Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-03-16
Mexioo Audrain County, missouri Thursday aroh te eee

must report 70 the of1loef OF the day
for inspection before yon 60, to see
II you are clean and neat. When
lyon return, the pass must be turned
into the guard house, showing what
time you returned. Everything is
closed up at 10 O'Clock at night by
Gen. Carpenters orders and saloon
which was open at 1O:15 the other
night was nned $3.50. We have drill
and dress parades nearly every day
and no one is excused, except sick
men, who are very plentiful now.
The march was over more desolate
looking country than ever srw. Cuba
ia pest hole, II there ever was one
on earth. The city of Puerto Principe
has . population OF about 5000 and
II would give anybody the "blussn
TO ride through it. The streets are
very narrow and filth and buzzards
are all you can soc. There is more
fruit In the city OF Chicago than there
is on the whole island OF Cuba. As
for starting business here II is out
Of the question; as the Oubans hate
the Americans and will either rob you
or burn you out, for they do not
want us to get q foot hold here and
viii do everything in their power to
prevent 1t. Food of every kind is
very high and scarce at that. Eggs
are only worth 15e apiece and butter
70 cents a pound-and you don't need
to carry Il, either; 1t viii follow you
anywhere. Beef SOC q pound, and such
stuff why, q butcher would be guilty |
OF treason who would try to sell such |
stnf In the states. About 30 per cent
OF the men Of this command are sick,
80 you can Judge what the result win
be when the rainy season sets in.
The natives call this winter time.
Why, ii 10 go hot now we can't 20 out
Of the tents between 12 and p. m.
What must 1t be in summer. The
wster IN this country is poison and
we have. to boil and filter every cup
we drink or use. The dew Is very
heavy and deadly; In fact, everything
is deadly until one becomes accIimat-
cd and very few viii ever be so. As
l eaid before, we are camped in
palmetto grove and centipedes, scor-
pions, fieas and other insects too
numerous to mention, take the
place Of the American army bed bug.
0ne-hal Of the men are full OF sores,
caused by scratching themselves to
drive the fsas or chiggers away, Hrl
had my say the Oubans could have
their country and keep 1t, for no
American will ever live here. am
speaking Of this part Of the island, and
Of course, don't know anything about
my other part, ana what's more, viii
never be inquisitive enough to find !
out. The books on Cuba say that the
province Of Puerto Principe lie healthy,
but guess that the ones who wrote
he book were In Chicago or NewYork
70 the time. The people are lazy, In
iolent and dirty, and will steal the |
'rass buttons OF your blouse II they I
ret the chance. Spain should give the '
JDitsd States . vote OF thanks for
aking this nightmare away from her. 9
The American soldier is staying here c
or the Republican party, handful :
Il dirty oubans, and a13 per month,
nd all the thanks they will get will Q
70 broken down constitution, II they 8
re fortunate enough to get away v
live. On every gable of each house p
a the city of Puerto Principe there are o
bout one hundred buzzards; In fact, n
never saw 30 many before in my life. b
he dead are buried In vaults and at Il
be end Of two months If their people "
re not able or do not pay for the p
neral the corpse is taken up and b
,rown in receptacle In the corner of Il
10 graveyard for that purpose and Il
10 buzzards hold feast jubilee until O
othing but the bones remain to tell n
10 tale. You can always smell q In
raveyard three miles away. Now, d.
hat l am writing are facts and the e.
apers that are calling this Gods 81
'untry know nothing OF what they W
70 writing. / would sooner live In m
lexlco on half rations than here as di
overnor General of the island. Word 90
as Just brought around that mail In
ould leave camp at o'clock to- th
ght. 1t is now 4p. M, February %, OF
90, and I will write little more and o.
en close. In
They say the fruits of this country se
g delicious. Among them are the pine I
'ple, custard apple, cocoanut, plum, nc
Iava, banana, orange, citron, date, 1t
mon, mango, lime, etc. The popu- M
ton Of Cuba is about 1900, 900. The an
Ily language spoken Is Spanish;and l sh
we learned enough OF jabber to no
AXE myself understood, There are an
Ily q few hundred miles OF railroad Ss Ss
the island and they make at least
ven miles an hour.
On our way overland we passed
any trochas. A trocha lie q clear an
ace from 100 to 200 yards wide on no