Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-16
CHRISTMAS DAY IN CUBA
How 1t Was Celebrated by Soldiers From
This City.
Many of the Fourth Immunes ut Man
xanilIO Went From Here-Arriva1
of Boxes From Home.

A letter was received in this city few
days ago from P ]. 'Keleher, company
clerk of Company D, 4th United States Vol
Lnteer Infantry Gmmunes), stationed at
Manzanillo, Cuba, and as it contains inter-
esting news of the celebration of Christmas
by the far-away soldier boys, many of
whom are from this city, The Star repro
duces it as follows:
post Barracks
'4th U. S. V. Infantry,
''MANzANILLO, Cuba, December %, 1898.
b % For ,7:0,t ch an 1t is very
here to realize that is is really holiday
time. If it was the Fourth of July the eli
mate would be more appropriate for the
occasion. l suppose you took it for grant
ed today, while eating your turkey, plum
duff and other delicacies incidental to a
Christmas dinner, that Uncle Sam had
bountifully supplied the volunteers with a
first-class dinner in return for their serv-
ices when so dearly needed. but / am sorry
and really ashamed to say that Uncle Sam
did nothing of the kind far as we were
concerned. The same old bill of fare. pork,
beans potatoes and black coffee, We're the
rations provided for the homesick soldiers
feast. Vi
The rations issued by the government
are, of course, ample to subsist on, but the
boys are so sick of boiled beef and onion
gravy with horrible coffee and bread that
they can't possibly eat it. The boys are
anxious to be mustered out and cannot I'M
derstand the delay now that the peace
treaty has been signed. unless it be that
the officers are unwilling to give up their
commissions to return to civil life.
II was very fortunate in joining D Com
pany Most of the members are from
Washington. and a better set of fellows
could not be found anywhere Capt Jor-
Sensen, our captain tnow in Washington on
DuSiness), is very popular with the boys, as
well as First Lieut.. Mellach, late of the D. C.
National Guard. Our second lieutenant,
HouShlan, was very popular officer but
was transferred and promoted to the first
heutenancy of Company b, to the regret
of us all. There are kickers in abundance
down here, but if an angel from heaven was
in command it would be Impossible to please
all The truth of the matter is that the
boys, now that peace has been declared,
want to return home.
Their Christmas Day.
But I guess the grumbling of volun-
teer is somewhat of a chestnut to you ALL
so | will describe how Christmas was cele-
brated here 1t rained fearfully Christmas
eve. and, fearing that the boys might get
little too gay in their celebration, the
guard was increased, but disturbance
occurred.
The Cubans usher Xmas in somewhat
on the order of the way we celebrate Hal
| loWeen. They all had huge rattlers which
they tWirled with vigor, making very dis
cordant sounds
This morning all Catholics attended the
soldiers mass at I o'c.ock. The cathedral
was in gala dress, being beautifully decor
ated with appropriate colors. The statues
were dressed in handsomely embroidered
robes and surrounded with numerous wax
tapers Along the altar rail were placed
jardiners filed with lilies, palms and near
ly every plant imaginable. When the can
dies were lighted the effect was inspiring.
Sister Beatrice of Providence Hospital
kindly sent me large bundle of sacred
music, which the choir had been rehearsng
for some time. The choir is composed of
fifteen picked voices. PriV1teS MphpO Thick
er, Shrewsbury and Hunstler, Company E;
Ambach, Dove, Oliver, Yenney, Bartini,
Company d, and Doyle and Gleason, Com
pany {. | am the director and the regi-
mental band furnishes the music.
The senors and senoritas were dressed
in their best, but you would imagine it was
Easter day looking at the girls with their
gaily decked straw hats and spring dress
es. The men wore white flannel and ducks
mostly. After services the boys started
out to celebrate the day in American fash
| ion. The officers have let up little on
! them, and in consequence the barracks and
town present very lively appearance.
Roast shoat is the piece de resistance
for the Cuban Christmas dinner. The tur-
key is set aside. They make a stew out of
the turk and simply smother it with
boiled olives and all kinds of spices-not
| very palatable, / assure you, to the taste
of the average American.
| Il paid a visit to the cemetery a short
| while ago, and the sights one sees there
| are revolving IN the extreme. The ceme-
v d (,
| size of Franklin Square in Washington,
| and when you come to remember that they
| have been burying the departed for over
| 200 years or more in this small space you
| will readily see that sacred ground is al
premium.
In the Cemetery.
when the space is filled and there is a
| new body to bury they dig up the bones of
some poor unfortunate and pitch them to
| one side in a bin, placed at each corner for
this USE there to bleach H the torrid sun
| forever. 1t is a horrible sight to see these
skulls and other bones piled together, and
| should the grave digger while removing the
| remains to these receptacles to make room
| for a fresh body happen to drop bone or
| two he leaves it lie there. This is why the
visitor is continually engaged in jumping
| to one side to escape treading on grinning
skull or lank shinhone. If too poor to
purchase a coffin outright, the relatives
| of a dead native hire it for the occasion,
and, after carrying the body to the grave
| on their shoulders remove it from the cof-
| fin and dump it into the grave, with Wind
| ing sheet it's only shroud. Several of the
! tombs We're open, having been broken by
shells from the mosquito fleet when they
| gave Manzanillo taste of American gun
merry.
Our barracks are beautifully located on
| an elevation about $50 feet above sea level
! and we command an uninterrupted view of
| the harbor and the sea beyond. Several
| Sunken ships that ran amuck with the mos
| quito feet still remain in the harbor The
| boxes sent by the different societies of
| Washington arrived today, and each soldier
! received several articles. I tell you they
| were greatly appreciated, and three cheers
! and a tiger were enthusiastically given by
| the boys for. the thoughtful ladies of the
| District.
THE streets, which have been in terrible
| condition, are beginning to take on more
| pleasing aspect, the result or the persistent
| efforts of our white wings to put them in
! perfect sanitary condition. 1t is a good
| thing that the Cubans are not a drinking
| people Il have never seen drunken Cuban
! since l arrived here, or many a broken
| head would result from the dangerous road
| ways. The walks are built from two to six
! feet above the level of the roadbed and a
! tumble from this height would no doubt be
| disastrous.
The Boys are picking up as much of the
| Spanish lingo as they can, and it is very
| funny to hear them trying to make each
| other understand what they talking
about and then, if there is discussion as
| to the right accent pronunciation of
certain Spanish word, it generally ends up
with a dispute in very choice English. But
| the boys hope to return to their friends
| ful-fedged Dons, as far as the Castiliian
-aay at,+ t.