Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-08-28

TIERS WILL LIKELY BE SENT
HCME-GEN. MILES DOES NOT
LIKE THE VOLUNTEERS
TR WHEELING BOY IN PORTO
RICO.
An interesting personal letter was
received yesterday by friend from
VIM. 1. Crawioid, OK this city, woo
is with General Brooke's staff in Portu
Rico. The letter is written tr0G Arr
royo and is dated august 18th. 1t
states that Arroyo is tcrty-hve miles
east Of Ponce and there is Au pos al
station at Arrayo, and not a stamp TO
be had. The writer expresses his dis
appointment Gu account vi the sus-
pension of hostilities, but is glad that
he had an opportunity TO get out Of the
country even for while.
tie is at Arrayo, where supplies are
being landed and at some Of the head
quarters officers, as at Guayama, about
seven miles distant. He is satisfied
with his situation and has no com
plant about food. The officers are in
stalled in good boarding place where
the food is prepared in true Ameri-
can style. The writer says he is in
much better health than at Chicka-
maugo, and while at the latter place
was nearly sick all the time.
August is said TO be the hottest of
the year in Porto Rico, but is about
as comfortable as any summer month
in Wheeling. Many OF the soldiers,
however, are down with malarial fever
and a number of the patients have been
SHIPPED back TO New York on the hos
pital ship. The water is bad and
the men have been advised to drink
as little as possible, except when boiled
in coffee. The land abounds in fruits
and the soldiers have been gouging
themselves to fill up the vacuum
caused by the lack of supply from the
commissary department.
Mr.. Crawford thinks Porto Rico is
one of the garden spots of the globe,
and says there are opportunities there
to get rich by investing a Ii tie money
There are many great sugar planta-
tions, which have been abandoned by
the Spaniards and could probably be
secured at a low figure. The soil is
fertile and capable of producing nearly
everything TIE island is close to
good markets and has excellent har-
bors. The town of Ponce, where the
troops first landed, is described as an
up-to-date place, with many hand
some buildings and wealthy residents.
A Mr.. Mccormick, who is brother
of the English consul at Arroyo, re-
lates many interesting stories about
the island. He has been there nearly
all his life, and has grown very
wealthy. On the trip overland from
Ponce, the soldiers were received
with great joy by the natives, who
brought out all kinds Of fruits water
and the most fra grant cigars for the
boys in blue. Feasts were prepared
at every village, and the natives en-
Enthusiastically cheered Uncle Sam S
troops as they marched through. The
Spanards made very little attempt
at defense Those of the staff Off
GERS at Arroyo have their headquarters
in the custom house, which was left
in great confusion by the Spaniards
in their flight.
The writer says that Eugene Gee,
another Wheeling boy, who enlisted
with an Ohio regiment, came over
from Guayamo the day he wrote
nome. Zee Sdld That tne AutIlCdHS
| at Guayamo had their guns trained
on a number of Spanish block houses,
and were about to attack when the
word about peace came. The soldiers
were so badly disappointed they
could hardly be restrained from firing
/ anyway.
The volunteer soldiers in Porto
| Rico will likely not be kept very busy,
as it is understood that General
Miles don't like them, and desires to
get them away The United States
government intends to establish pos
tai stations on the island immedi-
ately, in order to get better mail ser
| vice with the new colony