Conservative *
Nebraska during
vi KOUA i N t , - . * . I * - - . ,
the Civil War at-
furnish first-class lieutenant
toiuptcd to a -
ant for the First Nebraska Regiment in
the person of Victor Vifquain , who had
been educated in the polytechnic schools
of Brussels and Paris. But the terri
torial governor , Alvin Saunders , de
clined to commission the young French
man and so Governor Richard Yates
employed him as a teacher of military
tactics and drillmaster at Springfield ,
Illinois. In a few months Vifquain by
his ability , promptness , and many sol
dier-like qualities and acquirements be
came famous among the patriotic re
cruits of Illinois and so impressed Gov
ernor Yates that he gave him a com
mission as lieutenant.
Fighting alongside of a Now York
regiment which lost its colonel in battle
Vifqunin by his courage became so con
spicuous that the New Yorkers voted
him their colonel. From that day on to
the close of the Civil War Vifquain was
in the fore and an enthusiast in the pur
suit of dangers , battles and renown.
At Blakely , a fortification of Mobile ,
under orders from General Canby , Col
onel Vifquain charged a confederate
battery which , from an eminence , was
pouring an avalanche of death upon the
Union troops. With defiant courage
and patriotic determination , after the
loss of hundreds of his bravo comrades ,
Vifquain , sword in hand , scaled the
works of the enemy and reared on high
the starr } ' banner of the republic and
made his capture of the outpost com
plete , superb.
General Canby commended his gal
lantry. Congress passed a special reso
lution of thanks and gave him a medal
commemorative of his bravery and suc
cess and Abraham Lincoln commissioned
him a brigadier-general.
During President Cleveland's first
administration Victor Vifquain was
consul in Central America. His lingu
istic acquirements ho speaks French ,
Spanish and English together with his
good native ability and his experience of
Europe and the United States combined
with suave and most agreeable manners
made him an efficient , popular and
most useful officer of the government.
President Harrison superseded Victor
Vifquaiua brigadier in the Union army ,
with Captain Sims of the Confederate
army so that the general in "blue" re
tired to make place for the captain in
"gray. "
But President Cleveland , when he
began his second term as chief execu
tive of the United States , did not forget
Victor Vifquain and when that name
was mentioned to him by a member of
his cabinet said :
"Oh , I remember him. He did well ,
very well indeed , at Colon. He is an
able and Avorthy man and we must so-
euro his services again. " r
In accordance with that estimate of
his character Vifquaiiuwas rnado consul-
general at Panama and with honor , fi
delity and great efficiency ho discharged
all the duties of that important mission.
But Vifquain , who never in war sur
rendered to the gallant soldiers in gray ,
was again superseded by a confederate
officer whom President McKinley ap
pointed soon after his inauguration to
take the place of consul-general at Pan
ama. The love for "the boys in blue"
Was not so ardent with Harrison and
McKinley as their fervid desire for po
litical power in the South.
Victor Vifquain is now colonel of
the Third Nebraska Regiment and prob
ably on route for Havana. Wherever
that regiment may go , whatever adver
saries it may confront it will find vic
tory and glory by following Vifquain or
it will find defeat and death. Vifquain
is a soldi or by birth , by heredity , by
education and by experience on the field.
TIIK SAI/T 3IINJ3S OK AVIKMCKXA.
The mines of Wielickza date back to
10-J4 , and now have a length of over two
and three-quarter miles. Above stands a
large , gray building , containing the of
fices of those in charge of the mining
operations. This building is interesting
principally because it contains a largo
number of caps and uniforms worn by
various royal persons , Austriau and
otherwise , who have descended into this
subterranean city. They are each la
belled with the name of the visitor and
the day of descent. In early times , this
descent was made in a shaft worked by
horsepower , but a hydraulic lift is now
in use. Some visitors prefer , however ,
to descend on long , slanting stairways
cut in the solid salt. Almost blinded by
the darkness , and frightened by the
eerie echo of his own footsteps , the vis
itor first enters some colossal chambers
hollowed out by the laborer in the ordin
ary coxirso of mining after a plan laid
down by some master mind. He almost
loses himself in the expanse of.thoLetow
ball room , which , with its solid mural
decoration , illuminated galleries , stal
wart pillars , and shining chandeliers , is
indeed a fit and welcome chamber for
loArers of the dance.
In its history , which dates back to
1750 , Avhon it was dedicated to Lotowski ,
the chief of mines at that time , it has
witnessed many remarkable gatherings.
These have taken place on royal visits ,
or for the entertainment of distinguished
guests. One end of the room is adorned
with a colossal Austrian eagle and with
transparencies painted on slabs of salt.
In an alcove at the other end of the
room stands a throne of green , the crys
tals of which flash a green and ruby-
red. It is on this that the emperor sits
when he comes to the mines. The ball
room lies at a distance of 216 feet below
the surface , being the first of seven
stories in the mine. Three of these
stories only are open to visitors , as they
alone contain the marvels visitors go
to see , and are called "Bono , " "Kaiser
Fran/ , " and "Er/her/og Albrecht , "
respectively , the last two being named
in honor of celebrated Austrians. From
"ho scene of gaiety and splendor it is
but a step to the homo of quietude and
prayer. Here , oil' one of the main pas
sages , is the noted St. Anthony's Chapel ,
the resort of thousands of the devout
since it was hewn in Hi98. The interior
is beautified by an altar showing the
Crucifixion , and on the steps of the altar
arc the forms of two kneeling monks.
On the sides of the chapel may bo seen
smaller altars and statues of saints.
Many times each year the priests of the
district perform their pious duties in
this simple chapel , not only in mem
ory of St. Anthony himself , but as a tri
bute to the minor who , unaided and
persevering , built the chapel as it
stands today. The blocks of salt which
ho dug out have disappoai'od , but the
lifework of the nameless laborer may
last till the end of time. Strand Maga-
/inc.
NI ) CAJ'TUUK1 > HAVANA.
While so much is said about the im
propriety of letting go our hold upon
Cuba it is of interest to recall a very
significant episode in the history of
Havana.
More than a hundred years ago to bo
exact , on the 6th day of Juno,17G2 there
arrived off the port of Havana an Eng
lish squadron of thirty-two ships and
frigates with two hundred transports.
Upon board this fleet wore twenty
thousand British soldiers commanded by
the Duke of Albomarlo.
After a prolonged resistance the Span
ish forces surrendered to this superior
power and were permitted to march out
of Havana with the honors of war , thus
putting the English in possession of that
city and siibsequently of the most impor
tant defences of the coast , and also of
the town of Matan/.as.
The British hold Havana more than
one year and until July (5 ( , 17 ( > ! 5. In
that period there was given the first im
petus to trade and commerce in Jho :
island and also a visible improvement in
its civilization. But by the treaty of
peace made at Paris in February , 176J5 ,
England restored all to Spain and the
flag of John Bull was hauled down.
THE CONSERVATIVE now cherishes a
reasonable regret that England over re
linquished its hold upon Cuba. If that
island had remained a dependency of
Great Britain during the last century it
would now be civilized and well-gov
erned. And there would have been no
American-Spanish war in 1898.
The official existence of a congressman
is only two years , of a senator but six ,
of a president just four ; and yet from
the high prancing sentences promul
gated by some of these classes one would
suppose their terms of office were for a
century and that they were clothed in
all the regal and enduring splendor of
an hereditary monarch.