The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-09
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
PsFIlcus cEIv OpsF
Persu Rseaa HlsmsalnA

- q NN'~A3ef@aeA ~ WHICH Ne ms sent IA
his sister. who HIVES with her father. Mr.
p. H Thomas. three miles west. young
Thomas enlisted three months ago win
hainer In the Fifth Q. 8. A Cavalry. His
letter - a. follows:
Marques. Porto Rico. June o ia.
Dear Sister; I received your letter t.
day and was as ever glad % hear freA
home. You addressed your letter 20 Ar
echo. but ] got II promptly Just the sane.
and l suppose By shls time you have the
letter wrote stating that vas soinR 20
Mayaguez. which Is thu Headquarters OF
the island. and also the finest town IN the
| island
They are very struct and orderly &c
| headquarters and re have hardly q min
| ute we can call cur own But I am IN
hopes we viii soon leave here for Cuba.
am Just beginning my lsttsr again I
stopped last night and have been busy
ever since. The governor o. the Island
has Just been through TO Inspect tko
quarters. and about = dOzen other Oficsrs
! with him
Perhaps Il vouia interest yOa to hear
about our trip across the mountains 60
this place. The Old soSdiers all say q
was the worst and most dangerous pass
they ever made over the mountains: ana q
vas one OF the most thrilling adventures
I ever went through. We left ArecibO
! Tuesday morning with our blankets rolled
and carbines strapped TO cur saddles. ana
| IL was a me procession that wound around
the crooked road up the mountain side
About hundred we'll Sro0med bay horses.
their sleek coats shining IN the sunlight.
and as many well polished black saddles
with brass trimmings. and the men all
With white trousers and blue shirts, with
a belt and Colts six-shooter ssrsppaa
around their waists. aud the pack traln
| Of about twenty-five mules following,
about a quarter OF a mile In the rear.
Well, there was nothing worth men
tiOning occurred that day. The scenery
was grand The high mountain peaks
and swift running streams which We
crossed frequently. and everywhere was q
perfect jungle OF tropical trees and Few
ers. wild coffee and other plants. SeautI-
ful and sweet scented Occasionally q
native hut would be seen built entirely %
| banana and cocoanut leaves. surrounded
and almost hidden ,hy cOcoanut trees, bi-
mana stalks and orange trees. the latter
| laden with their rich yellow fruit Vita
| al this before Us you can imagine wa
were all In the best OF spirits. The scat
| tering groups Of IOng-haired. blaek-eyeA
and olive-skinned natives which we paaS-
cd occasionally watched us with great cur
iosIty. We reached a town called Lauros
that night and eamped tili nothing. Wen.
| we were about TO whsre the roushsae part
OF the mountains begin where Ne had %
march in single file over what they call
| the cot trails. 30 called because they are
50 narrow. trails which would pezEle z
Kansas goat. We would go along a mar
row ledge OF rock not more than thtea
| feet vide. where We could look hundreds
Of feet nearly straight down into the nv
er at the bottom 90 the cliffs Then again
| we would travel for miles through the
rocks and timber. over trails so narrow ne
| could hardly squeeEe through The horses
would step down into a hole n foot deep.
| The next step they would have 20 scramble
| uD onto a tagRed rock about tWo feet hIRh
The trail was very uneven and tfeaeheF.
Gus. as the hard rains they have IN the
= mountains make q regular tnrrent down
| the 'cat trails and wash out al the
| earth. leaving the jaEEsd rocks bare. IN
| fact the trails are nothing mere than va
| ter ways which are dry except when u
| raius
Well. all this was very good. ard NJ oaa
| could complain. We were all enjoying the
march immensely. bat when one % the
| terrific rain storms for which Porto Rice
Is so noted. came up. Il bot an entirely
different face on the thing. The water 49,
| gan 20 rush down the cat trails IN such
| torrents the horses could hardy keep thsir
| feet n all came up IN three minutes.
The trail became - slippery the horses
were continually falling I f1ly expected
; half the troup would be killed or wounded
before We could get out. Ny horse Il q
fine animal quick a. cat. nimbis as a
monkey. and = trained mountain climber.
ana knew could pull through n the ress
could. You can imagine hou the trail ~
went through wAs. n = bad enough &c
best when % u dry. with its holes ana
! iaFgrd rocks. bat when the water Il rush-
ing down IN torrent knee deep % the
horsss and they can't zee the holes. Il r.
most dangerous business.
when we started out I Eaa AZ the rear
OF the column. and hsh a god chance -
! witness al the accidents. All along iha
lice men hep, droppinE cut % repair daSa-
| agss they had gotten g. their horses.
equipments Or themselves. sas nsen snA
horses 90 d0En ia . heap q bgndYsa
times. ard there vas hardly a man IN tha
troop Who waA mi more - less bruissd no.
| ! did rot have u dlsHs0uat. nor Sas
/ thrown az az. bot kept novfnK On. slow
| but sure. When ps a. lsss Fesches q taEn
ard got into shelter tbs lieutenant. "a
/ command - u taia y Eas ths rlosf tor
1 tBnsts fifs be ever made. lie said q uas
almost = miracle that soFns - ths men
| ard horses we're ~, rzsfo8siy Scundsd ~
| Killed But ~ ore Ess hut hsyanf q fsv
bruises ard acrzfchsa Tha hofa~s isgs
| were ell egt and bleeding sri rsost q
| their shoes weTs ~ them We slsOi IN
wet eIo;hsa thsi nIKkf ard got % n=zt
I morning set sni muddy. Do; -bsn ~
/ bad ridden = few miles in ths morning sss
~ fet bitter. ard orr sLsthrz 81 cry.
K and our spirits f1ss % 10 1ssai stAn5-
/ sre. ws wee zsEaiy ana flrfy whsa -
l Vuile5 into Hsysklsz TIA, sftsrnaos. asd
. ia krgE hoH essr whifs 'seussfs soIiA
\ io9k after Wat us haf Rsn- thrDuEh- fist
| Ns al ven, Into fss ba;h FoSeas ans ts1E
/ . great IS bzts. fset Or go stgfhss 49,
/ ~srs oarrslvss aKain. FBst wat esssssd
/ ~ rnast pas tn s8ussF Esysa - ths ~
! tr0op. Thy had beskssah egg. ooSss
{ and eooSs1ssS cream. ErassE - 80 shits
I bread reEpa--sY fam agp,s sasrs So.
Tf-klrt. fsss 80 naEs. p1fsinr. pvtaio
/ naszf 10y 49, Aaf to tahi@s 8ssf
l Effh Sc CA 5cffss - bse- I -aa Rsszss
i yea - va ~ rasal "a msas ~ Ter.
rvs a. ~ ff@rrssasis sEp@Fissrsa -
4 Las Jssf tsss.E th-9sEA
1 We havs tusf Fe~sfEss 81 srEsr fsfsti-s
/ ;sfr-ess - or sa~n - - - iata 80
I --r--r.r-- - resaaR.-F a~rafra 49, Z -