the army was to consist of twentyseven regiments of infantry and the proper complement of artillery and cavalry for an army corps. If this had been adhered to, the force would have amounted to about thirty-five thousand all told. The difficulty of providing transportation for such a number was too great to be overcome in the limited time in which it was considered imperative that the occupation should take place, and this can be best understood when it is known that the number of animals required to equip the cavalry and artillery, to provide mounts for the officers and for the wagontrains, amounts to thirteen thousand.

Having such a condition with which to deal, it was decided to reduce materially the strength of the expedition, and less than

one-half of the corps was finally sent to

the front. The troops detailed for the service embarked from Tampa, Charleston, and Newport News. The plan of campaign originally contemplated a landing at Fajardo, a port on the west coast, within good striking distance of the capital, San Juan. So much publicity having been given to the objective point, however, the Major-General decided to make a complete change in the programme. The first portion of the expedition sailed ostensibly for Fajardo, but that point was passed and Guanico, a small port on the south coast, west of Ponce, was selected as the landing-place. The landing was successfully accomplished, and Garrettson's Brigade, with the aid of the navy, got a foothold, and the first fight on the soil of Porto Rico was had. It wasn't much of a fight and can be designated only as a stiff skirmish, as indeed were the other actions on the island.

Leaving that brigade to take care of Guanico, the expedition turned eastward and entered the port of Ponce. The navy had sent a ship the day previous and the enemy had levanted without opposition. Our landing was hence entirely unopposed, and the fire department of the city of Ponce turned out with a band to escort our advance into that city. From this time on the theatre of operations was chiefly confined to the Province of Ponce. Headquarters were established at the Adjuana, at the Playa, or Puerto de Ponce, about one and a half miles from the city. A column was pushed out on the main military road to Juana Diaz, and after

CAVALRY CAMP NEAR GUAYAMA

considerable skirmishing established itself firmly in that viliage, the enemy retiring to Coamo, where they were reported to be assembled in force and occupying a splendid defensive position. So strong was their position that it was deemed inadvisable to attempt to carry it at the time, and an effort was made to develop a road to the north coast via Adjuntas, Utuado, and Arecibo. This road was found entirely impracticable for either artillery or wagon-trains and the project was temporarily given up. Meanwhile, Major-General Brooke arrived with Haines's Brigade and disembarked at Arroyo, forty-two miles to the eastward of Ponce. No opposition of any moment was encountered. A few shells were thrown over the town by the "St. Louis," and the enemy retired to Guayama, five miles inland.

Just as soon as the troops and the supplies could be landed, preparations were made for an aggressive campaign. The movements were greatly handicapped, however, through the lack of cavalry and artillery. The transport "Massachusetts," having on board the mounted troops for this portion of the army, had gone fast aground on a reef in the harbor of Ponce, and many days were lost in unloading the

road of the vilest description, forty-two miles in length. Major-General Brooke did not await their coming however.

On August 5 the infantry of the brigade moved out towards Guayama, and after a sharp fight, within two miles of

the town, the enemy were driven out of the town occupied. The Spanish commander and his force returned later in the day and made a counter-assault, but our men were too firmly installed, and after two hours of brisk firing, in which the dynamite guns were first brought into action, the enemy sullenly retreated to his entrenchments in the mountains. The lack of mounted troops was now severely felt, as proper reconnoisances could not

horses and guns so far from the shore, and then further delay occurred through the animals being unfit for service, owing to their long confinement on the ship. These troops had then, after being fully rested, to make a march inland, over a

be had. While awaiting the arrival of the cavalry and artillery, our lines were gradually pushed out and all available points occupied. No attempt was made to bring on a general engagement, as the enemy were too strongly entrenched to attempt an assault and the con ditions were entirely favorable for defence.

While Brooke was thus occupied, General Schwan, with a brigade composed principally of regulars, started for the west coast, and after several spirited engagements captured Mayaguez, the third city in importance on the island. General Wilson also began a campaign having as its objective a junction with Brooke at Cayey, but the enemy made a stiff fight at Coamo and then retreated to Aibonito, where they held a position said

to be almost impregnable. An advance column was rather roughly handled by the Spanish at that point, but preparations were made to push on. All of the plans, however, came to naught, as, before Brooke and Wilson could make a joint

STREET CROWD OF NATIVES AT PONCE

and concerted movement, the Peace Protocol was signed and hostilities ceased.

