The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-08

Is Very Beautiful, Inviting and
Productive.
Special Correspondence of The Tribune.
Las Marlas, Porto Rico, Sept. TO-
Pray now for nothing, since there is
no escape to mortals from predestined
calamity" so wrote the Greek Ara
matist Sophocles. In these words he
voices the sentiment of the men of
Company G, Eleventh infantry. OF the
other companies. but little can be said,
inasmuch as some twenty miles sep
arates us, and the only news we hear
IRON them is when the teams arrive
with rations from Mayaguey. Then the
stories are so conflicting that we gen.
orally arrive at the conclusion that the
teamsters are all tremendous -.
Our vocabulary fails us, SO we'll leave
the space blank
During the past three days we've had
Issued to us at meal times potatoes
(real ones), genuine bacon, Hamburg
steak with fried onions and potatoes,
pork and beans, fish hash and bread.
Ihus we've decided that well no more
pray or grumble because to him who
waits will all things surely come. When
| q person lives on hard-tack and scant
rations for an indefinite period, gets
wet through to the skin daily, marches
up steep mountain paths under the
scorchinG rays of a tropical sun, etc.
he somewhat agrees with that ancient
writer who said: For when a per-
son loses the pleasures of life | do not
consider him to live, but look upon him
as the living dead"
Now, however we have dry quarters,
get good food. good water, only drill
one hour daily and have no reasons,
therefore. to longer feel that we have
lost the pleasures of life. Why, we've
even had one pound of tobacco issued
to US on credit! It's queer what mar
Vellous powers this famous weed pos
sesses. 1t acts like resuscitation, brings
a soldier to realize that his heart has
again commenced beating.
SORELY TEMPTED.
There are times, however, when one
wishes that it were possible to be as
successful as England in her policy of
grab For instance, when you gaze
upon a basket of fresh eggs, or some
bottles of new milk, and at the same
time thrust your hands into your
pockets, feel nothing, and then think
OF the two months pay due you for
services rendered. Eggs are sold by
the natives at a cost of 3 cents each;
milk, 10 cents for a twelve-ounce bottle
full. The lacteal fluid is somewhat of
dubious character, due to the fact
that only one COW has so far been dis
covered, while goats are numerous.
One thing in favor of the Porto Rican
goats, however is that they don't care
to include tin cans in their bill of fare
Where ignorance is bliss, etc, is OBJ
served in regards to the milk.
The town of Las Marias is a small.
dingy, dirty, poverty stricken looking
place, quite in tone with the appear
ance of the inhabitants. The houses
have neither windows or chimneys.
The cooking is done in q rear room, the
fire being made on a construction of
bricks, some four feet in height Char
coal Is the fuel used. The gases and
smells escape through the open door,
or else, if the wind be unfavorable,
pervade the whole establishment. Pre-
ViouS to the engagement which oc-
CURED near the town Aug IS, we could
not but help to notice the difference
of the reception accorded us here and
at Mayaguey. There we entered with
banners fluttering, band playing and
the people cheering like mad, not only
this but cigars, packages of cigarettes,
beautiful bouquets, etc, were thrown
among us as we marched through the
city. In Las Marias not a cheer was
heard. The faces of almost all were
gloomy and menacinR. and yet when
we passed through the next day, hav-
ing met and conquered the enemy,
many were the exclamations of delight,
undoubtedly feigned.
The town possesses no sanitary ar
ransements and water Is supplied from
a spring some half-mile distant. This
one source of occupation is found
that of water carriers.
INCLINED TO INCIDENCE.
The people, however, seem to be
somewhat inclined to Incidence. At
meal times the storekeepers close their
stores, no matter how many the num-
ber of clerks-that is in Las Marias.
1t would be great surprise to the
inhabitants to see a store like some
of those in Scranton. There are no
fancy and artistically decorated Win
dows, 10 clean, sprightly, courteous
clerks, instead you enter through one
of the many open doors, gaze upon a
complication of CobWebs, dirt and pro-
visions, etc, and after waiting a half
hour or so you finally get desperate
and ask the sleepy, dirty, looking clerk
if he won't kindly wait on you.
OF course I'm speaking from actual
experience of what occurs in Las
Marias. 1t would be of great benefit
to some shrewd young men to take a
trip to Porto Rico say to spend a
months vacation and yet at the same
time keep an eye open to the estab-
lishInent of a future business. The
time is not far distant when this coun-
try will prove an Eldorado, possibly
equal to the Klondike. "The Neuva
Era" in an editorial Of Sept. 6, urges
the necessity of education among the
inhabitants. In part he says: I'm the
process of evolution which has to pre-
cede the day of jubilee in celebration
of our admittance as q state Of the