The Ravalli Republican., 1898-10-26

100 Spanish corpscs were piled like
cord wood after the BATTLE The days
here are not much warmer than Mon
tana's summer weather, but the
nights are much warmer. The mos
quitos are an awful pest and we are
still suffering to~soDle extent for want
Of sleep.
Nearly all the boys are adopting
|'the tropical custom Of taking a
''sicsta" after dinner, and this will
remedy the matter. A good many Of
/ the people here seem to "sicsta" a
good part of the time.
Contrary to our expectations, fruit
! is rather high here and not very plen-
tful. Bananas and cocoanuts are
the staples and no fruits are culti-
waited. They arc very good, especially
the nuts. In addition TO these there
are number of other fruits on sale
in the stands, neither the names Of
which nor the fruits themselves
would be recognized by people In the
states. Most Of them are not very
palatablc to western tastes. People
here tell us that there are enormous
quantities Of fruit In the lillsin the
interior but the natives do not bring
it out through fear Of the insurgents,
large numbers Of whom are encampcd
in that vicinity. The probable rca-
son is that that there has probably
never been the market here before
tnat there is now and they have not
adapted themselves TO the new con-
ditions yet. Cnc American dollar is
worth two dollars of the Mexican dol
lar, which is the standard coin here,
which practically doubles our pay.
The current coins of the nation are
the one and two cent pieces (una and
dos centayos). These are made IF
copper and are very large, the two
fccnt piece being as large as our half
dollar and the one cent in proportion.
Two dollars in change is a mans load
and man with SIS in copper needs a
hand cart.
There are & good many alleged
horses. The scrubbicst cayusc on
the Montana range would be a
! thoroughbred compared with the best
OF them. The native hackn1an drives
one Of them to a two-whcci cart. 4
great many such are to be seen on
the streets. The heaviest horse /
have seen here would not weigh over
$50 pounds and the average would
not be over $50. nave seen six
people, all full grown. riding in d
heavy cart drawn by a horse that
would not weigh $50 pounds. For
heavy draft purposes they use water
bufialos. These seem to be about the
same animal as those described in
African articles. They arc big dral
or slate colorcd animals With cnor
, nous nnttcned horns. None Of then.
seem to be used in tic city, but in
the country they are very common
The natives make a fairly good draft
animal for street use. 1t is only 9
question Of using enough Of him
His wages used to be o cents or less
ii day. but the advent Of the Amcri
can army, bringing more money thar
these people ever dreamed Of, has
Dullcd the labor market. HIS COS.
tune is a while coat and Il pair Oi
white pants, only this and nothing
distinction IF keeping 4 banana stand
with four bananas, Ihrcc manyOes
five pieces Of brown sugar candy anC
, nine impOssihltics OF the vegetable
kingdom and a let OF cigars and
cigarettes, worth ir. the aggregate II
cents, he sometimes puts on pair Of
wooden shoes composed Of Il Woodcr
sole raised two inches off the gronnC
by high heel and sole and 4 tWt
inch strap over the front end into
which the toes are thrust. The noise
made by flapping these along on 4
Itilc sidewalk seems very stimulating
: to a natives estimate of himself
, The women wear Il calico mother
hubbard reaching to the ankles ant
made low in the neck so it can be
slipped on over the head without tho
!, = bother Of buttons. a piece Of cloti
y or a shawl is then draped around Tho
:. waist making Il short ovcrs<irt. Tft
, shoes are the same as those worn b.
the men. This is the everyday dress
On dress parade the costumes Of botl
men and women arc too varied to Dt
, described, but are quite tasteful
. They are quite Il good looking race
The cheapest things here are cigar:
and cigarettes. Fair cigars can be haC
for cent each, and the same amour
: will buy 10 good cigarettes. BY
. fair cigar ! mean one that will com
. pare ravorably with the average u
! center at home, and the cent spokci
of is Mexican.
! Sept. IA good many Spanisl
: prisoners Of war are held here boil
c by the Americans and the Insurgents
/ Those held by the Americans ar
i amazed and delighted by havin:
d enough to eat Those held by til
+ insurgents DO not nos fare so well
i We take them out every day for wor
c and exercise. None ever try t
j. escape. but sometimes Il squad con
l. tanning eight with it went out vii
n have 10 or Il dozen when it come
c back, prisoners that have escaped
S from the insurgents and Joined it o.
n the sly Two Of them escaped from
|. the insurgents in the hills today an'
S came to town to give themselves u
z Capt. Jensen found them and brouy!i
C them to our quarters AND fed them
d You never saw two such pictures {
c Starvation as they We're. The boy
d were very much intcrcStcd in thcl
~ t.