attention. The suc cess which hnd attained the limited measure of relief extended to the suf fering American citizens nmong them by the Judicious expenditures through the consular agencies of the money appropriated expressly for their succor by the Joint resolution approved May 24, 1897, prompted the humane ex tension of a similar scheme or aid to the great body of sufferers. A sug gestion to this end wus acquiesced In by the Spanish authorities. FEED SPAIN'S VICTIMS. On the 21th of December last I caused to be Issued an appeal to the American people, Inviting contribu tions in money or food for the suc cor of the starving sufferers in Cuba. Following this on the Stli of January by a similar public announcement of the formation of a central Cuban relief committee, with headquarters In New Yoik city, composed of three members, lepresentlng the American National Red Cross and the religious and busi ness elements of the community. The efforts of that committee have been untiring ami accomplished much. Ar rangements for free transportation to Cuba have greatly aided the charit able work. The president of the Ameri can Red Cross and the representatives of other contributory organizations have generously visited Cuba and co operated with the consul general and the local authorities to make offeetlve distribution of the relief collected through the efforts ot the central com mittee. Nearly $200,000 in money and supplies has alreaay reached the suf ferers, and more Is forthcoming. The supplies ate admitted lre of duty and transportation to the Interior has been arranged, so that the relief, at first necessarily confined to Havana and the larger cities, Is now extended through most. If not all, of tho towns where suffering exists. Thousands of lives have already been saved. The neces sity for a change In the condition of the reconcentrados is recognized by the Spanish government. Within a few days past the orders of General Wey lor have been revoked, the reconcen trados are, It Is said, to be pormltted to return to their homes and aided to resume the self-supporting pursuits of peace; public works have been ordered to give them employment, and a sum of tCOO.OOO has been appropriated for their relief. WHAT THE END MUST BE. , The war In Cuba Is ot such a nature that, short of subjugation or extermina tion, a final military victory for either side seems Impracticable. The alterna tive lies In the physical exhaustion ot tho one or the other, or perhaps ot both a condition which In effect ended the ten years' war by the truce of Znn Jon. Tho prospect of such a protrac tion nnd conclusion of the present strife Is a contingency hardly to bo contem plated with equanimity by the civilized world, the least ot nil by the United States, affected and Injured na we are, deeply and intimately, by Its very -'x Isteneo. HIS DUTY AS HE SEES IT. Realizing this, it nppears to be my duty, In a spirit of true friendliness, no lens to Spain than to the Cubans, who have so much to lose by the pro. longatlon of the struggle, to seek to bring about an Immediate termination of the war. To this end I submitted. onfjBf the United States and Texas, our the 27th ult,, as a result of much repre sentatlon and corespondence. through the United States minister at Madrid, propositions to the Spanish government looking to an armlstlco until October 1. for the negotiation of pence, with the good olllces of the president. In addition I asked the Immediate revocation of the order of reconcentru tlon, so ns to permit tho people to re turn to their farms nnd the needy to be relieved with provisions and supplies from the United States, co-operating with the Spanish authorities, so as to afford full relief. The reply to the Spanish cabinet was tecelved on the night of tho :ilst ulti mo. It offers, ns the means to bring about peace In Cuba, to confide the preparation thereof to the Insulni de partment, Inasmuch ns the concurence of that body would be necessary to reach a final result; it being, however, understood that the powers reserved by the constitution to the central gov ernment are not Icsened or diminished. As the Cuban parliament does not meet until the 4th of May next, the Spanish government would not object, for Us part, to accept at once a sus pension of hostilities, If asked for by the Insurgents from the general-ln-chlef, to whom It would pertain, In such case, to determine the duration and conditions of the armistice. The propositions submitted by Gen eral Woodford and the reply of the form of brief memoranda, the texts of which are before me and are sub stantially In the language above given. Tho function of the Cuban parliament In the matter of "preparing" peace and the manner of Us doing so aie not ex pressed In the Spanish memorandum; but from General Woodford's explana tory reports of preliminary discussions preceding the final conference It Is un dei stood that the Spanish government stnnds ready to give the Insular con gress full powers to settle the terms of ponce with the Insurgents, whether by direct negotiations or Indirectly by means of legislation does not appear With this last overture In the direc tion of lmmedlnte peace and Us disap pointing reception by Spain, the tt ecutive wns brought to the end ot hit effort. in my annual message ot December last I said: "Of the untried measures theie