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John Y. McKane, a Remarkable Product of PoliticsJOHN Y. McKANE.The death of John Y. Me Kano removes one of the most remarkable political characters ever known to local politics in New York .State, lie was born in the County Antrim, Ireland, August 10, 1811. He lived in Ireland until ho was about four years old, when the McKane family immigrated to this country and settled at Hheepsbciul Hay, Dong Island. McKane did not smoko or drink, lie was a liuurty, nigged, blue oyod man with Hcotch-Irish blood in liis veins, who did not know what if was to become weary either of work or of political turmoil. As a boy iio dug clams on the beach in eumuior and wont to the village school in winter. He worked at gardening and other odd jobs until lie was fourteen, when lie was apprenticed to a carpenter. He learned the building trade and laid the foundation of Ins wealth at this bus-inoMH. MoKanc always did what lie pleased with the vot« of Gravesend, In 1 H'X\ M Kane wn . m the height l,,rt power. William .1. Gayuor, after carry-in'* on a fight against the McLaughlin Democracy, became a candidate for Justice of the Supreme Court, lie made a demand on McKane for u copy of the registry lints of Coney Island, They were refused. Hu said over the telephone on October til), 18113: “Mr. Gay nor will find out that if he wantsto get along with me the easiest way to do is not to fight me.” As a result of the fight Me Kano became a convict in Sing Sing, and William .T, Gay nor became a Justice of the Supreme Court. MoKnuo served his term, which, with rebate for good behavior, was shortened to four and a half years. Ho was released from pfison April 30, 1808.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOwOOOOOUC^with the green coffee and banana trees now present a Imre and sorry view. Homos that sheltered happy familios have boon wushod away. The villages are crowded with shelterless people.The homeless to-day number about one-third of the whole population ofthe island.I have passed through overy district from tho capital to Ponce, andOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOGOOGOOOPonoe, Po tc Kioo.— The hurricane, sad us is tho havoc it wrought, groat as is the misery it caused, has accomplished in n day what would havo taken diplomacy years to bring about. It has taught the natives that the Americans are their real frionds. Tho Americans, by their prompt and generous assistance, have wiped out all lingering prejudices.Porto Kioo suffered more than anyAs regards the actual financial loss to the island occasioned by the hurricane, estimates vary. So far us 1 call tlguro it out the loss to tho whole island will amount to about seventy-IIvo million pesos, or more than $30,000,-000.This amount covers damage to buildings mid machinery, damage to warehouses and Stores of coffee, tobacco and sugar; damage to tins year's cane, coffee and fruit crops, including estimated loss on the next three veins'broad fruit and avocate trees, upon which the native? depend to a great extent for subsistence, have been swept bare or broke-u down. Only the most sheltered banana groves are left ntauding. The coffee crop is wholly mined, and nil but the smallest of the trees have beeu destroyed. A coffee plant takes five years to mature. The half ripe orange crop is ?u the ground. A few cano fields have escaped, but with the factories demolished these are only valuable for fodder.The wholesale, indiscriminate distribution of food is being stopped, else the wholo population would become pauperized. In all centres I visited rations are now being distributed to the old and infirm and to young children. To all ablo-bodiod adults is offered work. At first this course of action caused some complaint, but now the plan is beginning to work well, and the poor are all the more independent, and better con-touted for it.The first cure of the military authorities has naturally been for the troops. I:* Ponco thefoOUO granted by General Davis to the commander has been spent in cleaning up in and around the quarters. At eveiy country station the troops are living under canvas. In most cases the barracks have beeu blown down. At Aibonito not one wall of the whole barracks is loft standing. The soldiers lost everything they hail, and those in the hospital had a narrow escape with tlioi** lives.gene tives the I so-cn jouriTLagrelt;conndivoi for i in id) to ar matt in itt« lin, i eral of C(Gc conn the r.The barracks collapsed during thecoutcuminunopernaticforts stooi not 1 cruswithTho to Cl stro; a*j tipeoifirst hour of tho storm. Fifteen minutes after tlio walls had toppled in Hie men, who had even formed ranks outside in the pelting rain, had appointed a delegation to wait upon Captain Wheeler to ask permission to render assistance to the town. The captain joined his men. Without a thought of their own loss, without thought of any danger, the whole troop crossed the swollen river between the barracks mid the town, and were soon engaged in the work of rescue, .lodging pieces of Hying fciuo or rushing into tumbling houses.On the night of tho hurricane I was sleeping on my own plantation in tho district of Hayamon, about, ten miles from tho capital. At about half-past soven o’clock Tuesday night my cap-objo orgn with sion 1 here pro] wbn tho i be c aotit bestonetiolfcentterGreit riotcultcan i com agai so 111jtfffu flflTiTiWHtUHTBB IN FONTS DKMOhlHHKD BY TIIK nnuncANi:.other colony by the hurricane of August I). Every distriot in the island has been devastated. Thousands iof homes have been ruined, and crops upon which the whole population do* ponded for subsistence have been •laid waste beyond retrieve for at least three years.
Newspaper Details
Vienna Progress
Vienna, Georgia, US
Thu, Sep 28, 1899
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Pikes P.
CO, USA 14 Sep 2018
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