The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-02-08
OUR SOLDIERS IN CUBA.
Queer Customs seen at Que1nados.
Correspondence Columbia State.

insecure without 1OrmluaDle Sudlu'
Corporals Brunson and Antibus, with
six men, are doing this work for the
first week, living in the treasury.
Government warehouses and Gen.
Lee S residence are the other proml-
nent places guarded, the latter being
chiefly complimentary or to keep SOL
diers at distance.
Sergt. T. L. Carroll, with seven
men. is camped at Curazao, village
with blockhouse and two saloons, a
mile from Quemados, 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 the Americans,
who we're, according to the sergeant,
"a-raisin hell" barricading the open
ing and defying authority. A patrol
wagon quickly reached the place. The
holders of the fort had good thing
and refused to give it up, barring the
little heavy window on the inside. A
blockhouse is alright against bullets,
but the window couldn stand chunks
of so pounds 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 dis
charged soldiers, but they all went to
jail.
It is pity the histories Of some Of
these old buildings cannot be readily
obtained. When in the Quemados
jail, with walls a yard thick, every
room fort by itself, you would like
to turn back the pages of its history
during the centuries when the sword
has been in less merciful hands. In
the great cell to the right now lies an
American-the murderer of his COM
rade in arms. To the left of the en-
trance is the room where names OF
prisoners are recorded before they are
thrust behind the heavy iron doors.
Here is bronze ink stand. On one
side the ink bottle; the other pepper
box covered sand holder, recalling to
the present generation that blottlng
pads were not always in existence and
that sand was once used to absorb
ink. On the opposite side Of the
building is another entrance, where
egress was had to the upper story by
spiral stairs. The centre post of this
stairway, extending to the ceiling Of
the second story, looks like braid
that had been twisted, broadside al
ways outward, into huge corkscrew;
closer examination shows the heart
and half the outer part Of a tree have
been carved away, with what must
have been infinite labor, leaving this
spiral, hollow column.
Half the space once devoted to Of
fcials has been partitioned off, and
here school for small children is in
full blast. During school hours you
couldn't miss it if you passed within
block. According to custom, the
children study aloud, each seeming to
be trying to read faster than the 9TH
er. No wonder it is fast talking
race Their methods are so different
from ours; all the corners Of the room
will be occasionally occupied by little
tots who have missed their lessons or
misbehaved. The teacher, young
man, tempts Americans to pull him
for disorderly conduct, he storms so at
the pupils.
Our boys see strange things some
times. One of the patrols, q young
fellow from Edgeield county, on COM
ing off duty yesterday reported seri-
ously, mysteriously and wonderingly:
Capt, I just saw man dressed up
in woman clothes and shoes, and he
had on something over his head.
Thinking some malefactor or convict
might be attempting to escape, lques-
toned the soldier, and [ soon ascer-
tained from the description Of the
woman clothes" that Friar Tuck was
abroad.
The ancient cemetery at Playbo, a
short distance from this town, has re-
Gently become place of great inter
est to soldiers. A few evenings ago |
saw sergeant of the Second South
Carolina volunteers coming into camp
with skull in one hand and a rib
bone in another. Orders have now
been issued excluding soldiers from
the vicinity. AS I understand, if the
xo,+ Gov lo+o;n q cnmnterv is not maid