re main: Recognition of tho Insurgents ns belligerents; recognition of the Inde pendence of Cuba; neutral Interven tion; to end wai by Imposing. a rational and Intervention in favor ot one or the other party." QUOTES GRANT. I speak not of forcible annexation, for that cannot be thought of. That, by our code of morality, would be crim inal aggression. Thereupon, I review od these alternatives. In the light of Presi dent Grant's measured words, uttered In lS"r., when, after seven years of san guinary, destructive and cruel bar barities In Cuba, he reached the conclu sion that the recognition of the Inde dependence of Cuba was Imprnetlble and Indefensible; and that the recogni tion of belligerence was not warranted by the facts according to the tests of public law. I commented especially upon the lat ter aspect of the question, pointing out the Inconveniences and positive dangers of a recognition of belligerency, whlr-h, while adding to the already onerous burdens of neutrality within our own Jurisdiction, could not In uny way ex tend our Influence or effective olllces in the territory of hostilities. Nothing has since occurred to change my vle.vs In this regard, and I recognize as fully now as then that the Issuance of a proclamation of neutrality, by which process the so-called recognition of bel ligerence Is published, could of Itself and unattended by other action, ac complish nothing toward the one end for which we labor, the Instant pacifi cation of Cuba and the cessation of hostilities. QUESTION OF INTERVENTION. Turning to the question of Interven tion at this time, the independence oj the present Insurgent government in Cubu, we find safe precedents In ,our history from an early day. They .ire well summed up In President Jackson's message to congress, December 21. 1820, on the subject of recognition of the Independence of Texas. He said: "In all the contentions that have arisen out of the revolutions of France, out of the disputes relating to the ou-ws of Portugnl and Spain, out of the sepa ration of the American possession, of both from the European governments, and out of the numerous and constantly occurring struggles for dominion in Spanish America, so wisely consistent with out Just principles has been the action of our government that we hae, under the most critical circumstances, avoided all censuie and encountered no other evil than that pioduced by a transient re-estrangement of good will In those against whom we have been, by force of evldonce, compelled to de cide. "it lias thus made known to the world that the uniform policy and practice ot the United States Is to avoid all interference In disputes which merely relate to tho Internal government of other nations, and eventually to recog nize the authority of tho prevailing party without reference to our partic ular Interests nnd views or to the merits of tho original controversy. But on this, as on every othor occasion, safety Is to bo found In rigid adher ence to the principle. "In the contest betwoon Spain and the revolted colonies we stood aloof and waited not only until the ability of the new statea to proreot themselves was fully established, but until tho danger of their being again subjugated had entirely pnssed away. Then, and not until then, were they recognized, StU'h wns our course In regard to Mcx- co herself. THE TEXAS PRECEDENT. It Ih true that with regard to Texas tin- civil authority of Mexico hns been expelled, Us invading army defeated, the Chief of tho republic himself cap tured, and all present power to control the newly organized government of to day annihilated within Its confines. But on the other hnnd there Is, In ap pearance at least, nn Immense dis parity of physical force on the side of Texas. Tho Mexican republic under another executive Is rallying lis forces under a new leader and menacing a fresh Invasion to recover Its lost do mnln. "Upon the Issue of this threatened In. vaslon, the Independence of Texas may be considered as suspended, and were there nothing peculiar In the situation acknowledgement of Us independence ,at such a crisis should scarcely be re garded as consistent wun uiai pruueni reserve with which we have hitherto held ourselves bound to treat all slim lar questions." Thereupon Andrew Jackson proceed ed to consider the risk that there might be Imputed to the United States' motives of selfish Interests In view of the former claim on our part to the ter ritory of Texas and of the avowed pur pose of the Texuns In seeking recogni tion of Independence as nn Incident to tho Incoiporutlou of Texas In the union; concluding thus: "Prudence, therefore, seems to dic tate that wo should still stand aloof and maintain our propent attitude, If not until Mexico Itself, or one of the great foreign powers shall recognize th Independence of the new govern ment, nt lensf until the lapse of time or the course of events shall have pioved beyond cavil or dispute the ability of the people of that country to maintain their separate sovereignty and to uphold the government consti tuted by them. Neither of tho con tending parties can unjustly complain of this course. By pursuing It, we nre but cnrrylng out the long established policy of our government, a policy which has secured to us respect and Inlluence nbrond and Inspired confi dence at home." Those are the words of the