The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-15
THE THIRD GEORGIA.
HAPPY AT THE PROSPECT OF RE-
TURNING no SAVANNAH.


the City Strike a Stranger-Other
Matters of Interest to the Friends
of the Third.
Third Georgia Regiment, U. S. v. Camp.
Atkinson, Minas. Cuba March 5. Province
of Puerto Principe. The city of Puerto
Principe is the capital of this province.
and one of the largest cities in Cuba. AZ
ter our camp was gotten in first-class con-
dition the colonel issued an order allow
ing any of the officers and men to go TO
Principe on forty-eight hours leave. Many
have availed themselves of the opportun-
ity for visiting a large city. 1 had that
pleasure among the rest. Leaving here
at p. m. by the Nuevitas and Puerto
Principe Railroad, and my friends
made the twenty-seven miles to the city
in one and one-half hours, passing on the
way the camps of the Fiji
teenth United States Infantry
and the Eighth United States
Cavalry on one side, and separated by a
small branch and the headquarters of
Gen. Carpenter on the other. We stopped
at the Hotel Union. The rate was 50 %
per day, American money. We had good,
large airy room, coffee and rolls in the
early morning, breakfast at 1890 and din
ner at p. m. The meals were good but,
of course, strange to us. were well served,
well cooked and very palatable.
At this hotel there was one American
Officer, Lieut.. Dillon of the Signal Corps,
and his wife. Lieut.. Dillon was with Gen.
Miles on the first expedition TO Porto
Rico, and was transferred here as chief
signal officer on Gen. Carpenters staff
His wife, a native Porto Rican, speaks
English very well, and her husband knows
a little Spanish. He is native of Jack
| sonville, Fla, but lived several years m
| Savannah. He Is a son of B. F. Dillon,
now superintendent for Florida of the
Western Union Telegraph Company.
Lieut.. Dillon built the first telegraph
line in the island from Puerto Principe
to Santa Cruz, In the south side of the
province, a distance of ninety miles. He is
now building line from there to Santiago,
which will complete the circuit of the
length of the island from Baracoa on the
most eastern line, to Havana on the west
Sunday being the last day of the celebra-
of the declaration of independence of Cuba,
the whole city was gaily decorated with
Cuban and American flags, and the entire
population was on the streets until IL
O'Clock at night, This Is the birthplace
of many of the Cuban leaders, not only
in the last, but the ten-year war; and
there are many wealthy people living here
On feast days (Fiestras) the rich and the
poor black and white all mix up to-
ba Cuban ClI1h hero ola pa
tria," has been in existence, and in the
same building it now is, since 1921, and on
this celebration day kept open house for
Americans as well as natives, ending at
night Sunday with ball. at which ev-
cry one turned out. There must have
been a hundred couples on the floor, but
not being a dancer myself, l did not take
part in the dancing. Several of the Off
GERS, however, took part The native
dances We're a little too much for them
but there were several American dances
during the evening. There are, however
but four ladies' here from the states These
four ladies are officers wives, and are
stopping at the Gran HOTEL a new house
Just opened. There are but these two no.
tells in this city of 10000 people. 1 can
only mention few of the features of the
city which attracted my attention. First,
the city is very compact the streets very
There are several two stories high, and
few three. All are built of stone, NOR
tar. concrete and brick, with tile roofs.
There is an electric light plant, and the
iron is in the streets for a street car line,
but there are no street cars. The line
has not been operated since the war, but
it is about to be now re-established. The
"plazas" in the city are breathing spots,
and are all over the city. They remind
| arlyc nd SqUan-
nah The Grand Plaza" in front of the
hall of Justice is one of the finest, and is
as large as any two of those in Savan-
nah. and full of flowers, and has foun-
tain in the center, but as the water sup
plv is from cisterns, from the roofs, the
fountain only plays, when the water is
plentiful. which, at this time of year, is
not the case.
All the drinking water here, as in Nue.
vitas is caught in cisterns and filtered
Int not boiled, but wine is so cheap the
natives do not drink water. Everybody
smokes. women and children as wel1 as
the men.
Principe is situated on one bank of a
small branch, which in the rainy season
is a. river. over which there is a stone
bridge that reminds one of the pictures
of Venice. Across this bridge is what
would be called in the states fair
| L
stand. dancing pavilion, drill ground, re-
freshment stands, ETC.. and ID must have
been a very nice place before the war.
The Spanish soldiers used it for barracks
The city hospital was used for an armory,
and was a fortified place, near the monu-
ment. against which the Cubans shot their
Spanish prisoners, and the Spaniards did
the same for Cubans, when they took the
city.
The Catholic cathedrals, of which there
are twelve, are among the largest and
| finest buildings in the city. One, the San
Francisco" has connected with a college
for the education of priests, and they have
all the modern appliances right up to date.
| A few of the priests speak English, and
seem very willing to show and explain
everything to The Americans, whom, they
seem TO think, a great deal of. One of the
cathedrals, "St. Mercedes" has solid sill
Yer altar and seven hfe-size
| statues in white marble. and the
furniture. draperies, etc, are very ele-
CANT. The cemetery is much like that at
Nuevitas. Carriages here are very crude.
| -, he fft fary