The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-10-18
Letter From Porto Rico.
THE NEWS has received the follow

THE NEWS has received the 1ollo"lhe
1 .rr from DR.. Ben Frank, of this CITY,
who is Contract Surgeon with the First
K .n,acky. now in Porto Rico. The
letter. W which is dated In held at forIo
Rico. October LIST, is DIS follows
Your paper received last night. L
WAS delighted to get SO much news from
dear odd Kentuck." l don't believe
there l, anything a soldier appreciates
NOR. than news from home. Ny lie In
camp il very hum drum. Every morn
ing we are called by bugle at half past
five. we then have piece by Prof. Mar
TINS Newsboy Band. Plot. Martin mas
been standing the hardships like one oil
the brys. In tact he Is one OF the boys
a I'd IL loved by everyone. At six O'Clock
IN SIS call is sounded and we then slt
down 10 partake OF soldiers break
fast which consists OF fat meat, hard
tack and coffee. At SIX thirty, sick call
is sounded and the LIST Sergeant OF
different companies brings his SICK men
TO hospital tor treatment. We have
anywhere from fifty to one hundred
patients every morning. Men who are
very sick are put in hospital, some are
excused from duty, while others are re-
turned TO quarters for light duty, de-
pending Oh severity Of Case. Sick call
generally keeps us busy until
nine o'clock. After tat have regular
duty at the hospital all day. AT II
O'Clock we have dinner and at SIX
supper. This is my routine Of work
each day, " ednesday, Col. Castleman
and Co. 4 went out for five days trip
ia the mountains to hunt down Spanish
guerrillas and sharpshoOters. To-mor-
row Co. Il goes out for scout and eX-
poets to take rations for ten days. l
hope to be able to go with them. We
will no doubt haye an exciting trip for
the hills are full of guerlllas and they
have been causing the natives a great
deal Of trouble. The only way to get
rid of these fellows is to hunt them
down. The health Of our r6gim, at Is
improving some. l believe great deal
of sickness has been caused by bad food,
am sure the sick list would have been
much larger had it not been FOR excel
lent management on part of Colonel
Castleman. | would rather Ue under
his command than any officer In service.
He looks after the personal Interests OF
each man. He knows every man
in the regiment and is loved by
them all. Col Castleman is u gentle
man as we'll as an officer and you can't
say that of all officers. There are no
new cases of yellow fever reported at
Ponce this morning and believe the SUI
geons have it under control now. |
have had promotion given me as CON
tract surgeon The place pays 500 d
month with rank as First Lieutenant
l have a Porto Rican boy with me, age
fourteen, named Trinidad Martebo.
Trinidad has been with ME since ]
landed and has been of great service to
me as an interpreter He speaks very lit
tie English, but he has managed to teach
me some Spanish. He is the best edu.
Gated child have seen here. Both his
parents are dead and l hope to bring
him back to America with me, for
have become very much attached tC
him. Col Castleman has given NE per
mission to take him but says he is afraid
the government will object We have
heard nothing in lgard tC
leaving the island, but l hope to eat
Christmas dinner in ''Old Kentnck".
am in splendid health and as long MS
remain 80, l have no kick to make
Regards to my friends who inquire o.
me. Send your papers regularly
Very truly,
BEN FRANK