The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1905-08-30
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday, August 80, 1905.
Our African Editor.

neapolis eff Bone, Africa, August 2,
l9O5-Maybe line or two from here
would not be amiss. We left the
Brooklyn navy yard on the 3ed Of
July. Our trip across the ocean
was as fine as could be wished for
and promises to be even as good and
more interesting in the ports to come.
We have had fine weather ever since
we left the United States. We stop
ped at Gibralter only long enough to
coal. From there We went to Va
lencia, Spain. We spent nine days
there. did not like the place or
the people. The city is classed as
one of the most erterprising and
more modern than most cities in
Spain. I consider it is about 100
years behind the United States. The
people are small and dwsrfsh IN
statute and not industrious. One
may travel about the city at midday
and would believe the place was
deserted. Now and then you may
see lad on the street. All shops
are closed. Then visit one or more
of the parks. of which there are
many but small, you will find the
people lying on the grass, seats or
anywhere you may look, all asleep or
two drowsy too move. Take another
walk through the city at 6 p. m. and
it looks like a busy day on Broadway,
New York. One can never see where
the people come from. This thropg
or crowd stays On the streets until
three or four in the morning, then
they vanish so quick that 1t looks
like you are deserted again.
The citizens of Valencia treated US
as nicely as could be. There were
several musical concerts and enter
tainments given for the benefit #
the ssAmericAn Blue Jackets" Our
name in Spain is looked upon with
the highest respect and honor. 1t is
not what I expected since the Span
ish-American war. They consider
their losses with what the United
States paid Spain lucky one. The
only one they we're ever able to col.
lect q revenue off of was Cuba. That
did not cost the government more
than it took to collect it, and that
was not as much as was spent on
the others. The United States is
doing the same thing. These pos
sessions are costing the United
States S43,0O0,000 year. We might
state it this way: They know what
they are rid of, and We do not re-
alizs what We have got.
We arrived at Bone, Africa, on
Monday morning and went ashore
Monday evening. This is a nice
place, but oh, my! the weather is
hot here. The city is very near as
large as Columbia, S. c., and is very
much like it in several ways. Broad
streets; buildings not crowded, but
are modern and up-to-date, with
conveniepces. The people here are
French, Arabs, Turks and a few ne.
groes. They are more industrious
than in Spain, and 7 think better edu.
Gated. They all speak French.
We leave here this evening for
Algiers, Africa. We only make
short stop there and do not expect
to get ashore. We go from there
back to Gibraltar, from there to
Lisbon, Portugal, to Cadiz, Spain,
back again to Gibraltar, then to Va.
lencis, Spain, to Villa, France, to
Naples, Italy. We leave Naples for
Hampton Roads, Virginia, November
the 18th.
Up to this time I have not heard
from home or friends. If this does
not find your waste basket you may
hear from me again.
Albert Sidney Nunamaker.
August 2, 1905
A ~ AN SF>-Ai. - 49,