The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-04
QUEER CUSTOMS AT QUEMADoS.
A Company From the Second South
Carolina on Duty.
From the Columbia State.

provost marshal of Havana province, Maj.
Russell b. Harrison. The prospect of
break in the monotony of camp cleaning
and drilling was hailed with satisfaction
by the men, and the officers were no less
pleased, particularly as in their selection
a compliment was not only implied but
pointedly expressed.
We were assigned to take charge of the
town of Quemados, indicated on the map
of Cuba as Marianao-they are one and the
same, but the portion next the sea bears
the latter name. The American soldier
rronounces this Maryanna," and he has
not much difficulty In remembering 1t,
but the Cuban populace call 1t Marry
ahnow." 1t is quite near the camp of the
South Carolina regiment and about ten
miles from Havana. There are several
streets closely built up, but the town
spreads over a considerable area, being a
mile and half across. The walls in many
places are broken and crumbled and some
of the buildings might number their age
by centuries TO judge by appearances, but
there are some residences indicating lux
ury-one-story and covering an acre OF
land Among these is the home OF Gen.
Lee, now occupied by him and his fam
lily. The most formidable looking build
ing Is the old Spanish jail, while there
is a church, with its four rusty bells on
the four sides of the tower. Several
'hOt6lS, without SItGDlllS dCNOLiiilONe-
tions, a temporary "sub-treasury" of Uncle
Sans. two new government warehouses.
a railroad station, army hospital and
about fifty American and Cuban rum mills,
constitute the public buildings"
During a light rain on the evening of
the 21st we pitched our camp in the mud
at the north end of Quemados, command
ing a fine ocean view and the camp OF one
division of this corps. On Sunday NOM
ing, simultaneously with the experimental
opening of every saloon in town, we fook
charge, being promised reinforcement OF
fifty men on the morrow. LAS the soldiers
are shut out of Havana, this town is the
stamping ground for the Seventh Army
Corps and the fact that when the Spanish
built jails they were made of magnificent
capacity was appreciated last Sunday
The experiment was sufficient; hereafter
saloons will be closed Sundays.
When application was made to provost
headquarters for written instructions-run-
ming a town on the Russian or Chinese
plan being somewhat out of my line-I was
told that instructions might come later,
but whatever 1 did would be right, you
can do no wrong" OF course there is
no trouble with the natives; they are per-
fectly obedient, and 1 have not seen one
under the influence of liquor but hundreds,
perhaps thousands of Americans, chiefly
toughs, have followed the army to this
province Those who had the capital
have opened Saloons while gamblers and
fakrs are rushing their trades; then, be-
sides the soldiers, there are 800 civilian
Transfers With the barkeepers of
American cities tenderloln districts cater
ing to this class of customers, there is con-
siderable satisfaction in holding a royal
straight flush" every deal and being indif-
ferent to any kind of bluffs. There GER
tainly Is room here for American money,
and there must be splendid openings for
- ~. ir,xro MT n "a
that they will quickly come and occupy
the field, not leaving communities 60 be
"Americanized' through the impress and
influence of these buzzards and carpet
baggers
The rules for the preservation of order
and protection of the soldiers I'm spite of
themselves are very strict, and methods
of enforcing them severe. They are al
lowed to drink beer and light wines, and
any one selling a soldier whisky or other
LIQUOR may have his place closed, tempo
rarily or permanently, as the provost Off
GER in command may decide, or he may be
nut in Jail by the same authority. AS a
rule, soldiers are not allowed in Cuban sa-
looms where rum and aquadients are the
chief drinks Two drinks of the latter
make the American crazy for day. pro
. ducing afterward something like nervous
prostra ton. Cubans seem to drink 1t
without trouble. But then, as an old resi-
dent here and an observant man remark
ed, foreigners know how to drink; two
can split a bottle of wine and go home;
the American, as we see him in the sa
loon, wants to drink a barrel-he rarely
knows when he has enough"
But there-I did not intend to write any,
thing that might be entitled, "ren Days
in the Barrooms of Two Countries"
The most important work of the COM
pany is tn guard about 100000 of Ameri-
can money. This is in the paymaster's
office. There are no vaults, and the money
would be insecure with out a formidable
guard. Corpls. Brunson and Antibus. with
six men, are doing this duty for the first
week living in the easury. Government
warehouses and Gen. Lees residence are
the other prominent places guarded, the
latter being chiefly complimentary, or 90
keep soldiers at a distance.
Sergt. T. f. Carroll, with seven men, is
camped at Curacao, a village with a block
house and two saloons. mile from Que
mados but under the same Jurisdiction.
And it is right here that Company I claims
to have captured the first blockhouse taken
by the Seventh Army Corps. Midnight
Sunday a messenger brought word that
the blOckhouse, which was on an estate
near private college for ladies, had been
occupied by Americans, who were. ac-
cordng 10 the sergeant, "a-raisin' he'll"
barricading the opening and defying au-
thority A patrol wagon quickly reached
the pace. Inc EOAuGIS Oh lNt IOTl ndU a
good thing and refused to give it up, bar
ring the little heavy window on the in
side. A blockhouse is all right against
bullets, hut the windows couldn't stand
chunks of fifty pound of rock. 1t caved
in in two minutes; the boys followed the
rocks and took the toughs off their feet
Two or three claimed to be American
sailors and others discharged soldiers, but
they all went to Jail.
1t Is a pity the histories of some of these
old buildings cannot be readily obtained
When in the Queinados jail, with walls d
yard thick, every room a fort by itself,
you would like to turn back the pages of
its history during the centuries when the
sword has been In less mercifu hands
In the great cell to the right
now lies an American the muir
derer of his comrade is arms. To
the left of the entrance Is the room
where names of prisoners are recorded be-
fcra Lho.. Lhr-lal h.hlnd The hla 80.