Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-10-19
A WELCOME OF ROSES.
A PLEASANT CHAPTER IN THE
LATE WAR;
HOW Taa AMERICANS WERE RE
CE1vED IN A PORTO RICAN NOUN
TAIN VILLAGE.

hundred years almost, has nestled quietly
in a peaceful basin in the Cayey mountain
range, unknown to the world at large, and
entirely contented to be unknown. Sur
rounded on all sides by greentipped
mountain peaks, with its cane and its eof-
fee growing luxuriantly on their sloping
sides, il has moved placidly along the even
tenor OF its way with only now and then
word Of gossip from travellers passing
throw i It's humble streets from Ponce on
the south side to Arecibo on the north.
It's people perchance have dreamed that
some day the Spanish lords who owned
the country and held their mastery by
garrison of soldiers would be driven from
the land, but they let well enoug h alone
and never sought to bring that longed for
end the nearer. They were peaceful peo-
pie. War was abhorrent to them. The
fierce fire OF the Cubans was lacking in their
nature, and so to the citizens of Adjuntas
Incorporating tramp OF armed forces and
the prospect of bloody deeds doing were
indeed momentous.
They .ealized that the end OF Spanish
~
country way, like children OF the fields
and OF the mountains, as they are, they
welcomed the American invaders with
warmth and genuineness far surprising
all the pomp and ceremony that custom
might hazard as essential for SO impor-
tant an event. There was no blare OF
bands, no sycophantic protestation OF 10y
atty to the supplanting flag.
1t was not demonstration dictated by
fear OF force, for the Americans were but
handful whom a score Of men might easily
have captured. But they were glad that
these big strangers, with their fine, honest
faces, should come among them, and, to
express that sentiment, they gathered by
the roadside and showered upon them the
wealth OF their flower gardens. History
sometimes, and romance often, tell OF the
march of conquering heroes along path
ways strewn with roses and amid the loud
acclaim OF grateful people; but certainly
no such scene of fact or fiction ever sur
passed in appropriateness or beauty that
which was witnessed along the road to
Adjuntas.
Adjuntas is twenty miles from Ponce,
on the road to Arecibo, thriving seaport
on the northern coast OF Porto Rico, about
forty miles to the westward of San Juan.
1t is of itself of no importance strate-
gically, but owing to information which
reached the American lines to the effect
that the military road to San Juan had
been rendered impossible by mines near
and in Aibonito pass, it became necessary
to reconnoitre the road to Areeibo. Hence
the fame of Adjuntas.
Gen. Roy Stone was the man W no under
took the task and he did it Just as though
there were not hundred Spaniards on
the Island. There is a telegraph office at
Adjuntas, and in order to repair the line
TO that point and to open an office, Capt.
Lamar OF the signal corps was sent ahead
to prospect his wire. He took only a
dozen men with him and started out. An
hour later Gen. Stone set out. He rode in
carriage, for it was his intention to test
the road for wagon trains. Only one or
derby, leading the generals horse, accom-
panied him.
For the first few miles the road ran
through the lowlands, hard and smooth as
floor, perfect path for wheeling. The
country about was beautiful, and beau
tiful, too, with the works of civilization.
Pretty homes appeared among the dark
green trees, fields of coffee and of cane
stretched out, and up into the hills cows
grazed in the pastures Wealth appeared
on all sides, and Spain's desire to hold this
jewel of her crown was hardly a cause tor
wonderment.
BY and by the hills came and the smooth
road became rough and jagged. Up, up it
went, winding and twisting ceaselessly,
sometimes filled with great boulders,
sometimes deep with mud. The horses
sweated until they staggered with the
loads. Still the ascent kept up, ever high
er and higher. Behind the party the sea
flashed into view, with score of American
vessels lying in the harbor of the port of
Ponce, each looking tiny as the toy
yacht of child. Beyond was the crown
ing peak of the range hidden partly by
little clouds of fieecy mist.
Once over the divide progress was more
rapid, for, while the road did not improve,
it was at least downhill, and Porto Rican
coachers drive with the recklessness of the
devil With whistles between their teeth
they raced their horses down the steep
inclines, winding sharply in and out, with
great cliffs on one side and precipices on
the other, whistling furiously all the time
to warn any persons who might be driving
in the opposite direction.
Toward night the twenty miles between
Ponce and Adjuntas were almost covered.
With an approach to the confines of the
town came thu first intimation of the re-
ception which it would be the fortune of
the newcomers to meet. At the top of
little knoll, perhaps two miles from Ad-
juntas, stood cottage, matched and
patched, apparently the home of an honest