Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-13
F R o M PORT PONCE
Washington Boy Tells Of the Troops in Porto
Rico.
Poiiteness of the Natives and Scene.-
Fine Country-A Prophecy n. to
the Capture of San Juan.

Lieutenant Amiss of the first police pre-
cinct has received a letter from his son
Brooke, from Port Ponce. dated August 2
The latter. who is a clerk for General
Miles. says in his letter:
This is very fine country and the
weather has just been beautiful ever since
We arrived here. II Is very funny TO 20
around and hear people jabbering away in
a foreign tongue, and such a rahble you
never heard. The people are a dirty set,
and II Is nothing to see a child six or
seven years old running through the streets
naked, both male and female. The high
class are very nice and polite and take
great pains TO be obliging. They are all
very much pleased at the coming of the
American army, and We boys go through
the streets and make them say. which they
do with a good will. VIVA Americana"
There are some very pretty girls here,
ana the other evening while going through
street in Ponce, went by one of the
ntce-looking houses, we could see a nice
looking "senorita" playing on piano. All
OF us, about eight in number. marched
ourselves in the house and she played for
us When got ready to leave she gave
us each a flower. Sunday Is the big day.
and last Sunday we went up to Ponce and
had supper, after which we went over to
the plaza" and had quite very fine time.
The 9Th Illinois Band was playing and IL
out in their fnery. You could see the
rich old sugar dealers sitting around with
their daughters and wives listening to the
music, and every time the band finished
piece they would yell and clap When, at
the end of the program. they played the
Star Spangled Banner" the natives all
took off their hats and at the end applaudsd
with great enthusiasm.
Ponce is about a mile and n half from
here, and It is the Eext largest city to
San Juan. The office is in the old custom
house, right on the river front, so 1t makes
it very pleasing TO the eye to look out OF
the front window and see all the trans
ports and warships in the harbor.
| am very much pleased with the trip since
l have been on shore as We get such nice
meals, and they are good, too. Generally
we go to Ponce in the evening TO the French
restaurant. There they serve very fine
meals. which only cost us about sixty cents
I'm American money. They have some sweet
stuff that they give you at meals called
.'guaVa," and it is certainly good. 1t Is
something like candied fruit j would like
to send some of it home, but am afraid IL
would all melt before il got there They
certainly do serve meals funny down here,
but / am getting used to il now. The hard
est thing have to contend with is the
settling OF the bills after meals. You know
the walters all speak Spanish, and the
Spanish dollar Porto Eican dollar is
only worth half of ours-that is, IT was
when We first came here. but now the
premium is only fifty cents. ana when you
begin TO exchange our money for theirs
there is always confusion over the change.
| think General Miles is going TO have the
money fixed at the old ratio, TO make
things uniform, and then these natives are
raising the price on everything.
1t was said yesterday that we were 60
ing to start for San Juan today, but yet
We still here and expect to remain for
some time. although IL was rumored yester-
day that We would move tomorrow. / don't
think ii ilill be long before we start back
for the States. the Spanish force
here is about seven thousand on the whole
island. and consequently it won't take long
to wipe them out of existence. 1t will be
about month and a half. l presume, be-
fore We start for home.