resolute and patriotic Jackson. They are evi dence that the United States, In addi tion to the tost Imposed by public law as to the condition of the recognition of Independence by-noutrnl state (to wit, that the revolted state shall "con stltute In fact a body politic having a government In substance, ns well as name, possessed of the elements of sta bility and forming do fncto, If lett to Itself, a state among the nations rea sonably cajmble of discharging the du ties of slate) with the observation that If the measure obtains a successful end then our ends as a pence-loving people will be reached. RECOGNITION NOT DUE. If It falls It will only be another justl Jlcatlon, for our Justified action has Im posed for Its own goverance. In deal ing with cases like these, the further condition that recognition of independ ent statehood Is not due to a revolted dependency until the danger of Its being again subjugnted by the parent state has entirely passed away. This extreme test wns, In fnct, applied In the case ot Texas. The congres to whom President Jackson refored the ques tion as "one probably leading to war," and therefore a proper subject for a "previous understanding with that body by whom Avar alone can be declared, and by whom all the provisions for suhtnlnlng Us perils must be furnished," left the matter of the recognition of Texas to the executive, providing mere ly for sending a diplomatic agent, when the president should be satisfied that the republic ot Texas has become "an Independent stnte." It wns so recognized by President Van Buren, who commissioned a charge de nffnlres March 17, 1837, after Mexico had abandoned nn attempt to recon quer the Texas territory, and then there wns at the time no bona fide con test going on between the Insurgent province and Its former sovereign. I said In my messnge of December Inst: "It Is to bo seriously considered whether tho Cubnn Insurrection pos sesses beyond dispute the nttrlbutes of statehood which alone can demand the recognition of belligerency In Its favor." Tho same requirement must certainly bo no less seriously considered when the graver Issue of recognizing Inde pendence Is In question, for no less positive test can be applied to the greater act than to the lesser, while, on the other hnnd, the Influences and con sequences of the struggle upon tho In ternal policy of the recognizing state, form Important factors when the recog nition of belligerency Is concerned, nie secondary If not rightly llllmlnable fac tors when the real question is whether the community claiming lecognltlon Is or Is not Independent beyond perad vonture. OPPOSES RECOGNITION. Nor from the standpoint of expedi ence do 1 think It would be wise or prudent for this government to recog nize at the present time therfndepend onee of the so-called Cuban republic. Such lecognltlon Is pot neoesenry In order to enable the United States to Intervene and pacify the Island. To commit this country to the recognition of any particular government In Cuba 'might subject us to embarrassing con ditions of International obligation to ward the organization so recognized. In case of Intervention our conduct would be subjected to the aproval or disapproval of such government and we would be required to submit to its direction and nssume to it the mere relation of a friendly ally. When It shall appear hereafter that there Is within the Island a government capa ble of performing tho duties and dis charging the functions of a separate nation and having, as a matter of fact, tho pioper forms and attributes of na tionality, such government can be promptly and readily recognized nnd the relations and Interests of the United States with such nation adjusted. There remain the alternative forms cf intervention to end war, cither as an Impartial neutral by Imposing a ra tional compromise between the contest ants, or as tho active ally of the one party or the other. As to the first It Is not to be forgot ton that during the last few months the relation of the United States has virtually been one of filendly Interven tion In many ways ways, not so con clusive, but all tending to the exertion of a potential Inllucnco toward an ul timate pacific result Just nnd honorable to all Interests concerned. The spirit of nil our nets hitherto has been nn earnest, utiBelllsh deslro for peaco and prosperity In Cuba, untarnished by dif ferences between us and Spain, and un stained by tho blood of American citi zens. FORCIBLE INTERVENTION. The forcible Intervention of tho United States as a neutral to'Btop the war, ac cording to the largo dictates of hu manity nnd following many historical precedents where neighboring states have Interfered to check the hopeless sacrifice of Hfo by Internecine conlllcts beyond their borders, Is Justifiable on national grounds. It Involves, however, hostile constraint upon both tho par ties In the contest, as well to enforce n truce ns to guide the eventful settle ment. Tho grounds for such Interven tion may bo brlelly suipmarlzod as fol lows: CAUSE OF HUMANITY. First-In the cause of humanity and to put an end to the barbarities, blood shed, starvation nnd horrible miseries now existing there, and which the parties to the conflict are either una ble or unwilling to stop or mitigate. It Is no answer to say this Is all In another country, belonging to another