The times., 1898-08-15
DANA's DUSTY THIRTY.
Porto Ricans Cheer American Al
by Wisconsin WoOdsmen.

Porto Rfcans Cheer American AIRS
by wisconsin Woodsmen.
A correspondent of one of the New
York papers, writing from Ponce, Porto
Rico, T. s. A., under date of August /,
tells the following patriotic story:Y
Heads were barred for the first time
last night In Porto Rico out of respect
for Americas national air. While the
Third Wisconsin regiment band tplayed
The Star Spangled Banner in the pub
lie square the people of Ponce had an I'M
pressive lesson in American patriotism.
True. they were able to distinguish lit
tie difference between the general charac-
ter of "Old Kentucky Home and the air
which for months past has caused aud
fences in the United States to rise and
stand in respectful silence while pulses
quickened and the deepest thrills Of pa
triotism were experienced. When the few
Americans at last nights concert re-
| moved their hats while the Badger State
musicians were playing the asst number
of their first concert in Porto Rico. the
great throng that crowded the plaza grad
ually caught the spirit: sombreros were
removed, and soon the immense gathering
was listening to the stirring strains with
| lie Sdint respect tndl HlarhS tiie DeNaVIOr
of American audiences during the per-
pormance OF this piece which for us is
surcharged with patriotism
Never in New York has there been
such an audience; never In New York mas
| there been such a scene.
'Br0nzed, travel stained and coatless
| the Wisconsin boys tramped from Port
Ponce to the city proper to the stirring
strains of their own music. The road
Iipad with nr
! them former Spanish volunteers. who had
never before listened TO martial music
rendered with such dash and precision. A
| mighty procession of men. women and
| children fell in behind the band and by
the time the Wisconsin musicians
marched into the public square they had
| motley following OF thousands. 'T'he
| Bomberos. or local fire department who
| have been acting as an auxiliary police
force since the occupation of the city by
| our soldiers, were there to handle the
| crowds
Ponce is behind Northern cities in
everything except electric lights. Be-
| meath the glare of these lights in lie ,,uh-
| lie square the music racks We're detached
from the knapsacks and set up While
| these preparations were in progress, the
| fremen, conspicuous for their red shirts
and cleaning broad-bladed axes, under
| took to manage the struggling and :team-
| ing audience. An American bard WIS
complete novelty. and as Sunday was
fete day there was little 20 prevent all Ike
citizens from attending this concert.
The news that there was to be con-
| cert had spread to the plantations be-
yond the city, and. with the exception of
the few who remained at the farms TO
aid the American soldiers guard against
| the marauding Spaniards, all had come
/ to the city. There was a 'Bombero' band
7 In Ponce, but the inhabitants Judged
! rightly that their red-shirted fremen
could never bring such music out of
brasses as that produced by the lusty-
lunged boys from the lumber camps of
the far north. humanity laden OK carts
rolled into Ponce for hours.
When Prof. F. G. Dana and his dusty
thirty opened up with Marching Through
Georgia the 'Bombero musicians here
and there through the crowd saw that
/ their past laurels were but shadow of
| withered vanity. The poys from Mari
nette played as they never played before
| AS for striking appearances, no brass
buttoned, begilded and bestrapped band
that has occupied the stage at the Metro
politan ever looked as picturesque as did
the Wisconsin woodmen as they played
and perspired under the tropical stars.
Travel stains and CRIME, tarnished in
struments and rickety racks made no diff
ference to them.
| Perhaps 1t was because they were play
ing on the soil of the conquered per-
| haps because they they were so far
from home. or perhaps 1t was because
they had not heard their national music
for so long. At any rate the Americans
in the audience fairly went wild They
tossed their hats high and yelled them
selves hoarse at Dixie they sang
sAr,ao ,f,,rs -.
distant hills TO send back the echo; they
danced and they pranced over astonished
Porto Ricans. Altogether they conducted
themselves in a manner that the natives
still declare must have resulted from ex-
cessive drinking of 'movi.' It was moth
ing but plain, unvarnished American en-
thusiasm.
Then, when one of the officers of the
provost guard came to say that taps was
about to be sounded, and it would be
necessary to send the citizens to their
homes, the Americans demanded The
Star Spangled Banner which Prof. Dana
had intended should be his closing num-
Der.
'At the first notes of the grand old air
Americans removed Their hats There was
a disposition among the natives to chat
ter comments regarding this. Then 1t was
whispered about that it was the favorite
American national song. Sombreros
panamas and every manner of head COW
ering began to come off IN all parts of
the crowd. Porto Rican heads bowed
with American heads. When the Bonn
beros' noticed a stray Spaniard here and
there who declined to show the respect
which they deemed proper they pulled
his hat from his head. If the Spaniard
made resistance they lifted their fire axes
and threatened to pound respect into his
Uranium.
.'When the last strains had died away
Porto Rieans and Americans joined in
three mighty cheers for America. 1t was
a lesson that sank deep in the Porto
Rican mind. and in Ponce hereafter
heads will always be barred during the
nlaying of The Star Spangled Banner "
MOUNTAIN MICE.