The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-22

of these is Victor Pinkney. a FORMER
ettache Of The Tribune local news ue-
partment. The following correspond
ence from him was received yesterday:
"Yauco, Aug. 9.-'Bravo! Bravo!
Americanos!' 1t seemed as though
perfect papdemonium had broken loose
Men, women and children, many of the
latter almost stark naked, were rush-
ing in mad haste to the Plaza de Iau-
ca, emanating from which could De
heard the strains of Sousas stars anu
Stripes Forever Impelled by curlos-
tty we followed the crowd and soon
came upon a scene never to be forgot
ten.
"Jn the centre of the plaza, was the
Eleventh infantry band. Around 1t
was a dense mass of humanity, yelllng
yociferously, waving sombreros ana
bandkerchiefs, and each and every one
giving vent to the widest outbursts OF
enthusiasm. Situated upon a raised
platform was the Acadia, Senor Fran
cisimo Masters, several officials ana
a number of American officers, and on
the left of these were many of the bet
ter class of inhabitants, in gala attire.
This was the first time that many had
heard an American band particularly
under such auspicious circumstances
and ii was, therefore, to them an OPP
portunity not to be lost.
"PRAVO AMERICANOS."
"Several of the natives accompanied
the band and about fifty boys held
torches, their dark eyes shining like
orbs of fire. When the band struck up
the martial air of The Star Spangled
L. 4 har nd
fully thirty minutes the air was rent
with the cry, Bravo! Americana!
"The arrival of the American forces
upon Porto Rican soil has been instru-
mental of general festivity among the
natives. Along the roadway from the
bay to the city of Yauco, crowds of
men and women kept up with the SOL
d.ers giving them mangoes, cocoanuts,
lines and filing their cups and can
teens with water. It seemed as though
they could not do enough for us. Lit
tie boys ran alongside with pans of
candies which were made of cocoanut
and molasses, and to all of us came
the question, rs this Heaven or Porto
Eico?' A similar reception was ac-
corded the troops who landed at Ponce.
MANY OF the natives told pitiful
treated them. In conversation with
native storekeeper who kept a dismal,
dirty place which served as a sleeping
place also for the entire family, he in
formed us that the Spaniards used to
tell them that the American forces
would never land because France and
Austria were already on the way with
reinforcements; that Sampson was
killed and all his ships sunk, and Cen
eral Miles was severely wounded. He
paid $3.50 every month mercantile tax.
Flour, 16lac. per pound; lard, 35c. per
pound; fish, 15c. per pound; candles,
&c. each; spool of thread, &c.. etc. gives
an idea of the exorbitant prices.
GETS NO MONEY.
"The daily wage OF a native amounts
TO % cents, and instead of pay he re-
ceives an order for provisions, etc. for
q certain store. His breakfast consists
of one cup OF black coffee; dinner, a
few mangoes and a piece Of Goldfish;
supper cup OF black coffee. is there
any wonder then that they should hail
with delight the invading Americans?
IL it any wonder that they should gaze
with awe-stricken faces upon the wag-
on loads of supplies which follow each
other like mammoth caravans? Long
years of tyranny and oppression has
been their lot-mere objects of con-
tempt, derision and starvation. With
free consciences, vet enslaved and OPP
pressed bodies. they never once lost
sight Of the fact that a time would
some day come when Spains yoke
would be broken.
''Their manifestations of JOY could
not be more plainly shown than in
their treatment of Uncle Sans SOL
diers. Numbers bring pals of drink
ing water through the camp. Others
wash our niess-kits, and the women
stand around ready to take our grimy,
sweaty. black underclothing and bring
them back white as the driven snow.
THE Eleventh regiment left Tampa
on July 2S, divided as follows: Com
pany F, on board the Decatur II. Mil
Ter; Company G, on board the Whit
neY, and the other ten companies on
the Mohawk. The trip, nine days in
all. was extremely delightful. The first
fow days were spent by many of the
soldiers in gazing into the blue waters
of the Gulf of Mexico, and, as the per-
spration rolled from us by the barrel,
many were the emotions and upheav-
ais which surged through us as we
gaZed upon the fish in their vast
aquarium.
The western coast of Cuba was
sighted on the morning of the 25th, and
in the afternoon we saw a tremendous
water spout, and in the evening one of
the most violent of electrical storms
struck us. The rain came in torrents
and several times we thought our last
moments We're at hand. Yet DESPITE
the bowling of the wind, the roar Of
thunder and the lightning flashes, as
many as seventy naked figures could
be seen occupying every available open
space-taking the first wash since
leaving America. The first day we
tried to wash in salt water, with the
result that the next few hours were
sprnt in scraping off soap which the
water had failed to remove. Those
who had dried themselves with blue
handkerchirfs presented appearances
ladicrous In the extreme. Every rain
storm was hailed with the widest de-
light.
AT YAUCO.
Santiago. Guantanamo, Mole St.
Nicholas, Samana were all passed in
rotation and on the morning of Aug.
j, the whole fleet of transports steam
ed into the Bay of Ponce. Companies
A, L, r. and G. landed here, the bal
ance going thirty miles westward, and
landing near the town of Yauco. At
this writing, however, the whole COM
pany Is at Yauco, together with the
Nineteenth infantry, Fifth light artil-
lery and two or three troops Of cav
General IL OF fnft