The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-10
Readuto Colo Porto Rico
THE OFFICER WHO BET $50 THEY
WOULD NOT GO WILL WIN
HIS MONEY.
Scores of North Carolina Volunteers Had Resolved to Stay
at Porto Rico--Description of the Island and the
Opening for CapitaI--Colors Presented by Col.
William J. Bryan-'Personal Notes.
lrreSnOndence.l


days sail from the coasts of Venezuela
| and the United STATES.
! The whole coast line of the island
is indented with deep harbors. Gays and
streams where ships of the heaviest ton
mage may come to anchor
Though occasionally it does not r9ln
| in Porto Rico for six months the water
supply is most abundant Seventeen rlv'
ers and many creeks and other streams
: take their rise III the mountains and
! cross the valleys of the north COAST.
| Most of the streams are navigabie Tor
! several miles from their mouth. Inc
rivers. though short, are or astonishing
breadth and depth.
The staple products Of the island are
sugar and molasses, though coffee ana
tobacco are cultivated. Fruit, live stock
/ hides and fertilizers also constitute .
large per cent of the exports Porto
Rican ponies are famous for their dOcllltY
and endurance.
/ Porto Rico has very fine country roads.
The principal highways, traversing the
island, are macadamized. They We're
first constructed by Il competent engineer
and convict labor has since kept them
up to their first standard of excellence.
| The municipal authorities Of each aus.
! trict are specially charged with the duty
of maintaining their roads in lasting
good repair. Splendid bridges of solid
masonry or wel-built woodwork span
the streams.
| In the forests. on the mountains, one
| finds the kangaroo and the armadilo.
! Bats and lizards are everywhere and
bright plumaged birds thrOng the forests
adding the sweetness of song TO the nat
ural beauty. Of the island. There is the
mountain solitaire, warhlcrs orioles. West
Indian whil.poorwills, and eight kinds of
/ hooking birds.
The green Amazon parrot. the wild
peacock, thcI shy ladybird, cooling doves.
noisy cuckooes, brilliant humming birds
| and greedy tly-catchers are also among
Porto Rico's feathered tribe.
The entire length of the island is los
miles, while its widest breadth Is 80
miles, giving tn area of only $500 square
miles or smaller than Rhode Island.
In shape the island is square. with
high mountain formation rising in the
interior and the east. 1t would thera-
fore be impossible to conduct such a cam.
pagn as the insurgents nave In Cuba.
Both the small size of the island and
the absence of swamps and Businesses 70
|
| warfare. 1t will be an easy matter
for the Americans to seize and subdue
the island from almost anyone of its
numerous harbors The capital San
Juan. is the only strongly fortified place.
on the island.
For these reasons the North Carolina
troops do not expect much fighting, even
il they get to Porto Rico. They look
upon the trip as rather in the nature Of
a free excursion TO fairy land.
Major George T.. Butler has gone
home on a ten days leave of absence
Rowland Browning, of the Durham
company. was yesterday granted seven
days furlough.
/ George Lyon. Of the Durham company,
is now at home He has n ten days
| furlough.
Captain J. r. Gardner. of the Shelby
| company, is spending II few days at
home
Eugene Bearden. of the Asheylle
company. has had his furlough extended
twenty days. He was sometime ago
granted thirty days furlough to go
home and recuperate from. an illness of
typhoid fever.
General Burt, Colonel Armfield and
| Colonel C0wles have received huge North
| Carolina watermclonS from Mr.. .. NJ
| Saddler, division superintendent of the
Southern Express Company at Charlotte
| Mrs. II. S. Chadwick has returned to
her home in Charlotte much to the re-
greet Of her many friends here. Mrs.
Niche, Mrs. Wilder and Miss Wilder
will remain here until the regiment
leaves.
Private Thomas d. Bayard, Company
| +, First Wisconsin regiment, died of
| typhoid fever Sunday night His body
was yesterday taken to Racine, H.. for
| burial.
The Fourth Illinois regiment having
been transferred to the Third division
was to-day removed from Camp Cuba
Libre to Panama.
Troops continue to arrive from Miami
and go into camp at Fairfield The
Second Alabama and Second Texas are
the latest arrivals. The Ninth Illinois
arrived to-day from Springfield, H..
where they have been in camp. The
One Hundred and Sixty-First Indiana
| regiment has been ordered here.
The Second and Fourth Virginia and
| Forty-Ninth Iowa regiments. comprising
| the Third brigade to-day moved from
| Camp Cuba Libre to a higher and
healthier camping ground.
| Yesterday afternoon stand Of rcci-
mental colors was presented to the Third
Nebraska regiment in camp at Panama
| by Col. William Jennings Bryan, their
| commanding officer.
William Il. Whitelaw and Ernest NJ.
f'rake. of the AshcvilIe company, have
applied for discharges on account of ply
| steal disability.
| Among those sent to the hospital yes
| terday were Claude Hinnant Winston
| company, malaria; Athan A. Fitzpatrick.
| Shelby company. malaria; Thomas Nj.
Jones, Waynesvlle company, mnmps;
Jesse ID. Nelson, Statesvile company,
malaria.
The sick reports for the past three
| days has been very large: in fact they
are among the largest ever known. Few
| of the cases. though, are of a serious
nature. Dysentery prevails in the regl-
ment to an extent not before known.
Col. Armfield. Col. towles and DR..
Archey have been unwell since Saturday.
| Dr. Archey was quite sick Sunday.
FRED T.. MERRITT.