The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-12-15

After four months army service in
Porto Rico. Norman Parke, son of MIR.
and Mrs. W. G.. Parke. returned to
this city Tuesday night. AS mounted
orderly To a brigade commander he
was privileged to gain an experience
in the service and an opportunity for
observation not usually accorded to the
ordinary soldier.
Mr.. Parke was orderly to Colonel
Castleman, formerly of the First Ken
tuCky infantry, who was made an act
ing brigadier general in command of
the Eleventh and Nineteenth United
States regulars. the Third battalion OF
the Sixteenth Pennsylvania infantry, 4
troop of the second United States cav
airy and the First Kentucky infantry.
The transport which returned with the
latter command and Colonel Castleman
also brought General Brooke and star
and family. They reached Newport
News last Friday on Monday Nlr.
parke was mustered out of the service
1T Fort Never, which saved him the
annoyance and delay of being sent
home with the Kentucky regiment.
The preparations made for the home-
coming of the Kentuckians might give
the Scranton people an idea of what to
dO when the Thirteenth comes back.
Each man in the regiment received an
engraved invitation for the formal well
come at home tickets good for several
nights 1T the theaters end n card for
sumptuOus supper. Privates as well
as officers very generally represented
the better social element of their home
community.
RETAINED AS ORDERLY.
Mr.. Parlie was permanently retained
as Colonel CaStleman's orderly on ar
rival at Ponce, Aug. Q, of the trans
port Manitoba. The earlier arrival Oe
United States troops had pushed the
fighting northward into the interior
ANA Colonel Castlcman's command saw
only bushwhacking service, being a
day or "A few hours behind several en-
gacements. Finally the island was
traversed ard Mr. Parke considered
himself fortunate in being ordered to
accompany Colonel Castlcman into san
Juan on the occasion of the final and
successful American fag-raising IN
that city.
II was Mr., Parke's first opportunity
for mingling with the Spanish officers
and soldiers and observing them at
close range. He was hardly prepared
To find the rank and file so woll cared
for. There was nothing lacking in thcir
uniform. equipment or other inciden-
tails, but their apparent Humiliation
and chagrin over being forced 10 sub
nit to the Americans after failing to
get an opportunity to make a final
stand, was, Mr.. Parke says, very ap-
parent
They aroused a feeling of real pity
rather than eNultation. The merCst
Spanish private, despite his we'll
GroOmed appearance. was plainly a
very crestfallen individual and there
WAS no disposition on the part of the
Americans to lord it over him.
AS General Henry very aptly put it.
the Americans would have gone about
their flag raisings with a little more
spirit and pride if the declaration of
peace had been deferred few weeks
longer as there was not much satis-
faction i'm a victory over an enemy that
was only half whipped and was beg
ging for more. 1t is Farke's oniniOn
that if San Juan had been taken by
force, Uncle Sans men would have
known that there had been some fight
ing and fewer of them would have re-
turned home from Porto Rico.
HANDSOME LOT OF MEN.
The officers of the Spanish forces in
and around San Juan were lard-
some lot of men. They We're nIagnifl-
Gently uniformed but not sufficiently
So to conceal their shame in having 10
acknowledge their countrys defeat.
They We're great stiCklers for form.
While plainly dspleased over tho
slightest oversight they We're as ready
to show their pleasure over any unex-
peCted mark of courtesy.
1t was not always the rule of nom
commissioned Americans to salute the
officers of the enemy, but when this
little token was accorded them. they
promptly returned it and by gestures
to one and another or by looks pro-
claimed their pleasure.
The Spanish troops at san Juan were
Quartered i'm a model way. Their bar
racks were immense rOomy structures
of brick and stone, scrupulously clean
and in splendid repair. The city was
much cleaner than the usual city in
the states. Its streets are paved with
brick. The pavements are kept very
clean.
Mr.. Parke is enthusiastic over the
beauty of the country. It's fertility and
piCturesQueness and general state Of
cultivation has, he says been kept
from general public knowledge on ac-
count of the earlier prominence given
to facts about Cuba Porto Rico show
ed none of the ravaGes of war, rcvolu-
tion and poverty apparent on the larger
island. Persons fond Of travel and in
vcstigation, he said, could with camera
and note book spend their time very
proftably In Porto Rico for months.
NOT POVERTY-STR
It's native people. though poor, are
not poverty-stricken. They are intel
ligent and Industrious ard much more
active than the inhabitants of other
tropical countries. They have not suf-
fered from pillage, official blackmail
and robbery and will readily acknowl-
edge United States authority.
Mr.. Parke left this city with the
Thirteenth regiment and at Mt. Cret-
ma was transferred to the Governor )
troop. He went to Porto Rico with
that body of cavalrymen and almost
Immediately after his arrival there was
assigned to General Castleman's staff
as an orderly.