The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-23

country as hickory shirting.' 1t has a
blush body with fine white stripes
running through it. N
They wear big, broad brilnmed
straw hats. l never saw them drill in
the city. but 1 suppose that they do
this work i'm the forts where they are
quartered. l saw one body marching
TO the depot one day, and they were a
queer looking lot as they went stray
Cling along, all out of line and in no
kind of order But the one thing about
them that impresses you is their youth
The majority of them seem to be be-
tween the ages of 16 and 90 But even
the insurgents say that when they go
into battle they fight splendidly."
The speakers remarks called to mind
the familiar saying of DIR. oliver Wen
dell Holmes: THAT nation extends its
boundaries which shortens its weap-
ons." He spoke of the famous weapon
used by the insurgents, the machete
There is one thing that the Spanish
soldier hates. 1t is the insurgents
charging command, La Machetel
They fear those short knives that are
used SO effectively by the rebels The
Cuban machete is nothing other than
the heavy knife with which they cut
the sugar cane. They use it in battle
as they use it in the cane field-first a
downward and then an upper cut. The
result is they always give the enemy
two terrible wounds, one on the leg
and the other on the head.
There is in Havana a body of about
$4,000 volunteers. The men of Havana
join this organization to avoid con-
scription. Nearly all of the business
men and workmen are members. They
are uniformed like the regulars and
drill once a month on the Prada, the
principal thoroughfare of the city, and
broad and beautiful street. Each
morning between : and s O'Clock a
band i'm the park plays the national
air. Then you see the volunteers gath
ering from every quarter. They fall in
and go through the manual of arms
and other evolutions for an hour. They
drill very badly. of course, and do not
look very soldierly. l should say that
there is an army of over 100, 900 regu-
lars in and about Havana under COM
mand of Campos. so that with these
volunteers. he would have a big force
with which to meet the insurgents.
a CONTINUAL FERMENT.
II do not think that the government
has much faith in its volunteer force.
IL is thought that many OF the volun-
teers are i'm sympathy with the rebels.
and that. If they did not actually de-
sert If a fight was imminent. they, be-
ing green, WOuid De very badly scared
at the cry. La Machetei'
The Spanish soldiers suffer a great
deal on the march from foot soreness.
For this reason they always carry with
them sandals. These sandals have
soles made of rope, and are tied onto
the feet. When l went out in the prov
ince of Nuelta Abaja l passed a num-
Der Of bodies of soldiers marching in
these sandals. The hot, rough country
is very hard on them Just last week
went by rail 10 Pinar del Rio. When
arrived there ] found a body of 40
soldiers just leaving for san Juan Mar
tinez, is miles distant. l rode to San
Juan Martinez next day and passed,
three OK carts filled with the men of
the same body who had been worn out
on the march.
Every little fight causes great ex-
element in Havana when the news
reaches the city. The papers seem To
sc; out extra editions about every five
minutes. and everybody seizes them
eagerly. -
These extra editions are little bits
OF things. sometimes having nothing
but a few paragraphs printed on one
side. The Spaniards are always victo-