The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-26
CHRISTMAS AT HAVANA.
How American Troops Observed the
Day.
CHICKEN FOR SOME BUT OTHERS
DID NOT FARE so WELL.

All Made the Best of the Occasion, and
ON the Whole 1t Was a Merry One--
Gen. Lee Spent Day son Horseback
Looking Up Parade Route.
| Havana, December 25.s p m.-The
United States troops have begun this
evening regular patrol of the city of
Havana, in order to guard against possi-
Bile disorders The day, however, passed
in comparative quiet The Bando issued
on Friday by Captain General Jiminea
Castellanos prohibiting crowds from as
sembling in the streets, has been general
| " observed.
Last night there was some disturbance,
said to have been oaused by liquor. in
Montssrat place. A shot was tired about
midnight from rifle at a group of peo-
pie below and many shots were returned
at the figures vaguely seen on the roof.
An unidentified man was killed and
three were wounded in other affrays.
| Christmas at camp Ouomados was as
lively as the troops could make it with
slender materials. Turkeys, at seven dol
lars apiece, were SC aroe and everybody
said that with the heat and summer
| temperature and the hedge rows brilliant
with flowers, the day did not seem much
| like Christmas.
| All the company messes of the forty
ninth Iowa, the first North Carolina. the
fourth Virginia, the second Illinois and
| the 161st Indiana Tegiment had extra
| "Spreads'' of company fund, with gifts
from we'll to do members. The army ra-
tion was supplemented by fruit, canned
goods, sweet potatoes and somebi mes
chicken. The sixth Missouri regiment,
the last to arrive, had no chance to pre-
pare an extra dinner; SO the men dinsd
on. fresh beef, rice and beans. One bat
TALON reached Camp yesterday, the other
two marching today distance os eight
miles over dusty road.
All the regimental bands played and
the men were granted leave within mile
radius of the camp. Company B. of the
t6lst India ma regiment, brought in n
cnt1Q us tICot OA CtaCi HOA4U Va sWA4SA NfHC
present for the men, as. for instance,
hard tack, beans, salt pork and candles.
The officers of the l6lst Indiana INDUCED
after dinner in songs and speech-making
with several solo-dances.
At Elvadado, the eighth and tenth
regular infantry regiments dined well at
the expense ofsthe company funds.
Major General Lee and his staff partook
of a modest dinner. General Lee had a
number Of live turkeys available, but as
the birds are very lean, he decided to
keep them on the chance of improvement,
for the new years feast after the flag
rising. General Lee spent most of the
day on horse back, studying the best
route for the new year day parade. The
streets are too narrow to allow the taoops
to march past the place, SO that the
route will probably be tnorugh Prado and
Central Park to Cerro. the Havana
suburb General Lee expects to have H.
600 men, including the Cubans, in the
military procession.
Major General Butler win go to
Matanzas and Cienfuegos, tomorrow
Vt
troops are about to take possession Of San
Ambrosias hospital
G. i. Beaver, the United States postal
agent in Havana, has complained to the
postmaster general of the irregularity
in the arrival of the mail from the
United States.
CHRISTMAS AT SAVANNAH.
Savannah, Ga, Dec. 25. christmas in
the camp of the 7th army corps came as
near being civilian celebration as is
possible in the military life. Practically
all army restraints were suspended ex-
cept morning and afternoon calls, and
the men were left to enjoy themselves in
their own fashion.
The Sd Nebraska, Col. W. J. Bryan's
old regiment, had a fund of $1,000 sent
from home for Christmas dinner. This
was apportioned among the companies.
The I'd Louisiana also had $1,000 for a
Christmas dinner, but this regiment
spent Christmas at sea, having sailed
Yesterday at the same time as the first
Texas.
QUIET IN SANTIAGO.
Santiago de Cuba. December 25.-Christ-
mas has passed without local disorder.
There were few private dinners given to
celebrate the day among the Americans.
as most of tn m prefer to hold their fes-
tivities tomorrow.
QUIET IN WASHINGTON.
Washington, Decem ber 25. Christmas
was observed very quietly in Washington.