Cigar City Magazine Mar-Apr 2007

Page 39

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have been in many meetings of the Cuban Club, and very many not the one that was going to operate on me. I also told him that the of the ones attending the meetings are Spaniards. At one of these arm was worth more than he and the whole sanitorium. My friend meetings I brought up the matter of sending a committee from then took me to another doctor who operated on me. As soon as my the Cuban Club to the officials in Tampa. Not a single one wanted to wife knew that I had to undergo an operation, she promptly left for go; they were afraid. So I appointed myself the Committee and went Havana. Half an hour after the boat docked, she was at my bedside. there myself. It is absurd to be afraid of voicing your rights before hile in Havana I saw a very strange happening, and it was those who came here after we had founded a city. this: A full-blooded Spaniard had come to Cuba when Since the first societies were formed, the doctors here have been very young. He married a Cuban girl. He raised a family carrying on a most brutal war against them, very similar to what the of eight children, all born in Cuba. One day he arrived at his home doctors have been doing in Cuba against the quintas. They are nothfeeling very (sad) as he had lost his position. He was talking to his wife ing but a bunch of shameless rascals. At a meeting I placed my sentiof how bad conditions were getting, when his eldest son got up and ments into words, and told them plainly what I thought of all the docsaid: "Gallego, go back to Spain where you belong; we don't want you tors. I stated that at least 60% of the people buried in the cemeteries in Cuba." The father gave his son such a terrible blow that he had to were killed by them. be carried to the Emergency Hospital. A few hours later the father I was afterwards told that Dr. Helms, a very good friend of mine, was on a ship bound for Spain, leaving the whole family behind. had taken offense at this statement of mine. (?) At another meeting I During one of the strikes here in Tampa, I went back to my homewent straight up to Dr. Helms, and told him that I took exception town in Spain, thinking with him, as there are of seeing all my old exceptions in all cases. friends and relatives. When I commit an error When I arrived there I with a friend, I promptly found that I knew no rectify it. I am not afraid one. There was an entireto go up to him and ly new generation. The acknowledge my error. only one that I recogHowever, my accusation nized was my sister. holds good for all the rest I remember that upon of the doctors. my return, an old mulatto When my left arm was man who had been workbroken at the joint, the ing at my factory for many doctors here said it was a years, died. I attired myself dislocation. They placed in a tight fitting coat, and the joint back together, a tall top hat. It makes me but not the broken laugh to think of how I bones. It commenced givwas dressed when I went ing me pain, and the arm to this funeral. began to swell. I then left “La Mia” cigar label – Lozano, Pendas and Company Cigars In these days I was for Havana, Cuba, and alone here, without my had the bad luck to go family to look after or anything, so you can be sure that I wasn't too with the president to the Centro Asturiano of Havana to his quinta or good. I did as I pleased. sanitorium, La Covadonga. He took me to the best specialist of the The Union of Manufacturers here is composed of pirates of the sanitorium. This specialist told me that my arm needed massage. I left industry. They are not human; they can only think of new ways of (?) that place in bad humor, and told that specialist several things. the cigar-makers more and more. All the rules and regulations are I then met a friend of mine who was not a "big shot", like the presantiquated. ident of the Centro Asturiano. He took me to the Colegio de Belén Regensburg (Cigar Factory) is not one of them; we only cooperate where they had an X-Ray apparatus, and which I believe was the only with them. one in Havana. At that time the X-Ray had not been perfected. There At one time certain rumors got about that I had said something was not a single one in Tampa. Although this X-Ray at the Colegio de about one of the manufacturers. This was completely false, and it Belén was not a very powerful one, yet it showed clearly that the bone made me see red. At one of the Manufacturer's meetings, I got up, was broken. and very loudly said that whoever had said such a thing about me was I took this X-Ray photo to that specialist of the Centro Asturiano, un apestoso hijo de perra, or if you would prefer to have it in English: and showed it to him. He then said it clearly showed that the bone A stinking son of a b--. No one got up to contest this. was broken, and it was necessary to operate and place the bone back Of Mr. Davis of Schwab, Davis & Co., I can't say much. It is best together. I told him that it certainly needed an operation, but he was

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2007

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