The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-05
SHE FOLLOWED SHAFTER
SALT LAKE GIRL TELLS OF HER
EXPERIENCES.
Found Out What War Was Like
Smelled Gunpowder, and Got as
Close to the Firing Line as the
Commanding General Would Al
low Her to Go.

tracing 4 great deal OF attention since
her return from Cuba
The New York Herald, of Aug. q,
under the heading of THE Only Amer
lean Girl Who Was at the Front, !" gives
this article
To a bright and winso1ne miss of 20
years, fresh from the Sunflower state,
belongs the distinction OF having been
the only American girl TO follow the
boys in blue to Cuba and to make her
way to the front against many Obstacles
and by her own eXertioDs. Elsie Reas-
oner is the name of this plucky little
heroine From her picture one gets the
impression that she is somewhat older
and taller than she really is. She does
not, in fact, look a day over is, and
is a trim little body, as dainty as
bit of rare Dresden china.
Miss Reasoner was born in Kansas,
in the midst of daisies and sunfiowers,
and is a splendid example OF the bright
CHEEKY, breezy Self-reliant girl or the
western prairies. She writes well and
Shestalks well, inheriting these talents,
perhaps, from her father, Judge Calvin
ReaSOner. at one time It prominent
editorial writer of Leavenworth and
later connected with the Chicago press.
As a, conVersationalist and story teller
he has had few equals.
WAS CALLED FOoLHARDY.
When the Spanish-Amercan war
broke out Miss Reasoner was at Omaha
in charge of the bureau of publicity at
the exposition. With the first sound Of
the bugle she was aStir and determln-
ed to go to Cuba 10 see for herself what
real campaign and real battle were
like; in fact, as she confided to me, i
had read what General Sherman said,
that war is hell and | was seized with
d desire to investigate on my own ac-
count and see if he really knew what,
he was talking about.
Il first sought some encouragement
from publishers, but got little. You
see, hardly any one thought it possible
that / would ever reach the scene OF
the conflict, and most of my friends and
acquaintance, who knew of my inten-
ton either laughed at me or tried TO
brighten me. One publisher, for waose
magazine l thought l might write an
interesting article descriptive IT ny
experiences, wrote me that po-
posed undertaking was 'posith So
Surd and foolhardy.' However, tv"-
severed. and in due time sailed from
New York for Kingston. bearing Spsen~-
did letters of recommendation from
quite a number of influential puonc
men.
Il had one to General Miles, one to
General Shafter, and several to Of
fieers of the fleet, from Admiral Salnp-
son down 10 captains nf the non -
ships. From Kingston l went by raj!
10 Port Antonic--d DeautiIut spa, -,
the way, anC one about which very lit
tie seems to be known in this country.
After waiting there some time the Red
Cross steamer State of Texas came
over for ice for our wounded soldiers,
and was permitted to board her and
go on TO Siboney.'
Then you did not witness the
destruction of Cervera's fleet?" 1 re-
marked.
mo, but [ saw some of the remains,
and mighty suggestive they were of the
skill and prowess of the American
navy.
'.Siboney 1 suppose. you found at
tractive?'
We'll. Siboney may not have been
as ugly as it has been painted. What
little 1 saw of it was rather pictures
que Little old houses. one-story. with
verandas in front, all painted blue, and
strung along one narrow, crooked
street; wild flowers and tropical foliage
all about, and high mountains for a
background. Like all places l saw IN
Santiago province. Siboney looked
prettiest at a distance, but even at a
close range saw much to interest and
some things to admire. But the place
was set on fire just after / arrived, and
the whole blooming village quickly
went up in some and flame"
Did you go into the interior be-
yond Siboney2" l asked.
.'Oh, bless me, yes, indeed did.
1 went some miles beyond. First L VS.
tied the hospitals just back OF the VII
lage and then ! pushed on a couple o.
miles. I cot one of those queer little
Cuban horses that had been living 1
long time on cacti and other dehcacles
of the sort, and rode cut TO the field
hospitals near the front ] visited
dozen or more and took many pictures.
Here is one now u snap shot of poor
felloW-one of the reguiarS-lying on an
irrorovised cot That fellow was shot
through the thighs. and may be dead
now Just as l snapped Tor the picture
he. caught sight of me; he was SO weak
he could not raise himself, or scarcely.
sI;eak. but his face fairly beamed when
he saw. me. Sister has one of those ko
daks.' he said to me afterward, and
how much you remind me of her.
What was your impression as to the
hospitals? Were they clean and Wen
kept?"
THE field hospitals. all that Wis
tied. were in excellent condition They
were crowded, of course, but they were
clean. the nurses were attentive and
gentle. and seemed to know jus what to
do and how and when To do it, rms
was particularly true of the Red Cross
hospitals
GENERAL SHERMAN ABOUT
RIGHT.
Did YOU sec any real fighting?"
well, saw some lively. SEirmiSheS,
and was near enough to the front and
the firing line to hear the music OF
the Mausers and the crack of the rifles
our boys carried. l was near enough to
see some of the horrors of war, and to
realize that doubtless General Sherman
had it about right. l got just as near
to the thick Of the fight as the COM
handing officers would permit me TO
60"
Did you see our great hero, Teddy
Roosevelt"
mo, l missed that pleasure, but 1
did see many of his troopers, some of
them dead and others wounded. And
that reminds me, here is Il picture l
took of = Spaniard lying dead on the
field. He was a sharDshooter, and,
from his perch in a mango tree, had
been picking off some of Roosevelt's
men. a big, burly negro cavalryman
finally located the SDaniard, and
brought him down, badly wounded.
Without looking TO see = he was dead
or alive, the enraged negro raised his
rifle and battered the sharpshooter over
the head until he was dead. There ne
Is. Just as he lay when 1 passed the
Mace You see got an excellent pic
ture of him.
"Ob. yes. / saw funny things. too. i
saw 2 Cuban sell a horse for half of
a pineapple and a piece of tobacco.