nation and Is therefore none of our business. It Is specially our duty for It Is light at our door. Second We owe It to our citizens in Cuba to afford them Hint protection and Indemnity for llfo and property which no government there can or will afford, and to that end to terminate the conditions that deprive them of legal protection. Third The right to lntcrveno may be justified by the very serious Injury to tho commerce, trade and business of our people and tho wanton destruction of property and devastation ot tho Island. Fourth And which Is of the utmost Importance the present condition ot uffiiirs In Cuba Is a. constant mennce to our pence and entails upon this government tut- enormous expense. With such a conflict waged for years In nn Island so near us and with which our people have such trade and busi ness relations when the lives nnd lib erty of our citizens are In constant danger and their property destroyed and themselves ruined where our trading vessels are liable to seizure anil aie seized at our very door by war ships of a foreign nation, the expedi tions of filibustering that we nre power less to prevent altogether and the Irri tating question and entanglements thus ailslng all these and others that I need not mention, with the resulting strained relations, are a constant men ace to our pence and compel us to keep on it semi-war footing with a nation with which we nre at peace. These elements of danger nnd dis order already pointed have been strlk Inly Illustrated by a tragic event which hns deeply and Justly moved tho Ameticnn people. I have already trans mitted to congress the report of the naval hoard or Inquiry on the destruc tion of the battleship Maine In the har bor of Havana during the night of the llith of February. The destruction of that noble vessel Iuib filled the na tional heart with Inexpressible horror. Two hundred anil fifty-eight brave sail ors and marines and two officers of our navy, reposing In the fancied se curity of a friendly harbor, have bron hurled to death, grief and want brought to their homes and sorrow to tho nation. The naval board of Inquiry, which It Is needless to Bay commands the un qualified confidence of the government, was unanimous In Its conclusion that the destruction of the Mnlno was caused by an exterior explosion, that of a submarine mine. It did not assume to place the re sponsibility. That remains to be fixed. AN INTOLERABLE CONDITION. In any event, the destruction of the Maine, by whatever exterior force, Is a patent and Imprcslvc proof of a stnte of things In Cuba that Is Intolerable That condition Is thus shown to be such that the Spanish government cannot as sure safety and security to a vessel of the American navy In the hnrbor of Havana on a mission of pence, and rightfully theie. Further, referring, In this connection, to recent diplomatic corespondence, a dispatch from our minister to Spain of tho 20 th ult., contained the statement that the Spanish minister for foreign affairs assures him positively that Spain will do all that the highest honor and Justice requires In the matter of the Maine. The reply above referred to, of the 31st ult., also contained an expression of the .readiness of Spain to submit to nn arbitration all the differ ences -which can arise In this matter, which is subsequently explained by the note of the Spanish minister at Wash ington of the 10th inst., ns follows: "As to the question of fact which springs from tho diversity of viows from the report of the American nnd Spanish boards, Spain proposes that the fnct be ascertained by nn Impartial Investigation by exper's, which decis ion Spain accepts in advance." To this I made, no reply. One of the simplest burglar alarms 'cently patented consists of a metal dink on which Is mounted a spring situated hammer, which Is held oien by pressing twj metal strljw together nnd Insertlnir them in a crack in the door or window, the hammer descend ing as soon ns the strips are released and explodi.i a tap or cartridge. A German Inventor has designed a ventilated shoe for summer wear in which the major portion of the upper Is cut In thin slnps, In which are plaited or Interwoven cross-strips sewed at each end of the upper, a lining of can vas or other porous and absorbent fabric supporting the strips. Dlnnor palls are being fitted with balls which will permit their attach ment to the top bar of a bicycle frame, the ball having a circular spring formed on either side close to the pall, with spring braces extending to the cover to prevent a suddon Jar or swing. Umbrellas are prevented from drip ping water over the floor when Inverted by a neat little rubber device formod of a cone with an opening In the ,ponk which slips over the tip of the umbrella and acts as a oup to catch tne water. THE CUBAN RELIEF TRAIN. CHEERS GREET ITS PROGRESS THROUGH NEBRASKA. Plnttsmouth Turns Out, nnd Union, nnd Nobraska City -Covered with Banners Whnt It Contained -Pour Cars of Meat. fc Omnha, Neb., April 10. Tho interest and enthusiasm mnnlfcsted at the de pot in Omaha over tho Cuban relief train wns Intensified many fold all along the Missouri Pacific line, while people congregated to witness tho pass ing of the train. Tho bluffs bordering tho track out along Sherman avenue, were black with sightseers who fran tically waved handkerchiefs and Bhout- O cd themselves