The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-08-10
A WARN WELCOME.
General Miles Triumpha! March
into Porto Rico.
TIRED OF SPANISH RULE.
The American Army Hailed as
One Of Liberation, and Men,
Women and Children Hug
Our Men.

The march Of the American army to-
wards San Juan is more Of triumphal
procession than anything else The
citizens of Porto REQ everywhere hail
the appearance Of the americans with
delight. with banners flying, with bands
playing stirring American tunes. with
presents of food. cigarettes, cigars. with
hugs and kisses from men, women and
children alike. The scenes described
By me of the occupation of Juan Diaz are
repeated as we march quickly inland,
only the further We go the more enthu-
siastic the people become.
Besides the towns already reported
by me as being occupied we are in pos
session Of nine others. These towns
are Arroyo, Satillas, Yiabucoa, Salinas,
Santaisbcl. Ajuntas. Panuelas Guaya-
mala and Guayamo. There were Span
ish troopsin all Of the important towns
in this list. Guayamo has a large gar
rison.
1t was reported to the Americans that
these soldiers intended to make a fight
and this morning General Wilson sent
two companies there. On the way
tie Americans met couriers who
said that the citizens had ordered the
Spaniards out Of town and had hoisted
the American flag. The soldiers
thought this was trick and observed
great caution in approaching, but get
ting nearer they saw the American flag
waving in the distance, and marched
into the town without hesitation.
Here they found bigger reception
than ever. The American flag was
waving over the public buildings,
and not many in the town had opposed
its being raised. The brass bands were
playing yankee Doodle, . 'Ta Ra
Boom de Aye, and the men and wo-
men fell upon their knees and worship
ed our soldiers.
The mayor made a speech in which
he said that the day Of deliverance for
Porto Ricans had come. Crowds fol-
lowed the soldiers everywhere and the
Americans could hardly get away from
them. They insisted on taking our
men into their houses and giving them
feasts such as no invading army ever
saw. The best they had was none too
good for the humblest private.
The mayor made another speech of
welcome at the public square where the
people shouted Down with SPAIN
and Viva live -Americanos!" etc. The
Americans hardly know what Spanish
soldiers look like.
The mayors of four other towns have
visited Ponce and told General Wilson
that the people of their towns are glad
to be Americans. Their towns had sur
rendered and they were ready to turn
over everything to the Americans and
have American officials appointed.
Word was received from other towns
that had not been visited by the SOL
diers and consequently had not formal
ly surrendered, but the people and Of
fcials heard of the landing Of the Amer
leans and had hoisted the American
flag at once and kept it hoisted
ever since. driving out the Spaniards
from towns where the soldiers were sta
toned. The people in these towns re-
port the Spanish soldiers fed in fright
as they did from Ponce. TheSpaniards
took the military road going toward
San Juan.
When the American soldiers arrived
here the Spanish citizens We're natural
ly alarmed, and many of them fed with
the Spanish soldiers and went to the
mountains. They began returning on
Sunday and are all nearly back today.
The first thing they did when they got
back was to begin shouting viva los
Amcricanos!" They are apparently good
Americans. but the Porto Ricansdo not
trust them They say they will watch
for the first sign Of disloyalty on their
part and shoot them or turn them owe,
to the American soldiers.
Returning Spaniards profess not to
know the whereabouts Of the troops
that fed with them. They say the SOL
diers ran so fast that they were unable
to keep up with them. Even these
Spaniards are genuinely glad at the
change in the local government which
has been made BY General Wilson, par
ticularly in tie courts.
! Porto Rico