Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-13

men at once Under a slevenly shed at
one side are couple of eighteen Founders
and several field-pieces of smaller caliber
Most of these old fashioned guns were east
in England, shipped away around Cape
Horn, and hauled up the hills from PUenta
Arenas by herds of oxen. In his camp
life, as in everything else, the Central
American soldier is unique. They have
no tents, that luxury being confined to the
superior officers, and fe@ of them have
any blankets beyond the greasy ,sGrapas,
which are worn by day, when the air is
chilly, in lieu of coats, and at night
when in barracks, they lie down content
edly on the cobble stones of the court
yard, or wherever they can. They are
armed with Remington rifles and carbines
Of 50-caliber model, the barrels of which,
after the French pattern, are kept bright,
instead of being Drowned. A piece OF
paper, pasted at the butt of each gun, con-
tains the name and number of the private
to whom il belongs, and woe be unto him
if it comes off. Though not one soldier in
hundred can read they get used to the
form of their name, like kindergarten
object lesson. As arms are very valuable
in Costa Rica, to sell or lose them is made
crime, punishable by sound fogging.
They say that Captain Soto (the Presi-
dents brother, who is in command Of the
barracks here} has a habit whenever q gun
is lost, strayed or stolen, if the real culprit
cannot be discovered, OF ordering the entire
company to be strung up by the thumbs,
one by one, and severely whipped.
Aside from that class of females known
> H. >. e.. y II
Costa Rican Government, like the Mexi-
can, permits a limited number of respect
able married women to accompany each
regiment, to cook and wash for the soldiers.
These are regularly enrolled as solddderas
female soldiers), and are said to bear ad-
mirably the fatigueS of camp life and long
marches. For that matter, nearly every
one Of the soldiers has follower" regard
less of governmental or priestly permission,
who shares his hard fortunes with the
faithfulness of a dog. His pay is only
twenty-three ceats per diem, and on that
they both exist. As there is no regular
| ration system, the cuisine consists of what
ever these women can manage to pick up.
They are the pUryeyors and commissa,iators
of the army, performing all menial serv-
ices, and enduring their full share of dam
ger and hardship, with no hope of reward
beyond iho cOndes~e ending favor, and tre-
quently the abuse, of their selfelected
lords and masters. Truly, women of what
| ever color are queer creatures These
head the column when on the march, rid
ing on donkeys Ia cardLier or oftener
trudging long distances on foot, and when
ever a halt is made they Immediately set
| about collecting sticks and building fires,
over which TO cook the tOrtIIas, trejotes and
| coffee, each for her own companero.
Flanking the cathedral on the right is
the infantry barracks-a long, white build
ing, two stories high, with heavy balcony
overlooking the street and red tiled root
slanting several feet beyond the front wall.
The balcony is broken by lofty gateway
rudely arched, outside of which hungry
looking sentinels. in ragged linen and san
dals of untanned OK hide, each with mus
ket on shoulder and sword by his side
pace up and down, both night and day.
Notwithstanding its somewhat imposing
exterior, everything inside the barracks
looks cheap and faded, its only redeeming
feature being the Sala de Banderas ('Hail
of Flags"). In this latter department NAV
be seen several relics and trophies of the
filibuster war, which all Americans remem-
Der. A large glass case, handsomely gilded
and panelled, contains the torn and sooty
remains of the flag which waved over Fort
Castillo, while held by the brave little
band of Costa Ricans. On one of the pam
els, i'll golden letters, appears this in
scription:
'On the 18th of July, 1857, the National
flag which fioated over the walls of Fort
Castillo during the siege, together with
the names of the superior officers who de-
Tended it, were deposited in this urn, by
order of his Excellency, the President OF
the Republic, Don Jose Rafael Mora.
Eternal honor to the heroes who defended
the castle Of San Juan"
On the opposite panel are the following
words: "On the 18th of February, 1857.
four hundred filibusters, under command OF
the so-called Colonel Titus, attacked the
Castle of San Carlos, which was in di-
lapidated state, and garrisoned only by
thirty-seven men. Being animated by the
brave Col. Don George +. Cauty, and the
worthy commandante of the fort, Colonel
Faustine Montez de Ocea, the little ga-ri-
son heroically resisted the enemy until the
18th OF the month, on which day twenty
seven riflemen, under command of Captain
Jesus Alvarado and Don joaquin Ortiz,
who had been sent to the relief of the fort,
fell upon the filibusters with so much BRAY
cry that they dispersed them in an instant,
compelling them to throw away their
| clothes that they might fly with greater
ease. This brilliant feat ot arms, planned
SO admirably by General Don Jose Joaquin
Mora, decided the happy issue of the holy
war, which was sustained by the Republics
of Central America against their invaders. -
Unfortunately history does not corrobor-
ate quite all this surprising statement, as
any northern school-boy knows, although
there Is vein Of truth running through it.
FANNIE r Warn