The morning call., 1893-02-14
/" BREAD OF LIFE"
A Famine at Angel Island
Startles Washington.
HOW RELIEF WAS AFFORDED.
An Order From the War Department
Which Accounts for the Sunday
Trips of the Mcdowell.

The War Department a few weeks ago
received a communication signed by num-
Der of well-meaning people in this city rep
resenting that a shocking state of affairs
prevailed at Angel Island. Representations
were made to the Secretary Of War that six
or seven hundred soldiers were cOoped up
in the island every Sunday without having
any opportunity to partake of the Bread of
Life In other words, the devout petitioners
urged that Angel Island was stricken by
spiritual famine. 1t was urged that no
army chaplain had been assigned to the
infantry post, and that it was a shame to
deprive the little community of religious
instruction, especially when the Island was
within few minutes sail of big city filled
with churches and Sundsy-schools.
The clerk in the War Department whose
duty it was to open the correspondence re-
ceived each day, hastily glanced at The
papers and Endorsed on the same:
Lack of bread at Angel Island, Depart-
ment of California. Division OF the Pacific"
His assistant. whose duty 1t was TO IN
dorse the references TO the appropriate
bureaus for investigation, after drawing
line in red ink under his chiefs writing
wrote:
Respectfully forwarded to the commits
saIy-generars department for examination
and report"
The commissary- general, upon examining
the document, discovered its trne purport
and returned the paper to the honorable
the Secretary of War, with the information
that the kind Of bread for which the requi-
sition had been mace was not included In
the regular army bill of Iations.
In due time the curious document was
transmitted to General Ruger, commanding
| the division of the Pacific, with instructions
to investigate the facts connected with the
alleged spiritual famine at Angel Island,
and TO report whether any relief could be
extended to the soldiers who were hungry
| for the dread of life"
General Ruger referred the paper to one
| of his staff officers, who reported that there
was but one army chaplain assigned to duty
| in San Francisco. that his station was at the
PreSidio, where he held divine service for
the garrison every Sunday and that soldiers
on duty at Angel Island could not attend
| the Preside chapel. As the Quartermaster's
steamer Irwin Mcdowell, did not make
| Sunday trips on the bay OF San francisco.
The staff officers report was forwarded to
Washington and after awhile cOmmunlca-
ton was received by General Ruger from
| the War Department stating that the chap
| lain on duty at the Preside had been in
| stIueted TO hold q Semi-nOnthly service at
the post on Angel Island. and that If any
other San Francisco clergyman desired TO
| hold service on the alternate Sundays at
! that point transportation should be fur
nshed.
This made it necessary TO order the Nc
| DOwell out on Sunday to carry the min
| listers across the bay. Two weeks ago the
order was put into effect. and the result was
that the captain OF the steamer and his
! crew Of six men, who have hitherto had,
| like other government employees. their Sun
day in which to rest or go to church as they
| felt disposed, have been compelled TO work
| seven days week.
At the religious service on Angel Island
| on Sunday last out of population of seven
| hundred only eleven persons were In at
tendance, and these included four civilians
| who went over in the boat with the chap
! lain from this city.