West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-01-25

January and, 1900.
The first of the new year finds us
well and no good reason for COM
plant, and we send many good
wishes for THE ARGUS and its
readers.
am still on detached duty with
a detail of twelve men of our com
pany, which was called into the
main post at Mayaguez on Decem-
Der 18TH. We don't know how
long we may remain here on de-
tached service. Perhaps SO long as
the Government continues to issue
rations to the people of the Island
and it will be some time yet before
the poor in this section can get
along without it, although it has
been stopped along the coast.
The Island is now beginning to
recover from the great storm of
August, 1899. This storm caused
lots of extra work for the soldiers,
as We have to issue the rations to
the poor people and it is work
every day. The donations are
made in two ways. The men who
are able to work are compelled to
do certain amount of work on
public roads which has been a great
help in keeping them in good con-
dition. Otherwise it would be al
most impossible to travel the roads
here. After man does a days
work, ticket is issued to him by
the soldier in charge and he gets
rations with it.
For the men, women and children
not able to work, a ticket is issued
once a month. Each adult is al
lowed pound per day and children
half pound of rations, consisting
OF rice, beans, Goldfish, ETC., and
for those who are sick or in the
hospital, lighter diet is given, such
as bread, canned goods and milk.
Medical aid is also given same as
the soldiers get.
Their form of government is lust
beginning to show for itself and the
natives are just closing up their
election. They have two parties,
known as the Republicans and
the Federals 1t is hard to tell lust
how the election will go, as the two
parties seem pretty equally divided.
The election is over in this town
and the Mayor is as proud of his
of1ce as an American would be with
a gold mine.
The wet season is over and we
are having some dry weather. but
no frost or snow, and it is hot
enough for the soldiers. The closing
OF the wet season seems to be. the
most unhealthy part of the year.
and there is larger per cent. of
deaths than any other time. | have
saw from ten to twenty-five persons
buried per day in the cemeterev
here and it was just as bad in other
cemeteries. They die off so fast
that they do not remain in the
ground more than about three
months, when they are taken up to
make room for others. The GENE
teries are all fenced in with a conse-
Grated fence and there is one cor
ner partitioned off to throw the
bones and seletons in and thew are
piled up there in a CHASTITY heap as
they are dug up from their new
made graves.
1t seems strange that the soldiers
stand the unhealthy season here so
well, but few of them were sick.
American school teachers have
been placed in all the school-houses
on the Island, and they are having
a time teaching English and wrest.
ling with Spanish.
Christmas is great day with the
natives and they take lots of time
to celebrate as they are net done
yet They parade around all day
and night with musical instruments
and serenade everybody. The
soldiers here at this post ate our
Government rations and worked on
same as any other old time and if
we had not had an English almanac.
we would not have known when New
Years came. Way in here, there is
not much to see or hear, but along
the coast the papers report good
time.