The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-08-18
FROM THE FRONT.
DAVE THELEEN WRITES ANOTHER
LETTER FROM PORTO RICO.
SOME STORIES OF PORTO RICO.
American Troops Finding Pleasures
in Newly Acquired Territory-The
Massachusetts Soon to Sail
for Home.

u. 5. 5. Massachusetts. Port Ponce,
Porto Rico, July 31st, 1898.-My Dear
Enthusiastically we received word,
in a hurry, that one of the transports
was to leaye right away for Charleston.
[ didn't have time to write any letter
but sent you few of our bulletins and
notice of the Mayor of the city.
AS you read in the bulletin, we ar
rived here early on the 20th. Port
Ponce is about Is miles east of Guanica
and has fairly good harbor. All our
ships, the Massachusetts, Cincinnati
Annapolis, Dixie, Wasp, Gloucester
and 10 transports have been at anchor
within less than three miles from the
little landing. The landing of the
army is nearly completed, but we have
heard that about 1900 more troops are
on their way here.
General Miles is in the command of
the army forces here while our captain
is senior officer and has control of the
naval forces.
There are only few Spaniards on
the island and all the Porto Rico
natives are very much set against
Spain. They welcomed our people
very enthusiastically and already call
themselves "Americanos". Spain has
been very hard on them, taxes were
very high, and any who had expressed
themselves in our favor were i'm
prisoned. The people are as whole
very intelligent and seem to be much
better class of people than the Cubans.
Several of their best citizens and
merchants have been aboard and eX-
press their great admiration of our
battle ship.
The Port of Ponce, or the "Playa y,
is small place at the harbor and con-
sists of a few houses, stores and tobacco
shops.
The city of Ponce is about 3 miles
from the Playa and has population of
abont 10000. We get up there by
carriages and the roads to the city are
simply too beautiful for me to express.
Beautiful villas, sugar cane fields and
picturesque scenes are seen all along
tho road. The city is very beautifully
situated and reminds me very much of
Fuuonal MADEIRA. The houses are
built Of stone or kind of terra Gotta,
tho tlUtLs are clean, and the business
houses are quite up to date. Our silver
dollar is worth about.$2 of the Porto
Rico money. SO the other day went
ashore with about $40, bought some
cigars and a few other things and came
back with about $l5. Great scheme.
Some of the soldiers here played some
dirty tricks on the shopkeepers. It
seems that while at Tampa they got
with each cigar they bought Con-
| federate bill as souvenir. Well, they
passed these for good American paper
money. One scoundrel passed 500
Confederate bill for $40 (pesOs) and the
merchant didn't know his mistake until
some time later. It's shame but
nothing can be done so far as | can
see, although the army officers are in
vestigating the matter.
The Army is on the northern limits
of the city. Yesterday morning early |
went ashore on business and one of my
class mates accompanied me. We
went about of mile north of the city
to get a view of the country. Noun
tains tower on all sides, the city being
in a rich valley. We got up on hill
and obtained grand view of the city
below, the sea with all the yes
sells in the harbor to the southwark,
the beautiful valleys and mountains to
the eastward and north ward and the
army with their tents and outpOsts be-
low us just north of the city. 1t was
grand! | would have given anything
for camera just then. But we didn't
stay long, for We couldn't tell what
moment Dago (they are still not far
from the city, might spring out from a
bush and poke rife at us. We had
left our revolvers on board, for the city
you know, is ours.
There is little or no news to speak Of
We have received indirect news from
st. Thomas that Spain has sued for
pOCCO' ~ pCI uCpo Jul OoooOlu GAAP 10
to be postponed and we may soon be
back to dear America once more. The
Columbia ran aground on reef here
last night and we are now at work try
ing to pull her free. I don't know if
she is damaged, but hope not.
Some day Porto Rico will be ours
and then our people will not be long to
appreciate the value of the island. We
don't care for Cuba, but Porto Rico
should be ours.
No more news, but will fill in little
more later on. DAVE.
Aug. 3, midnight-Guantanamo:-I
We arrived here at 10 this evening from
Ponce. Have been hard at work all
day and evening with reports and the
mail which we brought, so just now