It was now a case of sitting down and awaiting developments. An opportunity was given to view the political conditions, which the military activities of the earlier part of the campaign precluded. It was found that the bulk of the people were heartily in favor of the complete annexation of the island to the United States. Many of the upper class, all full-blooded Spanish, did not, however, coincide with this view, though they were not very out-spoken in their opposition. The natives, those of the middle and lower classes, generally hailed the advent of our troops with joy. Their relations towards the Spanish residents, the erstwhile dominant class, completely changed, and many attempts to use the American troops to pay off old scores were made. Complaints flowed in to the military commander of Spaniards and Spanish sympathizers living

oughly practical politicians. They howled about the old civil officers being retained in office; local newspapers teemed with republished proclamations issued by alcaldes and other officers prior to the advent of the Americans; the police force was

declared rotten; altogether the political aspect reminded one of conditions at home when a dominant political party has been ousted from power. It required tact to handle these people, and it is to the credit of our general officers that they succeeded in maintaining peace without the resort to harsh military rule.

With the cessation of hostilities there was an immediate influx of speculators, promoters, merchants, schemers and representatives of syndicates, all anxious to get the first whack at what was believed to be a commercial El Dorado. All of these people were doomed to disappointment. The Porto Ricans are a shrewd race. They had heard of the great syndicates evolved by "Los Americanos" and were ready for them. Plantations, worth at the outside $150,000, jumped to $500,000, and everything else in the way of franchises was held at proportionate values. I remember a conversation I had with a

within our lines, and, in many instances, the natives would organize themselves into vigilance committees to arrest suspects and drag them off to jail. These practices were quickly stopped, and then the Porto Ricans developed into thor

representative of a large amount of American capital, who had made close inquiry into sugar and coffee plantations and real estate generally. He was packing his trunk for home, saying that the best thing to do was to leave the natives severely

alone for the next six months and then they would "come to their milk." He found that the most extraordinary ideas existed as to the amount of money the Americans were ready and anxious to pour into the island, and that everybody had their hats held out awaiting the shower. As an example, the case of a French planter was cited. This man had lived in Porto Rico from his early childhood and was the possessor of a sugar plantation for which $100,000 would be a fancy price. He appeared at the French hotel, in Ponce, armed with an inventory of his property. This document was very well prepared. It covered many pages of foolscap and was a beautiful specimen of chirography. In it was set out everything, no matter how minute, that was contained within the bounds of the plantation. Every fence post was enumerated and valued at $50, a log lying in a field was particularized as of mahogany and worth $350, and so it went on. The aggregate footing of the

TH

beautiful figures made the magnificent total of $750,000, and the owner seemed hurt when would-be buyers laughed at his price.

The possibilities of this new possession of the Americans are untold. It is rich in everything in natural resources. In fact, nature has bestowed her favors on the island with a more than lavish hand. The ground needs but to be tickled for anything and everything to grow, and this the natives rely upon, as they make no efforts to raise vegetables, depending upon the fruits which grow wild everywhere. In the interior I saw two span of magnificent oxen drawing a plough made from the forked branch of a tree, and all the agricultural operations seem to be just as primitive. Wasteful methods abound,

the result of centuries of living upon nature, and it will take a full generation of time, accompanied with a strong leaven of American push and enterprise, adequately to develop the country.

P. LYLE WEAVER.

HAT garden of the world, Central New

York, contributes some of its most picturesque and alluring charms to the little county of Tompkins, at its very heart and centre. Here has Nature spread a rich profusion of blessings over the land - fertile fields for the harvest, flashing cascades, noble waterfalls, and grandly beautiful gorges; and Cayuga, perhaps, the most beautiful of all the famed lakes of the region. All these render it the spot to inspire the soul, fitted to appreciate its favors, with life's higher ideals. That beauty indwelling the land inspired

"The glory that was Greece,

And the grandeur that was Rome,"

is not now deemed a visionary theory of the past, or, if visionary, at least the vision is of Truth, whose dazzling front must needs be gazed upon through the veil of dim ages. So we think it but natural to suppose that the future will some day glimpse a like vision of our time. Then, will the deeds stand proof? We doubt it not.

Ezra Cornell walked into this richly dowered region from his less-favored

birthplace, a sturdy, dreamy lad with all his fortune to achieve, except that of his heart, beating under the only jacket he possessed. He walked about forty miles, and came to build his home in Ithaca,much more besides he builded there. The journey was not long nor adventurous like that of Ulysses's, whose fame comes down in song, but the scene of its termination - this modern Ithaca, classic in beauty as the far Ionian Isles-was scarcely less beautiful. It was beautiful then to the vision of the lad, but it is more beautiful now because he saw and grew upon its inspiring charm. It is certainly pleasant, and we believe logical, to attribute the splendid monument to his lofty ideal of humanitarianism, which he later builded upon the spot, the grand university crowning the hillside and his name with imperishable fame,- to the growth of soul inspired by the sublime sermonizing of Nature. The institution he founded has grown in stature and in fame for a quarter of a century, and other schools have sprung up around it, until the region is known far and wide as a great educational centre.