The National tribune., 1898-05-19

HAAAA A0S AOoOs - s' A/A/ - -
The loading of steamers now here has
begun, and ammunition boxes are rapidly
| going into the holds this afternoon, about
80 carloads being on the wharf. 1t is kept
on the cars under strict guard till taken to
the ship.
| SAND AND MUsKETOs
| Sand, sand, sand everywhere. In the
| unpaved streets it lies in unknown depth:
it blows in drifts over the floors, and the
air Is hazy with its floating PARTICLES:
| Along the beach it looks like banks OF
snow; when it sits down ones neck 1t IS
not so pearly. On white canvas shoes 1t
| does not show-polishing others is labor
! lost. School children do not learn to spell
| mud or snow-they have no use for the
words, but Just now, since the troops have
| been paid, they are literally getting silver
| out of the dust OF the streets"
The hum of the festive musketO is heard
| in the land, and my English friend, who,
| though he has reported war movements on
three continents, was not familiar with
| the insect life of Florida, made his appear
| ance at breakfast the morning after his ar
| rival with face which bore some resem-
| blance to that OF person suffering rom
| some cutaneous eruption, and anathema-
| tized the bird" with great fervor.
"Wnat do the soldiers do with their
/ money! had occasion to go to the Post
Office yesterday, and had to take my turn
at the money order window with long file
! of soldiers who wanted money orders; and
| the oath Inf. (colored) made a donation OF
| SCI sc to one of the colored churches on
| Sunday last.
7 THE AMERICAN SOLDIER.
| have never before seen such magnifi-
cent body of men, physically, as the sol
| diary gathered here. The 25th Inf, think,
lead in that respect. l was particularly
struck with the looks of two companies
that came back from Key West on Sunday.
| Many of them were six feet or more in
hight, and with a free, erect and easy car
riage which told of long, thorough, and
| systematic bodily training.
| They are in marked contrast to our men
and the Cubans living in the city, a nd more
especially because of their organization,
to those gathered in the camp preparatory
to being armed for the invasion. Many OF
the latter are small and slight in build, not
| "wiry," and lacking in development OF
chest and muscle. Still, in the climate OF
Cuba, and accustomed to the modes OF lie
there, they may outlast men OF more ro-
business of form and apparently greater
| stamina.
| Among the mail forwarded to me here l
find letter from Serg't Richard Quinn, OF
| the company | commanded IN the 5th lnf.
He has served over 26 years, % in the same
| company and % as On-commlSSIoned
| officer. Last Fall heaSked me to use my
influence to get him detail on recruiting
service, as in all his service he had never
separated from the company. He was sent
! to Pittsburg, Pa, and could have re-
| mained there, but when his company was
| ordered to the front he asked to be sent
| back to it, and his letter was to tell me Of
| his action. He says: New men will be
coming in, and all the non. CONS. will be
| needed, and am going back"
| Another letter from a former member OF
| the company, whose last enlistment was in
| the Ordnance Corps, employed at armories
/ and arsenals, informs me that he, too, has
! obtained transfer and is back with
| his old regiment, and on duty at the front.
| How is that for the old soldiers ideas OF
duty?
THE CUBAN VOLUNTEERS.
l paid a visit this morning to Cespedes
Hall, or Opera House, in West Tampa,
used as a barrack or rendezvous for the
Cuban volunteers, about 400 of whom are
Guartered there. Those in charge claim
that between 700 and coo are enrolled,
but from what / saw / doubted the state
ment; in fact, i was inclined to doubt
everything not visible to the naked eye.
Those who should be in authority did not
seem to be doing anything, though there
may have been an undercurrent of bust
ness which failed to detect.
l make an exception to this in the case
of young man, whose name l have for
gotten, who said he had had two years
experience as member of State Organi-
Zation at Kansas City. He was drilling
SQUAD of some 20 men, all Americans, in
the manual of arms, and when he found
was an officer his attention. had some
force in it, and his prompt, snappy way
told of discipline, and meant business"
He will be heard from yet, if let alone.
i found all shades of color in the ranks,
from the cOal-black negro to pure white
whose pale face showed that he had not
labored in the open air. To the soldiers
II.
but they are jealous in the cause; and the
first negroes who were made soldiers dur
ing the war of the rebellion did not present
a specially promising appearance before
they were uniformed. The man referred
to said he was a civil engineer by pro-
feSSion, and called his company the en- |
gineer company"
A young Cuban, who said he was "a Yale |
man." and who spoke English almost |
without accent, showed me through the |
building. He wants to be attached to the |
United States forces as interpreter, in |
which capacity l think he could render |
excellent service. They hope to form part |
of the first force to go to the island.
West Tampa is almost as Cuban as is |
Cuba. The houses are not built in the |
style of the tropics, but one hears only
Spanish spoken and tObacco-working of |
some sort is almost the only industry.
WORK FOR THE w.R.c.
Though the war with Spain last but a
or even one week after our army
has landed in the island, the Spanish sol
diers will have the last of the provisions to
be found, and still more starvation than
now exists must be the lot of the reconcen-
tradOs. Anticipating this, measures should
at once be taken, all over our country, for
systematic relief measures. Let
that noble organization, the WOman'S Re
lief Corps, at once begin work, and arrange
by Posts, towns or cities to canvas |
and thus ascertain how much
each Post, town or city can raise by
specified time, and gathering it at some
central point, have it ready to follow our
army as soon as it has a foothold at some
arbOr.
Make the organization similar to the
Christian or Sanitary Commissions of the
late war, putting at the head persons of
known executive ability, and push the
work, for every day will see lives wasted.
Confer with Miss Barton as soon as practi-
cable regarding the disposition of supplies;
but don't wait for her reply. Have the re-
lief ready as soon as you can. Do not |
send "knicknacks," but solid food, medi-