The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-04


ment of the Natives by the Sol
diers of the Regular Army-silver-
ties Have Become Confirmed Gold
Bugs-Gossip About scrantonians.
G.. p. Danforth, of this city, has re-
ceved the following letter from Cor
poral William T.. Rafter. of Company
J, First Regiment of United States
Volunteer Engineers. Corporal Raf-
ter H. in charge of the harbor squad
AZ Ponce, Porto Rico. The letter is as
follows:
Pence, Porto Rico, Oct. 1S.-This Is
the day appointed for the formal
transfer of this island to the United
States; a day that will long be remem-
bered In the history of this former
possession of Spain. The greater part
of the inhabitants are pleased with the
prospect of having the fostering care
OF Uncle Sam, but there are some who
regret to see the last semblance of the
authority of the decadent nation BAN
ished from the island. Almost every
change in the past has been for the
worst and they fear this one will but
follow in the footsteps of its predeCes-
sors
| understand that every soldier who
served in Cuba and Porto Rico can,
upon application to the chief ordnance
officer at Washington, receive a Maus-
er at half price. l made purchase
here of a valuable curio consisting of
a generals aguilette, of gold cord with
sh e. Mnn "
Americans have arrived here already
and the enterprise of American beer
brewers is astonishing. Ihere are six
kinds on sale here at present. Many
plantations have been purchased al
ready and surveyed, but the native
owners are raising prices to three times
their actual value and no sales have
been recorded for the last two weeks.
A BAD IMPRESSION.
We made bad impression among
the natives last Tuesday when they
refused to work until the money ex-
change question was satisfactorily set
tied. They We're justified. and instead
of proceeding in the proper manner a
| company of the Nineteenth United
States regulars came down and cor
| raled the natives, fired on those who
ran, charged bayonets, assaulted sew
eral prominent business men, and, not
satisfied. continued their riotous con-
| duct far into the night and wrecked
several stores. They went so far as
to put the native chief of police in the
guard house.
| think it will be a fatal mistake IL
| the regulars garrison this island, as
ilya
cattle. In my duties have convereed
with many prominent people here who
are all educated and refined, and they
are very outspoken against the con-
| duct of the regulars. L understand an
investigation has been ordered.
We now have an American edition of
the newspapers here, and I will mail
you several. The fruits here are very
| inferior TO what l expected. The BAN
anas have a hard core and no taste;
| cocoanuts are small, and the sugar
cane not equal to Louisiana cane. The
| coffee is very fine. and my quarters
are close to the largest roasting house
on the island. We have two ice plants
in operation now and the price Is lko
| per pound instead of 4c., when we
| came.
| "A
stand the heat in summer to go out
| and till the soil. The trouble with all
| the products is lack Of cultivation; the
lands never receive any manure what
| ever.
| PRINCIPAL. HOTELS.
The three principal hotels here now
| are the Chamberlin, Hotel Francaise
and Hotel Inkletara. They are filed
| with guests at present, as all the mail
! clerks, custom officers and regular
| army officers stay there. An unusual
| ly large number Of American ladies' are
here now. The transport Manitoba. IL
in the harbor and the Forty-seventh
regiment of Brooklyn, N. Y, is on
board. They will relieve the Third
| Wisconsin.
| Amy soldier who ever had any lean
| ing toward free silver before his ar
rival is a thoroughly converted gold
| bug by this time, i can assure you.
The soldiers start out to purchase
some goods, lay down a paper dollar
and receive $1.60 in Spanish; if he lays
| down an American silver dollar ne
| only gets Sl.20 Spanish, and the mer-
chant wishes he would take it back
and not purchase. The next day you
may start out and get even twenty pei
cent less for both. But go out with a
| gold piece and then you will note the
| difference. l exchanged a IS gold piece
and received $ll Spanish for 1t without
any trouble. Many of the men in my
| regiment want to return here after be-
| ing mustered out and enter business
| or go farming. The large stores here
| are models of neatneSs and systematic
| arrangement Of goods, and many in
| the United States could COPY after
them with beneficial results.
| l have heard that my old regiment
the Thirteenth Of Scranton, is to come
| here to relieve us. Well, if they have
| been chosen they are indeed lucky,
can assure you, and at this delightful
time of the year 1t will be like a pleas.
ure jaunt for them. I hope that by
their conduct they will merit the same
respect from the people here that al
volunteers have so far received, Fol
the regulars I can't say as much.
CONCERTS EVERY EVENING.
We have concerts now every evening
by the different bands. The native
band surprised all by their playing
The streets are all lit up by arc lamp.
and the ladies, arrayed In their best
promenade the plaza. Our regiment
will give a dress parade and inspec-
tion on Saturday evening, and with
out Dragging any / will say they will
outshine them all The natives all un,
cover their heads when the "Stal
Spangled Banner is played.
I have lost five pound, but as my
uniform fits better now and my health
ia q X I don't mind a. Of NJ haa