The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-16

| the municipality are now in my cabin
| Up to the hast the Spanish boasted- An
old native OF 81. Thomas says that while
the ships were approaching they were de-
| claring: Each of US with q knife can
| kill a thousand Americans: and that
! when the Americans come we viii chop
| up all you sympathizers with America.
and make the Americans eat you as
! meat" When Il was known that the town
could not be defended. the Spaniards
were in a panic, and taking what posses
! sions they hwridly could. they mounted
horses and gaIloped of with the garri-
son up the road 10 San Juan or to their
plantations. Those who were shopkepers
left faithful Porto Rican employees in
charge. and as the Spanish shops are the
best these proprietors, unknown TO them
selves. are profting vastly by the pres
ence OF our troops in Pnce-
1t is a sine and stucco city, somewhat
Mexican, one might say. in architecture
which means that it looks like most
Spanish colonial towns. There are no
show-windows in the shops. no paving in
the streets, and the citizens live for the
most part on their balconies. or idle up
and down the sidewalks. II requires two
horses to draw carriage. for the horses
are diminutive, weakened, spiritless
creatures, which $50 1 am told. and they
surely look &O are fed on cacti. Beside
them the American army horses tower
superbly. and the army mules take on
al unwonted dignity and fair So cruel
are the native cabmen to their beasts
that men who at home acknowledge small
interest in the S. p. c. A. refuse 10 ride
with them and walk instead. 1t must be
said of the cabmen that they do not seem
eager to use their horses. Arb this fore
noon I had scouts on the lookout Fl an
unccupieo carriage. and althugh there
several loaf1ng about the Plaza de Desicta
it was noon before one was found that
wasacoording to the driver-unengaged
In the Moorish house in the Plaza de
Delicia-'delicious place''-a pavilion that
corresponds in purpose with the mineral
spring house in Central Park-the pro-
yost guard. composed principally OF Wis
consin troops. has its headquarters. On
one hand is the Casa del Rey, with the
municipal arms above its entrance. and
OH the OiHeF naIlQ Is the cnurCD OF our
Lady Of Guadeloupe. its walls taking with
age and showing the soft yellow and
brown that comes with the brush of time
Within its chief glOries, artistically, are
the stations of the cross, painted one each
year, by j. Pau Some of them are re-
markable pictures. in composite and
coloring more than drawing, and all are
admirable possessions for place so "out
of the way" There are several alters to
the Virgin, where sculptures of her are
enshr1ned deliberately and variously. She
is in purple robes, with a brass heart
pierced with seven swords; she is in GRIM
son robes very sorrowful and sweat. with
a crown of thorns in one hand, and a lace
handkerchief in the Their; and Our Lady
of Guadeloupe lies in efigy. in a glass
gold-bound casket. by the main doorway,
through which she is borne on the day
dedicated to her memory. and on a car
riage drawn by eight horses and followed
by robed priests and waving banners, her
effigy proceeds through the streets and
receives the obeisance of the people of
whom she is the patron saint.