Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-09-08

/ the Holland breed; tine stock, and |
am told will sell for $1,000 apiece in
/ Cuba, which has always been their
market. 1t would be just the place for
a man of your experience and energy.
| Our taking of this place | suppose is
known to you by the papers. We took
! 100 prisoners, killed two and wounded
them with part of forces and cut them
off on the main road (only one herej
| but part got away over some of the
mountain pony trails and are now en-
trenched six miles northeast of here
where they have about 200 men with
artillery. Their location is high up on
the mountain on cut through which
the road passes. We were in line to
march up there when the news of the
armlstlce came. Some Of us would not
now be writing letters if we had gone.
| doubt it can be taken by an assault
from this side without n great loss. We
intended to try two dynamite guns on
them as four hours of artillery fire failed
to move them or make a break in their
works. Hope that peace or a march to
their rear by pony trail may be resorted
TO 10 take the place. There is but one
road across this island from Ponce on
south, the commercial city, TO San Juan,
the capitol. 1t is finely constructed
road of broken stone. Every rivuet
and gully has stone or brick arched
bridge or culvert and at no place is
water allowed to flow across the road or
seen on the road bed. A few of the
streams subject to freshets and marshes
are not bridged but the most of them
are and of the most substantial iron or
stone. There are no wild animals or
game except a few wild Guinea hens
and a wild pigeon similar to our blue
doves. Fire bugs similar to our snap
ping bugs are quite numerous. The
fire comes from two small spots on top
of the forepait of the body and when
they lily there is Il continuous streak of
fire with halo. The spots at night look
like two finely cut diamonds and sparkle
with rich emerald hue. Had quite
joke on one of the pickets when we
first got here. Soon after he was posted
at night he commenced to fire and did
not stop until the magazine Of six shots
was exhausted, when the corporal
arrived with reinforcements. When
asked what in the devil he was shooting
at his reply was, Don't YOU see those
Spaniards marching along in that ravine
with white hats and smoking cigarettes"
The Spanish soldier ALWAYS wears
the fire bug always turns on his lantern
with the white halo when he flies and
it was the bugs the fellow was shooting
Wish [ could send some home. I am
experimenting to see how long they
will live in confinement, put two in a
match box and placed them Iii my
trunk; last night | opened the trunk
and saw the box all aglow by the light
shining through the paper cover.
We'll, started to write only a few
words as to the hunting season but as
you will see | have lost my subject and
substituted army life in Porto Rico
The indications now are that large
part of the army will be mustered out
of the service if peace is declared and
as the stimulant Of war passes away we
are all anxious to turn our faces home
ward with the hope that our govern
ment will keep her hand on this island
as in time it will certainly prove a val
liable addition to our domain. The
inhabitants are mixed race with a few
Spanlardss, very few, real negroes, but
natives of all shades from black to white
with hair from the fine crinkley wool
Of the negro to the stiff, straight black
hair of the aborigines. Docile. con-
tented, honest and, considering their
surroundings, of fair moral character,
far more desirable and capable of be-
coming good citizens than the tickle and
imprOvident negroes of our southern
states. The women are hard workers
and spend but little on personal trivol-
ties or decorations. The men are less
SO and Inclined to lord it over their
households. Children of the female
gender generally have one garment on;
those of the masculine 60 it as they
came into the world until they attain
the age of 10 years. Their houses are
small huts with banana leaves for
shingles; their furniture table and a
few rude chairs; their bed, a cross buck
folding cot without cover of any kind,
these are shut up and hung on the wall
when not in use. A pony will carry all
the furniture and cooking utensils of q
household. But must close and as /
expect to be mustered out soon shall
not expect you to answer this.
Very respectfully,
A. SoLLIDAY,