hoarse. Tho children from tho Saratoga Bchool were out In a body, and the platform at Oak Chat- . ham station wns crowded. At Druid Hill an even larger number thronged close to the track, nnd nearly every one of tho number was armed with a ling, which was vigorously wielded. The Iiko and Hamilton street via ducts wero mnssed of people and their cheering drowned the rumble of tho train. Porches wero dotted with from two to halt a dozen animated beings, each of whom gave evidence of their Btrong Cuban sympathies by waving handkerchiefs, which could bo seen in many instances when the outlines of tho waver could bo barely discerned. At Walnut Hill and West SIdo sta tions all avnllnble spaco was occupied on both Bides of tho track and not for an Instant of tho two-mlnuto stop at tho latter place did the hubbub subside. Not less than 10,000 people turned out to see tho train between tho upper end of the Omnha yards and tho Union Pa cific switch nt South Omnha, where tho pusher which had helped over grades out of Omaha was detached. No stop was made at South Omahu, but 1.C0O people elbowed each other there as they shouted their approval. THE SOLDIERS CHEER IT. As the train thundered by Fort Crook the soldier boys were out In forco and they Joined In the greeting that by this time enme to be looked for as a matter of course. A brief stop was made to register, and when ono enthusiastic blue coat yelled, "I wish we wero going with you." It was repeated by a chorus of "You bet." and "Thnt'B what!" The train reached Plattsmouth thirty minutes late, owing to the enormouH weight that wns strung out behind the engine, but Plattsmouth had waited pa tiently, and was represented by an Im mense delegation at the depot. The Plattsmouth car was speedily given the place at the head of the train, to which It was entitled. Not nlono by the 48,000 pounds of provisions provided by the people, but by the beauty and com pleteness of Its decorations. The car was completely covered with hannera nnd bunting. At the top wus the ban ner sent from Omaha and nt the bottom another, equally large, bearing tho words: "Donated by tho citizens oC Plnttsmouth, Neb." The Intervening space was covered with bunting, nnd not a square Inch of the car was visible. Festoons and ro settoB of bunting dotted the space not covered with lettering, and lings wero attaehed wherever such a thing was possible. Enthusiastic photographer and enmera fiends were out In force, nnd one party waxed eloquent because he obtained a ten by twelve picture It wns at Union that the enthusiasm seemed to reach the limit; the whole population of that town was at the de pot. A spuco had beon roped off to keep the little folks from crowding up on the track, and there they were lined up striving to outyell their elders as the train rolled In. No sooner had tho line of cars come to a standstill than a long banner was produced from some where ns If by magic, and In less time than It takes to write It that banner wns so securely nailed to a car that a team of horsos will be required to r)ult It off. They did not wait to pick out any particular car, and the one that happened to stop In front of the center of the crowd now bears a long white banner, stretching Its entire length, and bearing In artistic lettering the follow ing inscription: "Union's greeting for Cuban's Relief Train. Hurrah for Nebraska, tho World-Herald and Free Cuba or Fight." After the banner had been tightly se cured by slats, securely nailed around the edges of the" strip, men vied with each other In pushing children and wo man up to the car to lot them drive an additional tack as evidence of their sentiment and patriotism. There were fully forty hammers in the crowd, and It was evident that it meant business from the start. It war breaks out Un ion can be depended on for several reg iments It It turns out troops In propor tion to Its Cuban onthuslnsm. It wns after leaving Plattsmouth that the first sign of trouble n pen red, and for a few minutes It looked ns though the latest acquisition would be tho straw to break the railway ba'U. The hill out of Plattsmouth Is a hard one and before Us top was reached the much-vaunted No. S34 began to look like an overrated machine. The fire man shoveled coal until he was black In the face, much deeper than his com plexion, nud the engineer, Moran, look ed correspondingly glum. In spite of all that could be done tint speed grew slower ami slower until Just as the train tamo almost to a. standstill the engine pushed her pilot Inch by Inch over the brow ot the hill and the agony ended. "Won by an eyelash," said the sporty fireman, while the engineer drew a lone breath and remnrked: "It's a mighty good thing a sparrow didn't light on that train." It was none too soon, for Just then the drops ot rain that had been threatening began to fall and the slippery track meant immediate trou ble. At the next stop a telegraphic re quest was made for another pusher to help over the Nebraska City hill and the Lincoln passenger train, then duo at Union, was held back to afford this service. A delay of an hour and a quarter was met with before reaching Nebraska City, to wait for a pile outfit to got out of the way, and the county seat of Otoe county was finally reached at 8:45, two hours and a quarter be hind the schedule. il - iiii mttnwhm i-MiW-lfto. ,