La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1898-08-06
NEWS FROM MILES.
He says That Things Ar. Going on Smooth.

washington. July 31.-General Miles,
in command of the Porto Rican expe-
dition. sent the following dispatch to
Secretary Alger. which was made pub
lie at the War Department at 10
o'clock tonight:
Ponce. Porto Rico, July 81. 3:35 p. NJ.
Secretary of War. Washington, d.
c.: Your kilograms received and an
swered by letter.
volunteers are surrendering them
selves with arms and ammunition.
Four-hfths of the people are overjoyed
at the arrival of the army. Two thou
sand from one place volunteered 10
serve with it. They are bringing in
transportation, beef cattle and other
needed supplies
The custom house has already yield
ed $4,000
As soon as all the troops are dlsem-
barked they will be in readiness to
move.
Please send any national colors that
can be spared. to be given TO the diff
ferent municipalities.
l request that the question of the tar
IN rate TO be charged in the parts Of
Porto Rico occupied by our forces be
ton, the previously existing tariff re.
naming meanwhile in force
AS 10 the government and military
occupation, | have already given in.
structions, based upon the instructions
issued by the President in the case of
the Philippine islands. and similar to
those Issued at Santiago de Cuba.
MILES,
Major General Commanding.
A dispatch from Ponce says:
The railroad is in good order, but
much of the rolling stock has been de.
stroyed. Yesterday General Stone
found several engines wrecked The
machinery had been dismembcred by
Spanish sympathIZcrs Mt the round
house and hidden. General Stone gave
them Two hours to get the engines in.
to working order, under penalty of i'm.
prisonmcnt. and in less than that time
the engines had steam up and were
ready 10 move
The Spanards will probably retire as
far back as Albonito, about thirty-live
miles on the road to San Juan, where
they are likely TO make n stand IL they
receive rcinfOrccments. They left here
without artillery. which makes 1t even
more obvious that an attack at this
point was never dreamed of by them
Not gun was mounted. The garri.
son was small and poorly armed All
the guns with one exception, that
were abandoned in the arsenal when
they beat their hasty retreat Wcdnes
day last, We're Remingtons and Mau
sers. There was not mine in the
harbor of Ponce, although two ancien,
affairs, covered with barrels, were
found NJ Puerto de Guanica. These
had been placed there years ago. and
resisted every effort to explode them
1t is evident from the wholesale de
sertion on the part of the Spanish vol
unteers that Captain General Maclas
must depend as the last resort upon the
regulars These do not number over
5000 in The whole island and every
thing thus far indicates an easy con
quest.
General Wilson thinks he could take
the Island with his own troops unaided
and he predicts that II the troops nov
expected arrive Porto Rico will be our,
In less than three weeks.
General Miles is in constant com
munication with all his forces, and i.
keeping the artillery steadily in ad
vance. BY tomorrow night he vii
have the entire army encamped alon,
the military road TO San Juan, but h,
does not say when he will put them il
motion. He is acting Throughout
however, with a promptness which in
dlcatcs quick action all along the lint
as soon as the transports containin:
the remaining troops arrive.