Ann Arbor Boy In Cuba

ine ionowing is a brief synopsis oj another letter received day before yesterday from Harry E. Saunders, Co. L, Th'irty-third Michigan Volunteer Infantry (Sons of Veterans Company), mailed on the 26th of June from the island of Cuba: On Board the Yale, Off Cuba, Sunday, June 26, 1S98. Dear Father, Mother and All: We are still on the ocean. "We left Chesapeake bay on Thursday night at 5:35 p. m., and expect to arrive in Santiag-o tonight. But don't know when we will get off the ship. Now, you must remember that we are on one of the fastest ships in the world. "We have been going at an average of about 15 knots an hour, or aiiout 20 miles. But the boat can make 24 knots. It is 560 feet long and carries 16 guns. It is a cruiser, net a gunboat. There are 1,400 soldiers, besides 420 in the crew. She is also carrying 10,000 tons of coal, besides ammunition for Sampson's fleet and for the army, and food and other things too numerous to We have passed about nine boats since we left the American coast, have seen five or six whales, lots cf flying flsh and any quantity of water. "We can now see some islands. They are the Bahamas, so they say, but don't seem to be positive about it. You must not expect too much mail from me now. If you get a letter once in two or three weeks you wili be in luck. Don't worry about me, for I am not a whisky drinker, and I stand a good show of pulling through. I have not yet been seasick. but most of the boys have. The only thing that bothers me is my arm. It is getcing better now, but I don't care to be vaccinated any more if I can get rid of it. I am not afraid of the yellow fever and don't think that I am likely to take it. We are all well- that is, the boys ;rom Ann Arbor - and there are none very sick on the boat. The band plays every nig-ht and the boys get out on the stern of the boat and dance and sing. If you wish to follow our course Lake a map and see. When we left Camp Alg-er we went to Alexandria, down to Newport Nev;s, through the Chesaeake bay, out into the ocean, passed Key West, the Bahamas, around Cuba up to Jaragua, near Santiago de Cuba Whoever thought when I was home eading about this boat (the City of Paris) and watching for a report of her safe arrival in American waters, that I would ever sail on tn Piihn ia,,+ if I ever do get back (and I will in two years) I would not take a mlllion dol lars for my experience. I just took a turn around on the deck and I don't think there were more than ten or twelve of the boys who were not writing, as orders have been issued to have all mail ready by 4 p. m. We have salt water baths every day while the sailors are cleaning deck. It was fun to see the boys try to wash without salt water soap. If you don't have the soap the water won't take the dirt off. They are getting the guns in readiness for there is another boat m sight, and also another island. When Dr. Vaughan first came to Camp Alger, knowing Don A. Stark and myself, he said he would have to look after us a little better than the rest of the boys. He comes around and talks with us as much as he does with th officers. I think if it is in his power we wlll all get back to Ann Arbor. Just now there is a British fruit boat passing within a hundred yards of us HARRY E. SAUNDERS. ON THE ISLA.ND OF CUBA. Tuesday, June 2S, 189. We arrived here yesterday afternoon and I had a very nice nighfs rest. I slept better than I have since we left Island Lake. I like the place very well. We are now about 12 miles from Santiago. We are going over to take the city the day after tomorrov-. We all think that we are the only people on the Island. The way the Spaniards fight is, they come at you, shoot once or t-svice aiul then run back, and the Cuban.s about the same mannèr. Priday, when they had the firht with our troops, they shot and uien they thougrht they would run, but our men went right on after them and made a clean sweep. There were six killed and four wounded out of the Rough Riders, but the real number of the Spanish loss is unknown, for when a man was killed they would carry him with them for a ways and then dig a hole and put them in, so we cannot teil just how many they do lose. There were 33 found in one place over the mountains I was over to see the ruins of a castle It is said that flve years ago it was the finest place in Cuba. It must have been grand, for it is as Iarge a the University hall, and had fountains and everythnig you could think of to malee it pleasant. I wish you could see the cocoanut trees, as well as the banana and lemen The cocoanut trees are about 50 feet high (some of them), and the nuts grow at. 'h.e tP They slant over just a little, and it is fun to see the Cubanr-, elimb them. They walk right up on I their hands and feet and look like monkeys. This place Is not anything like we have heard It was. I think it is a very nice place and so do the other boys of the regiment. The Cubans are very good to us. We can't spend our money over here. The Cubans wont let you pay for anyLhing, but will give you they have. They are mostly all very small people. They do not wear much clothing-, the most of them going barefooted over the hot sand along the sea shore. If they have a shirt, pair of pants, hat and shoes they are perfectly satisfled. Some only have a hat and a pair of short pants (all torn in shreds) and a pair of bark shoes. Their shoes would make any of our feet sore. The women only wear a skirt and undershirt, and half of the little ones don't have anything on. It is great sport to go bathing in the sea and let the waves carry you back and forth and away up on the shore, and we enjoyed it very much. The horses here are all small. I can stand and look over them easily, but they carry very heavy loads. Each of us now carry one hundred cartridges, and each one now eooks his own meáis, and I like that much better for I get more and I will never starve while I do my own cooking. Last night I made tomato soup and dropped in my hardtack. Maybe it waan't nice. It is now n'ight and I have just finished eating supper. I had fried pok and fried hardtack (I find it the way Pa said) and it was very nice. Tou say that I'm young and small to go to war, but you had ought to see the kids here - some not any larger than Florence, or about 12 or 14 years of age. Tou would hardly think they could carry a gun. The only thing I don't like here is that they have an army of crabs (graybacks), some that you could hardly get into a half-bushel. When I get home I will have Uic Cuban language down "pat," and it will be of great benefit to me. When the Cubans klll a Spaniard they cut off his head to make sure he is dead. Saturday one of them was teiling- one of the regulars that ne killed three Spaniards. The regular did not believe him, so he went up the mountain and cut the Spaniards' heads off and brought them back in order to convince the regular that what he told him was true. It rained this afternoon, but they say it rains every afternoon. However, it cools off the air very much. I enclose a ribbon I picked up in the castle, also some shells from the seashore. But I guess I will close. Teil all the people that I am well and happy. I would like to write to them all but can't very well now. Act 249 of 1897 provides for the appointment of a commissioner for the destruction of noxious weeds. Such comraissioners to be appointed by the village or city council, or the township xard. The act makes it the duty of the owner of all lands to cut all Canada thistles, milkweed or other noxious weeds growing upon his land or in the road along the same so that they shall not go into seed. A fine of $10 is to be mposed for every neglect to"cut these weeds. The commissioner'o duty is to see that these weeds are cut down The ast section of this act leaves the old aw requiring weeds to be destroyed n highways by overseers ar.d overseers 3Ü11 in forcé.-