The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-08-01
THE WELCOME TO NILES
Our Troops Enthusiastically Greeted
at Yauoo.
AN ADDRESS BY THE ALOALDE.

General Wilson Prevents Natives
From Looting spauiards' Homes.
Port of Ponce, Porto Rico, Aug. l.
Without seeing or hearing anything OF
the enemy the advance guard of Cen
eral Henry's division, which landed at
Guanica on Tuesday of last week, ar
rived at Ponce on Friday, taking EN-
route the cities of Yauco, Talaboa, Sa-
bana Grande and Ponueias. Attempts
by the Spaniards to blow up bridges
and otherwise destroy the railroad be-
tween Yauco and Ponce failed, only a
few fiat cars being burned. our troops
! have fired up the locomotives and are
now operating the road from end to
end carrying supplies. messages and
men.
At Yauco the Americans were well
| coined in an address made by the al
calde, and a public proclamation was
issued dated "Yauco, Porto Rico, Uni
ted States of America, July o." Major
Webb Hayes, of the Sixth Ohio, son of
former President Hayes hauled up the
flag on the palace, amid cheers from
the pQpulace. The people seem really
! glad that the Americans are here, but
! they fear an uprising of the natives in
! the interior, who, 1t is asserted, will
rob, kill and destroy property in re-
| Venge for many years of Spanish mis-
| rule.
General Henry made a report to this
| effect to General Miles, and advises
that a guard be left to protect the cap
tured cities. General Miles Is in con-
stant demand with all his forces, and
is keeping the artillery steadily in ad-
vance He has the entire army en-
camped along the military road to San
Juan, but he does not say when he
will put them in motion. He is acting
throughout, however, with a prompt
ness which indicates quick action all
along the line as soon as the trans
ports containing the remaining troops
arrive.
The news that Spain had sued for
peace was received here in press dis
patch, and was at once taken to Cen
eral Miles. The general wrinkled his
grave brow when he read 1t and said
he did not know what effect 1t would
have on his expedition, but he pur-
posed to push on ahead and take San
Juan, pending orders from the presi-
dent.
General Jose Garcia, who is in i'm
mediate command of the Spanish regu-
lars-not believed to number more than
5OO-was deserted by most of the
| Spanish volunteers In his command
during the night, and they began
struggling back to the city with the
dawn. They Immediately presented
themselves to the provost marshal and
surrendered their arms.
The appearance of the volunteers
aroused in the breast of the natives
who had suffered at their hands in the
past, especially the political prisoners
who were released when we took the
city, desire for revenge, and they be-
gan to ferret out all Spaniards in tbs
city who had ever been in the volun-
teer service and dragged them to the
plaza Bloodhounds could not have
been more savage. Most of the Span
iards in hiding, upon being discovered
were hauled in triumph by hooting
jeering mobs to General Wilson's head
quarters or TO the provost marshal's
office in the municipal building.
Some of the natives even began
looting the residences of the Spaniards
They mistook liberty for license and
were crazed with a thirst for ven
geance. General Wilson, however soon
taught them that the revenge could not
be wreaked under the protection of oui
flag, and peremptoriy ordered that the
arrest of the Spanish suspects should
cease. Such volunteers as presented
themselves were, however, received and
released after their names had been
taken. Subsequently they were for
mally paroled. Many of them had been
forced into the service of Spain to
escape persecution.
Four-fifth of the people are overjoyed
at the arrival of the army. Two thou
sand from one place have volunteered
to serve it. They are bringing in
beef, cattle and other needed supplies
The custom house has already yielded
$4,000
Business In Ponce has enjoyed q
great boom since the arrival of the
Americans. The merchants, who CLOSED
their places last Thursday, opened
them on Friday and are eagerly en-
gagged in competition for the American
dollar. American gold Is at premium
of 100 per cent. Friday prices were
cheap; Saturday they were enormous
On Thursday the price of a breakfast
at the Hotel Francais was 25 centavos
the next morning 1t was one peso
Everything else has risen in proper
tion. The newspaper correspondents
have difficulty in obtaining horses, ever
at 5000 in gold, The natives imagine
that the pockets of the Americans emf
a ceaseless flow of eagles and double
eagles. There is a plenty of provisions
in the city, except rice, one of the
staples which Is quoted at very higl
figure for this country.