THE CUBA REVIEW. 



A NEGLECTED MONUMENT. 



Speaking of this memorial the New 

 York Sun's correspondent says : 



Turning around your eyes rest, not ad- 

 miringly, on the Cuban paean in stucco 

 celebrating the victory which won libera- 

 tion for an oppressed, starved and tortured 

 people. It is a paltry affair, too dwarfed 

 to be called a shaft — a cube upon a square 

 with a shell on top looking like a spike, 

 and four shells at the corners. The height 

 might be eighteen feet. An inscription let 

 into the front reads : 'Tn memory of the 

 officers and men of the United States Army 

 who were killed in the assa'ult and capture 

 of this ridge, July i, 1898, and the siege 

 of Santiago, July i to July 16, 1898. War 

 between Spain and the United States." 

 ^ The miaterial already peels and crumbles. 

 Soon read is the inscription, but it would 

 take a long time to decipher the names 

 and addresses and the sentiments of pat- 

 riotism, puerility and putridity, the ac- 

 claims and defiances, with which the soiled 

 white surface is scrawled over. There are 

 some results in odious Spanish, but most of 

 the expressions are sentimental and innocu- 

 ous. Most of the names were contributed 

 by American tourists of the kind who love 

 to perpetuate themselves in temple and pur- 

 lieu. A penman who could write the Lord's 

 Prayer on the back o'f a postage stamp 

 might find space on the defaced memorial 

 to American dead to write his name, but it 

 is doubtful. The sooner a coat of white- 

 wash is applied to it the better, but the 

 whitewash should contain a strong disin- 

 fectant. 



Notes from Omaja, Cuba. 



Omaja prides itself on having the best 

 American schools in Cuba. They had 

 eight months session last year and will 

 have nine this year. The teachers all bear 

 first grade certificates. Text-books used are 

 of the Indiana system. The school board is 

 the only regularly, legally elected one in 

 the island of Cuba ; secretary, Mr. F. E. 

 Boyer. 



Application has been made to Dr. Lin- 

 coln Zayas, at Havana, who is the head 

 of the public schools of Cuba, to be rec- 

 ognized and provided for by the govern- 

 ment as a public school, which the stand- 

 ing of the school fully warrants. The 

 present school building, furniture and fix- 

 tures, costing about $1,000, and teachers' 

 salaries at $40 per month, have all been 

 Daid by assessment of each land purchaser. 

 While we have urged the attendance of 

 Cuban children, only one has as yet at- 

 tended, although there are about 30 Cuban 

 children of school age in this vicinity. 

 The pride of the parents would not permit 

 their attendance while the school was sup- 

 ported by private funds. A school build- 

 ing is needed here to the capacity of sixty 



Memorial on San Juan Hill to U. S. Officers 

 and men. 



pupils, as families with children are con- 

 stantly arriving from the states. 



The Omaja Colony Co. is preparing to 

 drill another well in town, where they will 

 install an alcohol engine for pumping. 



R. W. Johnson has drilled a well on his 

 property adjoining town, to the depth of 

 74 feet, and found plenty of good water. 

 It rises within 27 feet of the surface, giving 

 a supply of 47 feet of water. 



Mr. J. A. Johnson's house was recent- 

 ly destroyed by fire. He is rebuilding. 

 Mr. A. Homer Arter of Ohio has planted 

 and harvested three crops of corn, grown 

 between rows of trees, within the last 14 

 months, each crop yielding from 18 to 34 

 bushels per acre. The third crop cost ex- 

 actly 52 cents per acre for care, outside of 

 planting, to maturity. 



A colony of Finns, numbering 32 parties, 

 have bought 960 acres, one and a half miles 

 east of Omaja. Twenty-five are already lo- 

 cated. 



There have been many land sales in 

 Omaja recently. A Mr. Cripe from Indi- 

 ana bought 750 acres and will give Alfalfa 

 a fair trial. He has had 20 years' expe- 

 rience in the 'dairy business and ex- 

 pects to pursue it successfully in Cuba. 

 Each season shows growth, and many agri- 

 culturists, horticulturists and stock men 

 are located in this locality. 



