Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-10-19
SOME INEoRMArIoN OF poRro RICO.
The Climate Is beautiful and the Land
Fertile The Inhabitants are an I'm
proyident People.

Supt. Miller is IN receipt of letter
from Fremont @ johnson, former we'll
known teacher of this county, who il
now a member of Company D., Third
regiment, Wisconsin volunteers. He
writes from camp near Como, Porte
Rico, under date OF October first We
are permitted to make the following in
teresting extracts from the letter:
have been intending to write you
ever since left Wisconsin, but if you
ever go on such trip as this you will
understand why no more writing is done
in camp. 1t is not convenient to carry
writing materials, and person hos
little time ard no place to write in the
daytime and no suitable light at night.
have seen some real service, some
good times, some hardships, good deal
fof country, aud expect to see more bs-
fore | get back. I know what army
life really means, and have all want OF
it. liked it we'll CROUCH till the peace
protocol was signed, but since that time
we have been 10 this camp in compare
tive inactivity, and on very short and
unsuitable rations, which, with the eli
matte conditions and the previous hard
ships of the campaign, sent almost half
Of the regiment to the hospital RI
tions are little better for the past few
days, not as good as the regular gov
eminent allowance should be all the
time, but we have had part rations of
| fatn ir b.. Il
provement in the health of the boys l
believe that il we had been placed IN
barracks OF some sort and given any
reasonable rations, there would not have
been five per cent. OF the sickness; but
we have SUITE ed from the main cause
of suffering which always affiicts a vol
unteer army, viz, criminal negligence
and incompe ence, with shoulder straps
on it; and it seems as il the quarter
masters department always gets into
bad hands. have managed to keep
out of the hospital SO far, but am pretty
| thin and rather weak, for me.
We have orders to move tomorrow
morning toward San Juan, and hope it
means toward home, but we don't know
whether it does or not. Hardly half OF
the command will try to make the trip,
and fear that many of the boys will
fall by the wayside, though We will only
try TO march about seven miles per day
and then camp and rest. Those who
are too weak to march will remain and
be taken in ambulances and wagons to
Ponce, as fast as possible, there to en-
bark fer the states. Numbers have
already gone. Eihu Marshall and Frank
Enc are both to be left here, though
Marshall thought till noon today that
he would try the march. They are both
gaining.
We don't get newspapers here very
regularly, and they are not very fresh
by the time they reach us. The Chi
cago Record, of September 10, was sold
in camp, yesterday; will not be likely
to see another for week, and, perhaps,
two; so, you see, we can't keep cases OF
what the big world is doing.
The natives are shiftless, improvi-
dent lot, and the soil and land appears
the most fertile and the least productive
of any ever saw. The climate is as
fine as one can imagine, and if the
neighbors were like they are in Vernon
county, would like home here. My
cstarrh trouble has entirely disappeared,
even while sleeping out on she ground
in tie rain, and undergoing all the otter
!, ca ures of a military campaign. II
cure is permanent I am we'll repaid,
IL the comfort of breathing for few
weeks, at least.
You probably know much more from
the papers as to when we are likely to
get started for home than we do. Ii
you see good place among the Yer
non county schools that will likely be
open about the time we arrive there, and
will be kind en- ugh to remember me
for the same, I will consider it very
great favor, and the next time you are
in Porto I will hustle around and look
after your interests the best can.