The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-26
ROBERT B. CRAMER, in Atlanta Con

Our new West Indian citizenship
is doing the best 1t can to Americun.
ize itself, and it's first stop, natnr-
ally, is TO learn to speak English.
That language is as much OF Il
stranger in Porto Rico and Cuba as
though those two islands were on
the othor side of the earth, but the
people have tackled it with heroic
determination that is unusual to Il
man or woman with Spanish blood
iii their veins. Spanish. American
dictionaries in Santiago after the
surrender aud in Ponce after the
landing of Gen. Miles troops were
bought and sold ut astonishing
prices, and in tho latter city one
local newspaper editor printed a
whole page in fearful and wonderful
English IN result Of dny spent
with one Of the books. A public
school in Yanco, Porto Rico, public
~ announced that "spccch Amrri.
cano" would bo taught ut once, but |
think the class will not mako very
rapid progress until the teacher
himself grows Il trine more prof
cient.
When the merchants in Santiago
lenrned, after the first days occupa-
tion by onr soltlicrs/ that they we're
not to be robbed and murdered by
the bnrharians pictured for their cd
ltication in advance, they timidly
opened up their shops to do business
with us. Ono hat dealer, desiring
to attract attention to tho quality of
his goods, invested in dictionary.
and looked for an American syno
nym for the Spanish word "bueno,"
meaning good" There was quite
list OF them, and he finally selected
"virtnous" "s having better sound
and showing up better Oh sign
board than the others. Late on the
afternoon of the same day wo wore
riding down St. Thomus street, and
we saw, in big letters printed over
great pile of tropical headgenr in
store window, this somewhat sur
prising inscription:
THESE HATS ARE vlRrUoUs
They looked it, and wo all paid
our tribute to them in their lone
somoness by buying one.
X y i;
In Ponce. paper printed some
Gays after tho arrival OF General
Miles, there were most extravagant
expressions of friendship and regard
displayed by the editor, l'rt adjcc.
tives were moro alarming han tho
guns of the Spaniards, for synonyms,
as everybody knows, arc not syno.
nymF in every sense of the particular
word concerned. In describing in
this sort of dictionary English the
taking Of Ponce, one of the papers
changed it's namo from "La Demo.
cracia' to "La Nueva Era"-"The
Now Era" and came out with this
interesting account of two days hap.
penings:
On the 9th inst, at 2 p. m, a
fleet approaching the port was slg.
nailed the signal hill and truly from
all tho roofs and points of vantage of
the city could be seen three ships
nearing our harbor at greut speed of
which, two were apparently trans.
ports and the other a tug. IT did
not take them long to como into
port and anchor. After awhile a
poat was seen to leave tho side of
one OF the ships boaring II white
flag reached tho shore shortly after
wards with an officer, who on land
ing b"nt his steps to the captain OF
the ports Office in search Of the
military commander of tho town for
whom ho had despeatch.
The captain of the port answered
him that he had no military iuris
dictinn and aent for the military
residing up town here,
10 take delivery Of the dispatch
brought by said officer. At About
bis time small volunteer force
got into position near the custom
louse and the two companies of the
egulars, which on the first alarm OF
be approach Of the American fleet
ad been ordered to the spot, were