The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-02
A new HAVEN BOY IN CUBA
WRITES or HIS SOLDIER LTFE AVID
THE COUNTRY.

n
Waverly stroet-His Trip on Unite
states Transport to Havann-Life O,
the Ocean Wave-The Arrival at Nor
70 Cnstie-Scenes I'm sunny Cuba.
A letter was received by Master Clar
enee Skinner, of Waverly street, yester
Gay from Julius C. Meyers, now il
cuba, and as young Meyers has large
number of friends in this city, and is g
cousin of Major Sucher of the Second
Regiment, c.. N. G., the letter will be
found to be an interesting one. 1t is
given in its entirety:
Puerto Principe, July %, 1899.
Dear Friend Clarence-It is about
time that J. write a letter, and it is q
pleasure to correspond with you. l
know that you will appreciate letter
from me at this time. 1t eeems quite a
while ago that I joined the army again,
probably because l am SO far away in
the land of Cuba, of which you have
read SO much of during the war. l hope
you and all your folks are well. I am
feeling well right along. The province
in which our regiment is now is
known to be one of the healthiest in
Cuba. The regiment has been in Cuba
about seven months or longer, but was
stationed in different places in Cuba
and has been at Puerto Principe for
about two months There are six COM
panies here in Puerto Principe which Is
the headquarters Of the regiment, and
we are in fine large barracks here, a
building larger than the armory on
Meadow street. Each company has
large room for itself, lit up at night
until retreat by incandescent lights. At
ten o'clock at night taps are sounded
and all lights must be turned out, and
there is a check roll to see if every
man is in quarters. A non-commis-
stoned officer goes around with lam
tern to see that there is no one absent
before he reports to the officer of the
day. If any one is not in quarters at
that time he is reported absent, and in
few days will be court-martialed and
fined few dollars. There is hardly
ever any one absent. Things are pref
ty strict. All you have to do is to live
up to the rules and regulations and
you are on the safe side. 1t was quite
an interesting trip on the transport
from New York to Nueveitas. From
Nueveitas we had to ride on a Cuban
train about sixty miles to Puerto Prin
cipe. At New York 1 saw the battle
ship Brooklyn, and could see where it
had been damaged The transport on
which we were taken to Cuba was |
named the BufUrdia, large boat which |
was purchased from England to be |
used as a United States transport I,
We got aboard the transport at New |
York. There were about three hum
dred and fifty Of us recruits on board, |
and the people that came down to see
us off cheered as the transport pulled
out to start on her journey to Cuba.
During the trip which lasted for J
about six days because the transport
was not very fast one, we saw good
many sharks that looked as if they
wanted to swallow the transport and
all on board. They would dive in and
out of the water right near the ship
trying to catch flying fishes. There
were thousands of flying fishes to be
seen all the way to Havana, at which
place the transport stopped for about
half a day. We reached Havana at ten
O. clock in the morning and remained
there In the harbor until four o'clock in
the afternoon. The transport was an
chored right near the wreck of the
Maine, which was an interesting but
sad sight to see. There is nothing
above water of the maine" but the
lighting top and few poles and some
ron and tin. I suppose you have seen
some pictures of it, There are some
,opes on the wreck which had been
decorated on Decoration day. AS we
reared Havana it was a very interest
ing sight to see the city Of which l
lad read so much of during the war.
We passed Moro Castle as we steamed
.round into Havana, and it was treat
% see and be so near to all at once
There were some soldiers on guard
round the castle. and they called and
waved their hands at us as the trans |.
,ort was passing. They We're soldiers I
# the Eighth infantry. They are sta II
toned at Havana and have some Of
heir companies at Matanzas. The >
fifth infantry is at Santiago. I hear G
hat there is a great deal of fever there
ut there has been very little sickness =,
ere, and there has been only a few !,
asses of sickness in our barracks, and q
wo of these were in my company and q
he two men were sent to the hospital, II
,hich is about two miles from the y
arracks. But they are now back in "
ne company and all right again. They III
ere not very sick. People get very C C
ck sometimes from eating fruit In i
1is country. No one but the natives =
an eat fruit here without getting sick. y
ananas, mangos and any other fruits pl
! Cuba will make an American ill if M
uch of it is eaten. Mangos are the p'
ost delicious, but most dangerous, of ~
nv fruit here for any one but native ID
, eat The Cubans are as bad as the az
,lored people in the Southern States NJ
lille the Spanish people here are ra
ery high toned and proud kind of peo-
e. and it is the Spanish people who III
I'VE all the large dry goods stores and pc
'ug stores, while the Cubans go about sd
e streets as peddlers. In this way a IN
eat many of the Cubans make their IN
ing Little Cuban boys sell pine ap- III