The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-07
OUR SOLDIER BOYS IN CUBA
III" i""p'" or TIL" Island. Certainty troso
around Camp Coiumbir, Seem Quietly
eel and ARE, I'M u Rnic, DIRTY
and Good for nothing

X.
Headquarters "a South Carolina
Volunteer lnfaniry, Camp Columbic,
O'"m"dos Cuba, Thursday, January
zo.-rho creator part of tho I'd
South Carolina is still in camp doing
i'ttlo els" than police and guard
duty. In fact, that is all thore is to
ITO, Even i'll doing provost duty the
men merely walk their posts in the
cI'l's~"nd towns and along the coun-
try road, occasionally stopping some
soldier to SOC if ho has pass. The
provo>ts never have to bother with
the clvIl'"us, only looking out for
thor fellow boys in blue.
Tho people Of tho island seem
quietly disposed, and to the ordinary
observer there seems 10 ho no reason
whatever for holding the sol licrs
over hcre. It, might be, however, to
mtimidato tho Cubuns, and thus keep
them from committing depreciation
that would occur wore tho troops not
over here.
For tho most part tho natives
seem quietly disposed, indoIcut, and,
20 degree immoral and filthy. The
Government gives cmploymont to
tho men, but they It" very little work
and seem to caro- nothing fnr the
morrow. They aro improvitont and
worthless, and apparently unfit even
for tho simplest, lowest kinds of
work. 1t may be tho climate TIN t
causes thom to dislike work, but Il O
average Southern farm hand can 60
moro work in ono day than the aver
ago luboring Cuban docs IN three or
four. OF course, tho mon ut work
nero in camp and along tho county
roads may not bo fair specimens Of
Cubans, but rs they are the only
oncs tho soldiers SEQ, we must draw
our conclusions from our observation
Of them.
DIRTY PEOPLE AND FILTHY HOUSES.
Tho houses arc all moro or less
filthy, except among tho higher
classcs, aud the women and children
arc apparently mono the less 81.
They, up to about 8 or 10 years Of
age, 60 about clothed only in their
sunny smiles, whilo the costumes e
tho women are not ut all inviting to
tho aesthetic tastes
Some time ago | wrote concerning
tho custom here of disinterring tic
bones Of deceased Cubans and plac-
ing them in n receptacle made for
them III ovcry cemetery hereabouts.
DESIGNATING CUBAN CEMETERIES.
Tho soldiers have been purloinlng
the skulls from these cemeteries and
breaking into tho glass cases at tie
heads Of graves and taking there
from tho wax figures, flowers, etc.,
and committing other doprcdations.
This nuisance has assumed such pro-
portions that tho natives woro forced
to complain to the military authori-
ties to have it stopped. This has
boon ordered, but the following Or
der will show that tho "big guys"
care littIo for the sacrcdnoss Of the
cemetery, bnt more for tho health Of
the soldiers:
Headquarters lst Division, 7th
Army Corps, Camp Columbia, Ha-
vana, Cuba, january 20, 1S00.--
General Orhors No. 3: 1t having
been reported that soldiers are desc
Grating the cemeteries in the vicinity
Of tho camp by carrying away relic
bones, etc, and it having been re-
ported by tho surgeon that such
acts menace tho health Of tho COM
mand, it is ordered that no enlisted
men visit tho cemeteries without
authority from these headquarters.
This order will bo read to all COM
panics ia the division at the first for
nation under arms after it's receipt,
and Il copy will be posted on the
bulletin boards OF each company.
BY order Of M jor Gen. II offer.
w. S. >oTT,
Major and Assistant Ad, d,utant Gen.
This afternoon, when someone
mentioned tho fact that there seemed
to be littlo testimony Of respect ft r